Smoking temporally stops cough?

i stopped smoking 3 years ago but have recently had a really bad cough the doctor said its viral an didn't give me anything for it, the cough causes me alot of pain an i have not been able to sleep because coughing keeps me up all night, last night my friend suggested a cigarette would help ease the cough is this correct and if so i don't wanna smoke but isn't there something the doctor can give me that may help