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Original poster

Adult whooping cough...any advice?

10 replies

becaroo · 09/05/2007 18:59

I am 34 and have just been disgnosed with adult whooping cough. I am currently on 2 lots of antibiotics for a chest infection too.
Feel awful, chest and stomach hurt and am coughing until i gag.
Anyone else had any experience of this? I would welcome some advice on how to cope/treat it.
Thanks.

OP posts:
Original poster
becaroo · 09/05/2007 19:01

Should also mention I have a 3 year old ds to care for too and am very worried in case he gets it, although he has had all his immunisations to date.
(Also, I apparently nearly died of whooping cough when I was 2)

OP posts:
lemonaid · 09/05/2007 19:04

Bad news is that you can't treat it, really. Just try to get as much rest as you can because it is exhausting. And it lasts for weeks before it even starts to get better. I did find that the coughing was worse if I tried to fight it, and that moving my neck seemed to set it off, but never moving your neck isn't really a practical option.

If it makes you feel any better, I went down with it immediately after a c-section. I really don't recommend that.

lemonaid · 09/05/2007 19:04

If you've had it before it may not last for so long, so that's something to hope for.

Mum2FunkyDude · 09/05/2007 19:09

Can only sympathise, I've been coughing for nearly 9 weeks now, apparently it can go on for up to 100 days!!! The ab usually only work in the beginning stages after that nothing.

here is some info WC personally I'm not sure if mine is whooping cough, it comes in cycles, I'm basically in my 5th cycle in 9 weeks, it clears up a little for about 3-5 days and then start again the longest cycle was the first one for about 3 weeks!

Mum2FunkyDude · 09/05/2007 19:13

At some point I couldn't sleep on my right side as I would start coughing immediately, other times just sitting slightly slumped started it off. I used a bit of co-codamol when it was at its worse (codeine and paracetamol) and walked around with a bottle of water, for what its worth. I have ds 17 months, he only got a cold in the same time, didn't catch it at all.

Original poster
becaroo · 09/05/2007 19:25

Thank you...my GP made me deel it was a bit unusual to get it at my age.
Lemonaid...poor you!
Am going on my hols in 5 weeks, any chance it will be gone by then do you think???

OP posts:
Original poster
becaroo · 09/05/2007 19:25

oops, that should obviously read "feel" ....

OP posts:
Original poster
becaroo · 09/05/2007 19:27

Also, did you throw up at all? I nearly did about an hour ago....

OP posts:
lemonaid · 09/05/2007 19:33

I threw up a little bit a couple of times, but has quite a bit of gagging and retching. You'll probably feel quite a bit better in five weeks, but I think it's unlikely to be gone entirely (but then I don't know how having had it before will affect you).

It's "unusual" to get it because you virtually have to force them to diagnose it... I only know mine was whooping cough because I gave it to DS who was a tiny baby and he did (eventually, after three visits to the GP) get diagnosed -- in fact, I don't think it's officially down as whooping cough on my medical notes and I won't have figured in the official statistics.

Mum2FunkyDude · 09/05/2007 19:37

I felt a little nauseous, never sick though, but the coughing makes you feel like you could just fucking vomit and cough your lungs out onto the floor and stomp on them a bit. Nothing serious really. Just annoying.

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