What the hell is this throat/coughing bug that's going about?

[Beauregard]

My lungs and stomach hurt from days of coughing

Pholcodine linctus is the one! I recommend boots own brand.

I'd recommend getting some Jakeman's Honey, Lemon and Menthol cough sweets. (Yellow, traditional packaging, available in most chemists / supermarkets). I finally managed to get some sleep at about 6 this morning after eating 3 of them . DS woke up coughing at 7

So does anyone know how it works? How do we know if we're likely to be infectious or not, if we've had it for weeks?

ooh i have some of those cough sweets in the cupboard.
Not sure how this infectious thingy works?

I think that it's very infectious, and considering the amount of mucus that goes flying there's not much you can do about it beyond the obvious covering your mouth, washing your hands, avoiding vulnerable people etc. It certainly seems to be sweeping through communities. Although I'm no medical expert.

I thought with flu you were infectious at the beginning (or even before symptoms show) but then not towards the end. Or am I making that up?!

I really should know this stuff now I'm a mum

Had it here as well. Now DD1 is coghing her entrails every bit of the body aches. She is feeling so low that she does not even refuse to dring boiled ginger lemon and honey anymore even though it is an awful awful drink (did me good though so hopping it will work on her too).

Haven't a clue. With some viruses aren't you infectious before symptoms develop? I just try not to fire phlegm at anyone

Coughing up a lung here too. Not fun at 30wks PG. DD has had it too and has been really clingy. It's the lingering of the virus I can't stand. A day or two of being ill, fine. Over a week, bored now... am having to work from home again today as I just feel absolutely rotten

You are infectious before you have symptoms but bugger all you can do about that.

But once you have symptoms it's generally five days.

This is the first time I have been ill in years. I am off work because my job is very physical at times and even walking from the living room to the kitchen is getting my heart racing.

My throat feels like it has just got sandpaper on it. Oh and my brain is trying to pop out of my skull it is throbing that much!

Stay in the warm, upahill. Duvet day recommended.

DS (4) currently on Day 5 - and I am in no doubt he's got flu. He's never been this ill. Fever, sweats, chills, vomitting mucous, won't eat, "everything hurts mummy" and the most bloody awful cough.

DTD2 (1 next week) has just come down with it today. Guess it's only a matter of time before DTD1 follows. That'll be their birthday a right off.

Feeling really down in the dumps with it. My arthritis is playing up from a cold I've had and I've got one very poorly child, one getting pretty poorly baby, and one other baby who is destroying the house whilst I try to deal with the ill two. What a barrel of laughs!

3 DC's (10 y/o +) and DH all had this bloomin' bug, had all three DC's and DH home on consecutive weeks a whole month of it! I am awaiting my turn.

Anyhoo, things that worked here for the cough were sudafed during the day, piriton at night and ibruprofen for ribs aching also chewing gum to open ear canals, sinus and help clear the gunk.

For us the coughs were snot dripping and ear blocking related.

Really deep continuous coughing but no rattles.

Hope this helps someone!

:( It's a horrible bug.

We're gunk free here but feverish, coughing and aching so much that i was in tears with the pain in my back last night. One of the little numptys started with it on fri and now we all have it. I have never ached so much before. Apparently the local version has sickness as well. Waiting for that joy to begin. Does anyone know if it's swine flu?

Went to docs, turns out mine is an ear infection and possible asthma. Got antibiotics and some salbutamol. Kids okay today although still coughing at night. Have asked mother not to visit this week as I feel awful but she's coming anyway, gee thanks, 'cos I feel like visitors at this point.

Weegle - if you have arthritis it's really important to keep an eye on your symptoms as flu viruses can trigger nasty bouts of reactive arthritis (which is only temporary). Seek medical help if you get a lot worse.

I actually feel like I'm dying
I had 1 hours sleep last night with uncontrollable shaking and a temp of 40+. my nose is running constantly and when I cough I wet myself

so I'm on full quantities of nurofen and paracetamol. Not that it's doing anything but that's ok isn't it?

Well and truly fecked off with this cough now
Have coughed and now my jaw has dislodged again so back to square one with the TMJ

whomovedmychocolate - thank you. I wondered if that was what was happening, but I've been so preoccupied with DS being so unwell I haven't been able to stop to think about myself. I'm taking the highest strength anti-inflammatories I've got in 'stock' but am starting to wonder if I need to go and get a steroid shot. I feel so crap

ingles - hello there - yes dose up fully on paracetamol and ibuprofen - you'd probably find if you stopped taking them that you'd notice they are doing something. Also if the cough is really causing problems at night you could take pholcodeine for one night (even if you need to cough stuff up) just to get some sleep. I've done that before and it's helped. and sounds like you need to drink lots. Hope you get better soon.

another one signing in....its not only the coughing that is wearing me down......its the other effects the constant violent exertions are having on my (obviously none existant) pelvic floor

Oh yes, me too:

• Coughing so hard ribs ache
• Total loss of control of pelvic floor
• Lack of appetite
• Nose simply flowing non-stop - I've given up blowing and just wedge a bit of tissue up there (lovely image)
• Head throbbing and just unbearable when I cough
• Creeping around to avoid any exertion, and whispering rather than talking, and avoiding laughing, just so that I don't trigger another unbearable coughing fit.

All of which is why I will be working at home tomorrow. I ain't going out in public like this.

(But must sneak out somehow to buy this fabulous Pholcadine that everyone's talking about.)

Only on day 3 - appalled at how far I have to go!

Dh has farangitis and has been rough since Thursday. Still no sign of getting better.

Yes, I've got it too, and it's rendered me practically incontinent .

DD (15mths) has it too. Took her to the GP this morning but didn't think to make an appointment for me too. DD's been given Antib's, GP wouldn't check me over as "I didn't have an appointment for myself" and just said to come back in few days if still bothering me.

if pholcodeine doesnt work try ipecacuahna and morphine mixture, a really old fashioned remedy for coughs which really works.

Anyone know if I can take this Pholocodeine stuff whilst breastfeeding?

I'm guessing not...?