I've had a cough for 6 weeks and not sure what to do

[whgtftgia]

I've had a cough for 6 weeks now. It started with a tickly cough and coughing fits constantly. I've had no other typical cold symptoms (no blocked nose, no headaches or muscle aches, no temperature etc). I went to the doctor's after 3 weeks and they listened to my chest and checked my ears and throat and said all looked fine, and it was probably a lingering virus.

Three weeks later and I still have the cough. It has decreased in frequency but sounds wheezy at night and in the morning. I also now have a rash on my neck, which I've had for a week. It's a bright red hive/eczema kind of rash, I'm not sure if it's related.

Should I go back to my GP or maybe see a pharmacist? I'm conscious I don't want to waste their time

www.nhs.uk/conditions/cough/

I’ve just got rid of an 8 week cough. And apparently my toothache was because of my cold and therefore sinus problem. There’s loads of colds coughs and viruses going round.

I had a very bad cough a couple of years ago. The doctor told me coughs can take up to 6 weeks to go but after that if still coughing I should go back. It took close to 6 weeks but did go with no further treatment.
Since yours is over 6 weeks I think it is worth getting it checked. At the time I temporarily needed an inhaler for my wheezing.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/cough/
See a GP if:
you've had a cough for more than 3 weeks (persistent cough)
your cough is very bad or quickly gets worse – for example, you have a hacking cough or cannot stop coughing
you feel very unwell
you have chest pain
you're losing weight for no reason
the side of your neck feels swollen and painful (swollen glands)
you find it hard to breathe
you have a weakened immune system – for example, because of chemotherapy or diabetes
See a GP urgently if you're coughing up blood.

I don’t want to worry you OP but there is a current NHS campaign for people to get persistent coughs checked as they can be an early sign of lung cancer: www.england.nhs.uk/2022/08/nhs-launches-awareness-campaign-for-englands-most-deadly-cancer/

Rash
www.nhsinform.scot/self-help-guides/self-help-guide-rash

Book a GP appointment. Could be asthma. Eczema is symptom that can be related to asthma too. My SIL and nephew had a cough for weeks and we’re diagnosed with asthma. Regardless, a cough lasting that long deserves to be checked out by a doctor.

I did see a GP 3 weeks ago (as the NHS guidelines say to see a GP if it lasts more than 3 weeks), so I'm not sure if I need to go back?

Go back.
100% go back

It's completely normal - I had one for 8 weeks this time last year. Obviously, I didn't waste a doctor's time over a cough & cold, I just waited for it to get better - which it did, eventually.

I followed the suggestions and went to my GP when I'd been coughing for 6 weeks, coughing so hard I was throwing up and giving myself nosebleeds
He literally said to me "what do you expect me to do about it"
Useless....

I went to my GP with a cough I’d had for 8 weeks. She thought it might be a sinus infection gone wonky. She got me doing sinus rinses 6x per day. They helped a bit, but not much and nights were still dreadful. After another week she sent me for an X-Ray to rule out pneumonia or cancer. She also gave me antibiotics in case of a bacterial sinus infection, which ended up clearing things up after a couple of days.

I also felt weird about going to the doctor for what was essentially a cold, but at the same time I was beginning to feel really run down. She didn’t begrudge me at all - even called me a few days after my second visit to make sure I was better.

I have a cough that started 6 weeks ago too OP. And just like you I also went to the GP after 3 weeks as per nhs website guidance as it was still really bad (if anything it had got worse) and he acted as if I'd completely wasted his time. Mine's definitely better now than it was at the point I went to the GP but still here and I'm now reticent to go back to the GP. So I'm afraid I don't have helpful advice but just wanted to say you're not alone! Hope yours goes soon. X

Have you got your heating on? I had a lingering cough for many weeks, I put my heating on this week and it's gone now.

When I first sought medical attention for DD’s persistent cough (8 weeks +) we had an initial phone appt and the GP was insistent that current guidance is for a chest x-ray to rule out serious issues first before considering other diagnoses. At no point did anyone suggest we were wasting his time.