Persistent cough

[beaveringaway23]

Ds 14 has had a horrible cough for over two weeks. He's not unwell in any other way - still full of energy, eating well, going out with mates, no temperature/lethargy/mucus. But the cough is really horrible. Very barky and chesty. He can go a while without anything then have ab almighty coughing fit.
I thought chest infection but surely with that he'd be poorly in general?
Would a doctor be likely to do anything at this stage? Everything online says wait 3 weeks but he's getting fed up with it now and it's waking him at night occasionally.

They don’t normally care much about coughs as they are usually viral and clear up but there has been an increase in whooping cough since late 2023. I know a few vaccinated adults who’ve had it recently.

It's worth taking him to a GP, but it might just be "one of those things".

We've taken DS1 to the GP with a similar thing - cough that just wouldn't go away and was keeping him awake despite him being ok otherwise, and we were told his chest sounded fine and it was just him taking longer to clear a virus than most.

Did he have any kind of bug before the coughing started? Post-viral cough is quite common albeit extremely irritating.

The GP would probably not do all that much before three weeks, but if you can get an appointment (with GP or nurse) they would be able to listen to his chest and rule out (or diagnose!) an infection.

It's so hard to see a GP here and I'm fairly certain they'd just say it's viral or whatever. But it just feels like it's lingering a long time.
Looked up whooping cough and pneumonia but they all come with a range of other symptoms which he doesn't have, it's literally just the cough. But it's a very nasty one when it starts.
I think I will wait til the 3 week mark and try to get him seen then if no better.

My GPs said they are currently leaving coughs with no other worrying symptoms for 12 weeks as the ones that are around currently are so persistent.

My daughter has been coughing since March. She’s now got a blue and brown inhaler. She seems to be coughing less at night now but still has coughing fits in the day time. My son has been coughing for the last 3 weeks but his seems to be improving and he had a sore throat when he first got his so I’m presuming his is viral. My dd has to see the asthma nurse in a couple of months as they think maybe that’s the cause. She’s not wheezy though so who knows

My gp was concerned about my cough after 2 weeks and I ended up on steroids (but I have a history of asthma - very mild and no symptoms since 2008 until this year). They considered an X-ray but no mucus meant it was more likely asthma.

Theres a horrible cough going round. My 1yr old has had it for 12 weeks. Nothing has shifted it. Been to doctors 4 times tried antibiotics, inhaler etc no improvement. She’s been coughing til she’s purple and can’t breathe. A month ago gp referred her to respiratory but appointment not for another few weeks yet. Been sleeping on floor next to her cot since about the second week when she first couldn’t breathe cos darent leave her and it’s worse at night.

Can asthma develop suddenly like that? He had a baby asthma inhaler and mask when he was small but never had any issues with it again.
I've also been a bit perplexed that nobody else is the house has got it as he's been coughing and spluttering over us all for weeks.
I don't know, it just seems odd for a cough to last this long with no other symptoms.

None of the rest of us have had it either just her and my mum. I’m not sure if asthma can just develop they just said having a blue inhaler might help to open her airways more when she’s struggling. She’s had no other symptoms just the cough. But it’s awful. Then the poor thing caught a sickness bug a few weeks ago too

I know that the flu that made rounds earlier left a lot of people with persistent cough and phlegm. I was sick in February and it took me over two months to completely get better.

The A+E where I work has had an alert at the hospital for a huge increase in Pertussis cases (Whooping cough). Can cause horrible coughing fits. Could be that? Kids usually get vaccinated for it in their 6 in 1 injections if he's had those.

I had cough for four week - I was unwell for 7 days off work but the cough lasted 21 days

I think it was covid as the cough was so distinct

Don't wait just take him to Dr's. I wouldn't leave my 14 year old that long. Hax he been vaping ? I would take my ds after a few days to see a gp.
Are you usually thus neglectful?

I’ve got it too OP, in fact if you search for my name on here I posted about it yesterday. It’s awful

Are you usually this unpleasant?
Not sure whereabouts in the country you are or what your current knowledge on the British healthcare system is like, but it's not very easy to see a GP. The literal medical guidance is also not to bother them with a cough unless it persists for over 3 weeks when no other symptoms are present. He isn't unwell, it's just the cough that is bothering him and where possible I like to give my kids chance to recover themselves before shoving antibiotics down their necks.
If you're going to be so rude, at least get your facts right or you end up looking rather silly.

He had all of his vaccinations when he was little.
I looked up whooping cough and none of the symptoms really fit other than the cough, but it isn't a whoopy cough and he isn't breathless or bringing up any mucus. Out of interest how is this diagnosed?

My daughter has been coughing for weeks now. Maybe since Easter? It just won't go. I seem to have a milder version of it too. I'm hoping for a period of sunny, dry weather soon (ha) to help us kick it.

We swab for it, takes 5 days for a result. But to be honest it doesn't change the management in a clinically well patient, we are really testing to control spread as a public health consideration so I wouldn't worry about trying to get a swab result. We start antibiotics until swab back but again, this is mostly to prevent spread of infection and doesn't seem to do much for the symptoms of the patient. It would be reasonable to see your GP at this point, but as you have pointed out he doesn't have any other concerning features and is well in himself. I'll stop short of giving actual medical advice over the Internet but hope sharing some insight is helpful.