The Post Covid Cough — What Can You Do?

One of the unexpected consequences of having Covid is a persistent cough. I am not talking about long-Covid, but the condition of testing antigen negative for Covid but being unable to kick a persistent cough. (no chest tightness, dizziness, brain fog, etc)

Although my own experience with having Covid was no worse than an annoying cold, the feeling of having a film in the back of my throat, easily triggering a cough, a month or two later, was unexpected.

The body’s overreacting immune system has been rightfully blamed for causing most of these problems. A self-perpetuating cycle of inflammation has been well described. For this, doctors typically prescribe steriods, most often inhaled steriods for airway irritation. Flovent (fluticasone) is an inhaled corticosteroid traditionally prescribed for asthma which works well for post-inflammatory, asthmatic coughs.

Luckily the inhaled nasal spray variant (Flonase) does not require a prescription. I picked up a generic (Equate brand) nasal inhaler from Walmart for about $14. After using this for a few days, a week later, my symptoms improved to the point that the nagging cough disappeared.

While your persistent cough might have a different cause, I saved myself a $120 self-prescription for Flovent. This cough came from a persistent postnasal drip. You Post-Covid cough mileage may vary, and if in doubt, consult your physician.