I need to ask about my Mom's cough.
She has been developing what I describe as a nagging cough which at times can be more than just annoying.
I call them 'coughing fits'. She did have radiation pneumonitis which according to her last CT on 09/07/13 was turning into pulmonary fibrosis if I remember the verbage on the CT report. She has been using a nebuilizer for about two weeks after she was using a steriod based inhalant that her pulmnologist prescribed her. The cough seems about the same. She was given an 'all clear' on her latest CT on 09/07/13. Is this something to be worried about as it is beginning to worry me. She has her next pulmnologist appointment on 11/29/13 and her next CT scan on 12/09/13. I hope you all are well and will continue to be. Thanks again, please take care and God bless. Dwight
- dkm5859
Reply # - November 21, 2013, 08:21 PM
Reply To: Cough…any input..thank you in advance..
Hi dkm5859,
It sounds as though this is something that should be discussed with the pulmonologist next week to see if he/she can recommend additional treatments to address her cough. If it is pulmonary fibrosis, there are drugs which can slow its progression and prevent further scarring, and oxygen therapy might be helpful. Otherwise, without access to her scans or an ability to examine her, the doctors her could only guess at what else could be causing her cough.
I hope her doctor has a recommendation that can provide relief.
JimC
Forum moderator
Reply # - November 21, 2013, 09:22 PM
Reply To: Cough…any input..thank you in advance..
it's very common for people with lung cancer and treatments for lung cancer to have a cough, and it could really be anything. Radiation pneumonitis can be resistant to many treatments and may sometimes need oral steroids. Of course, in anyone previously treated for lung cancer, it's possible that relapsed cancer could be the cause, but infection and inflammation are also right up there on the list of possibilities.
It's definitely worth keeping in good contact with her pulmonologist to see whetehr an additional work-up might be warranted.
Good luck.
-Dr. West
Reply # - November 21, 2013, 10:35 PM
Reply To: Cough…any input..thank you in advance..
Thanks again.. what are O2 treatments? How often must they be done if required?
My Mom was on two separate steroid regimens.
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Reply # - November 22, 2013, 05:51 AM
Reply To: Cough…any input..thank you in advance..
It's the administration of supplemental oxygen, and can be delivered in various amounts and in different ways. It's something you might want to address with her doctor.
JimC
Forum moderator
Reply # - November 22, 2013, 10:24 AM
Reply To: Cough…any input..thank you in advance..
Hello, Jim. Thank you very much for your help and infomation. So..the nebulizer is not the type of oxygen supplmentation you are speaking of? You are referring to 'pure' O2 from an O2 tank with a mask and or nose tube? So..delivery of 'pure' O2 can be relieve symptoms and or the cough itself due to other types of lung health issues/maladies rather than just replacing/supplementing O2 deficiencies? Also she was on two separate oral steroid regimens. Thanks again and please let me know. BTW...I hope I wrote/explained this well as I was tyrping/thinking very fast.
Reply # - November 22, 2013, 09:40 PM
Reply To: Cough…any input..thank you in advance..
No, supplemental oxygen through nasal cannulae is really just to treat a shortage of oxygen from the lungs not doing gas exchange well because they're too damaged or have an infection, inflammation, etc. It isn't really a treatment for a cough, but it's a treatment for shortness of breath.
-Dr. West