Guest guest Posted March 16, 2012 Report Share Posted March 16, 2012 Hi Tammy,  I'm new to the group and have been pretty quiet so far. But as a fellow MS'er since 1976, I've learned a few tricks along the way that I want to share with you. Many MS'ers have some kind of throat involvement - whether it be voice, swallowing, that tickle that won't go away, the whole gamut from soft to liquid diet. I have had swallowing, coughing and voice issues since I was a child due to a botched tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy and getting MS at age 23 only aggravated my voice and swallowing problems. I also have Crohn's (dx'd at age 11) and Rheumatoid Arthritis (dx'd at age 33).  The old saying that if you have one AI, then you are a magnet for more holds very true in my case.  However, the invites for more AI's (Auto-Immune Diseases) is now rescinded. lol I have several remedies you may find helpful. For the tickle that hasn't become outright coughing yet,  I suck on Hall's Honey Lemon cough drops -- about 8 - 10 over the course of the day because of dry mouth and light sporadic coughing. I can cough even if I drink water, which I do - about 4 to 6 bottles/day. My other meds cause dry mouth, so they both help me.  I use Chloraseptic spray (or Sucrets or store brand) - 1 or 2 sprays every 1 to 2 hours or when needed - maybe only 3 or 4 times a day if I keep up with water and Hall's.  I do not use anything sugar free - in food, drink, gum, or lozenges. I weaned off sugar free stuff in the 1980's and stay with sugar in moderation. Sugar free products caused me a whole laundry list of other health problems, which is common with people who have AI's. In addition to that, year round - I take Allegra D every 12 hours (the regular Allegra doesn't have enough umph to help me) and 40mg Nexium every 12 hours.  The Allegra D cuts down the coughing fits (so I can drink, swallow and tolerate swallowing various consistency foods) and Nexium helps with GERDS and throat spasms from coughing and also helps with voice issues (I used to whisper and now I have a fairly decent voice after years of being on this protocol.) I have a friend who has MS with coughing and swallowing issues, and the doc ordered 10mg with breakfast and 10mg with dinner for 3 days, then 5mg with breakfast and 5mg with dinner for 3 days, then 5mg once a day to get to the 7th day and then stop and it has helped her tremendously. For me, the protocol I am on, when the coughing fits get so out of hand that I can't eat, swallow, or talk, I take 10mg prednisone in AM with breakfast and 10mg at dinner time for 5 days, then back to my maintenance dose for Crohn's, RA and MS is 5mg in AM and 5mg in PM every day, for mobility and inflammation.   We had a family pet too - we are coming up at 1 year since we had to put our dog to sleep after having him for 13 years, and we are not getting another pet because we are in transition to moving to another home. We thought the pet hair/dander was bothering me and I was tested and it came out negative. It seems pretty much weather related with me - when the seasons change and when temperatures change more than 20 to 30 degrees in any season. I have been using these protocols for many years now and find they work for me.  They may work for you like they did for my friend. Ask your doc if it would be acceptable to add on to your regimen. I haven't made a profile for me with this group yet since I'm only a week new, but I will get to it. We are just real busy right now looking to relocate from Pennsylvania to Florida. Background: I don't take any DMD drugs for MS, just prednisone and vitamins/supplements and diet.  I was on interferon in the early 1980's and it was akin to chemo in reaction, and I said never again.  My MS issues are well managed with this protocol - I've been on it since 1985 with tweaking as needed.  The listed side effects of DMD's would cause me to add more medications to combat them, and I'm not willing to do that. The side effects and fallout that I have now from all 3 AI's is managed pretty well with what I have been doing.  It was real hard to find a doc to go along with me because they all push DMD's when you go for appointments. I just give gentle reminders that I have been dealing with these diseases for more years than they have been living and I'm not doing half bad. LOL  Now with moving, I either will fly back to Pennsylvania to the doc I have had for 10 years or go doc shopping in Florida when I get there.  I don't look forward to either task. :-( I hope you find some of this helpful or at least ponder it. Of course, your doc can advise you better than a lay person. But I find my best information comes from those who sit where I sit and not from docs who went to school to learn about it. Have a nice day, Anne >________________________________ > >To: mscured >Sent: Friday, March 16, 2012 12:54 PM >Subject: Allergic Cough > > > >Last October I developed a cough that comes and goes. When I go out of town it goes away, so I have determined that I have developed a late in life allergy to dogs (and I have a lab). With all my worsening MS symptoms I really don't want to start up with an allergist. I find that throat lozenges help with the cough yet I don't want to be sucking on all that sugar, or worse yet sugar-free in the middle of the night. I do use water as well but it is not as effective. Anyone have any recommendations? >Thank you in advance. >Tammy > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 16, 2012 Report Share Posted March 16, 2012 Try lemon juice with a little salt in it. If you can take honey add a little honey in it otherwise what typically works for me is a little lemon juice with salt in it. They also do make sugar free cough drops but I think they may have a sugar sub in them. Hot tea with lemon works pretty well to open up the breathing passages for me as well. I also give this to my husband (who has MS). It works for him as well. Good luck  Donna in VA " Stress is the confusion created when one's mind overrides the body's basic desire to choke the living daylights out of some jerk who desperately deserves it. " --Unknown >________________________________ > >To: mscured >Sent: Friday, March 16, 2012 12:54 PM >Subject: Allergic Cough > > > > > >Last October I developed a cough that comes and goes. When I go out of town it goes away, so I have determined that I have developed a late in life allergy to dogs (and I have a lab). With all my worsening MS symptoms I really don't want to start up with an allergist. I find that throat lozenges help with the cough yet I don't want to be sucking on all that sugar, or worse yet sugar-free in the middle of the night. I do use water as well but it is not as effective. Anyone have any recommendations? >Thank you in advance. >Tammy > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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