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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To want to tell her to either shut up or go home?

58 replies

Callmedarcy · 19/11/2018 19:51

Colleague had been coughing her guts up for over a month straight. It’s constant, it’s loud. It’s making everyone put in headphones.

She refuses to go to the doctors.

OP posts:
RuthW · 19/11/2018 22:22

Coughs last a long time. If she's had a virus why would she bother a gp? (I work for a gp)

kitkatsky · 19/11/2018 22:24

A doctor won't do anything for a cough. If she's well enough to be in work it's likely a virus. I can imagine it's annoying, but think how she must feel. She's not doing it on purpose...

Greensleeves · 19/11/2018 22:25

Doctor won't do anything. It's a cough. What do you expect her to do about it?

Headphones sounds like a plan.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 19/11/2018 22:25

Will you do her work in her absence?

CoughLaughFart · 19/11/2018 22:26

I’m glad I’m not your colleague.

ILoveAutum · 19/11/2018 22:27

Drs, home or morgue. No one else should have to listen to someone coughing up a lung for weeks on end, it’s revolting.

Yidette86 · 19/11/2018 22:32

I wouldn't be too happy if a member of staff went home because of a cough Hmm

Agree she should get it checked out if it's been bad for weeks but there's not much you can do about that, I get it's annoying but there's not much you can do

MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig · 19/11/2018 22:39

The NHS tell you that if you’ve had a persistent cough for three weeks you should go and see the doctor. Could be nothing, could be lung cancer or something.

blackcat86 · 19/11/2018 22:42

Does she have any underlying medical conditions? Has she spoken to her line manager about her health? Remember that she doesn't have to go about broadcasting information about her health to the whole office. I have asthma and will often over the winter have a bad cough when I'm at work. Office environments are really bad for a lot of people with no fresh air, shitty heating, poor hygiene, dry environment etc etc, and actually I do expect my colleagues to put up with it because I'm good at my job, it's not my fault and they are equally supported to manage their own conditions. As my mum would say concentrate on what you're doing not on what everyone else is doing.

Justaboy · 19/11/2018 22:51

A cough that does go on for a long time usually indicates that somthing isnt right somewhere its not a normal function. I bet shes shite scared if it reeally being something serious and can't pluck up the courage to see the doc. Problem is that it might be lung cancer and like most all cancers soonest diagnosed sooner mended - well usually!

LoniceraJaponica · 19/11/2018 22:54

A colleague at work always sounds like someone from a Victorian workhouse when he coughs. It is stomach churning to hear him. He has diabetes and has this cough every winter.

I agree that if this woman has had this cough for over a month a visit to the GP might be worth considering. Does she smoke?

Ngaio2 · 19/11/2018 22:55

If she has asthma then any respiratory infection can lead t ought which can last months. It can drive the coughed mad too, but what is the alternative? I have yet to find a remedy, One feels wretched and embarassed but life has to continue.

Eilaianne · 19/11/2018 22:58

Um, posters shouldn't be saying that a persistent, niggling cough with no known underlying cause is something trivial - my GP has posters up every year asking people to get symptoms like that checked out to rule out cancers, etc.

If it's been going on for weeks it may be something that needs medical investigation.

Fuckertyfickfack · 19/11/2018 22:58

She may well have been to the doctors and not wish to discuss it with rude, unsympathetic, miserable coworkers

Umbongointhejungle · 19/11/2018 22:58

Wh othe fuck thinks a doctor won’t do anything about a persistent cough, it’s the first signs of lots of cancer, hiv, viral infections. I mean the list is endless

Jesus people.
FYI folks. If in doubt don’t listen to mumsnet - go to the motherfucking doctor. I’m sure they’re happy to tell people it’s nothing. Do you think they want everyone walking in with stage 3 cancer because no one wanted to bother them!!!

bringincrazyback · 19/11/2018 22:59

Drs, home or morgue. No one else should have to listen to someone coughing up a lung for weeks on end, it’s revolting.

Sorry, that's just bollocks. Like she's going to get signed off work for weeks just for a cough and her employers aren't going to get pissed off? She can't help it. Not only that, but it sounds like part of her cough could be asthma-driven and if so, that can have a nervous element to it. This happened to me repeatedly when I was office-based, after nothing more than a simple cold, and could take literally weeks to recover. I wasn't seriously ill, it was down to my asthma, but knowing people were getting irritated when I couldn't help it definitely exacerbated things as it stressed me out bigtime. Not only that, but because the cough always sets in after I have recovered from the cold, I was never able to justify taking time off sick. I can't be the only one who has experienced this. It's one of the many reasons I'm thankful to be self-employed now

People should try showing a little more understanding, especially about things they don't know much about. What really makes me laugh is that if OP had posted complaining her colleague had taken time off work for 'just a cough' everyone would be slagging her off for that instead, no doubt.

Ngaio2 · 19/11/2018 23:00

Ps I have never smoked and have had to miss countless social engagements, shows, films, DC’s school productions etc but I ccouldnt miss work or we’d all miss eating as well.
Asthma medication and cough medicines just don’t stop the coughing

grumpy4squash · 19/11/2018 23:04

He has diabetes and has this cough every winter.

Why does diabetes give you a cough?

GaryBaldbiscuit · 19/11/2018 23:07

are you sure you mean diabetes?

gnushoes · 19/11/2018 23:11

I'm asthmatic and coughs can go on for weeks. I don't imagine you'd get sick leave for that and there's nothing you can sensibly do to stop a cough. As long as she's been checked for any underlying condition which might be nasty - none of your business really.

StrawberrySquash · 19/11/2018 23:15

I had a persistant cough. Three weeks and you are supposed to see the doctor. Cancer, asthma were both checked for. I was fine. It was just irritated lungs. They call it the ten week cough. It went after about twelve when I got another, worse cold. Even then I was still susceptible to coughing fits.

Flashingbeacon · 19/11/2018 23:22

I had a cough that lasted from November to January last year. Times I coughed until I was sick. Dizzy frequently because I couldn’t catch my breathe. GP could not have been less interested. No underlying conditions therefore no tests. 1 listened to my chest and wrote a sick note for 3 days. No choice but go to work. They also had posters up everywhere saying come in with a peristant cough.

LoniceraJaponica · 19/11/2018 23:25

Yes, I do mean diabetes. Having higher blood sugar levels can weaken the immune system defenses and make you more susceptible to coughs, colds and other viruses. Flu jabs are offered to all people with diabetes.

Since my sister was diagnosed with T2 diabetes she has suffered from some horrendous chest infections.

ContessaHallelujahSparklehorse · 19/11/2018 23:28

I had a cold that turned into a persistent cough - I was bringing up grossness for weeks. Finally I went to the doctor, got a week of antibiotics and it cleared right up. It's happened a few times now for me - while I'm fighting a cold virus, bacteria sneak in and get comfy. Little bastards.

24hoursfromtulsa · 19/11/2018 23:38

I once went to see my GP as I'd had a cough for 6 weeks. He just shrugged and said 'it's a cough, what do you want me to do about it?'

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