I feel so ill with this chesty cold

Oops that should have read four days.

I've been coughing for nearly 4 weeks - like you producing loads of gunge! I don't feel as unwell as you but have pulled stomach and back muscles from coughing so much. I'll be interested to hear what the paramedic says

Tilly do you have anything in your room to measure humidity? Air can get too dry because of central heating. Dry air is not good for a bad chest

Oh Tilly8 I can I had it for Christmas and it doesn't go without antibiotics. I haven't had those for about ten years for a chest infection but that was nasty. Is there someone to look after you, bring you hot drinks? i drank a gallon of tea its all I wanted so lost some weight which for me is never a bad thing. You may not feel like eating at all but so important to keep the fluids up. As Sister on a chest ward I advised patients to hold a pillow or cushion against their chest when the coughing grips you, it kind of absorbs the pressure. I hope today picks up for you and whatever meds prescribed start working quickly.

Hope you feel better soon Tilly. I had a similar problem that started in early January and lasted over 3 weeks. The cough was awful.

have you tested for covid?

hope you feel better soon.

I began the first bout at the beginning of November .
It left me with a constant dry cough .
I was told that I had whooping cough and ot would go with plenty of rest and fluids .
Then , on a few days ago - a relapse .
How my body can produce so much mucous is a mystery to me .
When I'm not coughing my head aches .
I feel increasingly weak .

On Saturday , two of my friend drove me mad with their constant procrastinating .
I felt exhausted and said nothing .
Now I begin to understand why older people can be so irritable !

I’m sorry you are all feeling so ill.

I had pneumonia when I was 35 and that was a sit it out job too. The thing I discovered that helped was essential oils in a steam inhalation or a few drops on a tissue stuffed down the front of my bra which I stuck my nose near often.

The oils I still use for coughs are tea tree, Scot’s pine, eucalyptus and rosemary. You can mix a couple of drops of each of them together or use singly. You can buy them online.

I hope this helps and you all feel better soon.

I had the cough from hell after Covid back in October and it is just drifting away now. Cough medicine is useless. Hope you feel better soon.

Several members of my family have had this very persistent bug - they all needed antibiotics and one child was put on steroids as well.

I know that there is concern about overuse of antibiotics, but I do think a word with your GP might be a good idea - if you can manage to get a word!

We had this before Christmas and it lasted six weeks for my husband and five weeks for me. I have never had chest problems before but the chesty cough was dreadful, I was in bed for four days and didn’t go out of the house for ten days. My husband was given antibiotics but they didn’t help at all as it was a viral infection rather than bacterial. It does finally go but it left us both feeling exhausted for a couple of weeks.

Yep I have the same lurgy ! I have asthma so it’s aggravated that too . It’s only been three days so will see how it goes. Living on honey and lemon drinks which does help a bit . Also pulled a muscle in my rib cage All this coughing doesn’t help my weak bladder either !

Mr P and I are both suffering from this. I can feel my brain rattling against my skull during the awful coughing bouts. Nothing much helps for long but I find that the facial steamer gives a bit of relief.

So sorry to hear you are suffering Tilly8. I too have had a very bad cough with buckets of gunge coming down my nose for months now. First they said lung infections (2 different ones), then slight pneumonia and then last month, after an xray showed clear lungs (!!!!), they spotted I had an enlarged heart! Now, they have me on the meds for COPD - I'm still coughing and wheezing and only now beginning to 'produce' so that I hope to be able to put a sample in. This is since November last year. I'm just SO TIRED OF IT and exhausted with it all and now worried about my heart to boot!

Sorry to hear this. It sounds as if you have an infection and need antibiotics. I would advise seeking medical help.

A week ago I’d have said I was almost recovered from my annual long cough, but it’s back with a vengeance now - disturbing mine and my husband’s sleep. It’s my usual pattern, and, also as usual, I’ve booked a week away soon and hope that a full week’s rest will finally see it off.

I came on here today to ask GN if anyone had a nasty chest infection. It’s good to know I’m not alone.
Mine started last Monday and on Friday the dr gave me Doxycycline antibiotics which made me sick and gave me hives over the weekend.
I thought I was feeling slightly better but I can’t get out of bed I feel absolutely dreadful.
Wishing everyone well.

Thank you for all your advice and support. I do have a chest infection and antibiotics have been prescribed. I need to go for a chest xray but the visit to the surgery totally wiped me out so hopefully I'll have some energy tomorrow to go. Been in bed again just got up for a slice of toast. The total loss of energy is frightening at this age (69). We've got alot of living to do !!

I’ve had a cough for months on and off. Some days I am quite husky but no sore throat at all.

I am booked in for a chest xray next Sunday.

My friend is the same, even longer than me I think, but she has finally be given antibiotics.

I’m glad you have been prescribed antibiotics. Hopefully, they will have started to kick in by the time you need to go for the X-ray. I hope you are feeling better soon.

I've had a couple of days of back to the dry cough , headache and complete exhaustion after sorry - drowning in mucous for two weeks .

Age 71 , I thought that I was going to collapse in the garden just putting some bark around my plants - something that I normally do with enjoyment and ease .

I've been trying to catch up on chores , failing to do so and today - some unavoidable social obligations .

I pace myself as much as possible .

One of my friends is in a wheelchair and has the same signs and symptoms .
Comparing our medical history it seems to have started back in the summer and then , in the Autumn through Christmas and New Year it's really kicked in .

I'm just wondering what this bug really is .

Covid is still around too.

It isn't Covid .
That's what concerns me .
What is it ?

I had something similar over Christmas - was in bed for over a week with horrible flu symptoms. Covid tests were negative. Our surgery advised that there are lots of different bugs going around, and couldn’t suggest antibiotics as they said it was probably a virus. Three weeks later I was still coughing up gunge, got an appointment with the practice nurse, and was prescribed antibiotics because whatever it was had turned into a chest infection. 8th Feb - today - I still have the cough and haven’t felt 100% ever since the original illness. I’m immunosuppressed so vaccinated against pretty much everything, so if it was originally a flu bug, I’d hate to think how bad it would have been without the jab !!