Would you go to A&E for a cough?

OP why on earth have to taken seven months to do something about this ? The guidelines are that if you have a cough that lasts more than 3-4 weeks you need to see a GP.

I’ve just asked a relative who is a senior nurse. She advises going straight to A&E as you are coughing so frequently you are at risk of developing severe breathing difficulties, and the fact that you can neither cough up or swallow back down whatever is there needs urgent investigation - coupled with a cough that is constantly triggering a gag reflex and you feeling generally unwell it, points to something underlying that needs a clinician to have eyes on it ASAP.

To posters advising OP that the GP knows best. Often they don’t. They are generalists and having twice received completely inappropriate advice which resulted in family members having to be admitted to hospital as emergencies, I trust what my instincts are telling me. A&E OP.

Yes go. As a late-diagnosed asthmatic this is how I was diagnosed. I’d been coughing and having breathing issues for a few days and one night it got really bad and I had to get help. I was put on a nebuliser and given other meds.

You could have any number of things, both serious and not serious.

I went back and forth to the GP about my cough and intermittent temperature. Finally he sent me to A and E and I had pneumonia. It took ages to get better after it, but a couple of days on intravenous antibiotics got it shifted. I’d go to A and E

Does OP have an inhaler?

I am baffled why you have not been given a peak flow meter to test for asthma and an inhaler to see if it helps.

A&E would be able to offer you an inhaler to at least try it.

I would go. All the posters saying ‘it’s not an accident or emergency’ ‘A&E won’t do anything.’

How could you possibly know that?! It’s so dangerous. If it’s affecting your breathing, you’re unable to function, low grade temp, fatigue. Go to A&E. They will run some tests.

FYI- advice from NHS website for asthma attack.

What to do:

-Sit up straight and stay calm.

-Take one puff of your reliever inhaler (usually blue) every 30–60 seconds, up to a maximum of 10 puffs.

-If you feel worse at any point or do not feel better after 10 puffs, call 999 immediately for an ambulance.

-While waiting for the ambulance, repeat step 2 after 10-15 minutes if necessary.

Asthma attacks can be life-threatening.

If you can't breathe of course you can go to A&E.

DH had a 100 day cough and refused to get tested for whooping cough. After 6 months he had a phone appointment and was given a nasal spray. Another couple of months and was given meds for bronchiectasis - and after a few months of no change an xray and spirometry and then a diagnosis of asthma. After a year of coughing non fucking stop all he needed was a basic inhaler.

JFC how on earth has your GP managed to piss about for 7 months? Are you at least on a 2 week pathway now?

I think I would be getting a scan privately if not. Lots of private hospitals now offer this without a referral. If that’s not an option then I would go to A&E and insist on investigations. (I have done similar with DS and it eventually got him seen more quickly).

The benefit of going to A&E is that they are likely to give you a chest x-ray. If there is something on your lungs (eg mass etc) then they should spot it and then you would move to MRI as next step.

If it's been 7 months, what is it about today that's made it unbearable? Sometimes when you hear you are going for tests, then the anxiety can slip in and you might think you can know faster if you go to a&e. As per above, that might be the case (at least for the initial cxr).

Did the GP give you anything to help with the cough? Some things you can do is to sleep on your back and be elevated IE propped up against pillows.

if you are in an asthma attack or copd. a and E can so nothing fir you

WTF A& E do deal with asthma attacks - and there are things they can do.

If our blue inhailors don't work - we should be sent/go to A&E - it's part of our asthma plans.

A&E is to evaluate whether something is an emergency or not. Lay people are not expected to guess what is wrong and whether it’s serious. Even doctors can’t guess without doing tests.

If there are red flags and it could potentially be serious, you need to rule out nasties asap.

I had this exact cough for 18 moths. Was either wetting myself or vomiting with it. Awake half the night. GP ran all sorts of tests and said we don’t know why. Turned out to be allergic to ramapril a BP med. Changed that and cough went completely just like that.

@mindutopia sorry to hear that. The trouble is the months go by when you're just seen by the GP who can be treating it as chest infections/pleurisy etc (my experience) then you have an x-ray, then finally referred to consultant for ct scans, bloods etc- I think I had about 12 lots of antibiotics for chest infections over a year, there was a lot of best guesswork going on.

Exactly, the c word is the background, but I don’t want to alarm the OP.

It’s more likely to be something chronic, but she needs to know at this point.

no

a and e is for emergency care - stitches plaster cast or admission to a ward for treatment - if you are in an asthma attack or copd. a and E can so nothing fir you

you need referral to a consultant who is expert in asthma or whatever it is that us wrong with you

I feel for you as I am similar. I have a hiatus hernia but my cough seems different to my usual one. I had it for months and at one point coughed up blood. I was referred for chest x-ray which showed nothing. My cough went on its own eventually but my doctor prescribed me some lansoprozale and advised me to also try some antihistamines. A&E will only refer you back to your GP and I suspect they won't do much either just yet as they have referred you to another department for tests. All they will be able to do is prescribe something to help with the symptoms I suspect. It's horrible and I really do sympathise.

You could try a pharmacy and ask the pharmacist for advice and meds.

Another option - and they may say A&E as well did to Dad before he died they were desperate not to go to a&e tried everything to avoid.

Though here you have to now book to see the * *pharmacist - we had to wait a day and take a cancellation - it's because local GP have sent so much work to them she's now flat out and fully booked.

Not exactly reassuring for OP!

The problem is referral for X-ray and lung tests will take a while.

Did the GP do blood tests to rule out TB? They need to rule out bronchitis, bronchiectasis and new onset asthma asap.

In your situation I would make a next day appt for private lung specialist, bearing in mind X-rays and blood tests will be pricey.

Could you have asthma?

Has this ever been mentioned or have you had a peak flow test?

111 might refer you to a walk-in or similar surgery for advice.

If you are struggling to breathe, yes, I would. Honestly, I can’t believe you’ve gone 7 months like this. This needed an x-ray and probably a CT scan about 6 months ago. My dad had coughing like this for about a year. Diagnosed with lung cancer (as a non-smoker) and he died at 54 only 3 weeks later.

You could try a pharmacy and ask the pharmacist for advice and meds.

There are home remedies like hot water/ honey and lemon which might be soothing, or cough 'sweets' that can take the edge of it.

Or go back to the GP and explain how bad it is and they may be able to prescribe something stronger - perhaps you need some kind of inhaler as it could be asthma?

Consistently having difficulty breathing IS an emergency.

It really is.

I was surrounded by people telling me I was fine just another cold - it got normal that I was struggling to cross a room mid attack. Took an outsider a neighbour on a day I was well enough to do school run insisting I saw HCP and not backing down - got to GP staright on a nebuiliser and them debating whether to call an ambulance - the neubliser and steriod tablets were enough in the end.

Honestly ring 111 see what they say - there may be a minor injury unit that can see - or they may say A&E - even if A&E can't bump tests up they may be able to give some short term relief.

You say you "feel" as if you can't breathe properly. If you mean you actually can't breathe properly, then I think that's a valid reason to go.