Vomiting thanks to awful (possibly reflux) cough

[UndertheMapleTree]

Ugh, I feel exceptionally gross right now and really hope someone might have some good advice/similar experience.

Over the weekend I developed an absolutely hacking productive cough - possibly linked to GERD/reflux I’ve been diagnosed with but never had treatment for - and when I got caught in a coughing fit I’d throw up food, liquid, everything. I had about four days where I couldn’t keep anything down and lost about half a stone and dehydrated massively. I got some reflux medication from the doctor and got some rehydration salts and started to be able to keep tiny portions of food down. Except the cough has just not stopped and if it goes on for long enough, I throw up again. I’ve had to keep fighting back the urge to be sick and just now I had another coughing fit and have thrown up all my lunch and anything I drank today.

Has anyone had this happen to them and can suggest a potential treatment? I’m completely exhausted (as well as totally gross). I have a doctors appointment in person finally, but not till next thurs.

You haven't got whooping cough have you?

Oh blimey, that isn’t something I’ve ever considered! I was vaccinated against it when I was pregnant but does that only give you temporary protection?

When I started coughing myself sick, it turned out my vocal cords had been damaged by silent reflux so if you’ve had reflux for a while it could be worth consideration. I had medication for the reflux and speech therapy to fix the vocal cords!

Ah! That’s really interesting @BeNiceWhenItsFinished- I got diagnosed just before lockdown after maybe a year of problems and they thought then it was a potential hiatal hernia, but I’ve never had any treatment until the tablets now. And tbh I only got those because I called a private doctor in despair, my doctors seem quite indifferent.

My GP said it was 'like whooping cough, but not whooping cough'.

My friend on the other hand, who happens to be a senior midwife, told me that it very probably was indeed whooping cough, but the GP didn't want to diagnose it because it is a notifiable disease and he would rather avoid the paperwork.

Just to update in case anyone else has similar - I ended up going to the walk in clinic yesterday as I was sick again from coughing and was so exhausted. Luckily not whooping cough! Just very bad reflux from below combining with a nasty head cold coming from above to create a perfect storm of the worlds nastiest cough. Reassured to at least have someone listen to my chest and know that’s as clear as a bell.

@Waltzers poor you, that sounds awful! How did they diagnose the damage to your vocal cords in the end? I have got a doctors appointment this week but I’m worried they’re not going to check into anything as they’ve been so dismissive so far, and given how much I’ve thrown up - and how sick I get whenever I get these reflux hours - I’m a little worried it might have done some internal damage.

@UndertheMapleTree I hope you are soon feeling much better.

This really does sound like whooping cough and could still be. It took 4 different doctor’s appointments before mine was diagnosed and even then I old only be told it was “very likely whooping cough” and had to wait 6 weeks for blood test results to confirm it. It was just as you describe and absolutely awful. The retching and vomiting from it was horrific.

I had severe acid reflux, vomiting and bringing up bile. Turned out I had a haitus hernia and had surgery last October. Before that I had been taking Omeprazole on prescription for the symptoms.

Maybe you should be referred and have a camera down to see what’s going on.

@UndertheMapleTreeit took a while as I have cough variant asthma and they just kept upping my asthma meds, even though I kept telling them I felt the issue was more upper respiratory. Eventually saw an ENT and had a camera up the nose and down the throat which showed the damage to my vocal chords - due to the damage they weren’t moving in synch which was triggering the severe cough and leaving me vomiting several times a day. I had speech therapy over a few months to fix the damage and had a gastroscopy to check for any damage further down but that was all clear. I should add I’m in Australia, so. Not sure if referral/treatment would be the same.