Post-cold coughing fits.

I'm just recovering from the tail end of a nasty head cold. Thankfully the headaches and congestion have gone away but I've been left with a persistent dry cough and slight runny nose. Usually this wouldn't be a problem but the coughing fits are very aggressive and are leaving me feeling light headed, overheating, and worst of all, nauseous to the point of retching. A coughing fit can last anywhere from about 5 minutes to 1 hour and will often be spaced only 5-20 minutes apart. I also have an added complication of a stomach condition so I can't use the usual recommendations of hot drinks, lemon and honey, cough syrup etc. Is there any breathing techniques, seating positions etc that will help me control the coughing fits and ease them should one start.

This is exactly the way my asthma started - as "post-infectious reactive airway disease." Your doctor should check you for wheezing. If that's clear, you'd probably best be served by a combination of anti-histamine and a good cough medicine (one that contains a little codeine.)

With daily Zyrtec and Advair my asthma is very well controlled until I get a cold. Then I will start with the dry, barking cough as I get over the cold. If I catch it early, I can get rid of it by taking a bedtime dose of the cough medicine for a couple of weeks. If I let if linger, it'll need to be treated for much longer.

The only thing I found that helped was, when I was coughing to the point I couldn't breathe, I'd raise my arms up over my head. That didn't end the coughing fit, but did allow me to breathe. Afraid you're going to need some medical intervention on this one. Please let us know how it goes.