I've never coughed so hard! Whats going on?!

[doingitalllagain]

I'm 20 weeks pregnant. I had a cough over a week ago that went around our house. Everyone else has shifted it but I'm either fine or coughing so hard it feels like my chest is ripping open and I throw up. When I'm coughing it feels like I need to get something out, sometimes there's phlegm but other times I'm just desperately coughing and can't stop and nothing comes up. I can go hours without coughing and then I have an hour or so of vicious coughing fits and vomiting and my stomach muscles kill from it! What is going on?!

I’d assume it’s Covid, and your immunity is low because you’re pregnant. Can’t think what medicines you’re allowed to take though ( Benylin is good usually)

Sorry should of said I test every 3 days for work and it's not covid - had that twice and never had much of a cough with it, weirdly!

You poor thing, my friend had exactly the same thing, it went on for weeks, it wasn’t Covid either, she tested regularly for work, nasty bug that’s for sure. Hope you feel better soon.

Oh I see! It’s still likely to have hit you worse, whatever it is. A cough medicine with an expectorant would make your cough a bit less violent and more productive. It must be exhausting, coughing that hard!

Does it sound like it could be asthma and the illness has triggered it? I had it as a child but not since. I am very wheezy in the midst of it!

Have a read up on whooping cough? This is still rare but needs treating with antibiotics. Have you been vaccinated?

I had a chest infection when I was pregnant & it took weeks to clear up, I have never had one as bad either before or after.

When I was pregnant with my first I had terrible acid reflux. Coughing fits which led to me coughing up blood. As soon as baby was born it disappeared however I was taken in to hospital for a few days when around 28 weeks pregnant because I was bringing up so much blood. They suspected a clot but found nothing on numerous scans. Got sent home with ranitidine but it didn't help much. Hope whatever you have doesn't hang around too long, you always panic when unwell while pregnant x

Could be asthma, the hormones can make it a lot worse. Get yourself seen, when my asthma is bad I can't stop coughing and people think I'm choking 😔 x

I'm away until Tuesday so I'm trying to just survive until then and I'll get to a doctor. Some of these coughing fits are insane and feel like I might just collapse!

Don't muck around with your health and survive until Tuesday ffs. Get to a doctor tomorrow.

I had horrendous cough, crazy headaches, did at least 5 lateral flow tests, spending a good minute circling my nostrils, all negative, went for PCR, positive for covid.

I'm in England and I live in Wales so I'm not sure how bar rocking up to A&E? Which seems a bit dramatic?

Acid reflux. Honestly. I’ve never coughed worse than when I was pregnant. Suffered it through one pregnancy (people in the office backing away in alarm, at one point I coughed so hard I threw up at my boss’s feet 🙈) and then in the second pregnancy, I suggested it to the GP after some separate googling. He put me on ranitidine and it disappeared literally over night.

*desperate googling

You can visit any GP nearby and ask to register as a temporary patient.

It sounds pretty severe so I would go straight away tomorrow.

What you describe sounds more like whooping cough. Agree with getting in to any GP for a video appointment. Doesn't matter you live in Wales, you can get emergency treatment same as English domiciled.

Definitely no whooping noise, my toddler had a cough / runny nose first and then I caught it and then my husband and they've all recovered fine and had no whooping noise so I'd be surprised if just I managed to pick that up? I'll be fine for hours at a time and then go downhill for a few hours. Apart from a runny nose and a lot of phlegm I feel fine in myself

Will see what I can sort out

I often find that a virus progresses to a persistent cough. Some things that help a bit for me is to take some paracetamol, which seems to reduce the cough reflex, and sleep propped up as much as possible.

I have had an overactive gag reflex in pregnancy and I think it's all related. My COVID cough turned into a dry cough that still persists at 35 weeks. It's morphed into something that is related to digestion and happens after I eat. When I brush my teeth I have a massive cough / vomit episode. I think it's all the inflammatory/bad digestion pregnancy symptoms. Does that sound familiar? Doesn't help my pelvic floor either!

I'm heading and being sick after the huge coughing fits but it's happening when my gag reflux isn't being triggered too. I'm wondering if it is post nasal drip, I had beconase prescribed for sinusitis a few weeks ago and I'm trying to find it as wondering if that could help but it's vanished! Woke up at 3 coughing my guts up, kept trying to fall back asleep but husband started huffing and puffing and getting annoyed by the cough so I've taken myself downstairs. Fun!

Search urgent care and the area you're in. It could be a chest infection which needs antibiotics. If it's been a few days I'd do another LFT - mine didn't turn positive for a couple of days after the symptoms started (and then was solidly positive for 7+ days)

Adults often do not have a whoop with whooping cough.

But could be something else entirely, yes. Either way you need to see a doctor. You don't want a broken rib, chronically disturbed nights, or some sort of muscle tear at any time, and definitely not in pregnancy.

I had the worst chest infection and cough of my life when pregnant.. everyone kept telling me not to cough the baby out! I think our immune systems are on the floor during pregnancy.

Ds and I have had this this week. Saw a doctor. It's not covid. It's unpleasant but fortunately easing off after a week. Sorry yours is dragging on. Could have developed chest infection.