Chronic cough?

[bigheartlittleheart]

Hi all, hoping for some help for myself. Normally posting about my kids but this time for me! Since before Christmas, I’ve had a horrible cough. The first time it lasted like 3 months (was given antibiotics) which didn’t do anything but eventually settled. Then few weeks later got another cough. Lasted a few weeks then cleared up. Now I’ve got another cough. It’s ruining my life, I know that might sound dramatic but I can’t physically cope with it again. It affects my sleep, it makes bedtimes harder when I have to lie next to my kids until they sleep, I struggle to be in the office and it’s just awful. It tends to come on after a cold but I just feel it’s crazy to have a cough so often! This year I’ve had a cough more days than I haven’t. Just to note, I am not a smoker, rarely drink and am generally healthy. The only medication I take is levothyroxine for my thyroid. Does anyone have advice please? 🙏🏻

No cough advice if it’s affecting your sleep (plenty for one that lying down helps).

But, please do make sure you’re doing your pelvic floor and deep breathing exercises so you don’t get knock on issues.

GP should investigate if its been over 6 weeks.

Go to the gp if it's longer than a few weeks.

I'd also be thinking about environment. Could it be asthma or allergies?

Go the doctor, mine sent me for an xray and gave me an inhaler, still got the cough, it’s been 3 years, they’ve put it down to allergies.

Your GP should be doing a FENO test ( Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide) to test for Asthma, also a chest Xray, and Peak flow tests over a couple of weeks, ( to test for variability). You mention bad nights, worse after viral infections...it screams Asthma, but a thorough history-taking by the GP, is so important to rule out other differential diagnoses ( eg, reflux...)
Antibiotics will not affect Asthma, unless there is what's called a super-added infection.
Sounds miserable. I do hope you get it sorted out with a decent GP.

could it be post nasal drip
i agree with GP visit

Could also be reflux / LPR - mine started with a virus and I’ve now been coughing for almost 2 years although it’s much reduced through diet and lifestyle changes. Definitely see GP

Hi all,
thank you so much for all your comments and advice. I had a GP appointment today. He agreed that I’ve been coughing for an excessive amount of time. He’s referred me to the chest specialist, he did a peak flow test 3 times which he said was a little on the low side, ordered some bloods. No x ray as I already done one in January which was all clear (good news). He has prescribed me with a blue inhaler and some hydroxyzine in the hope it will ease the cough and help me sleep at night (let’s see)…