The everlasting cold/cough virus

Yes, we've all had it here in North Wales. It's a virus so the cough can last for weeks. I'm just at the end of mine now after 4 weeks but still occasional coughing bouts. The only one who didn't get it was my frail 86 year old mother who is having radiotherapy for throat cancer! Her immune system must be phenomenal!

Mumsey Like you and on my own I rarely escape a winter 'bug' This year and I know this sounds drastic I hibernated well sort of and have not left my home since end November apart from a few walks in my local park. In other words I made no contact with other people, no packed supermarkets full of coughing sneezing shoppers. A chat with the postman over my gate and had essential shopping needs delivered and a brief chat with the delivery man so did not get involved with the usual frantic situation in supermarkets. So far so good sounds boring and 'crazy' to most people but then those of us entirely alone are not like other people with family are we.
I have my tv, pc. phone so could make contact with the outside world.
Come the new year I will emerge from my self induced hibernation 'bug' free for once.

So sorry for your loss boo2410, that must have been a horrible shock

After three bouts of colds leading to bronchitis, I was vaccinated aginst pneumonia OR the bacteria which causes pneumonia. I've had coughs and colds since then but all were over quickly.

I asked for it. I knew about it from the internet. GPs are too busy to offer such things because as soon as you are out of the surgery another younger patient is in there with something more serious. They don't think long term about what might help us.

I've had fairly constant coughs, colds and a particularly nasty ear infection which left me so dizzy I couldn't function, since mid November. I work with the public so can't really avoid bugs, but this year has been particularly bad. I've started taking various vitamins and potions in an attempt to boost my immune system, and I've been getting out in the fresh air as much as I can, but yes, I think this year has been very bad for colds etc.

well, at least I know I'm not alone!! I've had a chest infection for two weeks now. So many different antibiotics which now don't seem to help at all. I've got a fractured rib so its very painful when I cough. As well as that I've had a nasty bout of D&V which has finally stopped thank goodness. We cancelled christmas, I had scrambled egg for my christmas dinner.On the plus side I've lost 7lbs in weight!

I feel s sorry for all of you but particularly Missdeke as I had a cough for nine months which drove me mad! I coughed until I practically vomited, it was awful. In the end, after X-rays, etc I was sent to a 'cough suppression clinic' which was a psychologist type person who eventually told me to carry a bottle of water with me at all times and drink at the first sign of coughing! It did go away in the end, water or no water.

I have a compromised immune system and get everything going but, please God, have escaped this virus up to now at least. I have friends who have had it since September! I send my very best wishes to you all.

Just remembered that what got rid of it in the end was a long spell in the sunshine in Portugal!

I have an urge to cough that comes and goes - can't say it's a chest infection nor a tickly cough and it's a bit more than throat clearing - but have found that exercise has considerably reduced it. I can't walk far at the moment so I aim to swim every day and that seems to have helped. Must be something in the air - or possibly the cats!!!

All my family have had this including husband but so far I've been gone. I swear by First Defence & at the first sign of a sniffle I lspray it up my nose & I haven't had a cold for years. Give it a go- DH forgot about it which is why he succumbed. I do take daily vitamins too but that is mainly for hair & nails.

We take daily Vits. B and D, B for neurological improvement [haven't seen any yet, but perhaps it has stopped deterioration! ] and Vit D - the sunshine vitamin which has protected us a little.
Having said that, DH is pretty poorly with a spluttery cough, and runny nose. Christmas was cancelled because he felt so rotten - it is now on day 10 and he isn't any better!
I think it is doing the rounds...

Margaretx I'm glad the pneumonia vaccine worked for you - it is offered here and DH had it (he had a letter from the surgery offering it) however, he still gets chest infections needing antibiotics.

boo2410 I am sorry to hear that, it must have been a shock on Christmas Eve.

I had to persuade DH to see the GP last week and yes, it was a chest infection needing antibiotics. He would have tried to struggle on because he just felt it was the virus which would go eventually.

It's horrendous, we re central Scotland. Never blooming ending, passing back and forth to all.

Yes, this seems to be doing the rounds nationally. Cherry juice and turmeric capsules help. Husband and myself have had this now for four weeks. A steam inhalation does help too.

Anya I'm waiting for the call back to the respiratory clinic at the hospital for the results of the allergy tests, I'm inclined to think it is something in the house that I am allergic to and certainly hope to find out next time I go. So far the only thing that seemed to help to any great degree was a course of steroids but I can't take them all the time. Have tried antihistamine tablets but they didn't seem to make much difference, fingers crossed they sort me out soon.

Istarted with congestion in my sinus was advised to use a decongestant tablet by Boots pharmacy. It made things worse. Rang 111 on Boxing Day and was told I really needed a expectorant mixture. As the decongestant would just dry up things even more. So much for Boots pharmacy. My ribs are sore through coughing and I still sound awful. I do suffer from sinus as I have a distorted septum. Using salt sprays. Dog isn't happy hasn't been a walk at all.

Potters Vegetable Cough Remover and Fisherman's Friends (not with sorbitol or you end up on the loo). The only answer. So much better than cough syrups.

French pharmacists are magic! They have so many wonderful remedies for just about everything. For coughs and colds my pharmacist friend makes me up a bottle of cinnamon and cardomum and then another one of eucalyptus, three drops of each on a teaspoon of honey and down the hatch. Takes the top of your head off but boy does it work.

They have supositoires pour mal au gorge, that's suppositories for sore throats, yes really! Works like a dream, well a bad one. Put the blunt end in first, not the pointy end. My great friend is a pharmacist and laughs whenever I ask for them as she is well aware that Brits safe wimpish about them!

missdeke I don't want to scare you, but has your GP checked out your heart? My husband had a series of coughs for two years and was prescribed antibiotics and nasal spray. He was effectively told that there wasn't much wrong with him. Eventually we saw a very competent locum who asked us if we could get to the hospital under our own steam or should he call an ambulance? Turned out he had heart failure which had obviously been happening for some time and fluid had built up in his lungs. He has now had a stent and takes lots of drugs which have dealt with his problem, but it would not have reached such a serious stage had it been picked up earlier.

I only had the cold for a few days, but just couldn't get rid of the horrible chesty cough which went on for a month. Also had a bit of a bladder infection I think, though it didn't occur to me that it was connected to the rest of it! I got the virus so soon after I had a flu jab that I don't think it had time to set me up with antibodies.

Incidentally I do take antihistamines all the time as I have allergies to pollens, bites and fungi, so I know that the cough is not due to an allergy.

Flu jabs will not protect against cold viruses, in fact they only protect against a few strains of (currently circulating) flu.

METATONE ladies. My mum gave me it as a child. I give it to my dc every day (much to their distaste). Touch wood, everyone around me has had some for of cough or cold and I've managed to keep it away. I also drink honey, lemon and cinnamon with hot water regularly. Also worth trying silver (colloidal) water. It contains a natural antibiotic and isn't as harsh as the synthetic sort. I hope you all get better soon. Good Health and a happy new year to you all.

Any suggestions for a DH with fatigue and tiredness, hes into his 6th week with this dreaded lurgy and although the cough is a little better now he's got no energy whatsoever, i do feel very sorry for anyone with this horrible bug i hope you all get better soon

A friend of mine was recommended turmeric capsules for a cough that had resisted all other 'medicaments' by her Iranian boss. In desperation I tried it for the 'lurgy' and it worked like magic! Apparently it's such an effective anti- inflammatory it's being trailed by 'mainstream' medicine, it also zapped my arthritis, great stuff

Maybe someone to answer this for me, been puzzling me for years. Lots of people say it''s not cold enough to kill off the bugs when we have a mild winter, but why is it then in the summer there's not many bugs about. What kills them off? You never hear of the summer vomiting bug, and flu is never about in summer, nor colds and coughs