Can't shake off this damn cough!

[ALongHardWinter]

Has anyone else had an awful cold, accompanied by an awful cough recently? The cold started exactly 3 weeks ago,I felt ghastly. Slight temperature,no appetite,just wanted to sleep but couldn't because I kept coughing! (Definitely wasn't Covid btw,I did 3 tests over 3 days,all negative). I felt much better after 6 days,but now,3 weeks later,I still have an awful cough, particularly troublesome at night. Anyone else been afflicted,and how long did it take to clear up? I'm wondering whether to (try to) see my GP as it's gone on for 3 weeks.

If you can find a medication which contains Guaifenisen, it loosens the gunk in the lungs (sorry to be explicit), so that you can cough it up. Boots/Superdrug do some paracetamol tablets which contain it. Some cough syrups have it too - be warned - they usually contain paracetamol too. It's hard to find sometimes, and really check the label to ensure that it has it in it.

www.medicines.org.uk/emc/ingredient/1303

Sorry, I spelt it incorrectly. It's Guaifenesin.

This is the Boots range which contains it.

www.boots.com/sitesearch?searchTerm=guaifenesin

Dh is the same. Seen the gp, his chest is clear apparently. But he coughs loads and is wheezy at night.

I got him benadryl dry tickly cough bottle. Hasnt helped. I'll look for that boots one ,thanks @CwithaQ

I'm into the third week of an absolutely stinking cold, but I envy you the cough because what I have instead is snot. Litres of thick, adhesive snot - it is so bad I wanted to start a thread asking for suggesting to dissolve it, but I was afraid people would think I was some kind of snot troll pervert. How long can this go on for?!

GROSS ALERT

Dry tickly coughs require a cough suppressant but when you've gunk in your lungs, you need an expectorant.

If you take a cough suppressant while your lungs are full, you'll make things worse.
You need an expectorant to loosen the shit up so that you can cough it up and spit it out.

I'm the same, my lungs are apparently clear. But it feels like they're just full of mucous.

Yup! DH and I are both still struggling with it after about 2 weeks.

Thanks @CwithaQ

Yup, chest xray clear but still coughing up thick green phlegm after 6 weeks. Its vile

If it's green, you have an infection and need antibiotics.
I'm envious though that you're managing to cough the gunk up. can one be envious of different coughs?

I have had 4 lots of antibiotics. They wont give me any more and are saying now its viral!

I found steaming over hot waterr with eucalyptus in helped to get stuff out of my nose ( sorry)

Good God, that's awful. Have you called 111 and asked about the green phlegm (my most hated word in the world)?

Thank you to everyone for sharing your experiences. It helps to know that I'm not alone! Everyone in my social circle is as fit as a fiddle,which just makes me feel worse!

No. I Suspect they will just tell me to call the GP

I used to suffer with a very dry cough that was just absolutely debilitating. If it's a chesty cough with phlegm that's not what I'm talking about, that is likely an infection that needs antibiotics or something else.

But for the dry, it was very common for me in the past but I do believe I improve my overall immunity a few ways, notably taking high dose Vitamin C.

But when I got this cough I will tell you what worked; Covonia Nighttime, or anything with the ingredient Dextrometherpham because it works on your neurology to stop you from needing to cough.

It's insanely powerful stuff and you get it from behind the counter at the pharmacy. Don't take too much or you will get high. It can also kill you in high doses, just so you know, but it works.

Can you keep a humidifier on night and day? It can really help clear your airwaves and loosen mucus.

Think I'll try the Covinia nighttime.

I've had a horrible cough for 2 weeks and very tired but no other symptoms really. The cough mutates throughout the day from very productive in the morning to very dry and hacking during the day, then back to productive at bedtime. What's that all about then?

There's a breathing exercise that helped me shift the mucus a little bit. You breath out down a straw into a half full bottle of water three times and then cough. I think the proper version is called 'bubble PEP'. If you don't have a straw, you can huff on a mirror x3 instead, but I found the straw/bottle thing worked a bit better.

Humidifiers are good but if you don't have one, if you can afford to (I tend to say, ok - being very unwell and a trip to A&E is going to cost me more), taking a long hot steamy (no men allowed* - it's not that kind of steamy) shower, makes my nose, sinuses, lungs and ears clear. But you need to close off the ventilation so that you're in a steam room effectively. Yes, you'll have to dry the windows off afterwards, but it's really good for clearing airways.

*Men are allowed if they don't mind you coughing on them
**No men are harmed

I've used a western herbalist for mine when I was in my 20s and for my young daughter. To taste the alcohol tinctures is very off-putting as it's strong and although diluted, a lot of people are not keen on it whenever I tried to help family members out with their persistant coughs. I've had two herbalists for 20 years and now I can't find another one to replace the ones I had, so I'm left trying to make-do with various qualified practitioners who just aren't up to the mark as the cough/phlegm is somehat "looser" and not as orange/green in colour, but don't entirely help shift it in the long-run. I've had coughs lasting 6 long weeks'; almost all worsen at night when I'm laying down in bed, and making my incontinence really bad as the cough is so explosive at times.

If you have the money and patience, try to find a qualified herbalist. Also, stay off diary products ie. milk particularly and potatoes as both are mucus-forming and will exacerbate the cough further.

NB. Tried all the OTC products inc. lozenges and cheap syrups. None have ever worked for me.

I found hyssop helped loosen the mucus but doesnt stop me producing more

I think I have this at the moment. Got a horrid cough and a slight cold. Aching all over but constantly going hot and cold. Not sleeping and no appetite. I'm on day three. Hoping for it to be better soon. Oh and a sore throat with my voice going. Taken painkillers so far. Anyone recommend anything else? Back to work tomorrow too. Felt so tired with it all. Been in bed all weekend.