Persistent productive cough over a month, getting worse. Help!

[LittleRebelGirl]

I've had a dry cough for over a month. After a week it became productive with green phlegm. It has stayed like that until this Thursday when I woke with a very sore throat and was very hoarse. No other symptoms. I saw the GP who gave me abx but didn't say anything else really. I've taken them (5 day course of Amoxicillin) and have 1.5 days left but if anything the cough has massively worsened since yesterday. I'm coughing so much and so hard that I've vomited, and am literally pissing myself with each cough (I have a slightly weak PF, but this is whole new level!). For the last 2 hours I have about 10 seconds between each cough. I'm utterly fed up. I'll make a GP appt again tomorrow, but does anyone have any idea what is going on? My OH has the same cough, for the same length of time, but not as severe as mine seems to have become.
I've just had a difflam lozenge, absolutely no relief. Drinking fluids makes zero difference. I've had steam, honey, all the usual stuff. I'm at the end of my tether 😭.

Have you tried an antihistamine ?

No, do you think that could make a difference?

Just to rule out allergy. Have you tried a cough medicine ?

Yeah, tried all kinds of different cough medicines just in case.
I'm pretty certain it isn't an allergy. My youngest passed this cough to both me and the other half. His isn't productive anymore, and only coughs a couple of times a day. My OH is still productive but his is a handful of times a day. Mine was too until this sore throat started too.

My covid cough was like that, went on for about a month. But there has also been another really nasty virus going around that seems to cause a continuous lingering cough also. Seems to be wiping people out for weeks at a time. I hope you feel better soon

I have had a very similar cough - over four weeks of horrendous hacking - barely able to walk and talk without getting dreadfully out of breath and coughing my guts up. Oh, and also pissing myself 🤣🤣
My GP gave me 5 days of amoxicillin, a steroid (I dont have asthma but he said this was due to asthma in my family) and a daily antihistamine.
I finished them last week and my cough is significantly better now (I'm still taking antihistamines.) My GP told me to definitely go back if it hadn't improved after antibiotics though!!

In the meantime - slathering my face in vaporub has been my no.1 way to alleviate the coughing!

Have you done a Covid test?

Codeine is a fairly effective cough suppressant, you could buy some cocodamol or if that isn't strong enough ask gp for a prescription. It will also help you sleep through it

Yes, covid tests done at the beginning and again the other day when the sore throat started. All neg.
I've finally caught a break from the last few hours of relentless coughing with some more steam and more simple linctus. I'm now only coughing every minute or so 🥴.
I'll take an anti histamine and give that a try for a few days. I'll still speak to the GP tomorrow though.

Definitely the right thing to see GP, they should listen to your chest with a stethoscope.
Pelvic floor can let you down with persistent coughing (muscles just can't keep up) but when you're feeling up to it please check out the NHS Squeezy app, it's a fantastic way to strengthen and improve coordination of your pelvic floor muscles and guard against future problems.
Hope you're feeling better soon

Sounds identical to my symptoms. Coughing and coughing for weeks. I was sent for a chest xray, then put on amoxyclin. But that just kept it at bay, not cured. The day after the abs ran out I was in A&E.... dx pneumonia. Am now on a cocktail of antibiotics. Still coughing g but not nearly so much, just feel like a band is round my chest.

Could it be bacterial bronchitis? Symptoms sound similar to those you're describing. My DD has persistent bacterial bronchitis and coughs so much she vomits. She is currently on another course of amoxiclav. Hope you all feel better soon

@LittleRebelGirl how are you?

Still have the cough but much less frequent. Still productive but not every time. It quietened down the day after I posted, and I used and ahhed about going back. But as it isn't as bad as it got that night I decided to just wait and see. I'm not ill. Feel fine. But still have this cough. So bugger knows. DP still has his too.

Does sound like the grotty lingering cough that is going round. Glad it's improving.