Really bad cold with coughing fits ... anyone else ?

[RootsToots]

We have both gone down with it, though I'm the immune compromised one. My partner has had it for nearly 2 weeks straight. It's put me in bed... nightmare really. Coughing so much it makes you weak. Both done 2 negative covid tests.

[weathervane]

I had similar back in march , awful cough day and night . It took to courses of antibiotics to clear it and a couple of more weeks for cough to totally clear. I had to sit up right in bed or on the sofa at night to get some relief. Have you seen your gp ?

[RootsToots in reply to weathervane]

Not yet, trying to avoid antibiotics because I have to stop benepali. Last time stopping it for 3 weeks meant I was back using a walker for over a month which I find very embarrassing and inconvenient.

[weathervane in reply to RootsToots]

Hope it clears on its own , i lasted one and half weeks getting worse and worse. I tested every day in case it was covid. I am on rituximab so I decided i need more help and saw gp , he also gave me an inhaler which also helped . Don’t leave it too long

[Sheila_G]

I know quite a few people who have had or still have very severe colds, not covid. I think it is down to the fact that we have not built up any resistance to what would normally be a mild cold because of mask wearing and social distancing. Don't forget that the common cold is a coronavirus too. Keep taking whatever helps until it passes.

[Scottishlad]

Keep testing, my sister in law had a cough for about 5 days before she tested positive. She ended up with antiviral tablets as she was on a biologic therapy.

[Hidden]

Yes, terrible hacking cough and congested chest, had to sleep sitting up, headache that wouldn’t respond to any pain relief. Feels like my lungs are in fire. On day 11 now and husband a week behind. Never felt so ill. Assume it’s bad due to lack of exposure during lockdown.The coughing really aggravates the RA in my ribs too.

[Gilliancheche]

I caught COVID in April, I tested positive immediately. My husband has symptoms but did not test positive for 4 more days. I had the antiviral and recovered quickly but he had a cough that went on for weeks and resulted in many sleepless nights

[Leics]

Hopefully it isn’t covid. Everyone who has suggested you don’t leave it too long are quite right. My husband left a cough for too long and ended up with double pneumonia which after almost three months is causing issues still. He’s normally very fit and healthy and the docs were very surprised by it. I’m not suggesting that in your case it will develop into pneumonia. My hubbys pneumonia isn’t covid related either. The only other thing I can add is I had a very bad cold and cough which also put me in bed for a week and it turned out it was hay fever which I had never had before but although people think it’s not serious it can be I was so lucky to find a GP who gave me a good check over and the right antihistamines for a week and I was so much better. I think I’ve seen there is a problem with pollen counts atm so might be worth considering if you have no fever, in my case it had closed off my airway and made me quite poorly that was pre RA.

[Runrig01]

I would keep testing, as it can take a while to test positive. Have you spoken to your rheumatologist?, given how long this has been going on I’d be holding off my biologic and giving my body more of a chance to fight it. People are getting more severe symptoms this year, which I suspect is due to still being cautious around people, and continuing to wear masks. I’ve had to miss my MTX and Benepali for 3 weeks due to infections, so can sympathise with the returning pain. I actually accidentally took my Benepali on day 6 of a 7 day course of antibiotics, and all the symptoms returned the following morning, requiring a 2nd week of antibiotics. Now I have a fungal infection in the throat from the antibiotics. I won’t restart now till antifungals have completed, which could be 3 weeks.

[Taffsmum]

Hi, I’m on day 9 with this, have stopped Benepali. It does seem to be improving slowly but I’m still struggling but can lie down to sleep now rather than sitting up on the sofa every night. Have tested negative for covid throughout.

[Garnacha]

Both me & hubby have had it & I've still got it, had it since about 24th May, I decided last week to miss my metoject & it was definitely clearing up, I've still got it though just not as bad & due metoject tonight 🙄 see what happens but my husbands chest was getting so bad I told him to ring gp, they wanted to see him straightaway as he'd coughed up blood, gave him antibiotics & said the blood was probably from straining his oesophagus, he was given omeprazole, if the antibiotics didn't work he was to go back, luckily for him they did but he's not immunosuppressed

[Happy5]

Yuuuup really horrible infection, coughing was a nightmare. I got it from my grandson 🙄

I'd say it took me about 10 days to feel reasonable ,but left very tired.

I'd decided to miss my MTX due to house /dog sitting & couldn't be laid low, then

decided just as well to help recovery.

Hope you're all better soon.

[RootsToots]

Still going strong with this cold after a further 5 days. Doc said enough today and put me on antibiotics. Hopefully it will mean I only miss one more benepali.