How to Stop Coughing From Lung Cancer Radiation & Chemo

According to information from the medical website Medline Plus, lung cancer can cause a number of unpleasant symptoms, such as shortness of breath, problems swallowing, localized pain in the chest and chronic and persistent coughing. Treating these problems is a must for improving the quality of life for individuals suffering from lung cancer, and there are a variety of routes you can take to help keep a chronic cough under control.

Instructions

• 1

  Consult with your supervising physician about the possibility of using prescription medications to help resolve a chronic cough from lung cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Some medications that are commonly prescribed for this task include painkillers such as codeine and morphine. These drugs can be administered orally--in pill or liquid form--or via injection.

• 2

  Talk with your doctor or perform your own independent research to determine the possible side effects of your chosen medication. Some medications, such as morphine, carry the risk of addiction along with other undesirable effects, such as confusion and a decline in cognitive ability.

• 3

  Weigh the benefits of the treatment against the side effects to determine whether it is a viable option for you as an individual. While some patients are willing to go to great lengths to remove their cancer symptoms, others are not willing to risk mental impairment or physical addiction just to eliminate a cough. Decide which is more important to you, consulting with your doctor again to determine whether there are any other medications that you can use that will not subject you to side effects that you find objectionable.

• 4

  Consider alternative non-medication-based treatments such as breathing exercises aimed to manage a cough associated with lung cancer. Learning and mastering deep breathing exercises with the help of your doctor of a qualified physical therapist can help to alleviate some of your coughing without the possibility of side effects, or the expense, of prescription medications.