To want something to stop me fucking coughing!

[Flyingwiththecanons]

I DONT have covid I've been tested 5 times in the last 2 weeks lateral flow and pcr. I work frontline icu (was theatre but got moved)
And my colleagues today asked me to go home because I couldn't stop coughing.

Over Christmas I got the flu and then got a chest infection which has exacerbated my asthma to the extent I'm using my reliever maybe 8 times a day because I can't stop coughing.

It's not a productive cough and I am on 60mg of steroids a day and have been since the 27th. I've got better but this cough won't fuck off!

I'm now on
fostair 2 puffs x3 a day
Ventolin
Steroids

Is this just something I have to deal with until it stops? It's so much worse at night and early morning

I'm so embarrassed my colleagues think I'm
Harbouring covid what can I do?! Or WiBU to tell them no it's asthma go away?!

It might not be the same for you, but Fostair makes my asthma worse rather than better. If it’s something you normally take, that’s not an issue, but if it’s new since the last attack, then you might get on better with Seretide instead.

Also, are you definitely fully over the chest infection? I had a similar problem when I had the flu and then pneumonia a few years ago. Six weeks later, I could hardly say a full sentence at times without coughing. I had to lie down on my bed to cough sometimes because my tummy muscles were so sore from weeks of coughing. I’m also asthmatic so the GP tried to fob me off with “post infectious cough”. I insisted, they did a sputum culture and sure enough there was still bacteria. A week and another round of antibiotics later, this time the right ones after they tested the sample, the cough was gone.

I would say codeine too
My DD had terrible post viral cough that just would not stop for weeks and weeks and after multiple trips to the GP for antibiotics and steroids and inhalers nothing helped. Drove me to distraction because no one could sleep
Finally she was given some codeine syrup by an OOH dr and she stopped coughing straight away. Obviously I did worry about giving codeine to a child and only used it in extremis but it really worked where nothing else had.
In the end the cough just went away. She does have asthma but not usually bad and never had anything like that cough before or since.

My sympathies, I'm also struggling with an asthma cough right now. As I do every winter.

Covonia is my last resort, the Original Bronchial Balsam not any of the other ones, they don't touch the cough at all, but the Original suppresses it most of the time. It's not off-the-shelf but behind the counter at the chemist's, so you have to ask for it.

My husband is asthmatic and had lots of different inhalers. Seratide for a preventative and ventolin for the reliever have worked best. He now also takes monteleukast and an antihistamine.

When he's been on steroids he usually needs omiprazole as the steroids do something to his stomach so he gets reflux.

After using seretide for years GP swapped me over to fostair, I ended up visiting gp again and again, then a consultant, I had x rays for cancer, scan for something else. Ten months down the road I mentioned to the nurse at my asthma clinic the change. She told me it does not work as well as seretide for everyone I was swapped back and the cough went away. I also take a piriton every day now, two dogs and a cat mean it helps a lot.

Do get an asthma review. Mine was due in October but with covid that has gone to the wall. The Montekulast was suggested once but did not have to resort to that thankfully.

@Flyingwiththecanons you are the first person I have heard that had suffered with flu this winter. Poor you. When OH had the flu then the cough he has asthma. I put vick on his chest, back every night, stopped him coughing. Also if you like a bath Olbas is great the whole family enjoy a warm soak in the bath with this in.

www.amazon.co.uk/Olbas-31-Bath-250ml/dp/B0013G8JLM/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=olbas+bath&hvdev=c&hvadid=79852063977546&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1610405013&sr=8-1

I find Allen Pine and Honey Balsam works really well for an irritable cough. It tastes dreadful but it works. I can't get it here, I used to get my DH to buy it for me when he was in the UK, but obviously he hasn't travelled for nearly a year now so I'm almost out of it.

My little boy has asthma and has been coughing since the 21st December - totally normal for him for this time of year. He's had 2 covid tests (just for peace of mind) both negative.

Antihistamine (twice a day) seems to help, as does keeping the house slightly warmer than I'd usually like at night, and putting bowls of water on the radiators.

Wouldn't recommend Montelukast based on our experiences - dreadful side effects - but some people tolerate it well.

Hi, I can sympathise, I was coughing like this all summer (I'm in a customer facing role) and trying to pretend I wasn't because it seems it's no longer socially acceptable to cough!! Was so stressful. Trying not to cough, just makes you want to cough all the more. Stress could be exacerbating the asthma, so its a vicious circle.

Might not be what you want to hear, but I think you need to be off work, if you are coughing despite all those meds. Listen to what your body is telling you. Your colleagues should know better though, they know you've got asthma, they need to give you a break!

OP can you take Robitussin?

It has a long list of contraindications but I have found it really useful.

I much prefer to use that occasionally rather than faff with my asthma meds again.

@BlackAmericanoNoSugar

I find Allen Pine and Honey Balsam works really well for an irritable cough. It tastes dreadful but it works. I can't get it here, I used to get my DH to buy it for me when he was in the UK, but obviously he hasn't travelled for nearly a year now so I'm almost out of it.

I tried to find that everywhere last week it is not being stocked anywhere and the web site has disappeared. Wonderful stuff. Used to put it in an egg cup top up from the kettle and sip it. Tip from my pharmacist.

I had a cough that felt like it would never stop and even though I was told it was a viral thing antibiotics worked. Might be worth checking you don’t have a bacterial infection.

@AndcalloffChristmas

When I had similar it was gastric reflux. Got put in omeprasole but actually you can buy that without prescription if needs be - although I wouldn’t as you don’t know if you need it!

I got sent to an ENT specialist by GP and he spotted what it was straight away.

I would second getting checked for reflux. I had a persistent cough for around 12 months, negative for COVID and thought it my usual asthma cough. I'm a healthcare provider so it was terribly embarrassing. Turns out I'd developed reflux. The cough was my only symptom, but panteprazole has sorted it really quickly.

Saline nebuliser (can buy from Lloyds/Amazon) and either buy the saline or GP can prescribe. Been a life saver here

Hi, I get a terrible cough every winter and understand the embarrassment you feel around colleagues.

If it turns out not to be asthma it could be post nasal drip or an allergy. This is what mine seems to be. It still causes tightness and breathlessness. For the last couple of years I’ve been doing the following and it makes a huge difference.

Beconase nasal spray morning and evening.
Piriton before bed when the cough stops you sleeping.
Lots of anti inflammatory foods especially ginger and turmeric with honey. You can also make golden milk with turmeric, black pepper, honey, ginger and cinnamon.
Turmeric is amazing!!

Ive also tried vicks on the feet and lavender oil.

Also proper breathing exercises.

It’s worth getting an appointment with an asthma nurse as others have recommended and to check it hasn’t got to your lungs. Mine are pretty damaged by years of being fobbed off by doctors and just putting up with it until it eventually runs it’s course... sometimes months.

Vicks vapour run on the soles of feet when you go to bed. Lots. Socks on top. Sleep on your front in bed. I get awful coughs but this helps for sure.

I'm triggered by disinfectants/cleaning products etc which have all been out in force this year. I ended up having to take a fair bit of leave, which was annoying, but better that being very unwell. I was just on the Fostair and reliever but I think air quality is really important.

I found my boss to be unsympathetic - told me I probably had hay-fever .

Whooping cough bloods .....

Seretide +anti histamine..here ...have you had allergy tests..? As well as asthma i had hay-fever..so not surprised by tree/grass but dustmite is the one that Really affects coughing especially in winter...so would request that when you've had your allergy review..

Codeine suppresses coughing. The GP would need to advise

Rowntrees fruit gums.

Really sorry you're poorly, however, this thread is currently in the trending now bit and says "To want something to stop me fucking..." I was anticipating something more racy

Hope you get well soon OP!

Asthma sufferer here and I find sipping black coffee helps also take an antihistamine, you might find that helps too.

Be a good idea to have your inhaler technique checked; Fostair is good, but only if you're getting enough! I second a PPI, Montelukast trial for 4/52 (though results are usually much faster). Lots of my patients did really well on Relvar 92/22, a DPI may be a better choice for you than an MDI, but you really need a F2F assessment with your Asthma Nurse ASAP. Failing that the Rightbreathe App is excellent for teaching inhaler technique & AsthmaUK is a great resource too,