coughing and not being able to breathe , very worried

[travellingwilbury]

My dh has had a cough now for well over a month and it is getting worse and very scary . At least twice a day he starts coughing and within seconds it sounds like something is blocking his windpipe and he just can't get any air in .

He then tries to get water down and it does then stop and turns into a coughing fit . But this not breathing thing can last for a good minute or more which is a long time to not be able to breathe .

Chest x ray is clear , antibiotics have made no difference and gp is not being very helpful , just told him not to worry and he will breathe again . But at four in the morning it is terrifying .

I have been thinking whooping cough but wouldn't he be coughing more in between attacks if that was the case ?

Has anybody got any ideas please ?

Allergies, asthma?

whooping cough?

Sounds like whooping cough to me I'm afraid. I'm still getting over it having caught it mid June and several others on here have it too, apparently it comes in four year cycles and we are currently experiencing an outbreak.

Unfortunately some doctors don't seem to have caught up with this info!

Have a look at the videos on this site www.whoopingcough.net and see if the cough is similar. I hope your DS gets better ASAP.

Sorry dh not ds

I don't think its asthma , there are no patterns to it at all , he feels fine the rest of the time but then the cough just comes out the blue and scares the shite out of him (and me and the children )

Oh, I see you've already thought of whooping cough.

I don't know about the coughing more between attacks. I've completely forgotten the horror about it now but I think that dh had bit breaks between attacks. And I think ds did too.

Thankyou hervana , will take a look , there isn't much can be done if it is whooping cough us there ?

Antibiotics I think.

That should be "big" breaks.

I'm afraid not-an I hate to be an armchair (unqualified dr) but it really does sound like whooping cough. I finally realised it was when I watched those videos and saw that the cough was exactly the same

As for alleviating symptoms, not much really I'm afraid. Lots and lots of rest, sitting propped up with pillows, head over a hot bowl with Olbas oil or similar (or hot steamy showers, I was having several a day!) and when the coughing fits come just try to relax as much as possible (I realise this may be hard)

So sorry to hear you're going through this it was awful for me and I really feel for anybody that has unfortunately caught it. As your dh has been given antibiotics that may stop him passing the virus on if it is the correct antibiotics (I don't know which ones but I read his on the website) and if
It was early enough

I think the worst part for me was the Dr not believing me because as you say your dh is completely normal when not coughing so it can appear that there is nothing wrong some of the time

Balls ! I have listened to the link and yes I think it is that .

My 6yr old has started coughing at night this last week , is it pretty likely he is going to have it as well ?

Should also add it feels at the time it will never go but it does eventually!

Others on here also suggested drinking cold water/eating ice cubes

We've got the same situation here. I (and he) thought dp was ctually dying. Dr pretty dismissive. But I'm not sure that it can be treated anyway if whooping cough? The damage has already been done by the time you get teh cough. My teen has been coughing for 2 months now. I'm alos coughing and ill but mine's just an unexotic cold. My youngest seems ok so far so assuming her vaccinations are still effective (fingers crossed)

Quite possibly-the cough at night bit was when I questioned whether it could truly br just a chest infection although has your DS been immunised? If he has it should hopefully still work i think

I was so lucky my two didn't catch it (2&5 yo) I'm a lone parent and truly don't know how I would have coped

Sorry-not smug-just saying that I think my two didn't catch it because they were immunised and it must have still been effective

Good point about the imms , he is only 6 so fingers crossed it is just a boring old cough .

dh drinks cold water when an attack starts and that helps a wee bit , is it worth trying to insist the gp does a swab for testing ? Or is it just not really worth it because there is no treatment . I am a bit grumpy he didn't think of it himself tbh .

swedish that is rubbish , I really hope none of the children get this , it lasts about 100 days doesn't it ? I have been reading that you have to be in quite intimate contact to catch it so he doesn't have to stay hidden away ?

I honestly don't know how you could cope with staying hidden away, especially if your dr won't diagnose it in the first place! You can't take sick leave with no sick note. My teenager has caughtt it from a friend who caught it from a sister etc. All still coughing for a couple of months now. But dp's is exceptionally alarming. I think they can only swab in the early stages so by the time you've thought of it (and not your dr ) it's too late - that's what my internet medical degree says anyway.

Read more from that earlier link and listened to the sound files (thanks for linking it) and the adult male sounds exactly like dp. I'm quite worried now as it says it starts as a feverish cold type illness - which is exactly waht I have at the moment. Can I insist on a blood test to diagnose me? Unlikely if they've not diagnosed dp. I don't want to cough like that.

Fingers crossed you don't get it Edith , it is very odd that there seems to be an upsurge in cases but the gps are ignoring it and reluctant to diagnose .

My dh is starting a new job on monday so I am really hoping that even if he ever gets a diagnosis they won't sign him off .

Just bugger !