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Sunday and Monday nights, I woke up every one to three hours for a several-minute coughing fit. My cough syrup with codeine didn't help at all, and cough drops and NyQuil didn't seem to do much either.

But yesterday, I didn't cough all that much during the day. I was feeling a lot better. (I tried a Claritin, at the advice of the doctor I saw last time I was coughing, but it didn't seem to make a difference.)

And then last night, the middle-of-night coughing fits were even worse.

Around 5 a.m., my muddled brain started trying to figure out what was going on. Could there be an environmental factor?

I had changed my bedding the other night, so it couldn't be that. At least, I had changed all of it except for . . .

My pillowcase on my travel pillow.

Which I'd had with me when the cough started a few days ago.

And which I sometimes use to cover my eyes at night to avoid being woken up by morning light, so it had been very close to where I was breathing.

I tossed that pillow down to the end of the bed and went back to sleep.

And woke up three hours later. My throat was still raw and sore, but I wasn't coughing.

There's been a cough or two since then, but nothing like the horrible nighttime coughing.

Too early to say whether that's the full explanation. But I'll wash that pillow and put on a new pillowcase tonight, and we'll see if that helps.