<p>I’ll say again - TRY NOT TO COUGH. TAKE COUGH SUPPRESSION MEDICINE - you can combat the drying effect of that medicine, but you can’t “unswell” your vocal folds once you’ve been coughing. COUGHING has far more negative impact on your vocal folds than talking - coughing is like yelling!</p>
<p>Here’s how to try to expectorate the mucus you do need to get rid of, taken from instructions for healing after vocal fold surgery:</p>
<p>“Absolutely no throat clearing or coughing, except for the silent cough technique: breathe in air and blow it out quickly through your throat without making any sound at all. Immediately following rapid exhalation, tuck your chin down toward your chest and make a strong swallow. This will clear anything in your throat that makes you feel the need to cough or clear your throat. If you find that you are unable to stop coughing, we would strongly encourage you to use over the counter cough suppressants such as Robitussin DM, Robitussin Cough or Delsym, for example. If these medications are still not effective in lessening or getting rid of your cough, call your surgeon as soon as possible. You may need a prescription anti-cough medicine.”</p>
<p>IF YOU DO COUGH SOME - it’s ok, you WILL - but do everything you can to avoid it!!</p>
<p>p.s. Lulusmom, don’t feel funny - you are speaking from singer experience, and that’s valuable. I jump in here as someone who can help based on my experiences helping my patients and students (and also myself as a singer). I know what people need to be reminded of many times, b/c it’s hard for everything to sink it when you’re sick and stressed out!</p>
<p>When I mentioned the “steaming”, when I do it, anything that comes up is gently brought up, not actually “coughed”; I wonder is there a better word for the technique I used? And I was taught that by the doc I saw back in the day who worked with vocalists. I think it is the technique you described, actually,lol.</p>
<p>I figured that’s what you meant by coughing - just clarifying for the readers here. I don’t know if that non-coughing cough-like thing has a name - I call it “GENTLY getting rid of the furball”. Seems to make sense to my patients… ;)</p>
<p>Yes to what CoachC said about the steroids for someone losing their voice and who has swollen vocal folds. It is a VERY temporary thing…just a few days…combined with vocal rest…to solve the problem. My daughter did this only about two times, both because she had a major performance and had to have a voice to sing. The most recent time was when she was a solo performer for an hour long concert…her own concert at a significant venue in NYC. She lost her voice and had to have it in order for this show to happen. She would have to sing about 15 solo songs. There were enough days lead time that it worked out well after the steroids and vocal rest. The other time was shortly after graduation from her BFA program and she was selected to perform in Broadway Rising Stars in NYC and had one solo song (and group numbers) and lost her voice and only was put on steroids the very day of the show. She still performed somehow, but it had affected her. The MC even told the audience before introducing her that she had no voice in the days leading up to this performance. I am unaware of any weight gain because again, the dosage was for just a few days or so to remedy the swollen vocal folds to regain the voice.</p>
<p>Coach C - you have great advice that we’ve used for years - including personal steamer…</p>
<p>In the past, I don’t remember your being so emphatic about not coughing - I get it, but did I just miss that? </p>
<p>My kids are both asthmatic and they tend to cough rather than wheeze, so I will pass this non-cough method on to them (as soon as I take a huge lasagna out of the oven )</p>
<p>I haven’t been as emphatic about not coughing in the past, you’re right. It’s something I’ve been begun to focus on more and more with my patients, b/c since so many more people have smart phones, etc., people immediately google when sick and read “antihistamines are drying” and therefore avoid cough suppressants, more so than they used to, I think. </p>
<p>I honestly don’t know how effective the non-cough coughing method will be for people with asthma, since that cough is generated from below the vocal folds (unlike mucus-driven coughs, many of which originate at the vocal folds). But I will find out as soon as I can and let you know! It doesn’t hurt them to try, it just may not work that well.</p>
<p>I have referred to the list by the National Center for Voice and Speech several times. The medication my D is on is listed as causing coughing, but there is another medicine listed, in the same category, that has no effects. Obviously, her doctor would have to change the prescription but it is good to know there might be an alternative.</p>
<p>If your D is coughing, it is worth asking the physician who prescribed the med IF she can be switched to the alternative. If she’s not coughing, she’s ok. :)</p>
<p>She’s not coughing but has to be on this medication for the rest of her life so it’s something to keep an eye on. Had it not been for that list, I would never have put it together had she started coughing. </p>
<p>On a different note, when she gets a cold, it goes right to her chest and she starts coughing. I rarely get a chest cold - I get a head cold, even if we catch the cold from each other. I have always wondered why the seemingly same cold attacks people in different places. Since she started her regimen as soon as any sign of a cold, her colds have been much less severe.</p>
- just clarifying for the readers here. I don’t know if that non-coughing cough-like thing has a name - I call it “GENTLY getting rid of the furball”. 
)</p>