Since the 80s I was taking ranitidine for my acid reflux coughing and it was working fine. But in August 2014, the med. stopped working and my cough was back with a vengeance! Well, my doctor increased my med. and even added omeprazole to my ranitidine. Cough subsided a little, but after a while, kicked up again really bad. Another doctor suggested 2 tablespoons of Gaviscon nightly, but I wouldn't touch that awful stuff. A friend asked me if I was taking a diuretic along with my blood pressure meds, and I said Yes, HCTZ. She asked if I was drinking enough water with it, and I said I didn't like water, but I like to drink apple juice sometimes. She said the diuretic is dehydrating me and I should be drinking lots of water. Well, anything to get rid of this cough, so I started drinking 6 to 8 glasses of water per day for about 2 weeks. Guess what? My cough is all but GONE!! Not completely, but I seldom cough anymore. I can sleep at night without getting up to cough and suck on a piece of candy or get a sip of water. My stomach muscles aren't sore anymore and my throat feels much better. I still take my acid reflux meds, but I'm going to ask my doctor about cutting back on them to see if I still need the full dosages. - A L
↧