To be fed up of this ruddy cough?

[Cherrysoup]

I’ve been coughing up phlegm for a week. Even when I cough it up, I’m still wheezing. Going upstairs or up a minor slope is making me almost keel over. I’m coughing so hard I feel faint. I know it’s only a cough, but it’s keeping me awake. Bloody annoying. I’m taking cough syrup, but I think the sugar is making my throat worse. I don’t think I have a temperature, but I feel crap. A bit pointless taking any kind of tablet, I reckon.

Anyone else got a persistent cold and is there anything I can do to stop wheezing/coughing so much?

Talk to your pharmacist

On week 9 of my cough here. It's been through everything from full-on chest infection, to inflamed airways causing me to stop breathing, through suspected (but now ruled out) asthma. Nurse practitioner's best advice has been ice-cold drinks to reduce the inflammation, plus lots of fluids generally. She says it can take up to 12 weeks to clear up.

12 weeks?! Dear god!

Have you been checked for Whooping cough? It's not known as the 100 day cough for nothing.

The general advice is to go to the GP if it lasts more than 3 weeks just in case.

I sympathise. I used to get this all the time after illness. Then I had my tonsils out and I get ill less and haven’t had the long term hacking coughs.

I was just about to suggest that anyone with a persistent cough gets checked for whooping cough.
When I had it it lasted over 5 months and I had two cracked ribs and torn intercostal muscles from coughing so much. Not a lot of fun.