Severe cough giving me the rage!

[Squiff70]

I'm on day five of having an incredibly nasty cough. Before you ask, I've done two lat flows (the most recent being last night) and both were negative.

Today is by far the worst day and I'm absolutely raging. I can't eat because I can't stop coughing long enough to safely chew and swallow. I'm almost completely incontinent now as my pelvic floor has given up the ghost. I'm on my 8th or 9th 'bladder weakness' pad of the day and soaking through each one in under an hour which is driving me to a different level of crazy.

I'm 21 weeks pregnant so can't take anything to help. We don't even have any honey or lemon.

I think the longest I've gone without a coughing fit since getting up this morning is about 12 seconds. My lungs and throat are burning. Sats are 99% so not struggling to breathe etc.

Help!

Anyone?

www.saintlukeskc.org/health-library/postural-drainage

Have a look at this. I am not sure of whether it is safe to be in your stomach but
lying in your side might help.

Chest infection? Can you go to walk in?

Recent experience here is that LFT only became positive on day 4 of feeling rough and coughing. Keep testing!

Ring 111 for advice

I don't think I've got rubbish on my chest. It's more of a dry tickly cough than chesty and I'm not coughing anything up.

I gave in and called 111, knowing they'd be well beyond capacity this weekend. The call handler said I'd get a call back within about 2 hours but past history (when I phoned about my then 1-year-old daughter with breathing problems) it'll be nearer 12 hours if at all. I'm not holding out much hope.

I really don't want to attend a walk in centre just in case it is Covid and I end up making others unwell. I also don't know how I'd manage the journey completely incontinent. I found one industrial sized incontinence pad which I've had to resort to as the standard pads were lasting about half an hour. DP is working tomorrow so I won't be able to go out and find something more suitable.

I'm so exhausted from coughing. I'm barely going 30 seconds between coughing fits so not fully getting my breath back between them. Also now it feels like my head is in a vice every time I cough - intense pain. I've taken paracetamol and trying to keep fluids up.

I'm so sorry. You must be feeling utterly drained.

With a dreadful cough slightly earlier in pregnancy, and a pelvic floor giving up the ghost, the following didn't fix but did ease things slightly:

-honey and lemon to ease cough a little and soothe throat
-keeping up drinking plenty of water in spite of dreading out emerging again
-timed pad changes (eg every hour) to avoid getting to the point of leaving it too late
-a gripping audio book I could listen to whilst doing nothing but - unlike television - not have to pause to change pads or going to the loo
-terry nappies folded as extra pads
-pelvic floor exercises just for the psychological boost of feeling like I might be able to make this less likely to be repeated
-never lying flat on my back

Update: Dr from 111 called back about 10pm. Wanted me to be seen face to face and asked me to do another lateral flow. Appointment at urgent care centre booked for 3.45am. Lateral flow negative.

Turned up on time for urgent care and was seen nearly 2 hours after my appointment. Lateral flow done there by doctor was negative. Oxygen sats 93%, short of breath, reduced air entry on lower left side. Heart rate 115. Blood pressure normal. I was sent from there straight to A&E. Waited AGES for somebody to let me in and was told to take a seat but not even sure if anyone knows I'm waiting to be seen as I've been told to wait in a 'red area' waiting room with hardly anyone here but nobody has booked me in.

I am full of admiration for the NHS and think they are working incredibly well most of the time under the most extraordinary pressures, and on a bank holiday weekend too. But when you ring for help at 4.20pm one day and are still waiting at 6am the following morning it's hard not to be frustrated.