Help!

[pegkerr]

Your remedies, please, for a persistent, non-productive, agonizing, hacking cough, caused by spring pollen allergies. I have taken Claritin, and Ibuprofin for the fever, and I'm eating cough drops and sucking down tea, but this cough is killing me, and it's tearing me apart. Suggestions?

I'm desperate here.

Comments

[boniblithe.livejournal.com]

I worked on Claritin before it was a registered drug. It's not useful for cough, so don't bother - also it takes about 3 days of consistent use to reach steady blood levels so it's a drug that's meant to be taken daily and NOT on an "as-needed" basis, which is a mistake most people make with Claritin.

You need moisture, my dear, to loosen up what's in your lungs - antihistamines dry out mucous membranes and make cough nonproductive. Between the dry air and the med effects your bronchial tubes are a desert. Take Dimetapp or something with dextromethorpan in it (however, it will probably knock you out). Check the label to make sure there's no pseudephedrine or other antihistamine like chlorpheniramine, in whatever cough syrup you take - and also no acetominophen if you're still taking the ibuprofen, otherwise your poor liver will groan under the weight of too many NSAIDs. Straight-up dextromehorpan and if that doesn't do it, go to Dr tomorrow.