coughing, coughing, coughing??????

fishion

Hi, just signed in yesterday and not sure about my way around and chatting, getting information from others, etc.
I'm 54, male, never smoked but worked in industrial atmospheres (pollutants) and was diagnosed with non-small cell cancer in my upper right hand lung and was biopsy with some in the lymph nodes near the bronchial on the right side.
I have been coughing since March and finally got an xray in April that showed the mass. With all kinds of delays and other complications, I got a chemo treatment in June and my second one this past week, August 28th.
My question is, does everybody cough as much as I do. The doctors seem to act as if, yeah it's just a cough, but so far I have aggravated bones in my neck that caused severe arm/shoulder pain and this past Tuesday, it seems that I must have pulled a muscle in my diaphram and this causes lots of pain every time I cough. I am assuming that I am 'sloughing' up cancer cells from my lungs that chemo has destroyed.
Can anybody tell me if my theories are correct?????
Thanks
CGA

brainman

Hi Chris,

I copied your post to the Lung Cancer Forum so that others with Lung Cancer experience can comment.

When was the last time you had an x-Ray? The coughing can be caused by many things but without further information it is impossible to tell what the cause is. The chemotherapy does not cause cancer cells to slough off... it kills the cells which are then reabsorbed into the blood. What chemo and cancer sometime do is to created excess fluid to build up.

It sounds like your coughing is quiet violent Sad

. It is not uncommon to have pulled muscles from violent coughs. You might need to ask your doctor for a prescription cough medicine.

You are in my thoughts and prayers.
_________________
Jim
Site Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendroglioma grade 3, same location.
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Blog http://jimhawkinsport.blogspot.com/

UneasyRider · Regular Joined: 21 Aug 2008 Posts: 20

Hi fishion, welcome to the forum. I'm not expert enough about the coughing to advise you, but I think brainman is right that there should be a prescription that would help.

I do know that violent coughing can cause abdominal hernias. I think you should be sure to show the doctor the spot that hurts so he can make sure it's just a muscle thing and not a hernia.

Good luck and keep us updated.
_________________
57 year old male in Texas diagnosed with Stage II NSCLC
Upper left lobectomy on December 20, 2007, then 3 rounds of adjuvant chemotherapy
July 2008 CT scan - NED
December 2008 CT scan - NED
My story is in this thread: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=39609#39609

Tera · Senior User Joined: 31 Dec 2007 Posts: 197

I can tell you from my mom's experience, her coughing was mostly in an effort to try to get the phlegm out. She had quite a time with that. The phlegm did have some blood in it, but that was to be expected with the lung cancer. Other than for the phlegm, I don't recall her having violent coughing attacks.

pbj11 · Site Admin Joined: 12 May 2007 Posts: 1385

Hi,

Welcome to our community. Sorry about this whole diagnosis. My husband coughed quite a bit. Please stay hydrated so the mucus is more runny. My husband took Mucinex twice a day to thin out the mucus and make it easier to get out. Coughing can cause fractures in the ribs and certainly muscular pain. Get yourself a small, firm pillow and hold it tightly against the painful spot when you do cough to prevent further injury.

Call the doctor. You may need an inhaler or some type of prescription. I've heard that tessalon Pearls is pretty good for quelling a cough. Definitely tell the doc you need something to calm the cough and hopefully the chemo will start to kick in and work to reduce the coughing.

What type of chemo are you on?

Best of luck,
PBJ
_________________
Husband diagnosed with NSCLC Stage IV. (Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer) Fought & lived 2 1/2 years with multiple lines of treatment.

Post describing our battle: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=7026&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

D4ni3ll3 · Regular Joined: 12 Aug 2008 Posts: 17 Location: NZ

Hi there,

My Mum coughs alot, the doctor prescribed her a cough supressant & it seems to work quite well along with cough elixer so perhaps give that a shot?

Hang in there - be strong.

Danielle xo
_________________
xo Love my Mum xo

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