Any tips on how to deal with a tickly cough at night?

[RumHam]

I'm just getting over bacterial tonsillitis and chest infection. I had swabs done at the GP surgery and it came back negative for viruses like covid, flu, cold etc. I've just finished amoxicillin and feel 95% better. I'm still tired and have a cough. The cough isn't wet any more, just dry and tickly. It isn't too bad during the day, its more like I need to clear my throat kind of cough but at night while trying to sleep, it's a horrible hacking dry cough - face bright red, eyes watering kind of cough. I feel like the tickle is coming from the back of my tongue/throat.

It'll wake me up 3 or 4 times a night. I've tried everything I can think of to try and help like drink more fluids during the day and before bed, try my hardest not to keep my mouth open while drifting off, hot choc before bed, strepsils etc but nothing is helping much. I know time is the only thing that will really cure it but do you know know any secret tips that might help? It is driving me crazy. I need sleep 😥

Have you tried antihistamines? The slightly sedating ones can be especially helpful for both the tickly cough, if it is coming from post nasal drip and for sleep.

If that doesn't work, then try either pholcodeine linctus, or cocodamol.

Strepsils and other cough sweets contain menthol, which dries your throat out and make you cough more.

A normal boiled sweet, like a Fox's glacier fruit, or rhubarb and custard is better. Alternatively a teaspoon of honey every time you feel the tickle helps too.

I use chloraseptic throat spray - it contains a local anaesthetic which numbs the tickle, hopefully for long enough to get to sleep.