xsync
Stranger
Reged: 11/19/04
Posts: 4
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I've had asthma since childhood and have needed to gradually increase med to control it. For the last few years I've had an annoying nighttime cough especially if I exercised during the day. The cough brings up some flem but prevents me and my wife from falling asleep normally. I've asked my doc about it and he just wants to up my asthma meds particularly with steroid based meds. I feel my asthma is in control and hesitate increasing dosages. I run about 25 miles a week and I know when my asthma is in check. OTC cough suppressants keep me up so I'm looking to narcotic based suppressants. I recently had bronchitis and my doc prescribed Vi-q-tuss which has an expectorant and hydorcodone. It got rid of that annoying night to hack, but the doc is too concerned about prescribing a narcotic for my more chronic cough.
I'm wondering if another local doc would give a different treatment or whether I should try online docs or obtain meds overseas. It appears hydrocodone is difficult to obtain overseas but codeine seems readily available. I'm not sure if codeine is as effective as hydocodone
Any thoughts?
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tone
Veteran
Reged: 06/29/03
Posts: 509
Loc: Chicago
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it depends on your CYP2D6 Expression on weather or not codeine would be good. this means how active your CYP2D6 Enzyme is, because it is through this mechanism which your body converts inactive codeine to active morphine. This is genetic. some people have high CYP2D6 Activity, some people low, and some people seriously low. this is why codeine works great for some, ok for others, and hardly at all for others. There is no way to know, youd just have to give codeine a try
a drug that is inactive until it is metabolised to another drug is known as a prodrug
Have you tried regular old cough syrup with Dextromethorphan in it? you must take care in buying a medicine that has DXM in it only as you dont want to be needlessly taking drugs for symptoms that dont exist
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xsync
Stranger
Reged: 11/19/04
Posts: 4
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Quote:
Have you tried regular old cough syrup with Dextromethorphan in it? you must take care in buying a medicine that has DXM in it only as you dont want to be needlessly taking drugs for symptoms that dont exist
I tried dextromethorphan but it made me jittery, which doesn't help when I'm tring to suppress a cough to fall asleep easier.
I know the hydrocodone worked great. Not sure how codeine will work for me. However, years ago I got prescribed Tylenol 3, for some dental work, which I assume has some sort of narcotic in it but it didn't seem to help much more than regular Tylenol.
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armywife
Newbie
Reged: 11/01/04
Posts: 32
Loc: mid-atlantic region
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You may want to try a cough syrup that has a mixture of phenergan and codeine. I have seen it in an IOP, but I can't remember which one or even what the name of the med was. The phenergan usually knocks out a cough pretty well. Every time I get bronchitis I get a prescription for the sough syrup. Be careful though, it will make you sleepy.
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aneee
Stranger
Reged: 09/09/04
Posts: 13
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There is also a cough syrup with guyafenesyn w. codeline for those of us with rls
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voyager
Old Hand
Reged: 04/17/03
Posts: 413
Loc: United States Virgin Islands
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The drug of choice for long acting cough supression is called Tussionex. If that does not stop your cough you are in some REALLY SERIOUS trouble.
A few OP's carry it. It is the GOLD STANDARD of cough suppression.
voyager
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cherokeereb
Member
Reged: 05/08/03
Posts: 122
Loc: Southeast
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Why not see if the Dr will give you some cough syrup with codeine in it first? Maybe a small rx to see if it's gonna work. Dr's are more willing to write scripts for that and it's cheaper too! If it works, great! If not, then you're not out much. Good luck!
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yawkaw3
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 03/22/03
Posts: 1193
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Opioids cough suppressants are really not appropriate for a long-term cough, except when it's serious and "enough is enough" and you absolutely are suffering without it. Lung and throat cancer, for example.
Otherwise, they're appropriate for short-term use. In an upper respiratory infection, the lungs may remained inflamed for up to 2 months.
The reason I say "appropriate" is not because I care whether someone is taking an opioid or not, it's because they dramatically lose their effectiveness as cough suppressants (yet still keep the "other" effects) when used long-term.
Doctors know this, and if you try to endlessly refill your Hycodan/Tussionex, they will know what's up. They will know it's not working for the cough anymore. And unless it's truly neccessary, they won't want to increase the dose substantially and keep doing it.
Asthma does cause non and mildly productive coughs at night. Properly controlling your asthma is the way to fix this. Using your inhaler at night doesn't work? Have you taken Advair in high doses, like the 500/100?
Unless you're elderly, it's rare to have cough as your primary complaint. Is it possible you live in an area with high pollution? Is it possible you've developed an allergy? Is it possible you are exposed to workplace irritants or were at one time? All of these are reasons for a continued cough.
What color is the phlegm you're bringing up? It could possibly be chronic sinusitis.
My advice would be to get a referral to an otolaryngologist (aka ENT- ear, nose, and throat doctor), if you already know your asthma is in check and don't need a pulmonologist. They are professionals who are qualified to look into this more closely.
Good luck.
-yawkaw
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xsync
Stranger
Reged: 11/19/04
Posts: 4
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Quote:
Asthma does cause non and mildly productive coughs at night. Properly controlling your asthma is the way to fix this. Using your inhaler at night doesn't work? Have you taken Advair in high doses, like the 500/100?
I'm taking advair 250/50. However, I would hate to up the daily dose for a nightime cough that doesn't occure every night, but I may have to look at that option.
Quote:
What color is the phlegm you're bringing up? It could possibly be chronic sinusitis.
It is clear in color if anything is brought up, but I am prone to sinus infections.
Thanks for your recomendations.
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