What is the treatment for persistent cough?
Patient: Hello Dr. Goyal, thank you very much for offering your service.  I was born with asthma, it would be mostly seasonal when I was younger.  I didn't have to treat it all the time, but when I had the occasional asthma attack it would be pretty serious, almost to the point of hospitalization.  As I grew older, the asthma became less and less apparent.  Up until about 2 months ago, I had not had any asthma symptoms for several years. Then, I did.  It went away for a week, so I thought it was ok.  Then, it came back, and it was very scary trying to breathe at night. I went to a doctor and they said I had pneumonia.  The antibiotics they gave me didn't seem very effective, and a few days later they also started me on a regiment of steroids.  The steroids helped, as did a nebulizer.  I was resting and feeling very ill for about a week and a half of that period, then I started to feel better.  Well, that only lasted a few days, and now for the past few days it has been getting worse again, necessitating several nebulizer treatments yesterday, and (after much effort and wheezing) coughing up mucus with a strange bittersweet taste (perhaps the albuterol from the inhaler and nebulizer?)I am concerned because the illness has already been exposed to a full cycle of both steroids and antibiotics, and yet it persists.  What might a doctor be able to do for me?  Does this require immediate medical attention, or might it subside?  Whooping cough is going around my area, and I do have a persistent cough.  Thank you. Doctor: Hi,This could be acute bronchitis with your asthma as you are having persistent cough with expectoration.It can be diagnosed clinically but you must undergo routine blood investigation with sptum R/ M and C/S,chest x- ray to rule out any other pathology of lungs.You might require long course of antibiotics (amoxyllin with chavulanic acid or cephalosporins) with other supportive treatment like bronchodilators ( steroids,beta agonists,anticholinergics) inhalers or nebulizers with steam inhalation frequently.Consult pulmonologist immediately and take advise.Thanks.