Would you go to A&E for a cough?

Do you know how long the GP's referral will take?

Has he given you omeprozal in the meantime? I had dry coughing fits that turned out to be silent reflux aggravating it.

This unfortunately is very common and why I would push for an x-ray and a diagnosis asap whatever means it takes!

Once I waited A YEAR for a referral to come through. I went private in the meantime! You need to find out OP.

That's simply not true. If there is something serious going on, it's very possible that A&E will do something or at least provide some relief

I’m think it all depends on what basis the GP referred you? Is it the two week pathway as that will be rushed through and should come quite quickly?

Otherwise, if it’s a long wait then you either go to A&E and accept a painful wait but hopefully you get a Xray and diagnosis there and then. Or back to the GP and push for a quicker referral due to the impact it’s having on your life.

It could be many things but fatigue and a cough for 7 month needs pretty urgent investigation - (and you should have had an x-ray months ago!) so already pretty poor by the GP but you also need to push harder and advocate for yourself. Of course it’s not ok to have a cough like this for 7 months.

I think a lot of the comments here are based on how A&E and our referral system is meant to work, versus how it sometimes functions in practice. As an example - my mum was in a similar position, GP, referral waiting lists etc. It took turning up to A&E and refusing to move until she was seen, to diagnose advanced stage cancer. So GPs are absolutely capable of not identifying serious issues

This sounds like me- have now had the cough and rasping on exhaling for 20 months, often feel fluey and feverish. Only got a diagnosis March this year after a third ct scan with thermal imaging showed pneumonia which the consultant said was 'organising pneumonia'- the previous scan showed little ground glass bits in one lung (why I wasn't told about that at the time I don't know) but the scan this February showed the same ground glass bits but in the other lung- he called it 'migratory organising pneumonia'.

This all started after I had covid for a third time in October 2024. I'm now on prednisolone for 6 months which hasn't made a significant difference yet 4 months in, apart from my severe backache has gone (felt like wearing a heavy rucksack all the time) Initially he put me up from 50mg preventative inhaler to 250 thinking it was allergy driven (I have cat, dog and dust mite allergy) but it didn't make a difference, and I take fexafenadine for allergies daily anyway.

Re the low grade fever and aches the consultant just says to take paracetomol, but I worry about sepsis as above.

Sorry, not read everything.
Sadly, unless having trouble breathing or coughing up blood, it's not an A&E situation. I mean you can try but no promises they will help.

All you can do in the mean time is find ways to try and stop coughing because sadly, the more you cough, the more you want to cough, it's a nasty circle which can indeed leave you coughing all day long.

Have you tried anything for asthma, any antihistamines (in case it's allergies?), anything for acid reflux? You can buy esomeprazole from your local pharmacy, to try for a week or two see if makes a difference. Sleep with your head propped up and keep hydrated. If possible, when you feel the need to cough, really really try not to, suck a lozenge, sweet, sip of a drink. Was there anything that triggered it off? End of a cold or flu for example?

Good luck, sounds miserable.

Yes, coughing can be breathing difficulties so I would in some scenarios.

Absolutely this OP. So many posters saying no and even suggesting you pay for private treatment is appalling. You have a health service and have every right to access it. If you are having difficulty breathing for whatever reason and it is causing you such distress then go to A&E.

If you feel it is an emergency and you need to be seen then go.

Yes really. Derisive laughter.

It's sounds awful, but no I wouldn't go to A&E.

it's not an A&E issue, i would think you would be sent away.

You need an x-ray or a ct scan on your lungs really if you are getting breathless and to see ENT for you're throat.

Yes. I would go if I was suffering like this. You will likely get bloods and xray done. I'm surprised (not) that your gp didn't send you for an urgent xray.
Go

"Lol"? Really?

OP's GP is obviously concerned enough to refer her for an x-ray and further investigation. They need to find out what it is before they can treat it and A&E can't do more than that.

some dreadful advice on here, presumably from people with no medical background or training.

go to A&E, you will have to be patient, but a junior doctor will see you eventually and take you seriously.

But it’s not an accident or an emergency. She’s been back to the doctors today and they have referred her on. If the GP had thought it was an emergency, they would’ve sent OP to A & E. It’s not clear how many times OP has been back to GP within the last 7 months.

OP - Has the GP referred you on the 2 week pathway?

Sound like you need an ENT appointment not scans have you have a camera down your throat? . But you would need a referral not A&E.

Playing devil's advocate - my mum was in a similar position (but with a completely different condition to what you're describing). She ended up taking herself to A&E in desperation, got a diagnosis and was admitted via A&E the same night. So in her case, it absolutely did mean someone finally sat up and listened after almost a year of back and forth with GP, waiting for specialist appointments etc.

Of course that's not how it's mean to work - but if you're in constant misery I can see why it's an option

Ignore the people who are saying "no." You're having extreme symptoms that have gone on for months. That's not normal, but you already know that. You're suffering and miserable every day. It's beyond ridiculous that you weren't given a full workup a long time ago.

He may not be well-known in the UK, but a prominent Nascar driver died a few weeks ago from sepsis. He'd had a lingering cough for weeks and died less than 24 hours after his collapse. Kyle was only 41.

Don't let other people minimize your illness. Please go today. I hope you get relief very soon.❤

From an ESPN news article:
*Charlotte, N.C. -- Kyle Busch died last week from hemorrhagic shock and disseminated intravascular coagulation after complications from bacterial pneumonia led to sepsis, according to the former NASCAR star's death certificate.
Busch had been experiencing symptoms of bacterial pneumonia for "days to weeks" before sepsis set in, according to the certificate obtained by The Associated Press in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina."

Even chronic issues can deteriorate and become acute

Is anyone taking ramipril? That can cause a persistent cough.