Chronic Cough or Gluten Reaction? Can gluten cause a chronic cough?

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Chronic Cough or Gluten Reaction? Can gluten cause a coughing fit?

What causes chronic cough?
Mounting evidence shows that gluten sensitivity (intolerance) and celiac disease can manifest with a chronic cough or fits of coughing. A number of research studies have already linked gluten to asthma.

20% of those with a chronic cough don’t have a clear diagnosis. If you are one of them, ask your doctor about testing you for gluten sensitivity.

9 thoughts on “Chronic Cough or Gluten Reaction? Can gluten cause a chronic cough?”

Jennifer says:
I have had a chronic cough for a few years until I gave up gluten. It’s a post-nasal drip that causes me to constantly clear my throat and cough. It’s awful. After giving up gluten for a few weeks, I noticed a significant difference and have minimized the symptoms. I can have a small amount of gluten from time to time (like a few croutons on a salad), but more than that brings it all back and then I suffer for a few days or sometimes weeks if I go overboard and have a little gluten a few days in a row.
May 27, 2021 at 12:12 pm
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- Febe Meyer says:
  Jennifer, thank you SO much for posting this… I started coughing and wheezing so badly at the beginning of last year, my GP sent me for chest x-rays. My O2 sats were down to 92% – so I had to figure the whole thing out pretty quick… it was hard, because it feels like the doctors, nobody, talks about this, or thinks to tell you to eliminate gluten.
  I’ve also found that the amount of gluten I have is proportional to the symptoms, so reading your post was incredibly encouraging to me. It feels like if I go a long time without eating gluten, I can trespass ever so slightly (crouton-level trespassing)… but if I do more, I’m in agony – wheezing, coughing (and this is worst time in the history of the world to have a chronic cough – people like at you like you’re trying to kill them).
  It just helps to know there’s someone else out there that also has this… whatever it is 🙂 All the best on your GF journey!
  September 21, 2021 at 12:32 pm
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- LHart says:
  I have the very same symptoms.
  February 4, 2022 at 8:18 pm
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Angela gill says:
I’ve had a chronic cough for 20 years loads of tests hospital visits etc , shown up nothing until I went on a diet cut out bread hardly eat any now and I’ve not coughed for 2 years and it’s the longest I’ve not coughed for
October 17, 2021 at 9:44 am
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- says:
  Awesome! Thanks for Sharing your success with diet change Angela!
  All the best,
  Dr. O
  October 21, 2021 at 4:40 am
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Kristine says:
I have had a chronic cough for years. its like a tickle in the throat, not a deep chest cough but often is like a cough spasm. Very annoying and will wake me at night. I recently started a diet plan low sugar, no alcohol, low carb. I notice that I am not having this tickle and cough now. I also had trouble swallowing sometimes but not always and that also has diminished. So I am thinking my issue with the cough is food or gluten related. Hopefully I have found a weight loss and cure for my cough doing what I am doing 🙂
May 3, 2022 at 9:06 am
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Amy says:
My son has had diagnosed celiac for 3-4 years. He is vigilant about avoiding gluten, places that have gluten, and no food in his apartment with gluten. Because he has been “glutened” before in the past, he is almost fearful (I would be too). Inhalers, x-rays, allergy medications, etc later, and still no cause for coughing. His disease is refractive and I am wondering if the inflammation in his body is could be causing his cough? Thank you!
June 27, 2022 at 7:50 am
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- says:
  Amy,
  You should look into watching this free course.
  Glutenology. There are a number of reasons why he may be refractory. This course covers them.
  All the best,
  Dr. O
  June 27, 2022 at 5:48 pm
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Ilija P says:
I have suffered from a chronic cough for decades. It was unrelenting, and could be very bad, coughing so hard it would make me throw up, which in turn, after years of this, caused erosion in the esophagus. Doctors were zero help, & since codeine is no longer prescribed, I had no relief from the serious cough, which was so bad I feared I would have a car accident while coughing. I experimented with Carnivore Diet – cough went away. I noticed a flare up after a week of eating a lot of bread. A-HAH! Cut wheat out of my diet, and symptoms went away. If I stupidly eat wheat, the cough returns.
Some doctors sneer at people who research their conditions online – but, given that in 30 years they were of no assistance whatsoever, I am grateful for “Dr Google” for providing this information, and sites like this who discuss these lesser known chronic conditions.
August 3, 2022 at 9:03 am
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