Conversation: The conversation between human and AI assistant.
[|Human|] my friend had a virus and has had a bad cough for the last 4 weeks. The coughing is so bad he passes out. What concerns me most is that he has numbness and tingling in his left arm. This has only happened twice but my concern is that he might be dealing with more than stimulation of the vegas nerve.
[|AI|]  Thank you for contact ChatDoctorFrom you question it sounds like you are concerned about a friend with a severe cough. This cough is bad enough that he is getting numbness and tingling. These are indications that he is either hyperventilating or hypo-ventilating. To help reduce his coughing I would use over the counter cough suppressants but if they are ineffective then he may need codeine cough medication. With having a cough for over 4 weeks I agree with your overall concern of something else. In my practice I would have ordered a chest x-ray and a nasal swab for whooping cough as both pneumonia and whooping cough can linger for weeks. There are several other causes of cough that may need to be investigated Hope this answers your question. If you have any further questions please contact us again