Does anything help with the coughing?

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eve
Posts: 188
Joined: Mon Jul 26, 2010 10:56 am

Does anything help with the coughing?

Postby eve » Fri Jun 06, 2014 1:33 pm

Hi my friends, my dad isn't doing well. Last ct showed progression on Erbitux
so not many options left. Onc says main concern is the liver with growth and new lesions
but what is currently causing my dad the most discomfort is constant coughing
apparently caused by lung mets or lymph nodes irritating his airways.
His onc gave him some steroids that dont seem to be helping much and causing extreme hoarsness so he's off them . I would really appreciate any ideas or suggestions,
Did anything prove helpful for anyone?
Thank you so much and sorry for spelling mistakes, my english is not perfect. Eve.
2009 Dad (age 66) CC stage IV
FOLFIRI+Avastin
Xeloda-Avastin
December 2012 liver resection
March 2013 lung liver mets
Xelox and Avastin
Xeloda and Erbitux
My lovely dad passed July 2014

BTW please forxgive mistakes, my english is far from perfect.

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tdsamal
Posts: 619
Joined: Tue Dec 29, 2009 12:49 am
Facebook Username: malby.tammy
Location: Salem Oregon

Re: Does anything help with the coughing?

Postby tdsamal » Fri Jun 06, 2014 1:57 pm

I'm hoping someone will have some answers for you. I too suffer something awful with coughing spells that just wear me out. I also developed asthma which I have never had before. Steroids don't seem to touch the cough at all. We have been working on this now for 8 months and nothing seems to help. I see the Dr. again in 2 weeks and we will see what he has to offer me this time. There has to be something out there that will work!
Tammy
Dx st IV CC & colon resection 11/09
Way to much to list
Last recurrence December 2017

gtownguy
Posts: 151
Joined: Thu Nov 22, 2012 7:57 pm
Location: Washington, DC

Re: Does anything help with the coughing?

Postby gtownguy » Fri Jun 06, 2014 2:45 pm

I, too, have been having awful coughing fits since December and no one has been able to figure them out. At times I have coughed so violently I have either passed out briefly or thrown up all over myself. In January I even spent a week in the hospital having all kinds of tests but unfortunately not getting many answers. I've seen my internist, my oncologist, an ENT specialist, and a pulmonologist. If anyone has any other ideas, I'm certainly open to them. Thanks.
Sep 12 - dx rectal cancer - stage 3B - T3N1M0
Oct/Nov 12 - 6 wks daily radiation & Xeloda
4 Feb 13 - LAR w/ temp ileostomy
18 Mar 13 - install port
19 Mar - 02 Jul 13- FOLFOX chemo
23 Jul 13 - clean CT scans
26 Sep 13 - reverse ileo & remove port

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CRguy
Posts: 10473
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2008 6:00 pm

Re: Does anything help with the coughing?

Postby CRguy » Fri Jun 06, 2014 3:04 pm

From the vet perspective it seems the classes of meds used are basically :
1. steroids : anti-inflammatory, anti-allergy, help to shrink tissues
2. bronchodilators : open air passages
3. demulcents : soothe irritated membranes
4. antitussives : standard cough medicines which suppress the cough reflect
5. mucolytics : help to manage / break up secretions
6. diuretics : help to remove excess fluid from the lungs

all of which can be delivered as nebulizers / inhalers and some combination of oral medicines. Oxygen supplementation may also be considered ?
Coupage is a vigorous chest "tapping / pounding " used to break up consolidations and fluid accumulations in the airways.
I would suggest consulting with a respiratory specialist to see if any of these or other treatments may help. It may require a combination of things to get some relief.

Has there been discussion of any treatment for the mets / nodes which are causing the coughing problem ? ( SBRT, RFA, surgery ? )

Best wishes
CRguy
Caregiver x 4
Stage IV A rectal cancer/lung met
17 Year survivor
my life is an ongoing totally randomized UNcontrolled experiment with N=1 !
Review of my Journey so far

dianne052506
Posts: 1651
Joined: Sun Nov 02, 2008 11:57 pm
Location: North Carolina

Re: Does anything help with the coughing?

Postby dianne052506 » Fri Jun 06, 2014 3:08 pm

I'm dealing with lung mets too and steroid treatments too, so I know about the cough as well as the hoarseness. I've just about given up trying to talk on the phone because it's so annoying having to repeat myself when I can't hardly talk anyway.
I take a cough medicine that has both hydrocodone and homoatropine that helps some. I also have an non-steroidal inhaler (brand name Combivent Respimat, with a combination of albuterol and ipratropium - broncodilators that relax muscles in the airways and increase airflow to lungs.)
The other thing that has helped with the cough, although I don't know why, is acid reflux medicine. I take 1 omeprazole (Prilosec) each morning 30 minutes before eating. I didn't think I had any other symptoms of acid reflux, but the cough did improve when I starting using that a couple of months ago.
Good luck to your dad,
Dianne
May 06 Stage IV CC: liver,ovarian mets
Oct 07 inoperable lung mets
Feb 08 - Apr'12 chemo
allergic to oxaliplatin, irinotecan
Aug '12-Feb'14 Genentech PD-L1/Avastin trial
Mar '14 -radiation to largest lung nodule
still recovering; looking at trials again

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lohidoc
Posts: 454
Joined: Tue Aug 09, 2011 6:37 pm

Re: Does anything help with the coughing?

Postby lohidoc » Fri Jun 06, 2014 3:43 pm

I had an awful winter with radiation pneumonitis, and my right lung is full of tumour.

Ask your doctor for a codeine cough syrup. Codeine is an opiod, and is the strongest cough suppressor out there. It was a god send for me. 5mg/ml, take 5 ml as needed. It did not make me drowsy or interfere in any other way. Your dad is palliative, so there is no reason why they would not prescribe it. I suspect it would make a world of difference. I combined it with 2 mg Ativan for a good night sleep.

Other things that might help: A ventolin inhaler and a steroid inhaler. You might also consider a portable home oxygen device if shortness of breath is an issue.

Finally, perhaps not relevant for you, I find cannabis oil through a vapourizer very soothing. The oil only contains a small amount of THC, so it will not make you high, but it contains all the other cannabinoids and is a good appetite stimulator.
"Half of what I know is wrong. I don't know which half."

Age 56
Dx 19/7/11
R. hemicolectomy 25/7/11
IIIc, 7 / 23 nodes,
no mets
Folfox 21/8/11
CT Scan 6/3/12 NED
CT Scan 21/6/12 30+ lung mets, 2 retroperitoneal tumours
marcdu4.wordpress.com

DogMom
Posts: 63
Joined: Wed Jul 17, 2013 5:11 pm
Location: Irvine, CA

Re: Does anything help with the coughing?

Postby DogMom » Fri Jun 06, 2014 3:48 pm

I take a cough medicine with hydro codons in it, probably similar to what Dianne describes above. I am also starting a series of radiation to attempt to deal with the cough and also deal with pain under my ribs.
Hope it works as the coughing fits are annoying and tiring. Also, ending up with the dry heaves because of a bad cough spasm is not pleasant.

Bonnie
DX 2/08 St 2 Rectal C, 47 y/o
Transanal excision/radiation/Xeloda
mult Lung Mets found 7/09
Xelox + Avastin 5 TX
neuropathy: Xeloda + Avastin 12/09
12/10 40 day Avastin headache, Xeloda
6/11 SBRT lungs
1/13 Regorafenib
11/13 Xeliri-fail
3/14 Gemzar

Tammy_tjb
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2012 9:08 pm

Re: Does anything help with the coughing?

Postby Tammy_tjb » Fri Jun 06, 2014 4:54 pm

I don't post too much....but my hubby has numerous lung mets, both lungs that are inoperable and chemo quit working, but when he started having bad coughing, and dry heaves, the Dr. asked if he was taking his pain medicine and when my hubby replied that he was not, the Dr. encouraged him to do so. He took the advice and taking the pain meds more regularly keeps the cough under control. Dr. said the lung tumors causer irritation that the pain meds help to control. Take care.

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tdsamal
Posts: 619
Joined: Tue Dec 29, 2009 12:49 am
Facebook Username: malby.tammy
Location: Salem Oregon

Re: Does anything help with the coughing?

Postby tdsamal » Fri Jun 06, 2014 11:48 pm

Sounds like my pulmanalogist is doing the right things for me. I use a nebulizer with 3 different meds, 3-5 times a day. We even tried the acid reflux drugs and cough meds.Cough meds did help at night but I didn't want to use it during the day because it made me so drowsy. He even had me try Lidocain in my nebulizer which scared the heck out of me, but it didn't even help. I'm thinking he will send me to an ENT next. Something has got to be causing this!
Tammy
Dx st IV CC & colon resection 11/09
Way to much to list
Last recurrence December 2017

eve
Posts: 188
Joined: Mon Jul 26, 2010 10:56 am

Re: Does anything help with the coughing?

Postby eve » Sun Jun 08, 2014 4:26 am

Thanks so much, guys , for your input.
My dad is meeting his onc today and it's very helpful for us to know about some of the options.
I really hope they find some way to help him. Feel well everyone. Eve.
2009 Dad (age 66) CC stage IV
FOLFIRI+Avastin
Xeloda-Avastin
December 2012 liver resection
March 2013 lung liver mets
Xelox and Avastin
Xeloda and Erbitux
My lovely dad passed July 2014

BTW please forxgive mistakes, my english is far from perfect.

sadysue
Posts: 986
Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2011 6:59 pm
Location: Charleston, TN

Re: Does anything help with the coughing?

Postby sadysue » Mon Jun 09, 2014 9:56 am

I developed an annoying cough while on chemo. After ending chemo, it subsided a little. I am over two years from my last chemo treatment and still have this little annoying cough that never completely went away.
Rectal dx 4/2011 (Stage 3B - T3N1M0)
5FU/Rad - daily/6 wks ending 6/2011
Surgery 8/19/2011
Finished 8 rounds Folfox 2/2012
Ileo reverse and port out 3/2012
NED


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