The everlasting cold/cough virus

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.

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

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.

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.

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...

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.

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!!!

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

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.

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'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.

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.

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

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.

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!

I started end of Nov then it seemed to go away came back middle of Dec still ongoing
Ribs aching throat very sore now we all sound we have same virus my mum would have said its not cold enough to kill bugs !

The cold virus doing the rounds is terrible, just goes on and on. Might I suggest that we all keep a small bottle of antiseptic hand rub in our pockets and use it every time we enter a supermarket BEFORE we touch the trolley handle. I also keep one in the car for general use.

Isn't there a clue there missdeke ? Something in your house setting off your cough perhaps? Might be worth getting some antihistamines and if you get the ones that make you drowsy and take one at night it might help you sleep too.

Worth a try???

So sorry to hear this boo2410 what a horrible shock for the family. Condolences A sad Christmas for you all.

Please, please all if your colds/viruses don't clear up or worsen call your GP. My dear Mum passed away on Christmas Eve after a GP at her surgery (she'd never seen him before) told her on the 19th to take a break from sinutabs then start them again. Dad found her in her chair on Christmas eve morning when he got up. She was only 73 and refused to call the doctor out on the 23rd. How I wish we'd all overruled her, it might have been so different.

I've been ill for three weeks, totally missed Xmas and ,I expect, NYE. I'm just coming to the end of a course of antibiotics which cured my sore throat but nothing else. I have a temperature every morning and by bedtime it's over 101 even if I spend the day in bed. Most days I read and doze. I haven't been ill like this since the late 1980's when I had pleurisy. I'm going back to the doctor tomorrow.
I don't know what I've got but it's affecting the whole family as a lot of people rely on me. Commiserations to everyone who has been ill over Xmas and I wish you well.

I've had my cough for 16 months now! Had xrays, allergy tests, inhalers, respiratory tests, pill and potions and nothing works and nothing causing it. I haven't had a full night's sleep since it started and needless to say I'm getting a bit fed up with it, only time it went away was when I was in hospital for an op and the cough took about a week to come back fully after I got back from hospital. Driving is a chore, a pack of Fisherman's Friends is open constantly on the passenger seat for emergencies.
If anyone has any other remedies (I'm sick to death of FFs) I'd be grateful.
P>S> I've had tickly cough, chesty cough, dry cough and mucus cough medicine, herbal medicines, home made remedies that I've searched the internet for and every cough sweet I've ever seen in the shops!

I had vitamins coming out my ears but it didn't stop this one.

oh you poor people you all sound like you are really suffering and it is all the harder to bear at this time of year. My daughter tends to catch one cold after another and was so fed up of always feeling unwell, her GP finally sent her for a blood test to see if she was lacking in something or had an underlying infection. It turned out she was Vitamin D deficient and low in iron. Now on tablets for both of these issues so we are hoping it may help resolve the problem.
Maybe once feeling better, a course of multi vitamins may help boost you for the coming winter months. Get well soon everyone.

Yes, a few weeks now, worse overnight, and during the day the coughs take me by surprise, such as putting a spoonful of soup into my mouth!