I just want to cry. My primary care NP gave me cough syrup with codeine, after extracting the promise that I would not combine it with the whisky that I had been self-medicating with. First dose of codeine, worked. Second dose of codeine, I woke up two hours later with a really intense coughing fit. Ok so I let the codeine work itself out of my system then went back to whisky and added some dark chocolate. It was helping. Less coughing today, so silly me, I thought I could nap. Nope. Started coughing again, whisky didn't stop it, there was gurgling in every breath, too noisy to sleep even if I wasn't coughing. Then I had a coughing fit so hard I threw up.

Oh, god, honey. Usually cough syrup with codeine is the magic key. I'm so sorry!

And just to add insult to injury now that I am sitting up, no coughing.

Andi, did you try Tessalon pearls? If not, ask your NP about them. They work really well. I'm sorry your cough is being so persistent.

Andi when I had the coughing from tell 3years ago I had to take cough syrup with Vicodin.

Also it helped to keep rooms as warm and humid as possible. It cut down on the irritation of my throat. I had humidifiers going and a pot of water on the stove.

I went through codeine cough syrup and tessalon pearls before the Vicodin medicine.

I also got a digital thermometer and humidity gauge so I could make sure it was humid enough.

The other thing that was suggested was not allowing extreme temperature changes but that doesn't help when you have to go outside AND keep it warm and humid.

I don't remember how humid but I know the moist air helped . It felt softer when I was breathing. I think my target was 70% humidity.

What Teppy said. The pearls were the only thing that helped me the last time I had a cough like that and wasn't sleeping. Along with lots of decongestants and albuterol.

What really works for me, and I neglected, is to also take mucinex dm and actifed to dry up the crud as well as the chocolate and booze for the cough. I just though I was ready to go it alone, and wasn't.

I had the pearls once years ago, and was not impressed enough to try them again.

I agree on the humidity--I've sat with a kid in my lap in the bathroom with the shower running on hot--or alone--and it did help the cough. But my bedroom needs to be cool. I can't breathe in an overwarm room. Also, when I can't stop coughing, I sleep sitting up--either on piles of pillows, or in the armchair with a footstool. Lying down just starts it up all over again.

I hope something works for you, Windsparrow, and you get the rest you need.