Please someone make the coughing stop!

[HidingInTheUndergrowth]

I had a horrid cold over the weekend and now am stuck with non-stop coughing and it is driving me crazy. It is also driving poor dp (who has been a saint while I've been ill) a bit mad, and everyone at work, and the pets, and probably the baby as well. I can't sleep properly, my stomach aches, and it is not having a helpful effect on my already strained pelvic floor muscles.

I've been drinking hot lemon and honey drinks, gargling with warm salt water, taking hot baths, all to no avail.

Please has anyone else got any ideas before I lose the plot completely and tear my own throat out.

Try a spoonful of vinegar. Not fullproof but works for some.

Also, have recently been trying a trick I learned on here for DS, who seems to have the cold every other week, and it's helped a lot. Put Vicks on the soles of your feet. We've been doing it at night because he sometimes coughs for ages once he starts. I heard him once last night and once the night before. He's also been less grumpy so I assume he's not getting disturbed as much.

HTH

swallow a spoonful of aloe vera gel. (haven't tried it myself yet as so far clear this winter - but was told it works)

Is it a tickler? It helps if you up the humidity in your bedroom. We have a humidifier for DS but you could but a wet towel on the radiator. Bung a few drops of olbas oil or similar on it.

When my cough hung on for ages after a bad cold the GP and I worked out it was probably reflux. Gaviscon may be your friend?

yes i've had this and saw GP yesterday, she said it can take weeks to go away. There is nothing you can take really. Boots do a Linctus for dry coughs and some throat pastilles safe throughout pregnancy that have a minor effect . GP reccomended steam inhalation to unblock mucus plugs and I have to say that it really seems to be helping. I steamed twice yesterday and my cough was far more productive in the night and far less irritating and less frequent. I used vicks and in fact am about to do it again before bed. Try it! My Mum always swore by inhalation treatments.

Thanks for all the suggestions! Sounds like I need to go out and get myself some vicks, if nothing else I like the novelty factor of putting it on my feet :o

I've had mine for 3 weeks and 2 days now. Seen the GP twice. No infection, just inflammation and 'pregnancy related' - i.e. "I have no idea what is causing your cough. Take Linctus."

at m2b
This is going to sound really bloody stupid, as I do realise noone would be coughing if their body wasn't telling them to, but, having coughed constantly for about 3wks (ages ago) dr asked me to try, when the urge hit, to just breathe out really slowly through the cough and to not allow the spasms coughs give you to take hold (it WILL make your eyes water and generally make you want to punch things - normal). For hypnobirthers (or pilates goers), the breathing techniques used are useful.
Try every 5th time you want to cough (so cough 4 times, breathe the 5th). It takes a while to work, but eventually it does. When it starts to work, try every 3rd time you cough, then every 2nd. It does take patience but it does work. The idea being you know there's nothing "wrong", your throat is being made worse by the persistent cough, so, basically you're training yourself to "controlled cough". Also, coughing less will make the eventual times you do cough more productive...if there is anything to come up.
I was very sceptical, but it helped me a lot then, and still works now.

As as aside, drink hot tea with manuka honey in it. It's a nice astringent and antibacterial, and soothing, so should help keep everything infection free whilst you fight the cough. Manuka honeysuckers and controlled coughing got me through the coughing part of my 3 pg colds at work.

Forgot to say to m2b and others, if in late pg: A persistent cough was one of the things dr asked me about when she diagnosed my indigestion...does yours happen more frequently about 30mins-1h after you eat? Might be that if so.

I really sympathise, I've had this too, it's making me (slightly) wet myself (for first time ever in pregnancy - pelvic floor fairly sound otherwise! chugging boots honey lemon and glycerin linctus, no idea if really helping. Have also been trying what Oeisha suggests, helps a bit. And killer third trimester indigestion...
Do you feel like the baby will probably get coughed out?