Still Coughing After COVID? | Sensory Neuropathic Cough (SNC)

In response to many good comments and questions: The KEY issue is to decide if your cough is still a Covid cough: EITHER due to active infection, or the “aftermath” of clearing away debris from active infection (That kind of cough might last some weeks, but should gradually improve over time). OR, is your cough instead sensory neuropathic in nature, and Covid-19 was simply the cause of the sensory nerve damage? If the latter, and if you now have sensory neuropathic cough (SNC), the cough will be ongoing, often without much sense of improvement over time.  — — — How do you tell if you have SNC, initiated by Covid-19? For a start, see if you match to one of the syndromes below:  — — — 1. Each episode of coughing, whether lasting seconds or minutes, begins with a sudden ZING sensation. (Examples: a sudden tickle, or abrupt “dry patch” that demands that you cough even though you aren’t sick or producing mucus commensurate with the magnitude (violence or duration) of your cough. Other sensations might be a sudden dripping sensation, pinprick, feeling like a sudden popcorn kernel, etc.) 2. Coughing is often spontaneous and unexplained, but if you do certain things, you are more likely to cough. Talking, a loud laugh, taking a deep breath, trying to sing in upper voice, posture change (especially getting into bed at night or rolling to a certain position), a very strong odor, etc. makes it more likely that you will cough. 3. Cough "frequency" and "severity" are out of proportion to any illness or any mucus produced. What mucus is produced may be the RESULT rather than the CAUSE of coughing. In other words, you begin to produce mucus only after hard coughing for 10 or more seconds (If I force myself to cough hard just as an experiment, I produce mucus too!).  — — — What would a person do if he or she suspects they may now have SNC, with Covid-19 as the cause of the nerve damage? — — — • Go to the internet and enter the search term PeerJ Bastian to find a peer-reviewed but open source journal article that will describe SNC and how it is treated. Print and take that article to your doctor. • Go to www.laryngopedia.com/ and enter the search term “cough” to bring up abundant teaching material about SNC. • Ask your doctor: “Would it be a problem for me to just try amitriptyline or gabapentin (etc.)?” What do I hope you can avoid by doing these things? Being told “Oh, this is just how it goes with Covid-19,” when you actually now have SNC, which is treatable … • And if you strike out with your doctors, call nearby large ENT groups and ask “Does any of your doctors treat sensory neuropathic cough?”   • Or engage a Laryngopedia teleconversation ([email protected]) Keep pushing the medical system to help you, because imprecisely treated SNC can be debilitating!

I opened youtube and typed in a search for "covid tickle cough." Your description of SNC is exactly what I'm experiencing.

How come I never get a doctor like this? He seems knowledgeable, compassionate, and explains things in great detail. Every doctor I've ever seen spends only moments with me, has a somewhat sarcastic tone when answering questions, and seems to want to DEFEND his diagnoses rather than explain them. I've tried a dozen approaches, from stoic to extremely submissive to dominant, but nothing changes.

Over a year of constant violent coughing, 6 specialist, multitude of scans scopes and X-rays and in 4 days your gabapentin dose recipe stopped the cough completely! You have no idea how bad it had gotten and how weak the body and mind got I am SO SO grateful for your video. It was so spot on. Thank you so much!

I got sick back in early January. I haven’t stopped coughing since. I’m constantly either clearing my throat or coughing. I was also diagnosed with Acid reflux. I finally went to see a pulmonologist. So far I’ve just been prescribed inhalers. So far nothing. It’s changed me so much both physically and mentally. I understand many of you. Hang on we can do this!

Second testimony. It worked several months ago and this is my second try and once again... It worked. A million thanks with gratitude!

Thank you so much doc. Finally there is someone that understands what many are suffering and can treat the problem. Most grateful to run into this most educative and informative video.

I'm a doctor and I consulted my professors for my chronic cough, I tried bringing up this diagnosis but they're adamant that I try therapy for asthma, allergy, and acid reflux and they never work. Thank you for your work Dr. Bastian, I'll return for a follow up using the articles that you provided. I'm lucky I can "self-medicate" with proper guidance.

So honest, clear, concise, and just overall professional. Makes one feel like they are being cared for in the presence of this Doctor. Thank you sir. We truly do appreciate your time and information in this video. Truly, a positive vibe. Thank you.

After watching this video two weeks ago and following the advice, I got my doctor to prescribe Amitriptyline. After just 2 days symptoms reduced and now I'm almost completely healed after an additional week. Thank you so so much for sharing this information - God bless you

I can't thank you enough doc. My cough has been a nightmare! Coughing 3 to 4 months straight... bought gabapentin and cough disappeared the SECOND day! Took my pills for a month and am healed. God bless the work of your hands and your coming generations. 🙏 🙏

Finally a Dr who understands and can explain what's REALLY persisting and not ruling it out as Post Nasal drip.

Finally an answer with possible solutions to my post Covid cough. More doctors should make themselves aware of SNC considering how many people I know who had Covid (workplace) and suffer from a cough they never had prior to catching Covid-19.

I had a cough for 2 yrs after covid . FINALLY GONE.

Thank you everyone for sharing your personal stories. I greatly appreciated cause I had covid 3 weeks ago on January 15th, 2022. Last week I took 3 tests on 3 different it all shows negative but I still coughing, shortness of breath & feel so weak. Before I could run a few miles & strong and ambition in everything in life but after covid my life change. I feel so related to each of you. Some day or a few hours you're ok & next few hours you feel weird. I pray for everyone including for myself.

I got covid, it's cleared up. A whole week later I started coughing every few seconds. The cough is very aggressive and seems to be the wrose in the morning and night

This needs to go viral! spread the word!!!! I’m showing this to my uncle who is a doctor!

Omg really I'm happy and surprised at the same time knowing such great doctors are still working and gaining such huge knowledge for every new problem we gonna face.

Definitely I’m going to share this my primary physician. I suffer from Long Covid. Many symptoms have hung on after being infected and thought it was over. Shortness of breath, palpitations, excessive fatigue, as well as what seems to be a never ending cough. 🤪

I have exactly these symptoms for fifteen tears …..just knowing it has a name is a leap forward for me…thank you so much.