Don't do what I've done.

[Asthma-girl]

I've had a barking cough for 4 weeks now where I've been coughing up nasty stuff and on occasions blood. I have coughed non stop up to 2 hours, my chest, ribs, lungs, upper back are very painful. I kept thinking it is just a cough, my family have been very concerned about me and wanted me to see the doctor but I was so sure it was just a cough.

Anyway, I saw the GP who told me that its not just a cough and that I should have been seen sooner and to never leave it so long again, they think I've got bronchitis which is turning into pneumonia, that along with asthma does not make a good combination.

Please do not do this, I've learnt my lesson.

[Annista]

Asthmagirl, I really feel for you. A couple of years ago I had similar symptoms so I know how distressing prolonged coughing can be. I spent 6 months trying to get over it and I'm a lot more cautious now (I left work at lunchtime today because someone's perfume set me off coughing). I hope you start to feel better soon.

[Hidden]

Ugh - hoping you feel better soon. Bad coughs are NO fun.

[Hidden]

As a cough variant asthmatic you very much have my sympathy. There is nothing quite so exhausting as 24/7 coughing for weeks on end. I mostly end up in hospital from the exhaustion more than anything else, I get too tired to breathe.

Im glad you've learnt your lesson, not a happy way to do things BUT you will know the signs next time and be much quicker to act and hopefully as a result you wont feel half so rotten. Hope they get it under control nice and quickly for you- try to sleep upright if you can, it will help, and I tend to drink lots of hot Ribena with local honey in it as it opens up my airways and soothes the sore bits from all the coughing.

Be gentle on yourself and I hope you are feeling much better very soon xxx

[Asthma-girl]

Thanks for your good wishes, I've been prescribed another course of antibiotics which I've to start tomorrow.

[Hidden]

Hoping this one does the trick and you get relief soon.