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Hacking cough

(43 Posts)
Anya Thu 01-Dec-16 10:16:12

Remedies please.

I had the worst cold I've ever experienced for a week, coughing almost non-stop for 3 days now, to the extent my intercostal muscles ache terribly and I've barely slept. OTC remedies don't work.

Has anyone any tried and tested suggestions please? I've also got my 10-year old GS here, off school with the same cough. Synchronised barking!

Anything that might help him too?

??

Nandalot Thu 01-Dec-16 22:01:50

We've all had the cough here too and have only just recovered. SIL who lives in Scotland says it is called the 90 day cough where she is and it did last about that long. Bad news, DGD started coughing again yesterday. She was the one who first brought it home.
Remembered a tip given when DD had whooping cough as a child. Make a syrup by steeping sliced swede or it might have been turnip overnight in some sugar. The juice created did help her cough. Will have to try that for DGD.

GrandmaMoira Fri 02-Dec-16 21:48:17

I take Covonia cough medicine and Hills Balsam cough pastilles. And plenty of liquids e.g. fruit juice. I also take anti histamines and increase my asthma inhalers. Don't go out in the cold unless essential.

Nelliemoser Wed 14-Dec-16 08:14:24

I have had a thought about this cough. I wonder if I/we have had a return of Whooping Cough. I know more than one older person who has. The stuff I read suggests this can happen. our immune system lessens as we get older. I had it as a small child.
Where are our medics?

Nelliemoser Wed 14-Dec-16 08:15:17

Buttercup syrup tastes lovely!

Mumsy Wed 14-Dec-16 08:28:36

One of the reasons a dry cough wont clear is because of central heating, theres no moisture in the air, its a dry heat, try putting bowls of water under the radiators to put moisture in the air.

rosesarered Wed 14-Dec-16 09:07:34

We both joined the 'cough club' a couple of weeks ago, and the thought of a 90 day cough is shock
Worse at night and then takes a while to clear in the mornings, I take honey in my tea and have two big mugs of it with breakfast.Take paracetamol during the late morning with a mug of hot blackcurrant juice.At night have a spoonful of Benylin which does make you drowsy ( although we cough all night long anyway.Waaaaaaaah.)

kittylester Wed 14-Dec-16 09:37:42

Mine is back, with a sore throat! angry Mine also varies - sometimes tickly, sometimes the other sort!

Nelliemoser Wed 14-Dec-16 09:47:46

Dont blame the central heating for drying out the air. When the air outside is cold it becomes very dry.

It is not actually the central heating that causes the dry air. Don't turn the heating off to stop the air being dry it will make it worse.
Keep the central heating on and get some extra moisture into your warm rooms. Hang up your wet washing in the living room.

Luckygirl Wed 14-Dec-16 10:29:10

Lots of commiserations with all the coughers - mine is just beginning to subside after about 5 weeks - time for a DGC to give me another I feel smile.

TriciaF Wed 14-Dec-16 11:18:40

Last winter when I had the cough I asked my Dr. if it could be whooping cough, I never had it as a child. Sometimes it made me throw up. Many older people around here had it. He said it could well be, he wasn't sure.

rosesarered Wed 14-Dec-16 11:22:58

nelliemoser is right about adding moisture to the warm house, when we have a shower it's lovely, no cough for about an hour afterwards, as the bathroom is all steamed up.

Synonymous Thu 15-Dec-16 13:21:40

Have you tried inhaling Friars Balsam put in a bowl of steaming hot water and putting your head over it with a towel over your head to contain the steam?
Also put Vick on the soles of your feet and cover with socks.

DH makes the most wonderful hot toddy as follows:
Tablespoon or two of lemon juice in bottom of tumbler
A generous teaspoon of honey(Leaving the teaspoon in glass so that glass does not break when you)
Top up with hot water)
Finish up with a very good slug of whisky and stir well.

Sit with head over the steam so that you can inhale it and sip until it is gone. Have another when it is felt to be necessary (until you -lose consciousness- have a good sleep.)

DH says that the more you have the less you care! grin

(DH has been known to keep this going with paracetemol and aspirin but I could not possibly recommend this. hmm)

Our family use therapeutic grade essential oils so have not suffered like this for a very long time. When/if we feel the scratchy throat, runny nose at the back of the throat we revert to my home made 'medicinal honey' and let that trickle down the throat at regular intervals. We also use other oils in different ways and it works!

Anya Thu 15-Dec-16 13:32:03

Thanks for all the suggested. Various remedies tried and tested and only two had any effect.

The first were Potters Chesty Cough thingmies. I think these worked to a certain extent because the actual sucking helped stop the cough reflex for a while and there was some sort of foul tasting substance in them that seemed to help loosen things hmm

And I invested in a humidifier which I took into the bedroom at night and the living areas by day. So yes, steam has helped. If I had a bad 'do' I'd lean into the stream and inhale. Yes, steaming water plus things in a bowl is one way, but I couldn't be getting up in the middle of the night, going downstairs, boiling a kettle, etc. so the humidifier was there when neeeded.

Still coughing but at least it's not as painful any more, I'm sleeping better and energy levels returning slowly.

rosesarered Thu 15-Dec-16 13:39:07

That's good...at least one of us is feeling better.I think that Paracetamol is helping me, also honey and lemon in hot water.

NanWise Mon 25-Sept-17 23:27:03

Mine started with a hot, sneezing streaming nose all night and next day, and now I have a non-stop tickly cough which is exhausting me. I have been sipping an infusion of lemon & ginger tea bag, Manuka honey, squeezed fresh lemon, and fresh grated ginger in hot water. It tastes lovely, but only works for a few minutes. I'll add whisky tonight. I'll even try the pepper and honey concoction - ANYthing !

BlueBelle Tue 26-Sept-17 07:04:43

I m now in my third week of cold/ cough nothing t do with central heating I don't have it and haven't used any heating yet so not that
I don't use anything but Olbas oil for blocked nose and paracetamol when I felt ill at first onset
All cough medicines on sale are pointless so I m led to understand although I must admit Buttercup would be my choice if I did buy any but I m just waiting for it to subside it does seem a really stubborn strain though

Iam64 Tue 26-Sept-17 08:26:11

This three week bug is horrible and definitely finding new victims.
Take vitamin c and zinc combination, steam your head several times a day - some Olbas oil or similar helps. Rest and find a good book to fall asleep to