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Original poster

Anyone any experience with whooping cough?

23 replies

MidnightEagle · 08/05/2024 13:25

MidnightEagle · Today 13:12
My 10 year old has had a cough for about 6 weeks now. Started with regular cold and cough symptoms but then after a few weeks turned into bouts of more severe coughing. No whoop sound but does does make a strange gaspy intake of breath sound. I've been to GP 3 times. He has asthma too so they gave him a new preventer inhaler, then steroid tablets and the last GP took a swab and said it would take a week to come back. I've not had the results yet. I'm not sure anything will show though as it appears you need swabs to be done within the first 2 weeks. GP did say WC was going round. Has anyone experienced this recently with their child? Is anyone a doctor and would you recommend I ask for a blood test if the Swab comes back negative? He is fully vaccinated but the GP said that didn't mean he couldn't get it. Thank you for any help.
Quote

OP posts:
Ughughughugh · 08/05/2024 13:28

I am sure that my child has this just now - same age - but doctor insists "it's viral", pharmacist thought otherwise and said it is a notifiable disease but they have stopped tracing and contacting people as there are so many cases?! Then took our name and address and surgery name to give to the NHS. We are in north east Scotland.

I've heard him whoop twice but otherwise no whoop, but a truly awful awful cough especially at night. Is your child at school?

OohMrDarcy · 08/05/2024 13:30

I've had it myself a few years back (for the second time - first as a child)

If I remember correctly, even if it comes back positive it would be too late for antibiotics to do anything as needs to be quite early for them to help. I also have asthma and assumed an exasperation of that at first. The whoop isn't always there, and for me only came a couple of weeks in the second time around...

hope he is feeling better soon

Hopebridge · 08/05/2024 13:36

My son was week 5 and his test came back positive. He took a long time to recover from whooping cough and is asthmatic. It was longer than the 100 days but did progressively get better.

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10 year olds Children's health General health
Original poster
MidnightEagle · 08/05/2024 14:24

Ughughughugh · 08/05/2024 13:28

I am sure that my child has this just now - same age - but doctor insists "it's viral", pharmacist thought otherwise and said it is a notifiable disease but they have stopped tracing and contacting people as there are so many cases?! Then took our name and address and surgery name to give to the NHS. We are in north east Scotland.

I've heard him whoop twice but otherwise no whoop, but a truly awful awful cough especially at night. Is your child at school?

That's interesting that they've stopped contact tracing. I did think the GPs seemed laid back about it. The second GP mentioned it as a possibility but didn't even suggest doing a swab.

OP posts:
Original poster
MidnightEagle · 08/05/2024 14:25

OohMrDarcy · 08/05/2024 13:30

I've had it myself a few years back (for the second time - first as a child)

If I remember correctly, even if it comes back positive it would be too late for antibiotics to do anything as needs to be quite early for them to help. I also have asthma and assumed an exasperation of that at first. The whoop isn't always there, and for me only came a couple of weeks in the second time around...

hope he is feeling better soon

Yes, it would be too late for antibiotics. I want to know if this is what it is though or whether he needs further investigation.

OP posts:
Original poster
MidnightEagle · 08/05/2024 14:26

Hopebridge · 08/05/2024 13:36

My son was week 5 and his test came back positive. He took a long time to recover from whooping cough and is asthmatic. It was longer than the 100 days but did progressively get better.

Thank you. Do you know what test they used on your son and how long did the results take? The GP did a swab of my sons throat.

OP posts:
Hopebridge · 08/05/2024 14:36

He had a swab but it was posted out to us as they didn't have the facility to do the swab at the GPs. It took 2 weeks for the result to come back. I got a text confirming it was positive and a phone call with advice.

Hopebridge · 08/05/2024 14:38

It's good to know when you have an asthmatic child especially. It did flare my son's asthma but if it hadn't be whooping cough would have meant further investigation as he had 6 course of prednisolone and extra and increased inhalers while poorly.

Original poster
MidnightEagle · 08/05/2024 14:47

Hopebridge · 08/05/2024 14:36

He had a swab but it was posted out to us as they didn't have the facility to do the swab at the GPs. It took 2 weeks for the result to come back. I got a text confirming it was positive and a phone call with advice.

I wonder if that was maybe the oral fluid test then. Apparently that can be used later in the disease. I maybe could ask about that too actually. Was it one you rub on the gums?

OP posts:
Hopebridge · 08/05/2024 15:00

Yes it was sent from the health protection team. It came the day after the Gp requested as they had to submit a form. It may not work now for your son. I think the blood test can be done later.

Ughughughugh · 08/05/2024 15:33

Has anyone got any ideas for things that actually help please?

Is it worth getting a humidifier? Propped up on pillows, plenty fluids all the usual stuff is making zero difference at bedtime.

Original poster
MidnightEagle · 08/05/2024 16:07

Ughughughugh · 08/05/2024 13:28

I am sure that my child has this just now - same age - but doctor insists "it's viral", pharmacist thought otherwise and said it is a notifiable disease but they have stopped tracing and contacting people as there are so many cases?! Then took our name and address and surgery name to give to the NHS. We are in north east Scotland.

I've heard him whoop twice but otherwise no whoop, but a truly awful awful cough especially at night. Is your child at school?

Sorry, I forgot to answer the school bit. Yes he is at school. The GP said he was ok to go as it's no longer contagious after 3 weeks. Is your son at school?

In terms of things that help I am giving him his blue asthma inhaler every 4 hours, antihistamine morning and night and bronchostop junior (which I don't think does anything but he likes the taste). Keen to hear if anyone has any other suggestions.

OP posts:
Ughughughugh · 08/05/2024 17:09

He's been off for two weeks but am thinking about putting him back because he's not too bad during the day. Not sure if he'll be too tired though. Hope your wee one feels better soon, it's a horrible cough ;(

RippedJeansAndCashmere · 08/05/2024 17:25

Yes. GP kept saying viral and probably not infectious. No sick pay so continued working (customer facing).

4 weeks later, passing out mid-cough A&E prescribed steriods for “asthma”.

5 weeks later, another A&E admission and firmly asking them to test for whooping cough, tests came back positive.

Original poster
MidnightEagle · 08/05/2024 17:47

Ughughughugh · 08/05/2024 17:09

He's been off for two weeks but am thinking about putting him back because he's not too bad during the day. Not sure if he'll be too tired though. Hope your wee one feels better soon, it's a horrible cough ;(

Yes same, my son seems to take off from around 6pm. Hope your wee one is better soon.

OP posts:
Original poster
MidnightEagle · 08/05/2024 17:48

RippedJeansAndCashmere · 08/05/2024 17:25

Yes. GP kept saying viral and probably not infectious. No sick pay so continued working (customer facing).

4 weeks later, passing out mid-cough A&E prescribed steriods for “asthma”.

5 weeks later, another A&E admission and firmly asking them to test for whooping cough, tests came back positive.

Edited

Thank you. Yes we've done the steroids for asthma too. Maybe dampened it bit. Can I ask how they tested you? Was it a swab or blood test?

OP posts:
caoixr · 10/05/2024 00:22

Remarkably similar here, 10yo asthmatic son who starting throat clearing, light coughing and cold symptoms about 6 weeks back. He was actually in the middle of a trial of being off his preventer so I initially thought this was his asthma symptoms coming back because of that. After a week though the coughing became frequent, violent and horrendous, especially at night with him gasping for breath for minutes at a time, and then vomiting each time often with a nose bleed as well. We were doing the maximum of blue inhalers and it wasn't helping at all.

This was over bank holiday weekend so with no GP available we went to A&E, they gave him a course of pred and to keep at the blue inhalers, go back on his preventer at a higher dose and said it was probably his asthma.

Then we went to the GP. At this point I suspected whooping cough because I heard it was on the rise and when googling it really fitted all the symptoms. This website really helped https://whoopingcough.net/.

The GP however fobbed me off saying it was unlikely because he was fully vaccinated! And it must be his asthma. Google will tell you though that the vaccine wears off over time. They did take a PCR throat swab though to test.

In desperation, I then googled what the antibiotics needed were and found some in my parents medicine cupboard and gave them to him. This was on day 10 after his initial cold symptoms. I am not exaggerating when I say his symptoms improved 90% over the course of one day. Still some coughing at night but far less frequent and less violent.

After about 10 days after the GP visit, they called to say the test was positive for whooping cough! And to have antibiotics! Funnily enough, around this time, he had a bit of a relapse so I gave him another course which helped a lot.

We had gum swab kit sent as well which we completed about a week ago.

We are now about 6 weeks in and he is still not back to normal, still coughs now, mainly related to exercise or cold air, he is fully back at school though and having far less of his blue inhaler.

Hope you see some improvement soon, it really is horrendous for them.

Whooping cough (pertussis). Detailed Information for sufferers and professionals.

Dedicated to whooping cough it covers everything. Listen to what it sounds like. Find out about treatment, prevention, and everything else.

https://whoopingcough.net

Original poster
MidnightEagle · 10/05/2024 11:05

caoixr · 10/05/2024 00:22

Remarkably similar here, 10yo asthmatic son who starting throat clearing, light coughing and cold symptoms about 6 weeks back. He was actually in the middle of a trial of being off his preventer so I initially thought this was his asthma symptoms coming back because of that. After a week though the coughing became frequent, violent and horrendous, especially at night with him gasping for breath for minutes at a time, and then vomiting each time often with a nose bleed as well. We were doing the maximum of blue inhalers and it wasn't helping at all.

This was over bank holiday weekend so with no GP available we went to A&E, they gave him a course of pred and to keep at the blue inhalers, go back on his preventer at a higher dose and said it was probably his asthma.

Then we went to the GP. At this point I suspected whooping cough because I heard it was on the rise and when googling it really fitted all the symptoms. This website really helped https://whoopingcough.net/.

The GP however fobbed me off saying it was unlikely because he was fully vaccinated! And it must be his asthma. Google will tell you though that the vaccine wears off over time. They did take a PCR throat swab though to test.

In desperation, I then googled what the antibiotics needed were and found some in my parents medicine cupboard and gave them to him. This was on day 10 after his initial cold symptoms. I am not exaggerating when I say his symptoms improved 90% over the course of one day. Still some coughing at night but far less frequent and less violent.

After about 10 days after the GP visit, they called to say the test was positive for whooping cough! And to have antibiotics! Funnily enough, around this time, he had a bit of a relapse so I gave him another course which helped a lot.

We had gum swab kit sent as well which we completed about a week ago.

We are now about 6 weeks in and he is still not back to normal, still coughs now, mainly related to exercise or cold air, he is fully back at school though and having far less of his blue inhaler.

Hope you see some improvement soon, it really is horrendous for them.

That does sound similar. His throat swab came back negative but I'm worried we missed the boat on that so I have asked the doctor can we do a blood test. I've not heard back yet!

OP posts:
Original poster
MidnightEagle · 13/05/2024 13:13

The GP receptionist rang me today to say the GP said there isn't any point in doing a blood test as it is over 3 weeks and too late for antibiotics and because he is vaccinated it's unlikely? He's still getting these weird choking bouts of coughing. My Mum was staying over the weekend and she thinks there is a whoop (I thought it was a just a gasp). I don't know what to do next. Any advice?

OP posts:
Original poster
MidnightEagle · 13/05/2024 19:58

caoixr · 13/05/2024 13:28

I would email the GP who runs this page:

https://whoopingcough.net/

He very kindly replied to my email when I shared my specific concerns.

That's fantastic. I will do that now. That website is great by the way. I'm going to see if I can video one of the episodes too.

OP posts:
Myridiculousstomach · 08/06/2024 09:25

I’m around 5-6 weeks in and have never experienced anything like it. It’s how I imagined covid would be (covid was like flu with extra body pain for me, this is very different).I’m a couple of weeks into the convalescent phase now and gradually improving but I’ve never known such a slow improvement from any illness. And I threw up from coughing within 20 second s of waking up this morning even though that stopped for me a week ago. Ace.

Not much helps. Humidifier didn’t do much for me. Sipping hot water was helpful and sometimes would stave off a massive coughing/vomiting attack. Keep giving him his inhaler. He may need a nebuliser if things get really bad. I had over a week where I was passing out from the cough as I couldn’t breathe. Beconase nasal spray can help with the post nasal drip - it doesn’t get rid of it for me but it stops my throat from being as sore from it.

incidentally, it took over 3 weeks for a GP to say it was probably whooping cough even though I could tell what it was from a week in. I had a blood test but no sign of results over 2 weeks later 🙄

I hope your son is through the worst of it soon and that the rest of you don’t catch it - I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. Make sure he rests and don’t send him back to school until he feels much better - it’s exhausting.

Swingingvvoter · 08/06/2024 09:39

My dd had this, coughing fits lasting several mins doc bed relaxed said def my whopping cough and yet evry symptom matches.

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