A member asked:

I have a dry non-productive cough that will not go away, and my ribs hurt horribly from the never ending hacking. is there any i have been taking cough suppressants like mucinex, and cold medicine like nyquil. trying to sleep is horrible , all i do is gu

3 doctors weighed in across 2 answers
Dr. Heidi Fowler answered

Specializes in Psychiatry

Hello. : Hello. You might talk to your doctor about tessalon perrles or use of codiene. Both can be very helpful with continual coughing. Make sure that you hydrate really well. At least 8 8 ounces glasses of water per day.

Answered 6/3/2018

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How : How old are you? How long have you had these symptoms? Did it follow an upper resriratory condition? Are you a smoker? Do you have asthma or any other respiratory problem you know of? The wheezing points to a condition with your lungs. While suppressing a cough is reasonable, especially with the pain (?Pleuritic or intercostal muscle cramping) you are having, you don't want to mask a more serious underlying condition. If this has followed a viral URI and been present less than a week, i'm not as concerned. If these symptoms have been present weeks or months it should be checked out starting with a chest x-ray. Mucinex (guaifenesin) is not a cough suppressant, its an expectorant/mucolytic (thins mucous). Tessalon perles and Codeine products are good for mild-moderate cough suppression. Tussionex suspension is good for more severe coughing. If this is cough-variant asthma, it would be treated differently, likely employing bronchodilators and possibly short term steroids. This is why history and exam is so important to arrive at a proper diagnosis and treatment. Hope this helps.

Answered 6/3/2018

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