Hello. Just wondering if anyone has any experience of the unfortunate luck of having caught whooping cough twice.Currently awaiting blood test results to confirm this, however I had it back in 2015 (confirmed with a blood test then also) and I was extremely ill for nine months.
My symptoms are less severe this time but there doesn't seem to be much info/advice on recovery time etc.
I was vaccinated as a child and I'm now 53. I'm also curious to know if a booster (once I'm well again) would benefit me.
I normally have quite well controlled asthma with a couple of exacerbations/chest infections a year thrown in!
Thank you 😊
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Tucker43
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I had whooping cough many years ago when I was 9 and was off school for many weeks and the doctor came to us for a home visit and gave us the children's liquid amoxicillin which got rid of it!
Antibiotics in the infectious period (up to the first 21 days) can help reduce your symptoms and they stop you being infectious to others as far as I know.
As others have said, and apparently high doses of Vit C can help clear the bacteria-produced toxins too (it doesn't get rid of it but helps the coughing). Always read up about it before doing anything obv. and/or talk to a doc.
I remember having whooping cough when I was about 5 or 6 years old. I remember going up Blows Downs (part of the Chilterns) as elevation was supposed to get rid of it if the cough was persisting. Don't know if that worked, but I do now wonder if that disease can do irreparable damage to your lungs. And measles, what does that do to your giblets! My sister-in-law, who is 80, has just contracted measles for the second time, having had it when she was 9. Wasn't very poorly with it, just spotty.
I had a brother who died of diphtheria 8 years before I was born. His birthday was Christmas eve, and he died on Boxing day, 1933. My parents always made sure I had a great Christmas, even though it was during and just post war. They must have been sad, but I never knew. The vaccine guarding against that was just starting to be available at the time, but not widely used. My parents made sure I got the jabs when I was about 5. I remember getting a sweet for not crying. Also, polio was around when I was a kid, but the inoculation for that was soon available, about 1956. I also had the smallpox vaccination, as it was around in UK when we were about to go on honeymoon to Spain in 1965, and the Spanish government (Franco) made it a requirement. I believe smallpox is now eradicated worldwide, since the 1980's, as has polio since early 2000's.
Yes whooping cough can leave damage; scarring to lungs and can cause bronchiectasis. I was checked post illness last time and made a full recovery, thankfully, but it took a long time to get back to where I was before the whooping cough hit. I work in health care and we are seeing a worrying increase in measles at the moment 🤦🏻♀️
hi Tucker. Never heard of you getting it twice especially adults. I had whooping cough and measles together when I was five which is why I have dodgy lungs now. No idea how I got rid of it way back then. Take care. X
Yes I was unaware you could catch it twice! I wish I had realised this after my infection in 2015 because I would've requested a booster. But here we are, and if it is confirmed that I have it a second time, then I will request a booster when well this time around. As far as I've learnt, the vaccine we have as children gives us immunity between 4-20 years, we're all different. I guess I come into contact with it more due to working in health care.
think the vaccine means you get a weaker dose of the cough. Think 2 of our grandchildren may have had it recently but no significant whoop , just an awful gut wrenching cough. Take care x
My daughter, who has secondary breast cancer in her lungs, has had whooping cough for more than three months and can’t shake it off, she’s really poorly. I didn’t realise there was a vaccination. Wishing you better soon.
I'm sorry to hear this. When I had it in 2015, I was poorly for nine months and it was a long, slow recovery. This time around (although I'm still waiting for the blood test results to confirm) is definitely less severe but I still feel very breathless and exhausted. Here in the UK we're seeing a massive increase of whooping cough (it's nickname is the 100 day cough) at the moment 🙄
Must be awfull for you whooping cough is harrendos I didn't relize adults get it daughter had it at 8 it was awfull she now 30 so I can understand how you're feeling my daughter it for 20 weeks a nightmare
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