Continuous Coughing .

[Beachballs]

Had a challenging day yesterday, could not stop coughing, it drove everyone crazy ! Took cough mixture , Manuka honey , lemon and honey , drank loads of water , day nurse tablets and Lemsips , nothing worked . Any tips ? It’s not Covid as have not been out and don’t have the rest of the symptoms, I do have a cough associated with my illness but not like this. Any help would be appreciated!

[sassy59]

Hi Beachballs, sorry to hear about your cough. Are you bringing up mucus? If so, what colour is it? I think I’d contact 111 to see what advice they can give or your GP of course. Xxxx😘

[Beachballs in reply to sassy59]

Thank you Sassy , just a little but it’s clear not green , did not want to trouble GP with just a cough , was hoping to get on top of it myself but might well have to .

My poor husband looks exhausted today and our neighbour asked him if I was alright as she heard me coughing a lot !

Thanks for taking the time to answer me. xx

[sassy59 in reply to Beachballs]

Wishing you well Beachballs. Xxx😘

[Beachballs in reply to sassy59]

Thanks - it’s only minor compared to some of the problems on here , but you just get to the end of your tether with it ! x

[Spacecat1]

I feel for you. I have a cough on abd off for about 4 months now it's not continuous but it's annoying. I have video link with occupational therapy to help with exercises ie doing the huff etc we are slowly getting there. Touchwood not covid. No symptons feel healthy and no problems with appetite. Hope you find a solution your coughing. OT says it's more than likely part of my condition (copd). Done mucus tests.

[Beachballs in reply to Spacecat1]

Thank you , don’t feel ill with it , just the usual symptoms of my illness , but not had this before . Will give GP a call and see where we go from there. Thanks again.xx

[Damon1864 Volunteer]

I agree with sassy get some medical advice. Please let us know how you get on have a lovely day and take care 😊 Bernadette and Jack 🐕 xxxx

[Beachballs in reply to Damon1864]

Thanks for responding, yes will contact my GP , hoping today is a better day ! Take care. xx

[Bkin]

I would make a telephone appointment with your GP if this cough is the same today as it was yesterday and when nothing helped.

You say 'it drove everyone crazy - any one of the everyone could bring covid or other infection to you - you don't have to go out. Is it a new continuous cough.... Hopefully its not Covid but still would chat with your GP or as suggested already;

111.nhs.uk/

[Beachballs in reply to Bkin]

Thank you for your helpful reply . I do have a cough it’s part of this illness but it’s not troublesome and is not continuous as it was yesterday. A lot of my contact is over the phone or portal, but was unable to do that yesterday, you almost get to the point of vomiting with it . Will contact my GP this morning. Thanks again. x

[Ladyindistress79]

I am having a similar experience Beach balls. I have Bronchiectasis but do not normally cough that much at night. I think it must be a virus thats going round. I got to the stage last night where I was swigging the cough medicine from the bottle to try and get some relief from the ticklish cough I had all night.

[Beachballs in reply to Ladyindistress79]

Thanks for replying, yes me too !!!

Did wonder if it’s a change in the weather or maybe some sort of allergy, but hope to get on top of it today . Thanks again, take care. xx

[Bkin]

Drinking lots of water may help too.

I find with bronchiectasis this is essential every day. I find coughing occurs more when need to cough up but its too thick to do so, as we all know drinking plenty of water can help but perhaps we don't always remember to keep it up.

[Beachballs in reply to Bkin]

Yes , I agree , water helps me a lot , and I always have it with me .......

I feel for anyone who lives with this constantly as I know some of you do , but hopefully today is a better day and I am able to hold a conversation without coughing and choking. Thanks Again! x

[Biker88]

I had a cough since last November until a few weeks ago, it was a dry cough keeping me awake at night. Blood and sputum tests were all ways clear for bacterial infection, so in September I asked my consultant for advice as I’m due to see him soon. I then had the flu jab and the cough cleared up within a couple of days. I can only guess that the flu jab gave my immune system a kickstart.

[Beachballs]

Yes - possibly, I had the flu jab back in September, so doing everything possible to stay well . Am now back taking supplements to boost immune system. Good luck with your appointment and thanks for your help . xx

[Suzie42]

You've had loads of advice from everyone, dont think I can add anything else, so wishing you a very speedy recovery xx

[Beachballs in reply to Suzie42]

Thanks Suzie , and I am grateful for it ,One of the best things I have ever done joining this forum !!! Kindred Spirits !!! Keep well and take care .xx

[Suzie42 in reply to Beachballs]

Yes me too....so much support. Take loads of care too xx

[CDPO16]

I have had a persistent cough for a week plus feeling unwell with no appetite and feeling very tired. I am also very very breathless on the slightest exertion. No phlegm, no temperature, just cough, cough especially when I move about. I contacted my GP last week who was not at all sure what the cause was as the cough suggested covid but I have no other, what she considered to be, relevant symptoms. I normally don't cough at all.

I haven't been out but have a care package and, while the carers wear PPE, I think it's still possible for 'germs etc.,' to be carried in. My GP advised me to start my emergency pack of prednisolone and amoxicillin as a precaution. I don't feel quite as ill as I did last week but am a long way from being better. It's been one damned thing after another this year.

I hope that you soon recover and if you get to the bottom of the cause, do let me know.

[Suzie42 in reply to CDPO16]

I hope you will be on the mend soon. Yes, i think with a care package, viruses can get in past all precautions, how ever careful they may be. Get well soon

[CDPO16 in reply to Suzie42]

Thank you xx

[Beachballs in reply to CDPO16]

Oh goodness , sorry to hear this , you are certainly going through it right now , I don’t feel unwell apart from the usual every day symptoms, hope you continue to improve and yes ‘ what a year it’s been’ !!!! Thanks for sharing! take care !

[CDPO16 in reply to Beachballs]

Thank you xx

[Gladwyn]

I mix a concoction of honey, apple cider vinegar and lemon juice mixed with hot water and sip it . Eventually the irritating cough subsides. I sometimes take a paracetamol too.

[Beachballs in reply to Gladwyn]

Hi Gladwyn

Thanks for your advice , am taking lemon and honey , will get some Apple cider vinegar and give it a try.

Thanks again.x

[Gladwyn in reply to Beachballs]

The AVC does make a difference I have found. Hope your coughing has stopped by now. I know how horrible it is.

[Beachballs in reply to Gladwyn]

Have been looking at the flutter device and will mention it to the Respiratory Nurse, still Coughing, but not as bad as Sunday & Monday !!

Thanks again for your suggestions really appreciated.

Take care xx

[O2Trees]

Much sympathy to you Beachballs and all those of you who are having nasty coughs.

I cough regularly with PND and phlegm in my throat. I get a tickle too whenever the phlegm is there and have started using the non-sugar Fishermen's Friend lozenges which get rid of it. And a flutter devise which brings up hard to shift mucus. Gladwyn's reply above is great.

Hope you feel better soon. x

[Beachballs in reply to O2Trees]

Thanks for the tips , will add the non sugar fishermen friends ASAP and look into a flutter device .

You take care and thanks again.xx

[O2Trees in reply to Beachballs]

You're welcome BB x

[HungryHufflepuff in reply to O2Trees]

Ah for me it has to be the original Fisherman Friends, that is the ones in the white packet, as sometimes the sugar free ones in the light blue packet are called original. To me those don’t taste as strong and certainly don’t have the same effect. Since reading that great tip here, I’m never without a packet of Fisherman’s Friends in my pocket.

[O2Trees in reply to HungryHufflepuff]

The ones I have have diagonal blue stripes on the packet and it says "no added sugar", and "Original". So do the white packet ones have sugar in them?

[HungryHufflepuff in reply to O2Trees]

Yes the white packet ones contain sugar. They don't taste at all sweet to me, in fact having once (for the first time, this year) tried the sugar free ones, they taste sweeter than the ones with sugar, but for someone on a no/low sugar diet the original ones wouldn't be suitable.

[O2Trees in reply to HungryHufflepuff]

Thanks - I have gained so much from eliminating sugar so that's important for me. Miss my cake though!

[2ndtenor]

I have the same problem I have been drinking filtered water with lemon juice added the ones from Lidl seem ok and only about 25p for a lemon. shaped plastic bottle

[Ergendl]

Does your throat feel sore or is the coughing caused by a tickle or a feeling of something in the windpipe or the gullet?

[Beachballs in reply to Ergendl]

Thanks for replying, throat not sore until the end of the day , continually bringing up phlegm with the cough and in between coughing, although do not feel like I have a cold or flu .

Tried to contact GP yesterday, when I did eventually get through, there was no telephone appointments available, so will try again today . Feeling a bit better today - fingers crossed! Take care and thanks . x

[Ergendl in reply to Beachballs]

Hope you've managed to have that talk with your GP now and things are starting to resolve.

[Beachballs in reply to Ergendl]

Thanks Ergend , yes much better today , the cough has calmed down thanks to the helpful advice of members on here. Had a medical incident yesterday which could have happened as a result of the Coughing, being looked into today . It’s all hospitals and medical at the moment for both of us ! Take care.

[Ergendl in reply to Beachballs]

Good luck with it all.

[MoyB]

Two evenings ago I had the same problem. I relate to what you said about it nearly making you sick. In the past that has actually happened to me and almost did this time. The only thing that got it under control was my Ventolin inhaler which I had to use more than normal. Finally 6 puffs in quick succession did the trick and I was able to go to bed with no coughing during in the night and minimal coughing yesterday. I have always got a cough, but this one was really bad for a few hours. However, I have no reason to believe it is COVID related.

My husband also developed an increase in his usual, infrequent, cough last week and was slightly breathless with a night time wheeze. He doesn't have any diagnosed chest problems so the GP insisted that he should be seen at our COVID Hot Hub. He went, was checked out and came back with a prescription for an inhaler which he has to use for two weeks. The cough disappeared within a day of using it.

So I am thinking that our coughs were reactive - something in the air got to us, but NOT COVID, thank goodness.

I hope your doctor finds something that works for you as the cough can be thoroughly exhausting, can't it? All the best, Moy xx

[Beachballs in reply to MoyB]

Thanks for your response. I also have a ventolin inhaler , which does not help my primary illness of Fibrosis, but was prescribed for chest infections. I have been using it for this cough , but only thought I could do 2 puffs so will definitely try more. By the time I get to talk to my GP I will probably be over the worst, thanks to all the help and suggestions from the lovely caring people on this forum !!!😀😀take care Moy and thanks again ,x

[Alberta56]

Wishing you well. Coughing is horrible- hope it soon goes away. xx

[Beachballs in reply to Alberta56]

Thank you for your kind wishes , still got it , but not as bad as Sunday & Monday, hopefully tomorrow is a better day.

Keep safe and well. x

[Woolfe31]

My relative is the same. 5 years in from first GP visit. Shower /steam makes him worse. Manila active honey I think does ease the cough but early days and he’s a non - believer . OFEV not working . What meds are you on ? Or tried ?

[Woolfe31 in reply to Woolfe31]

Manuka honey

[Beachballs in reply to Woolfe31]

Hi WolfeYes , I am much improved now, still taking the Manuka Honey as it works for me. Have not been out anywhere since March except for medical appointments, so not in contact with other people’s germs.

Having said that , I have a blood test this afternoon which has been cancelled twice at the GP Surgery and is now taking place at the local hospital, which I am nervous about. Am going to ring them to ask how safe it is there, as this was only re-arranged yesterday afternoon late and traditionally that hospital blood test dept is super busy as caters for more than one hospital.

I am on Ofev for the fibrosis and have been for a year now and have learnt how to manage it.

Hope things improve for your relative , good luck and warmest wishes to you both.

[Woolfe31]

Hi, thanks for the reply. We will continue with the honey . Good luck with the blood test.