Be careful if you or anyone near you shows symptoms of a strange cough. The Cough sounds like a Whoop & is a prolonged cough, it' sounds as the sufferer is choking and unable to stop long enough to get their breath.
Whooping cough is on the rise. My sister & I both caught it in January this year. My sister whom had Asthma & also Fibromyalgia & I have SLE have been ill with it. The cough has finally just about gone now & apart from when I had Pleurisy. it is the worst cough I have ever had. I have a Hiatus Hernia which meant I was also sick when coughing, it meant I was unable to leave the house as I would be sick at any time without warning.
We saw 3 different GP's in our practice, a total of 12 times before we could get them to take swabs. The swabs were finally sent to the lab to check for Whooping cough. A few weeks later we got a letter of confirmation from Public Health. By then we had mixed with other people & possibly passed on the infection. So please be alert, because if you have a weak immune system it hits you harder and it is very dangerous should a child contract it as it can cause death in infants.
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Cal66
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I'm told I had it a a baby - no idea if this give me any protection from getting it again. But for years it was mainly absent from our awareness but has grown over last decade. Nasty too. Sadly too if like you and your sister, already weakened with other problems.
So good advice and I think from memory of outbreak here in Oz there are some sort of injections so new babies can be kept safe from visitors who may bring it with them unknowingly.
Glad you got this diagnosed fully and are now over it. A horrible experience!
When you tell us swabs were taken for lab samples my ears pricked up especially, and I wonder:
what lab kits did your Drs give you (e.g. a tube kit or a pot)?
How tricky was it getting a good sample (e.g. Did you have to learn to expectorated deep sputum from your lungs)?
How did you manage (e.g. did you have to take several samples before you got a good enough one for testing)?
I ask because this year rheumatology referred me to immunology and it's turned out I have an early onset immunodeficiency (existing way before my treatment with immunosuppressives) + infant onset lupus. I have a long long history of persistent complex recurring respiratory infections, including what the GP has diagnosed as recurring tracheitis but which could actually be bronchiectasis....and which gives me whooping cough-like symptoms. Immunology has me packing a home emergency antibiotic kit of coamoxiclav 635mg (a 2 week course) + kits to take lab samples. I'm instructed it is vital we learn which bacteria are affecting me (despite pneumovax 23, I make 0 antibodies to pneumonia). So your post especially interests me
Thank you for your interest & I hope you get your immune system sorted, I don't think that I could take the samples myself as I am a little squeamish.
The GP used a long stick thing with a special type of swab on it, he put it up our noses & I think it was pushed to the back of our throats, he then had to send it Sunderland lab it was then sent to Newcastle and on to London & the results were sent to us from Newcastle Public health
thanks! just what i need! i know, i've had to really learn to get over my natural squeamishness with this lab samples malarkey. My GP has me keeping those sort of swab kits at home thanks to immunology insisting I get samples into the system before starting my home emergency kit antibiotics. take care🌻🍀
It is on the increase again. So be aware. There has been steps to increase immunisations in mums to be with pertussis being given to pregnant women. A lot of us oldies will have been in possible risk for many years and acquired immunity. But it is on the increase and you need to be aware. The cough , especially the whoop but a lot of people get it without the major effects. As with a colleague of mine. Just be vigilant and seek advice. And let the GP know what it is your worried about. Babies seem to be the most at risk especially those under 8 weeks because they are the ones they have started immunising in the womb
Gonna have to read up on that! Is that all! We give it to pregnant mums, 8 weeks, 12 w, 16w. And in the pre school booster. If that's the case then I guess the risks reduce from there but what about those of us on immunosuppressant. I've been giving these for 12 years now . The only thing I've ended up with is pneumonia from Hib. The second time I'm sure it was work related as I started doing spirometry lung tests
The injection is mostly to protect children especially babies, which are in the most danger if they catch it. Babies are highly likely to die as they don't know how to cough properly & invariably choke.
To answer the 2nd part of you question about people with compromised immune systems is, that no you can't have any of your child hood injections redone at least that is what we have been told.
Sorry I wasn't asking a question I was referring to the 2nd pneumonia that I got. It was caused by HIB.
And I know about baby imams as I give them. My research will be reading in to the risks for the immune suppressed. I suppose it's the same as Hib and I give adults the injection we give at 13month if their consultant suggests it
Hi Cal, I'm wondering if I am just getting over whooping cough (not diagnosed). About 5 or 6 weeks ago, I had a re-occurrence of a chest infection which I have had constantly now since January this year. Now on 8th lot of abs.
Anyway, this last occurrence had me choking and being sick. I whooped and just couldn't breathe in. I felt I needed someone to thump me on the back to dislodge something blocking my airway. Rhuematologist thought I had pneumonia or HIB, but sent me home. Later that day had to go to A&E. Just could not breathe without this feeling of choking on vomit.
Had cxr, which came back negative. Doctor absolutely amazed! Said from examination and history was sure I had pneumonia but nothing on xray. Sats below 90. Put on Salbutamol nebuliser, but still difficulty for another 4 hours before sats went to 95 and they let me home with more abs.
Since then I've had another 2 courses of abs. Last one 625mg Co-amoxiclav, which seemed to do the trick - but for how long?
I don't know whether I will be able to get to the bottom of this lung problem. Going to see Lung specialist privately on Tuesday to see what he has to say.
Thanks for the heads up on whooping cough. If it was that, am I likely to catch it again. My immune system is completely shot and I pick up every little germ which turns into massive problem.
Hope the consultation on Tuesday gives you some answers, or at least leads on to thorough investigations. Wishing you every ounce of possible good luck🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀XO
I am sorry to hear that you have been ill, good luck on Tuesday.
Both my sister and I had similar symptoms to you, but you may not have whooping cough, it could be something else.
We both went to our GP's12 times, but they were insisting it wasn't Whooping Cough & at 1st refused to take swabs, in the end they relented upon our insistence & we were proven right, however you may have something entirely different & hopefully the Consultant may know what is wrong with you.
There is no treatment for Whooping Cough it just takes time, plenty of rest & if you get a ticklish throat before coughing starts then suck on cough sweets.
Yo u could mention it to the Consultant in passing & he may well look into it or he may totally disagree with it.
Hi Cal66, I was really interested to read your post about whooping cough as I have had very similar symptoms, especially feeling like I'm choking and wanting to vomit. I've had this for 7 weeks now. Did you recover properly and get the immunisations against whooping cough? I realise your post was 3 years ago but thought I would ask. Unfortunately with Lupus, every sign of illness is cause for concern x
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Toothpaste makes me cough/gag. Does anyone else have this? If so how have you managed it.
Lupus very demanding 
On Azathioprine for SLE got MRSA
