Cough related to Achalasia

[Guest guest]

I would like to know if any of you have had a cough related to

Achalasia. If so what did you treat it with, how did you deal with

it?

One of my first symptoms of A was a horrible cough that lasted

for several months. It finally went away. At that time I would

sometimes wake up during the night knowing that something

had gotten into my windpipe. The cough is worse at night, but

does occur during the day also.

The cough has returned, except this time if I have fluid or

food items getting into the windpipe I don't know it. I sleep

now on an adjustable bed and have it raised to an angle that

this should not happen. I went to my family doctor, he x-rayed

my lungs and they were clear. He found no congestion or reason

for the cough. He does know that I have Achalasia but he has

not had experience in it's treatment and like many general

practitioners he doesn't know a lot about it.

My throat has become irritated and I have some hoarseness and

at time difficulty in breathing. I have been using an Albuterol

Inhaler for the breathing and this helps the cough, but I wonder

if I am over using it.

The doctor who treats my Achalasia is 100 miles away and I

have not yet talked to him about this cough. I plan to do that

next week, but in the meantime would like to know if any of

you have had this problem, what you have done for it etc. I

will appreciate any input you guys have.

Magg

Alabama

[Guest guest]

Hi, I no longer have my cough since I had my surgery on The seventh. I used to cough for hours at night, just keeping my lungs clear of fluids. No more. I am feeling so much better. and sleep so good on two soft pillows and another one under that. I used to sleep with a wedge pillow every night. I waited too long for this surgery, but glad I finally had it. I am still on soft food also. I will stay on them for a couple more weeks. Feel safer with that regimen. Good luck to you. Bev.

[Guest guest]

Hi Magg, yes indeed I know about Achalasia and coughing!

Take care to inform Drs if your symptoms deteriorate or even don't go away as you might (I am NOT saying you have!) aspirated/inhaled something.

I am at present making a very very slow recovery from pneumonia ........ a total and utter nightmare!

Chris

[Guest guest]

Thanks to you who responded to my question about the cough.

I had not seen that discussed on this group and was beginning

to feel like I was the only one who had experienced this.

I also know what a nightmare pneumonia can be. I spent

4 days in the hospital in January and had reached the point

that I was grasping for breath. That is why when the coughing

started this time, I went to my GP to get my lungs x-rayed. I

I thought I would never recoup from that.

Magg

Alabama

[Guest guest]

I had a bad cough once and I thought I was getting a bad cold or the

flu. A few days later I was admitted to the hospital with

pneumonia. I hadn't felt that sick just had the cough and then I was

getting really short of breath but it came on gradually and I didn't

realize what was happening. I had gone to urgent care on a Saturday

and they told me it was a cold and on the next Monday I saw my

regular doctor who knew instantly it was pneumonia. I was admitted

on the following day so I could be put on IV antibiotics.

Just be careful - if you get any other symptoms - fever, shortness of

breath - get it checked out.

> I would like to know if any of you have had a cough related to

> Achalasia. If so what did you treat it with, how did you deal with

> it?

>

> One of my first symptoms of A was a horrible cough that lasted

> for several months. It finally went away. At that time I would

> sometimes wake up during the night knowing that something

> had gotten into my windpipe. The cough is worse at night, but

> does occur during the day also.

>

> The cough has returned, except this time if I have fluid or

> food items getting into the windpipe I don't know it. I sleep

> now on an adjustable bed and have it raised to an angle that

> this should not happen. I went to my family doctor, he x-rayed

> my lungs and they were clear. He found no congestion or reason

> for the cough. He does know that I have Achalasia but he has

> not had experience in it's treatment and like many general

> practitioners he doesn't know a lot about it.

>

> My throat has become irritated and I have some hoarseness and

> at time difficulty in breathing. I have been using an Albuterol

> Inhaler for the breathing and this helps the cough, but I wonder

> if I am over using it.

>

> The doctor who treats my Achalasia is 100 miles away and I

> have not yet talked to him about this cough. I plan to do that

> next week, but in the meantime would like to know if any of

> you have had this problem, what you have done for it etc. I

> will appreciate any input you guys have.

>

> Magg

> Alabama

[Guest guest]

-Hi Magg - add me to the list of " coughers " . When I think back I had

a dry cough for probably a year or so before I started with the

swallowing problems. I always put it down to post-nasal drip, but

could never get a definite answer. Since I was diagnosed with

Achalasia, I read somewhere that coughing can indeed be a symptom,

but am not sure why. My cough was very deep and very irritating to

the throat. All I did for some comfort was to suck on a cough

losenge.A lot of people told me that my voiced changed too and it

sounded like I might have a cold. Anyway since my surgery almost

three years ago, I very seldom experience the coughing or for that

matter any of the other achalasia symptoms I used to have...thank

goodness!! Just to let you know - you are not alone.....

All the best......, Vancouver Canada

-- In achalasia@y..., MaggWho@a... wrote:

> I would like to know if any of you have had a cough related to

> Achalasia. If so what did you treat it with, how did you deal with

> it?

>

> One of my first symptoms of A was a horrible cough that lasted

> for several months. It finally went away. At that time I would

> sometimes wake up during the night knowing that something

> had gotten into my windpipe. The cough is worse at night, but

> does occur during the day also.

>

> The cough has returned, except this time if I have fluid or

> food items getting into the windpipe I don't know it. I sleep

> now on an adjustable bed and have it raised to an angle that

> this should not happen. I went to my family doctor, he x-rayed

> my lungs and they were clear. He found no congestion or reason

> for the cough. He does know that I have Achalasia but he has

> not had experience in it's treatment and like many general

> practitioners he doesn't know a lot about it.

>

> My throat has become irritated and I have some hoarseness and

> at time difficulty in breathing. I have been using an Albuterol

> Inhaler for the breathing and this helps the cough, but I wonder

> if I am over using it.

>

> The doctor who treats my Achalasia is 100 miles away and I

> have not yet talked to him about this cough. I plan to do that

> next week, but in the meantime would like to know if any of

> you have had this problem, what you have done for it etc. I

> will appreciate any input you guys have.

>

> Magg

> Alabama

[Guest guest]

, when you first had your surgery, did you have trouble getting some food down, even soft foods? I still have trouble getting some things down, but if I drink water, it helps a lot. I am twelve days post-surgery. The pain in my shoulders is starting to go away and I still sleep a lot. I am planning to return to work on Wed. maybe just four hours. Very little pain in the five small incisions. I do sleep so much better without the reflux. If I wake up now it is do to minor pain in shoulder or restroom call. Otherwise, I sleep on very few pillows, almost flat, and sleep very well.

So glad you are posting so that we can ask you questions. Thanks. Bev.

[Guest guest]

I too, have a cough. What I thought was post-nasal drip, since I have

allergies, I went to my ear, nose and throat doctor who gave me atrovent for

rhinitis (a runny nose.) He knew about " A " and said my coughing is associaed

with achalasia. Sometimes when I cough, I bring up phlem or saliva. My voice

also changes at times and sounds like I have a cold. When that happens, I

have a harder time talking and my voice seems lower. It seems to be a strain

on my throat. The coughing happens a few times a day.

Mass

>From: " natvancouver2002 " <natvancouver2002@...>

>Reply-achalasia

>achalasia

>Subject: Re: Cough related to Achalasia

>Date: Sun, 18 Aug 2002 06:28:43 -0000

>

>-Hi Magg - add me to the list of " coughers " . When I think back I had

>a dry cough for probably a year or so before I started with the

>swallowing problems. I always put it down to post-nasal drip, but

>could never get a definite answer. Since I was diagnosed with

>Achalasia, I read somewhere that coughing can indeed be a symptom,

>but am not sure why. My cough was very deep and very irritating to

>the throat. All I did for some comfort was to suck on a cough

>losenge.A lot of people told me that my voiced changed too and it

>sounded like I might have a cold. Anyway since my surgery almost

>three years ago, I very seldom experience the coughing or for that

>matter any of the other achalasia symptoms I used to have...thank

>goodness!! Just to let you know - you are not alone.....

>All the best......, Vancouver Canada

> -- In achalasia@y..., MaggWho@a... wrote:

> > I would like to know if any of you have had a cough related to

> > Achalasia. If so what did you treat it with, how did you deal with

> > it?

> >

> > One of my first symptoms of A was a horrible cough that lasted

> > for several months. It finally went away. At that time I would

> > sometimes wake up during the night knowing that something

> > had gotten into my windpipe. The cough is worse at night, but

> > does occur during the day also.

> >

> > The cough has returned, except this time if I have fluid or

> > food items getting into the windpipe I don't know it. I sleep

> > now on an adjustable bed and have it raised to an angle that

> > this should not happen. I went to my family doctor, he x-rayed

> > my lungs and they were clear. He found no congestion or reason

> > for the cough. He does know that I have Achalasia but he has

> > not had experience in it's treatment and like many general

> > practitioners he doesn't know a lot about it.

> >

> > My throat has become irritated and I have some hoarseness and

> > at time difficulty in breathing. I have been using an Albuterol

> > Inhaler for the breathing and this helps the cough, but I wonder

> > if I am over using it.

> >

> > The doctor who treats my Achalasia is 100 miles away and I

> > have not yet talked to him about this cough. I plan to do that

> > next week, but in the meantime would like to know if any of

> > you have had this problem, what you have done for it etc. I

> > will appreciate any input you guys have.

> >

> > Magg

> > Alabama

>

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[Guest guest]

Thanks Sandy for writing. You have described my cough better

than I could myself. You have also made me realize something

that I had not before. I said in my first email on this subject that

my symptoms started with a cough and then later it left. You

are right, it left after I reached the point that I could not swallow.

My cough is dry in that I have no sputum, but it sounds like something

is breaking loose in my chest or lungs.

I had a dilatation in September of 2001. I am just now beginning

to have problems with swallowing again, but it is not bad enough

yet that I wanted another dilatation or surgery. If you are right

about it stopping as the swallowing gets worse, and I am betting

you are, then I can look forward to my swallowing getting really

bad in the next few months.

I had a horrible cough with the pneumonia and would wind up

not being able to breath. My oxygen count when I went to the

hospital was 53. I think this cough was due to the pneumonia

and not the Achalasia.

Thanks to all who have written. I will call my Gastroenterologist

this week.

Magg

Alabama

[Guest guest]

Before my symptoms got severe and I was diagnosed I would get a

normal cold and end up with a cough for MONTHS. Very severe dry

coughing starting with a tickle in my throat. I carried around a

bottle of cough syrup all the time. Never could really trace it to

an infection or any normal complication from a cold. I too have

allergies and thought it was related to that. I went to a Tina

concert and had an attack and swigged on a bottle of cough

syrup the whole concert. Seems like once the swallowing problems got

worse the other symptoms lightened up, like the spasms and the day

cough. The night cough got much worse however. My doctor told me

that I had to do something once the night coughing started, the risk

of aspirating is very serious and is not to be taken lightly. Worse

than coughing at night is not to cough (maybe because you are so

asleep?) and wake up not able to breath and choking. That happened

to me several times and was pretty scary.

Personally I think the saliva sits in your esophagus and causes the

coughing problems, makes sense to me that when you are asleep the

saliva gets into your lungs and bronchia. As I've said before I

think the white foam problem we have all had is saliva mixed with air.

> I would like to know if any of you have had a cough related to

> Achalasia. If so what did you treat it with, how did you deal with

> it?

>

> One of my first symptoms of A was a horrible cough that lasted

> for several months. It finally went away. At that time I would

> sometimes wake up during the night knowing that something

> had gotten into my windpipe. The cough is worse at night, but

> does occur during the day also.

>

> The cough has returned, except this time if I have fluid or

> food items getting into the windpipe I don't know it. I sleep

> now on an adjustable bed and have it raised to an angle that

> this should not happen. I went to my family doctor, he x-rayed

> my lungs and they were clear. He found no congestion or reason

> for the cough. He does know that I have Achalasia but he has

> not had experience in it's treatment and like many general

> practitioners he doesn't know a lot about it.

>

> My throat has become irritated and I have some hoarseness and

> at time difficulty in breathing. I have been using an Albuterol

> Inhaler for the breathing and this helps the cough, but I wonder

> if I am over using it.

>

> The doctor who treats my Achalasia is 100 miles away and I

> have not yet talked to him about this cough. I plan to do that

> next week, but in the meantime would like to know if any of

> you have had this problem, what you have done for it etc. I

> will appreciate any input you guys have.

>

> Magg

> Alabama

[Guest guest]

Funny thing about this disease is that until you figure out what you

have you don't put the symptoms together. Do you suppose that

coughing was our poor old esophagus' just dying away? It was the

strangest cough and so CONSTANT. I swear it took at leat 4 if not 6

months to go away. They didn't make a cough syrup bottle large

enough for me.

I had a dilation in Feb 2002 and now see the symptoms returning

slightly. I can live with it but anticipate a problem in a year or

so. Until I get night coughs I think I'll ignore it. My doctor said

it takes years and years for an esophagus to stretch and mine isn't

yet....

Another interesting symptom, my father was in the hospital in

November and I wanted to give platelets, similar to giving blood, but

takes a couple of hours hooked on a machine. They test your blood

before they do it because of all the time and expense involved. I

felt fine, hadn't been sick other than couldn't swallow, was losing

weight, had night coughs but no other problems and my white count was

so hugely elevated they thought I was the one with leukemia and they

couldn't take my platelets or let me give blood. I couldn't figure

out why, although I apparently have gall stones but they aren't doing

anything. I never really did anything about it and didn't have any

more tests, but I happened to file away some test results from my

first endoscopy where there was indications of infection in the

esophagus. Do you suppose that infection caused the white count to

be so high? Is that maybe why I get tired or is it age? Grosses me

out to thing food sits there so long it causes infection. I have no

reflux problem so that shouldn't be it.

Maybe there are so good things we don't know about achalasia, maybe

it stops alzheimers or keeps us from getting certain cancers. With

so many strange parts to it surely some of them are beneficial

besides losing weight. That was great for me for a while, but when I

could eat the pounds just came back on like gangbusters, my

metabolism just couldn't handle the food, it was used to starving.

I've finally evened out but that part is discouraging, I didn't need

that weight back.

sandy

> Thanks Sandy for writing. You have described my cough better

> than I could myself. You have also made me realize something

> that I had not before. I said in my first email on this subject

that

> my symptoms started with a cough and then later it left. You

> are right, it left after I reached the point that I could not

swallow.

> My cough is dry in that I have no sputum, but it sounds like

something

> is breaking loose in my chest or lungs.

>

> I had a dilatation in September of 2001. I am just now beginning

> to have problems with swallowing again, but it is not bad enough

> yet that I wanted another dilatation or surgery. If you are right

> about it stopping as the swallowing gets worse, and I am betting

> you are, then I can look forward to my swallowing getting really

> bad in the next few months.

>

> I had a horrible cough with the pneumonia and would wind up

> not being able to breath. My oxygen count when I went to the

> hospital was 53. I think this cough was due to the pneumonia

> and not the Achalasia.

>

> Thanks to all who have written. I will call my Gastroenterologist

> this week.

>

> Magg

> Alabama