This awful cough that half the country seem to have

[NorthernGirlie]

I've had mine on and off since early December. It's horrendous, often makes me throw up and I'm wrecked from ot sleeping

Went to the doctors after having it for 3 weeks - told to ride it out. Went back last week and I'm booked for a chest x-ray, bloods (run down to hell, feel like I can't fight it off) and an inhaler

Friend 1: same symptoms as me, had it since early Feb. Spit test and that's it. Ride it out

Friend 2; spit test (negative) chest x-ray and 5 days of antibiotics for possible whooping cough

Friend 3: inhaler and chest x-ray

Friend 4: 7 days antibiotics for possible whooping cough / possible pneumonia

Friend 5: hospitalised for 2 days with pneumonia

What's with it all? Hangover from covid? Why so many different approaches to treatment? Any miracle cures?

I've had it since end of January, husband about 2 weeks behind me, daughter had it about a week. It sucks.. I keep thinking it's going and then it's back !

I came down with this before Christmas. Horrendous cough and fatigue. It's taken until around the beginning of March before I finally began to recover fully. Still coughing occasionally but getting better. It was horrendous. Tested negative for covid. Doctor thought it was just a nasty bug. I felt unwell for nearly three months.

same here OH sounds like he choking has had antibiotics doc said chest infection but not much better after finishing the course, me a dry hacking cough that attacks randomly fine one minute then cant stop coughing then calms down again

Here with you all. Mine started beginning of January so 2.5 months now! Every day bringing up lots of mucus in the morning and almost gagging on it and then a dry cough at night. Have improved to the point that I don’t feel unwell in between these times though. Might go back to the doctors this week, but then I think is there any point as I’m fairly confident there’s nothing they can do.

All these posts about it taking months to get better are making me feel so sad, I haven't slept or eaten properly in days, I'm pregnant so can't take much medication wise. My sore throat is worse than the cough. How long did it takes for people's throats to feel better?

Nah, that's universal by now. My remote working colleagues in Thailand and Cyprus have it as well. Mine lasted for 35 days and I was gulping herbal teas for cough & chest congestion from Amazon, so it resolved bit quicker.

I don’t think it’s whooping cough, I had that as a teenager and the difficulty breathing in after coughing and the sound people make is very distinctive- those around me that have this bloody awful cough aren’t ‘whooping’ in that way.

both staff and kids at the school I work in are dropping like flies and taking a long time to get better again…. I assume I will have it during the Easter holidays as I always get sick in the holidays…..

Sounds like whooping cough. My sons had it last year. Contrary to what another poster said, antibiotics given in the first three weeks will help reduce how contagious you are. Also its a bacterial infection not a virus.

Could be mycoplasma as per pp. Huge outbreak of it and it presents similar to viral infections with a dry cough, headache etc. It is meant to have a bad year about every 4 years but probably missed one with covid restrictions

I don't want to worry people but I have to be honest.

I started in October last year.

It is getting better but I still cough and have a bit of phlegm.

After a friend was finally diagnosed with it after 2 months of worsening symptoms, I am certain that a lot of people with this dreadful cough/illness actually have TB:

• prolonged cough (sometimes with blood)
• chest pain
• weakness
• fatigue
• weight loss
• fever
• night sweats.

It, could also be pneumonia, which is what I was diagnosed with after showing all the same symptoms as my friend, there is very little difference:

• a cough – you may cough up yellow or green mucus (phlegm)
• shortness of breath
• a high temperature
• chest pain
• an aching body
• feeling very tired
• loss of appetite
• making wheezing noises when you breathe – babies may also make grunting noises
• feeling confused – this is common in older people

My DD has had whooping cough. She started coughing at the end of December, and had antibiotics which means that she still has the cough but wasn’t contagious anymore. if you don’t have antibiotics you are contagious for 3 weeks.

Her cough has never had the “whoop” sound though, which is why I was quite surprised when the gp said she was treating her for whooping cough. She had a swab done to confirm the diagnosis. I also naively thought that she wouldn’t get it as she’d been vaccinated.

She is still coughing though, can’t take part in swimming lessons due to coughing nonstop in the water. She’s also reduced how much she can participate in pe because running makes her cough. It’s horrible for her. The cough is hacking, she coughs stuff up and it’s still waking her in the night. She’s not slept through the night once since December. It’s horrible.
Every time I think she’s getting better, she has another bad night.

Loads of covid around and whooping cough on the rise I hear. Probably a combination of both on this chat. Hopefully Spring and more outside time will help prevent spread at least. Seeing that people are mentioning hospital and GP visits, it's worth mentioning that a lot of airborne viruses are picked up in those places! Check out this - Google: 'Introduce new air quality and PPE rules for health and social care settings' and give it a sign. Important to break the cycle of infection so we can all enjoy the summer.

@Hotsausage2 never heard of mycoplasma!

Yes to the poster who said colleagues all sitting close to each other literally coughing in each other's faces with no ventilation.

@Daydreamer2 each and evry time I go to my docs the waiting room is stuffy and it's hard work to ask for the windows to be opened!
Unbelievable really, you would have thought fresh air the window open even a teeny amount would be paramount!

I had all of this except the blood in phlegm part. ( oh the phlegm 🤮🤮 unworldy)

2 whole months of that cough over December and January and then lingered into February, 2 weeks of the other symptoms alongside at the very start. Never felt so ill in a long long time. I physically couldn’t move for two days when the flu was the worse. I still randomly cough every now and then and can’t breathe for a second.

I was diagnosed with bronchitis and flu though , not covid or pneumonia. had antibiotics for 5 days which helped with the flu symptoms but not the cough.

I had Pfizer and a booster ( forced by work at the time) and had actual covid 3 times (very mild) but not had for ages.

Still not convinced what it actually was and I want to ttc so a bit worried something is still lingering around.

a LOT of locals have had the same

Covid.

Covid weakens the immune system too.

It's what you all wanted, freedom, knowing better. It's going to get worse and people still stick their heads in the sand.

My daughter has had it since beginning of January I've had it since beginning of feb. I'm 100% sure it's whooping cough and pleurisy. 3 antibiotics, chest x ray. The cough is worse than when I had Covid. It takes my breath away, makes me gag. The whole left side around my ribs was absolute agony for 2 weeks couldn't lift anything, moving, walking killed it. The pain is under my breast bones and round my back now.

I work in a surgery and there's no appointments because everyone is booking in with chest infections. I'd say it's worse at the surgery now than Covid. I feel for everyone who has it but also feel like I'm not the only one up in the night coughing my guts up!

And each time we, and our kids, catch covid again, it further weakens our immune systems making us ever more vulnerable to viral and bacterial infections, and covid itself. What will everyone's health be like within a few years of this, I fear for that.

It's not going to get any better until we get clean air in public spaces as standard (starting with schools, nurseries and health settings) and until there's more mask wearing (especially people with respiratory symptoms if they're able to wear one). People need to be educated on the best masks too - we need FFP2 or FFP3.

Finally diagnosed with Whooping Cough. 4 lots of antibiotics, chest xray, inhalers and blood tests. Finally diagnosed with it. I’m very fit and active and it’s hit me like a train. I’m in week 8 now and yesterday I thought I was on the mend but today struggling to get out of bed. I’m week 4 off work due to it.
I had Covid and it was nothing compared to this, it’s completely wiped me out. The whooping noise and choking is the worst and pretty scary. I will be trying to get vaccinated against this once I’m better.
Tips for anyone who thinks they have it.
Get a back brace! My ribs are in agony but this has helped. Ibuprofen and Paracetomol every 4 hours. I was given Clarithromycin antibiotic and this did help slightly. More with reducing my temperature. Lots of water and ginger/turmeric shots if you can have them without coughing.
Gentle stretching of ribs but not walking as this brings on the cough.
I am seriously hoping going into weeks 9-10 I will feel better as this is an awful virus!
I hope anyone who thinks they have it keep on at the doctor as I do believe there is an outbreak of this that they aren’t taking it seriously enough. I’m in my 40’s but if my Mum got this she would certainly be hospitalised.