To think this isn't a normal cough?

[Bagsintheboot]

Every time after I get a cold or similar, I get a truly awful cough.

Technically I would call it a tickly cough, but what it feels like is that I'm being stabbed in my windpipe just under my jaw with a feather. Tickle doesn't really cut it. It's always the same sensation, always in that same place. I do get "normal" tickly coughs and this isn't like that. This usually happens between twice an hour - every other hour.

It happens suddenly and sends me into an uncontrollable coughing fit - my stomach / ribcage spasms, I can't control anything and end up gasping for breath, I have tears rolling down my face, and very often I end up actually retching or gagging, or being sick. I usually end up pulling muscles badly and end up in pain too. I don't get more than an hour or two of sleep for weeks. Just this lunchtime I had to spit my food back out on to my plate as I was eating. Rather ruined my appetite.

This has been going on since I was a teenager, it's nothing to do with COVID.

I've thrown up on buses, in cars, had to sprint from the office (or meetings, more embarrassingly) trying desperately to control myself until I can get to the bathrooms, it really impacts my life badly for about two weeks after I've been ill and even a mild cold seems to trigger it.

I've tried every over the counter medicine going, nothing helps. When I see the doctors, they just say it's normal (although I don't see anyone else doubled up on the street coughing their guts out with any regularity). The last doctor I saw earlier this year tried to tell me it was whooping cough - in which case I've had more episodes of whooping cough than the entire cast of a Dickens novel - and gave me antibiotics. They didn't work. I've tried the stop-cough techniques, they don't work either.

This cannot be normal right? I don't see anyone else with the same problem. Its exhausting and makes me so anxious I daren't leave the house unless I absolutely have to.

Is there anyone else who gets this or are there any doctors for whom this rings any bells? I just cannot believe this is normal and I have to live like this for 8+ weeks a year.

Yep. I get this also. It started when I was a teen too.

I permanently have bronco cough pastils in my bag, desk drawer or pockets in case this happens. Sucking them does control it enormously.

Id look at why you are getting ill so frequently though. I work in a public facing roll but constantly sanitise my hands and, touch wood, have only had Covid once and two colds since 2020.

Vitamin D is good for respiratory health and can aid recovery, maybe take some OTC, most people in the U.K. are pretty low, especially during the winter months. What’s your diet and lifestyle like in general? Could improvements be made to boost you up to prevent you catching things going forward?

Strange that its only after having another illness. Do you have a post nasal drip going down your throat that might be irritating it? Have you tried lemon/honey? I read a research paper which showed it to be more effective than OTC cough mixtures.

I have a hiatus hernia (well I've self diagnosed on my symptoms and GP agreed, but doesn't think I warrant a scope). Day to day, omeprazole helps my symptoms. Occasionally if I eat something squashy like very fresh bread or chips, it balls up in my throat where I almost choke. I often have to vomit to get the ball of food out. I often have a tickly cough in the mornings, but no idea if its related or just me.

1 thing my GP did was a h-pyloric test via a stool sample. It was positive, so I had a triple treatment of omeprazole and 2 antibiotics. TBH- it made no difference to my symptoms, but I read that it can go unnoticed for years and cause all sorts of gastro intestinal symptoms.

I realise my symptoms aren't exactly what you get though, but possibly another avenue to look into, because my symptoms might be different to others.

Cough variant asthma?

Another vote for cough-variant asthma. I am not a doctor. I have cough-variant asthma. I would get horrible coughs after every cold, my coughs lasted for weeks. Eventually I was prescribed an albuterol inhaler to use when I get a cold/covid/flu etc. Helps a lot.

Asthma? My asthma attacks feel like someone is doing something very unpleasant to that exact under-the-jaw spot

Silent reflux? I get this when I have a cough, basically it's stomach acid irritating your airways and throat when you cough, this irritates your throat more and makes you cough more so you get into a vicious circle. Omeprazole or esomeprazole help as they reduce acid production.

Asthma? Or have you looked at GERD?

Normal for me too sadly. I don’t get sick often but when I do, the cough is exactly as you describe including coughing so much I vomit and it lasts for weeks
on end, some years it’s lasted all Winter. No asthma either.

Post nasal drip (more common after a cold/virus), acid reflux and cough variant asthma can all cause these symptoms and are all treatable so I would keep badgering your GP

Can you ask your GP to do a swipe to rule out whooping cough? What you describe really reminds me of it.

I've tried the broncho pastilles, unfortunately they don't seem to work for me. I think I've probably tried just about every cough sweet going!

I'm not a particularly unwell person, I don't think getting 4 or so colds over 8-9 months of the year is very bad. I don't need to be struck down heavily for this to happen - it happens even with a mild sniffle.

Unfortunately I commute on busy trains and the tube and sit in a busy open plan office. Colds and so forth abound!

Thank you for the thoughts, I'll have a look.

Very much keeping up with the lemon and honey! Sadly it doesn't really offer much relief.

Thank you, I haven't heard of this before. I don't think I have any other symptoms that would suggest asthma, when I haven't had a cold I'm perfectly fine and don't get short of breath or anything. But I will look into it for sure!

I really don't think I'm getting whooping cough 4 or so times a year for the last 20+ years. I just don't think that's realistic.

I'm sorry to hear that, it's miserable isn't it!

Thank you for the posts re cough-variant asthma and reflux! I will have a google and see if they could be a match for what I'm getting.

It is a very specific location! Right at the side of the windpipe under the jaw, almost under the very very back of the tongue.

I have cough variant asthma. A previous GP also told me it was normal. I used to cough so badly that I was physically sick and my chest muscles ached.
I was properly diagnosed about 20 years ago now when I got fed up of the old quack and found a new GP.
It's notoriously under diagnosed because it doesn't follow the normal patterns for asthma. It's well worth asking for a spirometry test as that is how they can best tell. At least you can get it ruled out if not.
But no, it's not normal. Don't let them fob you off.

Thank you, I might try to get a private GP appointment through my works insurance to discuss this. I've been having a Google and it does sound like it ticks a lot of boxes. It does make me cough til I'm sick once or twice an episode or, more rarely, til I'm physically winded.

I've probably seen 4-5 doctors about this over the years. Usually I only go when it's particularly severe and I'm desperate. But every time it's the same advice about humidity, sleeping with the head elevated, saline solutions, or the frankly bizarre whooping cough diagnosis. Even when I said to her that I get this every time and would it really be whooping cough every time she just said "well we'll try antibiotics and see how you go"...!

I am very much not a medic, but this happening when you get a cold screams asthma to me. Definitely worth asking your GP about as it could be quite a straightforward fix!

I don't think getting 4 or so colds over 8-9 months of the year is very bad
Sorry WHAT!

Do you have young children or work in a nursery? If so, I could 'maybe' understand that level of regular illness. If not, I'd be asking for blood tests to check for anaemia or a deficiency causing you to be more susceptible. DH and are late 40's, but no children and rarely have close contact with young children. We 'might' get a cold every 1-2yrs! If I was getting one every 2mths, I'd be concerned something else was going on!

Sorry but you're making it sound like I'm struck down and bed bound regularly with this. Colds are common (hence the name!) and easy to pick up on crowded tubes and trains, especially in winter when about 75% of other passengers are sniffing and sneezing and coughing.

I am not anaemic nor do I have any other deficiencies (I have had blood tests for a different reason and all is fine and dandy).

These are not horrid illnesses which necessitate taking time off work. They're the normal gamut of winter sniffles and sore throats that might last for a couple of days and which can easily be handled with a paracetamol and a packet of Halls if needed.

It is the consequent cough which I have issues with.

I appreciate that you aren't bed bound with illness every few months, nor did I suggest you were! You've described them as winter colds, sniffles and sort throats. As said, both DH and I would AT MOST have something that minor every 1-2yrs. Not every 2mths. None of my colleagues come to work with sniffles and sore throats every few months either. Maybe we are the odd ones here and not you though? 🤷‍♀️

I think you're rather lucky in that respect then. The NHS says the average adult will get 2-4 colds per year, so I appear to be in the normal range...

https://www.cheshireandmerseyside.nhs.uk/your-health/helping-you-stay-well/self-care/common-cold/

I have a similar problem with coughs, mine always last for weeks after a cold. It’s embarrassing and it’s like a tickling sensation at the top of my windpipe.

I’ve suspected cough variant asthma for a long time now and I know I should see a GP about it. This thread had inspired me to do something about it.