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.

Why if the vaccine only lasts ten years are we not all being revaccinated? All the fuss and drama about Covid and doctors aren’t even reporting it as what it is!

@DubhLinn24 good luck with the interviews and hope you and your kids feel better soon

Thanks @CrunchyCarrot they are both good sources - I’ve googled WC widely and they’re probably the best I’ve seen.

I’m currently keeping an eye on dh who has started coughing (however he’s been away so not sure if his is a cold) He’ll need antibiotics if he has caught his off me -just need the drs to accept that I have WC!

My DS started the antibiotics early when he just had nasty cold symptoms and it never developed into the awful cough. So I suggest any close relatives start with the cold symptoms get them to the GP straight away. I'm about 4 weeks in. Feeling much better in my self (still a bit of a headache at times/feel a bit washed out) and my voice sounds almost normal. I go long times without coughing now, have some really good nights but then like tonight it's not good. I'm still getting very dizzy with the coughing fits. But happy to be feeling much better. Sending best wishes to everyone else suffering.

I've just spoken to a different GP who agreed it sounds very much like whooping cough and is going to notify Public Health England. As I'm around 4 weeks in he said it's most likely too late to test, but the fact I had antibiotics early on hopefully means I haven't spread it far and wide... nothing I can take now, so let's hope it's not the full 100 days, I'd quite like a full night's sleep!

I had an awful cough in February that was so bad I was nearly vomiting several times. I lost my voice and my throat hurt . The coughing lasted a few days and then just left me completely exhausted for weeks on end, hoarse and debilitated. Could that have been WC?

Baby started doing really well last week and it’s back again with vengeance and same for my son! And the baby now has the whoop and she is throwing up when she coughs!

Seriously exhausting at night I am not sleeping at all only a few hours in the day she is calm that’s when I fall asleep! The whole night I am awake waiting to help her with the cough because it takes her breath away and she coughs for so long without breathing in very scary to watch and wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy

So sorry, it sounds absolutely awful for you - wishing your children well and hope you get some sleep soon

Sounds way too short

it’s an illness that lasts a long time

thick clear mucus is the key thing to look for

that mucus is the diseases calling card

We went and got another course of antibiotics and steroids (pred) when this happened my daughter and that stopped the second wave over whelming her

I'm not sure. Whooping cough tends to go on for weeks. Were they coughing fits where you cough rapidly for so long you have to take a sharp breath in (sometimes with whoop sound) to try and breath and then carry on with the coughing fit? I've also not had a sore throat beyond the first week's cold symptoms but not sure if that's usual.

I'm so sorry to hear this. Have you sought medical advice for the baby as can be really serious for them? Sorry if you've already said. Must be exhausting. I have found the same things seem to improve then get worse again.

Hi Can I ask how Whooping cough developed for the people who have had it please?

I was in very close contact with someone coughing on the 9th, they were later diagnosed with WC. I’ve got cold symptoms and the last few days feel like I have something on my chest and the need to cough is almost constant although I can suppress it sometimes.

Thanks!

Mild cold like symptoms then after 7 days the cough started to get worse

have they had it confirmed by blood tests/ swab ?

many of us have excellent immunity built up

@TotoroElla yes I have Doctors told me there is now nothing they can do!

But I have some good updates only doing this for any other mums that go through this! Week 8 baby’s cough is getting better she only coughed 2 times this afternoon I am in bed with her now and the past 2 days I’ve been able to sleep at night! She did choke only one time last night and we slept until 10 AM. I needed that sleep.

she has been eating more and she has learnt how to control the cough by swallowing constantly when she is about to cough very smart for an 8 month old!

Very happy as we have a holiday coming up next few weeks and I hope her cough will no longer be around.

I hope you are all ok or getting better as well and oh yes sons cough who is 7 now rarely coughs too x

That's brilliant! I am feeling almost back to normal in myself, although still having to take it a bit easy as if I over do it I just feel ill again. The cough generally only happens a few times a day/night although again if I over do it can be more frequent. It's still making me gasp for breath and gag but not been sick/wet myself or fainted this week!

@Daisy155 so glad to hear things are improving for your children 😊

@TotoroElla how are you feeling now? So happy to hear you are getting so much better and @Monstermunchy thank you so much it’s been so nice to finally have her back to normal!

Bank holiday was lovely had lots of sleep and I can truly say we are finally seeing the light! She is sleeping longer and at night we are having no issues!

The sun this week has been a bonus they have played loads outside and we soaked up the sun and she is almost back to herself! She only coughs once or twice a day now!

I am very happy and glad that now I know they both won’t catch whooping cough for a long time.

Our holiday is coming up soon too so very happy we are travelling with both of them looking and feeling much better!

wishing you all good health ❤️

Hi I’m reading these threads with interest, how is everyone getting on? I have all the whooping cough symptoms yet my gp surgery has twice not mentioned whooping cough! What is the reluctance?
I thought things couldn’t get worse with the hacking cough, vomiting clear thick mucus, ribs feeling like they’ve been splintered! And self employed!! And single apart from a sweet dog ! But last few nights my broken sleep has the added nightmare of waking up feeling like I’m suffocating with mucus, struggling to breath, an all fours and vomiting yes you guessed it clear thick mucus. I’m 3.5 weeks in. Main day time cough has eased a bit but I’m petrified about going to sleep, GP today gave me a strong nasal spray decongestant to help with the lovely drowning sensation. How long is it taking to feel better and why won’t the Drs say it’s WC? X

Because they have to fill in paperwork and can’t be arsed.

They seem to be absolute arseholes about whooping cough at the moment, to put it bluntly. I think it’s because there are unmanageable amounts of cases and too much paperwork so they’re not diagnosing it.

much sympathy. I’m 7 weeks in now and it has very very (VERY) slowly improved, but I’ve never known recovery of any illness to be this slow. The tiniest improvements every week but sometimes sliding back a bit for a couple of days. You’re in the worst bit now and it won’t be long until the slow improvements start. I had lots of nights on all fours because I couldn’t breathe any other way and it was horrible.

Have you got an inhaler? A few days before the improvements started, I found that taking my reliever inhaler through a spacer as if for an asthma attack (every 90 seconds for about 8 minutes) gave me a bit of relief for a few hours - enough to fall asleep for a bit anyway. And keeping a flask of hot water to sip with you at all times helps too.

the convalescent stage is pretty grim too - I only managed to get back to work at about 5 weeks and have struggled, and I’m still short of breath walking just a short distance - but it’s not the acute nastiness that you’re going through at the moment. 100 day cough, they say. Which means I’m only about half way through it. Ugh.

I can’t understand why there isn’t a nationwide vaccination programme! If they can do it for Covid why not whooping cough?

Thank you, I don’t have an inhaler. The GP prescribed a nasal spray decongestant which last night helped the drowning suffocating feeling, but not with the coughing, mucus and sore ribs. As I’m self employed I’ve had to return to work this week, I’m finding it extremely difficult. Can’t believe so many GP surgeries are choosing not to acknowledge these very obvious symptoms.

Just to add my baby is so much better now after 3 months of being extremely ill but now everytime she gets a cold she starts the whooping :(

I know it’s not whooping cough as such but any cough she is getting from my son’s school it makes her cough really badly. I found out whooping cough can do that but thankfully she has learned how to stop her cough by continuously trying to swallow air :( very disappointed with the NHS they are not being honest and this is negligence.

My son on the other end when he gets coughs he is doing much better than the baby.

But the worst part of the whooping cough is completely gone I would say for both I have videos so I know.

update

so my daughter who had a confirmed whooping cough in February

is still coughing

she was extremely poorly for 4-6 weeks including one sick and coughing session that almost led to a 999 call

the management of this illness by the NHS is shocking bad

babies are dying from it and still no one is organising a better response

was the scariest and most horrible period as a parent

I’m traumatised by it, I hear her cough and my pulse races and I have caught this happening on my Fitbit

an evil illness that shouldn’t be trivialized by names like “100 day cough”

she is 150 days in and still coughing

HUGE dose of Vitamin c helped with my daughters mucus

Regular steam inhaler

lots and lots of fiber in diet also bizarrely helped

but that thing glue like stuff is freaky how clear it is