What should I do if I have pulmonary fibrosis and still cough after taking nintedanib?

Many people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) have chronic, intractable cough. Chronic cough is a distressing and disabling symptom that has a significant impact on quality of life. In recent years, progress has been made in gaining a deeper understanding of the pathogenesis of cough in IPF, which is likely to be "multifactorial", influenced by mechanical, biochemical and neurosensory changes, and also plays an important role in comorbidities.

Most patients with IPF are treated with one of two new anti-fibrotic drugs, pirfenidone or nintedanib. Although the effects of these drugs on cough have not been evaluated, there is some indication that they may have a role in cough. There are currently no data on the effectiveness of nintedanib in the treatment of cough, and there are no approved or licensed treatments for cough in pulmonary fibrosis. Nintedanib itself may cause some side effects, including cough. This cough usually occurs some time after taking the medication and may worsen as drug use continues. If nintedanib is not used correctly as directed by your doctor, such as at an incorrect dose or at an incorrect frequency, symptoms such as cough may persist.

For coughs that occur while taking nintedanib, you can try the following methods to relieve symptoms: drink more water or drink some throat-moistening drinks, such as honey water, fat sea tea, honeysuckle tea, etc., to keep the throat moist and reduce dryness and irritation; you can also practice gently inhaling through the nose, which can reduce the irritation of the cold air to the throat and help warm, filter and moisten the air inhaled by the patient.

If the cough symptoms are severe or last for a long time, please consult your doctor in time. The dosage of the medicine may need to be adjusted or the medicine changed. Under the guidance of a doctor, you can consider using other cough medicines or other treatments, such as inhaled corticosteroids, bronchodilators, etc., to relieve cough symptoms.