I think I have it

[lavender2022]

Caught what I thought was the common cold/flu from DC. Developed a dry cough unlike anything I've ever experienced before that has now moved into my chest. It's dry with little to no mucous. Other symptoms include night sweats, low grade fever (chills), diarrhoea and blocked sinuses. Does this sound like covid? DC and I have posted our PCR's today. This is day 6 for me so I hope I have done PCR at the right time. Dry cough causes irritation of the lungs that has caused sleepless nights for the past 4 nights now. Still can't believe I haven't slept in 4 days. How I am still functioning is beyond me. Any advice or remedies to help the dry cough symptoms would be appreciated.

Hi it does sound like it. I found the jakemans cough sweets really helped my chest. The ones in the black packet. They are usually by the pharmacy. Regular paracetmol and just rest. Hope you're feeling better soon

Warm water to drink. Sleep slightly upright. Plenty of paracetamol. We also used piriton with dd as it dries up the nose, mouth. She coughed for a good ten days but fortunately slept.

@TSJ19

Hi it does sound like it. I found the jakemans cough sweets really helped my chest. The ones in the black packet. They are usually by the pharmacy. Regular paracetmol and just rest. Hope you're feeling better soon

Thanks for this, been using Strepsils and they're doing nothing whatsoever as they are just for the throat. Gonna head to the pharmacy now and get these.

@Rowgtfc72

Warm water to drink. Sleep slightly upright. Plenty of paracetamol. We also used piriton with dd as it dries up the nose, mouth. She coughed for a good ten days but fortunately slept.

Thanks so much, this is another symptom I forgot to mention, the dry nose and mouth mainly after sleeping. It's something I've never experienced with a common cold/flu or even bronchitis, before now. Very unsettling.

OP please don’t go the pharmacy if you have covid or covid symptoms. Get someone else to pick them up for you to get them delivered.

@PinkPlantCase

OP please don’t go the pharmacy if you have covid or covid symptoms. Get someone else to pick them up for you to get them delivered.

Of course 🤦‍♀️ thanks for the reminder! God I'm losing my mind atp

Why are you going out when you've got covid symptoms and waiting for a test result??
Why didn't you do a test on the first day? Or a LFT?

Have you done a lateral flow?

Shame you couldn’t have got hold of a LFT 5/6 days ago. Would probably have answered your question!

@CloseYourEyesAndSee

Why are you going out when you've got covid symptoms and waiting for a test result?? Why didn't you do a test on the first day? Or a LFT?

I'm not going out anymore, was just desperate for these menthol sweets but have asked my mum to bring some and leave on doorstep. Yeah, did LFT 2 days ago and 4 days ago but both times it has come back negative. DP said it's because they are the old style LFT's. Guess I'll have to just wait and see. Hope the results are sent in the next 48 hours.

@1TheCircle

Shame you couldn’t have got hold of a LFT 5/6 days ago. Would probably have answered your question!

Thing is, I've done LFT's in the past 4/5 days, each time they've come back negative. DP says this could be because they are the old style LFT's. Really hope I don't have it but tbh it's starting to look like I do. Every symptom points towards covid.

On a practical note, codeine suppresses coughs. Try sipping hot water - boiled water cooled down with cold water. You could add some honey and lemon.

For nighttime, I swear by Nightnurse. It’s got an antihistamine to help you sleep. Equally DayNurse I find helpful to get through the day.

I have all the symptoms you do currently but I’ve got a bad cold. I had Covid 2 weeks ago.

There are lots of winter viruses around right now and this cold is way worse for me than Covid was. So you might just have a bad cold.

@Deux yes, thanks for this. Used to use Nightnurse when I used to get very bad cold/flu before years before I had DC. Haven't used it in a while but I know it has eucalyptus. Just need something to help with the chesty symptoms as they are much worse than when you have a productive cough. Who would've thought. I thought a dry cough was literally just a dry throat and cough. Wasn't prepared for the chest symptoms. It's like my chest is dry and empty. I'm in pain now from how much I've coughed. Bloody awful.

@Deux

I have all the symptoms you do currently but I’ve got a bad cold. I had Covid 2 weeks ago.

There are lots of winter viruses around right now and this cold is way worse for me than Covid was. So you might just have a bad cold.

Really? See this is what DP keeps saying. DC's nursery also saying the same thing. And even though the LFT's I've used are the old style ones, surely I would have got even a faint positive if it was covid? Or not? I don't know what to think right now.

My covid symptoms were very similar to what you explain. Very much like a cold but Dp had covid and I developed cold like symptoms and tested positive.

Could be just a cold or other virus though. My mum ha s just had particularly nasty respiratory virus that was not covid!

Keep an eye on your cough in case you end up with a chest infection. DayNurse and NightNurse both have active ingredients that work on suppressing a dry cough, they’re not really for productive coughs per se.

I think you’d feel much better if you could get some sleep tonight, not easy I know when you have little ones. Maybe try a drowsy antihistamine to help you sleep if you’ve got anything like that.

@Deux tbh I think I already have a chest infection, if it turns out not to be covid, that is. Because I have every single symptom of what I have experienced in the past when it comes to chest infections. Except for the dry cough. It's usually a wet, productive cough. That's the only difference and also the dry mouth and nose after sleeping. Never experienced these symptoms before, hence my concerns it could be covid. One thing I don't understand, not that I'm complaining of course, but DC seems absolutely fine! Which is wonderful, not sure I could cope if she felt how I do right now.

I have covid and your symptoms sound exactly like mine.
I have been taking paracetamol every 6 hours, lots of water and drinking warm milk with honey which is helping the cough

[quote lavender2022]@Deux tbh I think I already have a chest infection, if it turns out not to be covid, that is. Because I have every single symptom of what I have experienced in the past when it comes to chest infections. Except for the dry cough. It's usually a wet, productive cough. That's the only difference and also the dry mouth and nose after sleeping. Never experienced these symptoms before, hence my concerns it could be covid. One thing I don't understand, not that I'm complaining of course, but DC seems absolutely fine! Which is wonderful, not sure I could cope if she felt how I do right now.[/quote]
Even if it is covid, you can still develop a chest infection, so keep an eye on it and speak to your GP if you're concerned.

I have covid confirmed by pcr test on Monday. I didn't get a positive lateral flow until Tuesday (had symptoms since Sunday)

Sounds like my symptoms except I am sleeping most of the day and all night.

Hope you feel better soon

Update: Received my results this morning and unbelievably, they are negative! Either way, I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who came forward with some very good advice. I tried the Jakewell's and they worked perfectly in terms of the irritation in my lungs and chest. Worked a charm. Also the milk and honey idea was excellent. I can't thank you all enough. I really hope this means it's just a really, really bad common cold/flu. Thank you again, MN's.

The beecham type drinks I find work well.

@TalkToTheHand123 yeah I've used beecham in the past but is it any better than lemsip or would you say they both have similar ingredients?

I was gonna predict a negative and say keep an eye in case you need ABs
I had a chest infection May 2019 and felt dreadful.
I had Covid last year and it was nothing like that