Question:
I'm being treated for reflux before WLS but I have a chronic cough,is it related?

I have never had allergies but I cough a lot (I've never smoked). Is this from the irritation of the reflux and how do I get rid of it before I cough all day after my WLS, OUCH!! WLS in 10 days.    — Lynnette B. (posted on January 22, 2003)

January 22, 2003
Lorraine, You really don't want opinions if it's from reflux or not. You should really have it checked out asap by a doctor. You want to be 100% before going into surgery. Best of luck!
   — ZZ S.

January 22, 2003
Lynnette, The previous posted is correct, you want to discuss this with your surgeon before your surgery so it can be dealt with now, before your surgery. That said, I also want to tell you that in my experience, coughing is very much symptom of acid reflux. Often, acid reflux is greatly diminished by this surgery. In my case that did not happen and my surgeon prescribed liquid ranitidine for me to take during my recovery. Good luck to you with your surgery. I will keep you in my prayers.
   — Julia O.

January 22, 2003
Hi Lynnette, I sorta have a differant approach. Do you have sleep apnea or been checked for it? The reason I ask is that my husband is MO and his BMI is the same as yours, and he had chronic cough too, we didnt know if it was reflux or something wrong with his throat, or a reaction to some of the RX he was taking. He also fell asleep during the day easily. Our PCP scheduled him for a sleep study, and he has severe obstructive sleep apnea, supposidly the tissues in his throat were so thick it made him cough all the time, and it souldnt go away. Now he is on a c-pap machine with a pressure of 17 thats quite high but he didnt like the bi-pap. Since he has been on the c-pap for over 6 months now he hasnt coughed once, and doesnt fall asleep anymore. Also you may want your PCP to check out your lungs. Good luck I hope this gives you a little more insight, and a couple of other things to check out. But please besure to get this checked out before surgery.
   — wizz46

January 23, 2003
Do you still have your gall bladder? Prior to the removal of my gall bladder I was plagued with an awful cough, which my surgeon said is quite typical. If you've still got yours, you might see if you have gallstones. Good luck!
   — scottiemaam O.

January 23, 2003
Pre-op, I had a chronic cough that was nagging, constant. I talked to my pharmacist and she informed me that if I was taking any meds that have an "ace inhibitor" in them, one of the side effects is chronic cough. It's been a while and it was either my blood pressure or my cholesterol med that DID, in fact, have an "ace inhibitor" in it. I told my doc, he re-prescribed, and my cough went away in a jiffy. Just food for thought, (no pun intended).
   — Annie H.