riba cought

[drummerman]

For over a week now I have had a terrible wheezing cough.  Went to gp last week and was told, due to blood work, he believed I had a cold virus and did rx antibody.

Yesterday I literally coughed , wheezed for the entire day had to take 2 doses of codeine cough syrup  just to get some sleep..

Went back to day and doc did chest xray (no pneumonia) and another blood test.

Doc says he believe I have a sinus infection ( I do have sinus pain) bronchitis and asthma.  Prescribed advair inhaler and gave me a antibiotic shot.

Question - I keep thinking .."could this be the riba cough?"  Has anyone ever had it to this extreme??  I even cut back 2 ribas over the past 24 hours just too see is that would help.

I feel better and the coughing has cut way back, but I really think its the antibiotics.

And now worried that the inhaler could influence viekria tx.   Its called Fluticasone-Salmeterol AER P.   

Guess I gotta read my literature..... again....

dm

[KimInTheForest]

The riba cough was my most persistent side effect throughout 12 weeks of Harvoni/Riba treatment and beyond. Although I did also wonder if there was an asthmatic component, which is not really part of the riba cough. I had it every day during treatment, from Week 2 forward, and then for at least 4 weeks post-tx!

According to the literature, ribavirin "enhances cough reflex stimulation". So the riba cough is a 'tickle in the throat' dry cough - any whisp of air, speech, a bite of food can trigger it. It is supposed to be a dry cough and confined to the throat (where the body's cough reflex stimulation is located). But I started to cough so much and for so many weeks, that I began to feel a sort of gurgling around my lungs - not in my lungs. The cough was always totally dry for me. A 'non-productive' cough, as they say - no mucous, no fluid in lungs. However, when I researched riba cough further, I found something about area around lung or bronchial passageways (a sac? or interstitial spaces?) can develop fluid in them. So, no fluid in lungs but maybe in near lungs?

My trial nurse wanted me to go to my GP when I felt gurgling in/around lungs. I figured my GP would only be able to give me an x-ray, and I don't like to have x-rays if I can possibly avoid it. So I just reminded myself that it will (probably) eventually go away like all the treatment side effects are supposed to.

My cough became very wheezy toward my last 2-3 weeks of tx, and it felt like my airways were constricted (i.e., asthma, although I have no history of that). This is not supposed to by typical of the riba cough, but I do think it can be part of the riba anemia…

Keep us posted, DM!

kim

[drummerman]

The riba cough was my most persistent side effect throughout 12 weeks of Harvoni/Riba treatment and beyond. Although I did also wonder if there was an asthmatic component, which is not really part of the riba cough. I had it every day during treatment, from Week 2 forward, and then for at least 4 weeks post-tx!

According to the literature, ribavirin "enhances cough reflex stimulation". So the riba cough is a 'tickle in the throat' dry cough - any whisp of air, speech, a bite of food can trigger it. It is supposed to be a dry cough and confined to the throat (where the body's cough reflex stimulation is located). But I started to cough so much and for so many weeks, that I began to feel a sort of gurgling around my lungs - not in my lungs. The cough was always totally dry for me. A 'non-productive' cough, as they say - no mucous, no fluid in lungs. However, when I researched riba cough further, I found something about area around lung or bronchial passageways (a sac? or interstitial spaces?) can develop fluid in them. So, no fluid in lungs but maybe in near lungs?

My trial nurse wanted me to go to my GP when I felt gurgling in/around lungs. I figured my GP would only be able to give me an x-ray, and I don't like to have x-rays if I can possibly avoid it. So I just reminded myself that it will (probably) eventually go away like all the treatment side effects are supposed to.

My cough became very wheezy toward my last 2-3 weeks of tx, and it felt like my airways were constricted (i.e., asthma, although I have no history of that). This is not supposed to by typical of the riba cough, but I do think it can be part of the riba anemia…

Keep us posted, DM!

kim

Boy , mine was totally not a tickle in the throat,...it was non-stop coughing , wheezing for 24 hours.  Today was much better.  But I still hear the gurgling around the top of my lungs.  The cough is usually non-productive.   So far not anemic.  I think it is just a combination of riba, sinus infection and asthma.  got an x-ray so not pneumonia .
Cut back a couple of riba and doing inhaler know (90 dollar co-pay!, 300 if no insurance)... hopefully this will get better.  Hard to do a 50 minute lecture while having coughing fits.

and yes, there is  a sac around your lungs,  if you get a sore on the inside of it, it hurts like hell and  you think you are having a heart attack and go to ER where you find out it is "pleurisy".  Not fun, but goes away with aspirin.  Scary as hell though.  Went through that a few years back.



dm

[KimInTheForest]

I can't imagine trying to teach/lecture with this cough. I literally could not go to social events because I would cough non-stop as soon as I spoke. I work from home, so could just sit here in silence and cough away.

Good luck with the inhaler and antibiotics for sinus infection. Sounds like you have been hit with a combination of things, and riba cough is an aggravating factor…

kim

[drummerman]

It's a challenge.

but with teenage boys , I just stay behind them, with my presenter mouse and suck on continuous cough drops.

Band rehearsal is a botch though cause I got to be in front of em.

New day tomorrow ,....and feeling better already!

dm

[w_ink]

I've been coughing for the entire 12 weeks of treatment with Viekira/ribavirin, with bubbling/crackling in my upper lungs. I do have bad allergies and mild asthma, but have not even needed my albuterol inhaler for years, till this treatment. The dry cough causes my lungs to constrict, which in turn causes asthma. The doc did a throat culture, which came out negative.

Drummerman, you should seriously run by any medicine with your Hep C doc/nurses. I was told I cannot take a glucocorticosterioid such as in Advair, Flovent and the like while on the V-Pak. I sit in the steam in my shower. I've eaten bags and bags of Riccola cough drops (without echinacea, which I read was also contraindicated with Viekira/riba). My doc told me I could take dextromethorphan for the cough, which used to work a bit, but not anymore).

I just now broke down, with 4 days to go in my treatment, and sent my doc an email, asking for something, anything, codeine syrup, whatever, to get me through the last few days of treatment. I don't sleep more than a half hour at a time.

I wish you better luck! Seems like it might be easing up for you. Fingers crossed.

[drummerman]

I've been coughing for the entire 12 weeks of treatment with Viekira/ribavirin, with bubbling/crackling in my upper lungs. I do have bad allergies and mild asthma, but have not even needed my albuterol inhaler for years, till this treatment. The dry cough causes my lungs to constrict, which in turn causes asthma. The doc did a throat culture, which came out negative.

Drummerman, you should seriously run by any medicine with your Hep C doc/nurses. I was told I cannot take a glucocorticosterioid such as in Advair, Flovent and the like while on the V-Pak. I sit in the steam in my shower. I've eaten bags and bags of Riccola cough drops (without echinacea, which I read was also contraindicated with Viekira/riba). My doc told me I could take dextromethorphan for the cough, which used to work a bit, but not anymore).

I just now broke down, with 4 days to go in my treatment, and sent my doc an email, asking for something, anything, codeine syrup, whatever, to get me through the last few days of treatment. I don't sleep more than a half hour at a time.

I wish you better luck! Seems like it might be easing up for you. Fingers crossed.

Wow... kinda glad to know I am not the only one.... I too go though bags of cough drops..I have them everywhere.  Fortunately I am able to sleep.

Did not know that about Advair, and will certainly ask... I cant tell its doing any good anyway.

thanks for the heads up!

jp

[drummerman]

Wow... kinda glad to know I am not the only one.... I too go though bags of cough drops..I have them everywhere.  Fortunately I am able to sleep.

Did not know that about Advair, and will certainly ask... I cant tell its doing any good anyway.

thanks for the heads up!

jp

Apparently your doc is correct;
http://nynjaetc.org/documents/ViekiraPakHIV_and_HCV_Drug_Interaction_Quick_GuideJanuary2015FINAL.pdf

See pg. 3.
Can lead to Cushing's syndrome (whttp://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cushing-syndrome/basics/definition/con-20032115)... I only have done about 5 doses and like I said , never felt like it was doing any good.  Will save for after tx if iI still feel wheezy.

Can't see that it  affects success of tx...but Cushing's syndrome sounds like no fun!

thanks for  the heads up!!!

jp

[byebyeC]

Well there's something to look forward to lol!

Sorry excuse for humor aside... God bless you with a quick recovery from that. It sounds terrible. Especially with you soldiering on with your day to day!

[w_ink]

Drummerman, sorry to worry you. I think our bodies can handle a lot. I mean, I've read about the corticosteroid inhalers and echinacea being contraindicated, but I've only read about the cough on the forums. And the forums have helped me more than anything to get through this. The V-pak/riba is an excellent treatment. And I've found distractions like helping others/puppies/humor are great to take my mind off of things. Here's to health!