Please, tell me what to do about this cough. At the end of my tether.

[bloodyhairy]

Posting here as no reply on Coronavirus.

I have Covid, with pretty much every symptom going. I have never felt this unwell before. Things wouldn't be as bad if it wasn't for this insufferable cough. It is fucking relentless, day and night. It makes me feel sick, it affects my sleep, and let's just say that Tena Lady will be doing quite well out of me
Please help, as I feel like I can't take much more of this.
What can I do, what can I take?
And is peppermint tea the best thing for nausea (I can't face eating much)?
Thanks in advance.

Sounds crazy but have you tried putting vicks on your feet before bed?

I had a terrible cough a few years ago and nothing was helping with the sleepless nights it was causing.

In desperation I followed what I thought was silly advice and slathered vicks on the soles of my feet and then put socks over them before bed. I slept through the whole night for the first time since the cough started.

I have asthma and can have times where I cough a lot. I find that drinking lots of water to stay really hydrated helps as does a good diet and gentle movement. Also a defuser if you have one and then face misting - hang your head over a bowl of boiling water with a towel over you to get some moisture back in your throat, mouth and chest as often we cough because its all dry which just makes it worse so we cough more etc.

I've had my post-Covid cough since last March😒

Warm drink help a cough, have a thermos mug and sip. Ginger helps with nausea do try lemon and ginger tea (leave the bag in the cup and top up the hot water periodically, weak is good). I also recommend bronchostop pastilles for your cough and sleeping propped up. I have a chronic cough, not covid, so well versed

I found warm milk with honey works well, the milk sort of coats your throat with the honey & is really soothing.

I had the covid cough for, well, quite a while. At one point I was coughing up yellow gunk which was when I had a course of antibiotics. I would recommend lots of warm drinks, ideally with honey. I drank a ton of herbal tea or lemon with honey. I think ginger is supposed to be best for nausea whereas peppermint is for digestion but honestly whatever works for you is grand. I scaled back on dairy as well. Good luck, it’s rough.

I'd get in touch with your GP. A friend of mine has a bad cough with Covid and her GP has given her some steroids to take at home that they said have been really successful with none hospitalised cases to ease lung inflammation.

Cold, fresh air.
Lying on your front.
And possibly steroids if it's really bad.

If it's a dry cough, gargling with Difflam might work. It contains a local anaesthetic.

Another vote for codeine.
Solpadeine is available over the counter.

Ring the Dr. My friend got medicine and an inhaler. There are over the counter cough suppressants too.

Nausea get some travel sickness tablets.
Cough try pineapple juice or sucking on fresh pineapple. Not old wives tale, evidence based.

Codeine might well make nausea worse and give you constipation.

@CottonSock

Ring the Dr. My friend got medicine and an inhaler. There are over the counter cough suppressants too.

Cough suppressants prevent the gunk from getting out via coughing, they aren't as great as all that for productive coughs if the op has one.m

Another vote for codeine and I have chronic asthma. Codeine suppresses the urge to cough which leads to a coughing fit, feeling sick and dizzy etc. I have learned to sleep slightly propped up, on my side and then tilt my chin up a bit meaning don't curl right up with your head under the covers. It sounds horrible OP and must be painful as well as exhausting :-( I hope you're feeling better soon.

Have you tried gargling with hydrogen peroxide?
Tastes disgusting, but always my "go to" - discovered it by googling about ten years ago, and used it ever since.
you can buy a 3% solution for most pharmacies, dilute with hot water, gargle but don't swallow any.

then do the honey and lemon the others have recommended to take the foul taste away.

Have you tried elderberry syrup?
And loads of water to drink with fresh lemon or lime.
And check humidity in your home - use a mister/diffuser with eucalyptus oil

Cough suppressants prevent the gunk from getting out via coughing, they aren't as great as all that for productive coughs if the op has one.

Healthline.com "when the mucus in your mouth comes into contact with hydrogen peroxide, it creates a foam. This foam makes the mucus less sticky and easier to drain. It can also help to loosen the mucus in your throat, which can cause irritation and pain."

Thank you all, so very much.
Mumsnet at its finest

@PinkyParrot

I've had some relief from laying on my front.

That's funny. Lying prone was mentioned in an interview with a medic as part of the reason more people in intensive care are surviving.

My local hospital put out a request on Facebook for volunteers such as medical students to help in the critical care wards, specifically with "probing" patients. It sounds like it's a big help for many people with COVID-19.

Probing? FFS, proning. Stupid autocorrect!!

My Nan used to swear by a lump of butter with some sugar mashed in. Not sure if it would work in a COVID cough but I always found it really helped with a relentless cough!

Try laying on your front as this will open up your lungs and give you maximum intake of oxygen.
I doubt very much cough medicine for Covid will actually work at all. You could try steam inhalation (bowl of boiling water) stick your head over it with a large towel over your head to create a tent. Breathe in and stay there for 15 mins.
You need GP advice, steroids or antibiotics I imagine.

You say you have never felt so unwell. Forget all these suggestions on how to deal with your cough.. you need medical advice in case you actually need admitting to hospital. Speak to GP or 111

I agree with the advice to speak to a GP. Just because there is no cure for COVID does not mean that there is nothing they can do to ease your symptoms or more importantly rule out a chest infection that needs to be treated.

Failing that.. google the use of high does vitamin C used to treat asthma, whooping cough and pneumonia and see if you think that might help.

Also look at the use of Blue tansy essential oil which might help. Dilute with a carrier oil and put it on the backs of your hands, on your chest and your back and on the base of your feet.