Persistent Cough

[molly]

Hi Everyone

I had a mastectomy and 4 cycles of Ac, four cycles of Taxol in 2003 - no herceptin. Also no radiotherapy. Since then i have been NED. I have had a cough now for about three weeks, very dry, and making me short of breath at times. I have seen my GP who sent me for a chest x-ray which was all clear. My question is has anyone else had a cough which was shown to be mets which did not show up on a plain x-ray. Molly

[Cathya]

Molly;

I had a bad cough during chemo and when I went to the hospital with a temperature and they heard me coughing they immediately did a chest x-ray just in case. Nothing....thank goodness. However, if you have a cough or any other symptom that persists over three weeks you should call your oncologist and make an appointment. When I asked my oncologist what criteria I should use to have him check something this is what he advised.....any symptom lasting 2 to 3 weeks....call him. I'm afraid your MD is just not an oncologist and I believe we need his/her experience in these situations. Even if it's nothing it's always better to be checked out.
Cathy

[madubois63]

Molly I am sorry to have to answer this one, but that is how my relapse started. I do not want to scare you any more than you already are, but PLEASE see your onc. I had a double ear infection with a persistent cough. Antibiotics did nothing. Nebulizers and inhalers were temporary relief. PC thought it might be bronchitis then pneumonia. The pain became unbeareable and I ended up going to the ER. It was fluid in my lungs from the bc spreading to my lungs. My upper back/shoulder area ached, and I was getting weaker by the day. I pray that this is not the case with you, but you can never be to careful when it comes to this crappy disease.
Please talk to your onc ASAP!

[molly]

Maryann

When the Doctor thought you had bronchitis etc did you have a chest x-ray initially and if so did it show anything. The Doctor thinks i have nothing to worry about because the chest x-ray was clear. Molly

[Lolly]

Molly, I can't answer your question to Maryann except to emphasize you must call your onc's office and ask to speak to his nurse...she will take a message from you, run it by your onc and he will see you if he thinks necessary. Your P.C. should not make the determination here. Again, don't mean to scare you but x-rays don't always show areas of concern, and if your onc thinks the x-ray isn't accurate he will order additional, more prescise scans such as PET/CT.

[madubois63]

I agree with Lolly - SEE YOUR ONCOLOGIST! After the bronchitis and antibiotics that did nothing, the x-ray showed slight pneumonia. They gave me an antibiotic for the pneumonia, and it did nothing but waste more time. The fluid build up changed from day to day. I got weaker and weaker and then ended up in the ER. From there, a pulmonary was called in to drain my lungs. My onc came to visit and yell at me. I should have gone straight to the onc in the beginning!

[John21]

Are you taking Aridimex? My wife had a very similiar cough. We did go see the Onc. and have scans just to make sure. There is a cough side effect with Aridimex. It is a rarer one, but everyone is different.



john

[MJo]

Cough side effect with Arimidex? I wish someone had told me. I have a persistent cough and I am on Arimidex. I also have allergies and asthma. I wish the medical community could get these side effects straight. I worry about lung mets too.

[Barbara2]

I had a dry cough for most of this past winter which was due to allergies. When spring came, it started to get better and better.

Your cough could possibly be from allergies.

Barbara

[molly]

Thanks for all your comments. My cough started to settle on Friday last week - didn't go away fully but seemed a bit better. However by Sunday it seemed to come back again. I still have it. As i said the chest x-ray was clear. I have decided to wait another week or two just to be sure that it is not a seasonal allergy type cough. Then if it is till there i will make an appointment to see my general practitioner. Molly

[newgg]

Molly,
As others have stated "Please" contact your oncologist. Every specialist has their own little world and your GP may be just super but may very well not "appreciate" your unique status. Your oncologist will have a better over all look at your cough as it relates to your medical history.
Hugs, Bonnie

[Alice]

My chest x ray was normal but I had a abdominal ct which cought part of the lungs and it showed multiple densities in both lungs. Best to see your onc just to be sure.

[Sherryg683]

Hi Molly, I had and still do get a cough that last for quite awhile. I finished taxotere, Xeloda, and am still on Herceptin. It's a dry cough and I too get short of breath. I had small lung mets when diagnosed..they are now gone. I have had CT/Pet scans regularly (one done 2 weeks ago) and they show that I am still NED. My Oncologist said the cough could be a side effect of the chemo or radiation. My cough will come and last for a week or so, then go away. Just like some of the other nagging side effects I have (severe headaches and rib pains). I find they are aggrivated more when I exercise. I would definately mention the cough to your doctor and get a CT scan if necessary to ease your mind..sherryg683

[maryb]

You didn't mention if you were on any aromatase inhibitor or Tamoxifen....they both generated a cough in me......take care Maryb

[molly]

maryb

Other than the initial chemo of AC and taxol in 2003 i have had no treatment. So the cough has not been caused by a drug. Everyone around me is noticing the cough and starting to look at me a bit strangely. I am still hopeful that it is a seasonal thing as we are coming into Spring here. Molly

[Bev]

Could be asthma too. It usually begins with coughing and shortness of breath before turning into wheezing. I'm sure you'll keep after the docs until they give you a suitable explanation. BB