How long does this cough last?

Give it a week or two, but better to visit the GP and find it is nothing than leave it to long and find it is something serious.

Don’t know kitty haven’t had this latest one, but last year I had a cough that lasted months!
After a month I asked GP for advice and was prescribed antibiotics (made no difference) went back and had different ones prescribed ( still made no difference.)It took it’s own sweet time to go.

I had that the other week, and it made my Asthma bad too. It lasted 2-3 weeks. I had steroid tablets for the Asthma, but nothing for the cold/ cough as it was a virus.

Take Paracetamol if you've got ache & pains. Drink lots. Sleep propped up with several pillows.

I’m coming to the end of week 3 kitty, cough mostly at night now or with a change of air temperature. I plan another couple of weeks before I ask a medic as I don’t feel at all unwell.

We've had the same thing ( me and husband). For the last 2 weeks.
Now only occasionally, but I've lost my 'zing' - if it ever existed. I think I'm ok, go out shopping etc, then come back exhausted.
But as you say cornergran we don't feel at all unwell.
As long as it doesn' t develop to a chest infection.

Mums had it about 3 weeks. The cough has gone but she still sounds a bit croaky .
.

Thanks all.

Dh is easily exhausted and has a perpetual hack! It's debilitating for him......... and for me!

Evidently it's called post-viral fatigue. Perhaps as we get older it takes longer to recover.

I've just realised that it has gone!

DH and I were suffering for ages and it only started with a 'cold' several weeks ago.

about 5-6 weeks in our case kitty but in the end it was just irritating 'phlegm' (disgusting word) rather than a hacking cough.

Check your blood pressure pills: mine caused a horrible cough which I though for months was a virus. within two weeks of changing tablets, it stopped.

Agree with Romychoc regarding side effects from blood pressure tablets. Mine were changed two weeks ago. Have coughed day and night since. Feeling absolutely exhausted as I’m awake on and off all night coughing. Got appointment with G.P next week to change tablets. Any advice out there which blood pressure tablets don’t make you cough?

I had it for 3 weeks, plus Asthma. A lot of people are getting it, but doctors don't seem to be prescribing anything unless there is a complication (as I had)

Oh dear, I started coughing about three hours ago and can't stop! I assumed my asthma was flaring up. That's depressing news if it will probably go on for weeks.

I’m on week 5 of a cough. At the start I’ve never had anything so bad. In the middle of the night it was akin to whooping cough as I couldn’t catch a breath and it was quite frightening. Over the weeks I’ve had an inhaler, a course of antibiotics, other meds to ease phlegm and lately steroids. I’ve also had a chest X-ray which was clear. At its worst it was in the upper respiratory tract. Phlegm has now reduced and I’m definitely not as bad as before, but still taking bad coughing fits which leave me with an aching sternum and I have zero energy. I was also too unwell to get my flu vaccine on the dates announced by our practice. I don’t feel there’s much point in another gp appointment as this will probably just have to ‘run it’s course’.

Ours seems to have cleared up now - 4 weeks or so.
Rosiero - a few years ago there was another cough going round which was like whooping cough. There's a link on here somewhere.
Doctors were saying it could have been a mild version of whooping cough in people who hadn't had it as a child.

Found it!
www.gransnet.com/forums/health/1215465-I-am-so-fed-up-with-this-cough

Thanks Fennel. I’m glad to hear that your cough has cleared - that gives me hope. ? A couple of friends have said they had similar symptoms last year which took an age to clear.

I’ve got so many things coming up in my diary (meetings and theatre bookings etc.) that I really need to push myself to get back to normal even though my energy levels are so low. Yesterday I began a course of herbal tablets which I read were recommended for coughs, so here’s hoping.

I don't post often, but having had this ghastly phlegmy cough for two weeks, I know what you are all going through. 2 courses of antibiotics are helping, but the difficulty breathing when in bed is by far the worst. I found that by sitting on a chair, leaning forward and resting my head on a table (or in my case the window sill) immediately stopped all the rattling in my chest. It's not ideal in the middle of the night, but the relief is worth it. Good luck to you all.

DH is in Week 4 of The Cough- I'm not sure he is going to make it Week 5.

Jimjam1 you must be on ACE which are known for causing coughs. I'm actually now taking the max dose of these but luckily no cough. While calcium channel blockers don't cause cough I find them unpleasant for the flushes and palpitations they caused me. Unfortunately they all have some side effects need to find the ones least troublesome.

I remember having a whooping cough like two years ago. I had never felt so ill, not the usual winter cough, was ill for about two months plus.

Wish I hadn't opened this thread. My cough/ sore throat/ cold started last Friday and I was hoping I'd be better in a week or so. Now I'm not so optimistic

Thanks Bluesky. That’s correct I’m on Amlodipine. Calcium channel blocker!! Had appointment with G.P yesterday. She confirmed I have a chest infection. She told me to stop taking Amlodipine and put me on antibiotics and sent me for a chest X-ray. Will keep you posted.