My partner has a chronic cough which has lasted 6 wks and…

Hi! Thanks for asking your question here at Just Answer. I'll do my best to answer based on the information you've provided.

First, congratulations on living such a healthy lifestyle. It can be very frustrating to feel like you are "doing everything right" and still suffering from illness. However, when an "external pathogen" enters the body, if strong enough, it can overwhelm even the best immune system. I hope the following will help.

There are quite a few Chinese formulas that can help with chronic cough. There are various formulas depending on whether or not there is phlegm, either rattling in the throat or being coughed up, as well as the difficulty of coughing up any phlegm (easy to expel, difficult to expel), and the color (white, clear, or yellow). Additionally, coughing that is made worse by lying down indicates that there is dampness, which may be caused by the phlegm or may be part of an underlying constitution that is simply being aggravated by her current condition.

The absolute best thing to do would be to go to a Chinese practitioner who is well-versed in herbal formulas. He/she will get a thorough health history, look at your partner's tongue and pulse, and then be able to formulate a Chinese diagnosis. Other important factors will be quality of the bowel movements, urination, thirstiness, presence of edematous tissue, cold or hot feelings in the body, and various other indicators of the underlying constitution of the patient. With a specific Chinese diagnosis, he will then be able to recommend the most appropriate herbal formula. He will probably be choosing from the following, which I am providing so that you can get a sense of how important it is to be seeing a practitioner who can knowledgeably choose between them.

The primary formula for dampness and phlegm with no complications is Er Chen Wan. If there is copious clear or white phlegm that is difficult to cough up, the formula would be Xiao Qing Long Tang. If there is coughing and wheezing with yellow phlegm, and has other signs of heat, the formula would be Ma Xing Shi Gan Tang. If the heat is presenting as fever, and there is difficult expectoration of phlegm, the formula would be Xie Bai San. A more severe presentation of that condition would require Wei Jing Tang. If there is pain with coughing along with signs of heat and dryness, the formula would be Qing Zao Jiu Fei Tang. If there is blood in the sputum, as well as underlying yin deficiency, the formula would be Bai He Gu Jin Tang, etc, etc., etc.

There are actually many many more formulas for coughing, but I hope that this demonstrates the need to pay an in-person visit to an herbalist.

I wish you the best of luck in pursuing alternative treatment for this condition. In my experience, herbal medicine will be very helpful, and will help stave off pnuemonia. Acupuncture will increase her comfort level, but the right herbal formula will be the primary treatment.

Good health to you both in the future!