Whooping cough

[TheletterZ]

I have suspected whooping cough, saw OOH dr who agreed it sounds like whooping cough and will treat it as such but no tests. It is really classic whooping noise when breathing in during a coughing fit.

I’ve been given antibiotics.

Anyone had this as an adult and how long will it last? I’ve heard it also referred to as 100 day cough, which I really hope isn’t true especially if I have antibiotics.

Sorry can't advise but thought I'd bump in case someone else comes along. Pertussis seems to be on the rise at the moment. Hope you feel better soon

Thanks for the bump? Anyone any experience with whooping cough and how long it lasts?

My 15 yo dd1 has had this since the beginning of the year. She was prescribed antibiotics too late (after 3 weeks) and they gave her horrendous side effects, so she stopped them.

She still coughs now (been about 2 months), but much less frequently and it doesn't make me panic that she might stop breathing anymore thank God!

The first month was awful though. She would regularly be gasping for air and wheezing at the same time. Actually thought it had developed into pneumonia at one point, but it hadn't thankfully.

Oh and none of the doctors actually diagnosed whopping cough. Although they did concede that it may be the 100 day cough. Can't understand their reluctance to call it by its name 😬

That is strange as the doctor I saw was happy to say it sounded like whooping cough and to prescribe antibiotics on just my description. Typically I didn’t have a coughing fit when with the doctor so just had to describe it.

You cough, then cough some more, then keep coughing while thinking I must breathe in at some point! I suppose I might be lucky that when I do breathe in it was a classic whooping noise and the doctor believed me.

I know it can go on an horrendously long time, I’m just hoping that the antibiotics speed it up (and not just spot me being contagious)

The reticence is that it's a notifiable disease. Weirdly, instead of this making them run the tests just in case, it seems that a lot of people (some on here have reported being told just this!) are not tested as it avoids a shedload of paperwork for the gp!

Yes, we have all had it here from Xmas and still coughing. You cough until you are sick and it is utterly relentless. DSs missed all of school as wasn't fair to send them in. We now appear to be just over the cough and sickness phase but are still coughing.... thankfully not as much but still too much! Should be done by the beginning of April ....😭

I had a thread on here last year about whooping cough under a different name. My sons 15 and 17 had it in June last year, both coughed for 100 days at least. Youngest had the correct ab but they don't do much except stop you being infectious. You have my sympathy, it's horrible.

Which antibiotics have they given you OP? Are you still within 2 weeks? Apparently, they are only effective if given that soon and even then, only to stop you being contagious. Not to actually stop the cough! Touch wood, no-one else in our household has caught it drom dd1.

I've been given clarithromycin and hopefully I time as I have only just started the whooping cough though have had a "cold" for longer.

I haven't got to the vomiting stage (🤞🏻 that stays away) but have come very close to weeing myself.

I wonder if the OOH Dr was happier to say whooping cough as they pass it on to gp so maybe they don't do the paperwork. But he did mention that he needed to inform public health. 🤷‍♀️. He was reading the nice guidelines in front of me which I think says to diagnose from symptoms and tests aren't necessary.

I think that's the same one my dd1 was given. Are the tablets big, a browny colour and taste hideous?

Touch wood she vomited a small amount only once or twice. It was the struggling to breathe that was scary to hear.

@TheletterZ I forgot about the weeing your pants part... Only a delight for ladies I think! It was not pleasant and lasted about 2 weeks.
There does seem to be a lot going about at the moment but under the radar of 100 day cough rather than Whooping cough to avoid reporting it

I think I might have this at the moment but my doctor says no because I had it as a child. Been coughing since mid January. It comes in bursts and I definitely have the gasping need to draw breath. I would kind of be relieved to know it was WC in some ways because I’m starting to get quite anxious about how long it’s dragging on now without improvement.

I had WC a few years ago, was misdiagnosed by the GP who prescribed steroids. The cough lasted months. It only went whe I got flu the following winter. It did lessen over time but it was very frustrating

Had whooping cough in my 40s - very unpleasant. I had the vaccine in childhood. Lot of it going around older adults at the time. Vaccine only lasting 40 years, not life long. Then antibiotics not considered as by the time you have the cough the actual infection is long gone.

Lasted a good 6 weeks - gradually tailing off. Only good bit of advice I got from a Chest physician - when you feel a cough coming on, swallow, and keep swallowing.

My dd1 was told the vaccine only lasts 10 years, not 40 years! She last had it as part of the pre-school booster I think...so aged 4. Makes sense that she is no longer protected at 15.

Yep....since November here...

There are definitely a lot of people at work with cough that just don’t go away!

I just have just been incredibly luck with the OOH GP that I saw - I called 111 as I know how contagious it is and they sent me to OOH.

I need to be off work for 48hr since starting antibiotics but how long did everyone else need? It is going to be a day spent curled up on the sofa for me!

That's what we had to do with dd1 as she coughed so severely, I thought she might stop breathing!

I’ve just had a text from public health England, so the OOH gp must have filled in all the paperwork.

My 16yo is bringing up thick sticky mucus and it’s horrible to watch her almost choke , is that going to last a month ???? Only one week in 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

Vaccine only lasts 10 years

I had it I thinkfor 5 weeks from Nov - potentially broke a rib with coughing - or at least 111 thought I maybe had or a pulled muscle. That’s still really painful and I wince still if I cough or sneeze with a sharp pain and if I don’t brace properly first, and can’t do anything involving twisting.

interesting about the vaccine only lasting 10 years - I was doubting WC as I’m sure I had the vaccine when I was pregnant - with my 11 year old!

My dd1 hardly had any phlegm or muscus to spit ou!