DH’s cough is driving me mad

[tired38]

DH has had a persistent cough since the week before Christmas. He’s coughing almost all the time and it’s not getting any better.

He’s bought some cough medicine which is totally useless. I’ve been begging him to go to the doctor but he never gets round to it and accuses me of nagging.

He drinks four nights a week - I think he should quit completely until the cough has cleared up, just in case it’s something to with the alcohol, but he hasn’t.

Honestly the noise is doing my head in and I can’t take it much more. I’m 28 weeks pregnant and wanted him to sort it out before the baby gets here, but it seems like that’s not going to happen.

He also keeps me awake at night as I can hear him coughing next door when I’m in bed and he’s watching telly (we’re in a flat and the bedroom is next to the lounge).

My head hurts from it all and I’m starting to feel claustrophobic and fed up in our home. I know my constant nagging is probably getting to him but what else can I do?!!

AIBU?

But in addition to other possibilities mentioned, he could have developed asthma

Maybe I’m being ignorant here, but a relative who had asthma had wheezing and asthma attacks. If DH has developed asthma wouldn’t he have that too?

Thanks @tired38....actually, I have got a tickle at the moment tbh! I've had it worse, and it will blow over! As I said, I feel so embarrassed....but it's purely involuntary and impossible to suppress....when a cough is brewing, you got to let it out! Strangely, I find chewing gum helps too! Hope he gets better soon

Hello tired. No, not necessarily. Coughing is more common symptom of asthma than wheezing and you don’t have to have both at the same time. Coughing that is worse at night is very common sign of asthma.
See
www.asthma.org.uk/advice/understanding-asthma/symptoms/

Occasionally my DH gets a really loud aggressive cough and it makes me jump out of my skin. Coughs are SO annoying!!!!!

I had a heavy cold start of Dec and have been coughing since. Been checked at GP's, said it just has to run its course. Seems to be very common this winter.
Agree with Jakemans, only thing that helps even a little, I have 3 in a row before I go to sleep as it's the only way to stop the cough for long enough to let me get to sleep, even for a little while.

It is worth him getting checked tho. It could be more serious than he thinks.

Alcohol doesn't cause coughs. In fact, I find the occasional dram of neat whisky at night really soothing if nothing else works.

I am rather prone to lingering coughs too. I have had pneumonia and bronchitis in the past as a result. They are embarrassing and frustrating. I end up having to sleep downstairs in the living room as sleeping in a more or less sitting up position does help me.

Your DH should see his GP though, and well before 8 weeks. 3 weeks is long enough.

Night nurse for a dry cough. Works every time for me.

I had a cough for about 6 weeks once, finally went to the doctors and antibiotics had it gone within 3 days. Sometimes it just needs a bit of help, definitely try to get him there.

He could have reflux or post nasal drainage from allergies or bronchitis that's why he should see a doctor. My son had a recent cough it was pneumonia.

Cheers all - I will keep nagging him to see the doctor. Getting him there is easier said than done!

Yes tell him to see a doctor. I’ve had a cough for over 3 weeks and after much nagging from my mum went to the doctor today. Turns out I do have a chest infection after all and I do need antibiotics. I was convinced I was wasting their time and they’d send me away and tell me to wait it out.

Takes 2 weeks to get an appointment at my GP surgery. Be gone by then!

Robitussin dry cough is amazing. Sometimes a cough becomes a habit and it sorts it right out. You just keep up with the doses and follow the instructions. Tastes crap. But it changes the cough threshold in your brain 20 mins after taking it.

Don’t mix with too much alcohol.

Try a humidifier. I had a persistent dry cough and it really helped. I’d done Night Nurse, cough sweets, lots of drinks - still coughed half the night.

Is that available over the counter @silentlight?

I get lingering dry coughs as well. The only thing that works for me as a cough-suppressant is codeine. Two or three days use is enough to get some decent sleep and stop the constant irritation of the airways.

If he won't see his doctor maybe some OTC codeine might work for him?

I have had the holiday cold and have been coughing for weeks. I always cough for ages after a cold. It hurts, is tiring and disrupts my sleep, which probably slows the healing process. I refuse to take liquid meds or throat sweets because the flavours nauseate me. If anyone were to nag me right now because my illness, the one that I've had for weeks now, was annoying them I'd ask to check their humanity levels.

I barely ever catch a cold and when I do, I can shake it off in 2 days.

This cold is different. I’ve been coughing myself inside out day and night for a week. My nightshifts were not fun. And coughing always no seems to be 10 times louder at night.

I know I’m annoying everyone around me because I’m even annoying myself

I’m here for tips... preferably natural ones.

@lilgreen yes you can beg for it over the counter in boots. If they get an idea your cough is productive the won’t give it you. It’s only for dry irritating coughs.

www.boots.com/robitussin-dry-cough-medicine-100ml-10059366

Get a humidifier or a vaporiser, and put a wet towel over your bedroom radiator to keep the air as moist as possible.

Night nurse or anything with codeine in will suppress a cough at night, and plaster his chest and back in Vicks vapour rub.

And make him see the GP!

Codeine is no better than placebo for most coughs unfortunately, it's one of those commonly held beliefs that isn't actually true.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2921574/

My husband and I have both had this cough. It's annoying as fuck but it's just viral. All you can do is wait for it to go away. Mine has only really cleared up the last couple of days and he was a couple of days behind me so is still hacking away.

Sorry it's annoying you but it is just one of those things.

I’ve just been to the late night chemist to get the Dextromethorphan syrup in the hope he sleeps tonight.

Thanks @silentlight