To go on train coughing guts up?

[LastTrainHoome]

I went away last Monday within the UK, 5 hour train away and was meant to return on Thursday. However I came down with a really chesty productive cough and have been feeling generally rubbish. I had lateral flows with me for work and have now done 5 all negative and whilst up here have had a negative PCR. I have extended my stay twice first to Saturday then again on Saturday until today. I'm still feeling a bit rubbish but lemsip flu plus is helping and I'm a lot better except the cough is bad and is happening a lot. I'm feeling so panicky at the thought of being on a train coughing this much but I need to get home to my very little boys (both under two) and I'm going to struggle to afford to stay here any longer accommodation wise. I don't have a car and no one that can pick me up from this location. AIBU to get the train? If I wear a double mask and try my hardest (appreciate it's our of my hands overall) to pick a quiet seat? I am sure it isn't covid after so many negative tests but appreciate other passengers won't know that.

yanbu. I hope you don't get grief about it, though.

Take cough sweets and suck on them, they really reduce the coughing temporarily

Oh no, poor you.
I've been on a long coach trip like that with everyone staring as I was coughing.
I second the idea of cough sweets, or maybe pop into a chemist and ask if they can give you a proper cough suppressant, not cough medicine. I got some powders that you took with water and they were amazing. Helped me get s decent night's sleep.
Hope you feel better soon.

Get the train and get yourself home. Sorry you're feeling shit.

I think it's perfectly fine. You've been responsible around your own health, and you know that it's not covid.

I know the world has been a weird place the last 18 months but you're not responsible for managing everyone else on the train's fears. It's not your emotional burden to carry.

Hope you feel better soon.

Pholcodeine linctus (supressant) and fisherman's friends could reduce it?

I have a chronic cough left over from a chest infection several years ago. If I have to use the train I use cough syrup/sweets to try to ease it for the journey.

Could you go 1st class to have a quieter (fewer fellow passengers) journey?

Just go home

Have you tried Vicks chest rub? It works for me when nothing else does.

YANBU because you’ve had a negative PCR. You sound very thoughtful about the other train passengers and will do all you can to reduce the coughing on the journey.

Get home to your little boys.

Oh yes, I agree with the Vicks rub as well!

Just get the train. I had to do similar a couple of weeks ago - like you, negative PCR test. It was just a summer cold.

Wear a mask and see if you can get some robitussin from the pharmacy, as someone who always gets awful coughs I find it's the best one!

If you're anxious, could you get a very late or very early train? These are likely to be much quieter.

Like others have said - get a cough suppressant - worse case co-codamol will do it but check with the pharmacy when you get it re the other drugs your taking (I think lemsip has paracetamol?)

If you have to get the train then you have to get the train, thank you for worrying about how other people will feel, I won’t lie I’d be a bit twitchy about sitting by an obviously sick person (but I don’t like that outside of pandemic times) anyone who really has an issue won’t be travelling by train though I wouldn’t have thought!

I know how you feel. I'm post Covid (two months) still with a hacking cough and I feel so embarrassed when I'm out hacking away. I feel as though I should have a note on my head saying I don't have COVID.

Good luck x

I’d take the negative tests with you just incase someone reports you to the guard people can be a bit nervy. You have every right to get home and you’ve done everything you can, hope you feel better soon.

@DrWhoNowww

Co-codamol to suppress a cough? Wow I had no idea! I'm going to try this next time I travel

You need to get home. You know you don't have covid. You don't really have another option. Try to sit away from other people and travel quietest part of the day if possible.

I'd be really uncomfortable being near you on a train as I don't know about you and whether you've had a test etc. I would certainly move away from you to a different carriage or get off the train. Even before covid I moved away from coughing sneezing people on public transport. A coughing child in tesco set me on edge last week (proper constant hacking cough) . But I guess that's my issue.

Honestly I would go, but put a note on the table in front of me saying “it’s not Covid” or similar!

Get yourself home. Speak to a pharmacist first, you can get a codeine linctus but I believe it's prescription only, if so they may have alternatives.

For the train, try to time it so you're on quieter services. Also sit near the toilet so if you need a good cough you can go in there.

I hope you feel better soon.

Yanbu, you cant go out of pocket for fear of judgement.

There will be plenty of people exposed to covid not following rules, youre doing nothing wrong.

Bless you for extending your stay because of this! YANBU. Get home and get better!

Just apologise loudly to people sitting near you and reassure them that you’ve had a pcr test. Others nearby will also hear and be reassured too.

Wear a mask, try some cough remedies and just go home! Try and sit alone.
If anyone has the nerve to question you just be honest. You’ve tested negative.

I wouldn't like being near you but that's not to do with Covid. I was on a packed train pre-pandemic with a clearly suffering chap who was coughing, sneezing, feverish and shivering. He made wheezy phone calls for work and was saying to what I assume we're clients that he felt awful but had a lot to do. I was on the train with colleagues and after an hour trapped with this man, inevitably, we all came down with horrible colds and flu like symptoms in the next few days.

I know it can't be helped and if you go out and mix with people, you risk illness but I do struggle with obviously ill people on public transport. At least you can wear a mask which should help with the legitimate worry people have about catching other people's active illnesses.

I hope you feel better soon and have a safe journey.

Try take some codeine if you can. It really works for stopping coughs.