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.

@Findmeanewjob not really painful as such, more like breathing in a crumb that catches your throat.

Peachslice
When I called 999 they were very good and came out very quickly, I had said my daughter was struggling to breathe. They were very helpful, reassuring and professional
But…when they filled in the form, of which they left me a copy, I noted that they had registered the reason for the call out was ‘cough’ which. A) made me feel guilty and B) Significantly misrepresented the situation.
sunburnandsangria
All three of us still have the feeling that someithing is sticking in the throat, raising voice is painful, we are constantly clearing our throats and still coughing.

A “cough”, totally underplays what we have all been through and are going through. Even my sister and her family kind of challenged me as they said a Dr hadn’t actually diagnosed WC. Well…I had all the symptoms and my whooping was even worse than the YouTube video of WC guy in hospital bed. I initially saw at 1.5 weeks a GP associate who said chest was clear and no ABs as I was vomiting clear white mucus (that’s WC mucus from what I’ve read) I underplayed it as it was 1.5 weeks and the whooping hadn’t fully kicked in and typically I said to medic I think it’s improving as that afternoon the cough dissipated, until the evening when it cranked up badly and was hell for the next few weeks. I should have gone back but didn’t have the energy. When the suffocating mucus kicked in I spoke to a GP I told him all my symptoms (all WC according a NICE) and he said I sounded rough and didn’t mention WC. Are they kidding us?! It almost gaslighting! I’m thankful I’m feeling much improved at 6 weeks though my chest feels like it’s been in a car crash.
And yes, the right side of my throat feels taut and overstrained at times with a sharp pain, coughing much less with less gasping but still drooling a bit when I cough. But yeah it’s just a cough….

I don't understand why some GPs are so against diagnosing WC! My GP heard me cough and diagnosed it straight away and then gave my DC antibiotics as soon as they had cold symptoms.

When my GP called an ambulance for me thought they didn't even know what whooping cough was let alone how contagious it was. They wore no PPE and probably caught it and spread it to lots of vulnerable people.

I HATE whooping cough. My 12 week old son is currently 3 weeks into pertussis & we've had 2 hospital admissions in the last week, one by ambulance. 4 days on a High Dependency Unit. Unfortunately he's had sleep apnea episodes as a result of the infection & the coughing fits have turned him blue. I had to perform CPR on him 4 days ago whilst I waited for an ambulance. Scariest time of my entire life. No classic whoop with him albeit I've been told in infants they don't always make the noise. His coughing fits have lessened in frequency & severity, he's turning red instead of blue & the they're shortening duration wise. My amazing MIL bought us the Owlet sock monitor to alert us to any apneas during the night. Consultant said the symptoms of WC are as a result of damage caused to the lungs from the infection, that's why antibiotics don't work after a certain time as the damage has already been done. It also explains why the illness carries differently for everyone as it really does depend on you & how your body heals itself. He has a clear chest, clear lungs, perfect stats. In between episodes you'd honestly never believe he's been through what he has. WC forces the lungs to expel every last bit of air. Horrendous infection. I wish everyone a speedy & full recovery x

GPS have to fill in paperwork for notifiable diseases and many can’t be bothered.

Anyone else got really sore ribs?. One side started suddenly about 4 weeks ago, almost felt like a giant splinter was prodding my flesh, eased in the last week or so to a dull ache. This week think carrying my heavy work bag and my dog really pulling on lead yesterday morning and the awful splinter feeling has come back. Again looks like there is no quick fix! This is the illness that keeps on giving!

My colleague was ill with it at the same time as me and he had this. He was saying the other day that his ribs are still sore but that they’re a lot better than a couple of weeks ago. We’re both over 2 months in.

I’m so sorry to hear that, must be so scary and horrible to see your little baby with it.

I'm still coughing - this started in March. It's only when I project my voice or catch my breath quickly but still. Soooo annoying and unpleasant in company. Am I permanently damaged?

(The worst of my symptoms were only a matter of a couple of weeks, thankfully).

Take a sun holiday and do some sea water swimming

cleared my daughters

Thanks @Tirangapete I've just come back from a week away abroad and swam every day in the sea! I feel well, just not when the cough hits.

Is anyone else just having a really crappy time even months since they got whooping cough? Got wc in March, started feeling like I was getting out of it in June. But came down with a rotten sinus infection in July, needed more antibiotics. And now have covid. And it's only August, winter hasn't even started. Had anyone taken anything to boost their immunity/respiratory system? I'm so fed up of being sick. I have slipped so far back in my fitness and strength.

Daugher is same .. struggling we have been advised to put her on sambucol and take double the max dose for a month and then max dose at all times have to say a month on it and she certainly has a bit of color back and energy is lifting

My 12 year old had unconfirmed whooping cough in March/April - she wasn’t very unwell but the cough was distinctive! She’s never quite stopped coughing though the dramatic bouts stopped a long time ago - particularly when she’s got another cold/ virus, as she has now. It does worry me but I’m also almost certain that it’s because of the whooping cough..

yes, the results of the infection can last for months. DD got it in late December and she was only really free of it about 14 weeks later . It took a long time.

She was so lucky that it lifted just before her GCSE revision period started. Otherwise she would have done much worse.

it makes me so cross that people don’t get vaccinated. Obviously anyone with relevant family history accepted but otherwise … you’re a selfish arsewipe. Sorry!

14 weeks is less than the 100 days….so she did well…..I’m 4 months in and still coughing….and others 5 and 6 months on

My daughter 6 months still coughing Whoopi lasted nearly 4 months

Getting really nervous just wrote in another thread my daughter was starting to do well the whooping cough started in March. Holiday away in June cleared her and she was herself again!

But as the temperature is dropping the whoop is slowly creeping back up and I am having to help her and continuously leave the heating on she is now 1 and I feel so sorry for her she has been sick for nearly half her age and it was awful back in March:(

I started with it right at the beginning of May and am still coughing. Obviously the cough is much better than it was, just dry and annoying, but it’s tiring. It’s also caused a massive long flare of my autoimmune condition and I am absolutely on the floor with it but too worried to take time off work (which is only part time so in theory I should cope with it well, but no) because I had to take a month of with whooping cough so it feels like more time off takes the piss.

my partner has no underlying health conditions and a good immune system and stopped coughing just after 100 days had passed and is back to full strength.

I posted on here before that I got whooping cough last November. It took months and months to go. Someone said going somewhere hot would help, but even 2 weeks in Barbados didn't stop the cough.

Even when the coughing finally stopped, my chest was rattling and crackling for some time. Ironically, I never felt unwell with it, even at its peak, but the coughing was something else.

I had it a couple of years before Covid. The antibiotics are very strong and made me feel worse for a while. It did indeed take 100 days or so before the cough finally went. Meanwhile I could only sleep sitting up. I cursed everyone who wasn't vaccinated against it ; I also cursed my DM who hadn't had me vaccinated as a child, unbeknownst to me.

My baby boy is doing amazingly well considering what he went through. We're 9 weeks deep & he's had 3 coughing episodes in the last 3 weeks as opposed to everyday beforehand. The coughing fits only last 15-20 seconds at most now when they happen & he's absolutely fine otherwise. He's obviously unvaccinated against WC as he contracted the virus just before his first imms were due so he really is doing remarkably, everything considered x

That’s great news, it must be very scary with such a little one x

I know this thread is old. My DD (18) is just back from uni early, I am 100% sure she has whooping cough and we are now in the vomiting after coughing stage. She saw a uni doc just over a week ago who diagnosed a viral throat infection, she didn’t have a coughing fit while she was there typically. She’s really rough, bless her.

I take it this is circulating again because of the clever anti-vaxers? My brother was unable to have the vaccine when we were young, due to having a cold and mum not following up. He nearly died. Yeah, anti vaxers, what a win!