Suggest remedy for persistent cough
Patient: I started off about three weeks ago with a flu type illness - hot and cold bad head - this left me with a really bad cough so I got penicillin off the doctor - one week course but still had a nasty cough and went back to doc - she said my lungs were clear but chest infection so another course of antibiotic Clarithromycin I was given week course and now only one day left with them but im still having coughing fits - can you help? Doctor: Hello,Welcome to HCM and thanks for your query.Coughs are caused by either a viral or bacterial infection or due to allergy and/or asthma. So it is important to know the cause. If you have a white blood cell count done, it often helps to differentiate between viral and bacterial infections. If there is infectious mononucleosis, caused by a viral infection, penicillin group of medicines can make it worse.If the cough is really bad and if there is yellow and rusty sputum or fever, it is good to have a chest Xray to see if there is a pneumonitis.If it is a viral or allergic cough only symptomatic treatment with plenty of warm fluids, an expectorant and ketotifen would be helpful.If it is the cough due to asthma, one would require bronchodilators.So the management has to be individualised depending on the cause.There is no shoe that fits all.Take careDr Noble Zachariah