1. Severe tickling (scratchy) sensation in throat, or sometimes below the throat, which is always present and cannot be ignored, which seems to have a very definite location
2. Extreme and uncontrollable spells of coughing, often to the point of vomiting and/or not being able to draw breath
3. Cough does not respond to any medication, sometimes with the exception that it responds to antibiotics, in which case, the cough often returns with equal intensity when the antibiotics are stopped
4. Cough may be severe in the day and nearly non-existent at night, or vice-versa
5. Cough may be relieved temporarily by certain things such as smoking, Coca Cola, etc. -- different things for different people