Anyone Else with a Cough That Just Won't Go Away?

I've had a cough for about a month now. It cycles between being "productive" and just being a dry cough. It's getting very old. No fever that I've noticed. I'm going to call the doctor tomorrow. Good luck to you two!

There is so much of that going around right now. A vaporizer at night helps but, not much.
I don't think you need to be alarmed it's just the weather fluctuating.
It stinks but, you are not alone!

Hi C.,
I have this currently, and I had it last year as well. I would call your doctor, just to make sure. In the mean time, a good relief from the night time coughing, that I've used on my kids and myself is the following: Take some Vicks Vapo Rub (or the Vicks Baby rub), and spread it on the soles of the feet, cover with socks. It's seems very strange solution, but does seem to work.

Call your doctor! There is a real possibility that it could be swine flu. According to the NY Times
(http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/13/health/13fever.html), cough and fever almost always mean the flu (and swine flu is the main -- and in some areas the only -- flu circulating right now) BUT many patients with swine flu don't have a fever. Educate yourself online, but then speak with a medical professional!! Especially in times like these you shouldn't take chances with your and your child's health.

yes, going on 10 days. Was just saying yesterday i can't seem to shake this cough and have never had anything like this before that it's just different. Seemed like the cough got worse each day. Now it has stablized but constant and yes night time is the worse. I have taken delysm past two night so i can sleep. I have not taken anything for a cough or cold in over 5 yrs. So for me to take something it's bad. I'm a nurse and my husband also in medical field he listened to my lungs i have a expiratory wheeze but other wise lungs clear so i know it's not pneumonia.
Good luck
I'm a 30 y/o mom to two boys 4 yrs and 19 months

We had this-3 yo DD and I. The cough lasted about 5 weeks!! It came and went thoughout the day and after the initial few days of icky cold symptoms it was just the cough. We had a lot of nights when DD would wake up several times with coughing. It didn't sound anything like a whooping cough at all, nor did it fit the description of croup and I had the exact same thing. Finally we are at the very end. She has been sleeping through without coughing for several nights and the periodic coughing during the day has mostly subsided (now it's mostly a burst of coughing shortly after waking). We actually had a well child visit and took her in for a rash, and I had a regular visit over the past couple weeks and our lungs were clear at all 3 visits, although we continued to cough. It was just the course of the illness.

My approach was to up our vitamin D as much as possible, get lots of fresh air and no sugar or dairy (which is tough for a cheese lover, believe me but dairy increases mucus and sugar depletes the immune system). Also the last few days (should have dug it out before) we have been running the humidifier with a couple drops of tea tree oil in it. We did steamy bathroom (or fresh air) before bed our during the nights many nights but I am not sure if that actually helped this cough or not. This was a particularly not-fun illness.

Maybe you have the flu. Fever, body aches and cough are typical with it. If you have any pain in your chest it could be pneumonia.

If it's deep in your chest, it's probably bronchitis. Are you coughing up phlegm? That's common with bronchitis. If it's very loud, it could be whooping cough - even people who've been vaccinated sometimes get it. It could also be croup. If sitting in a hot steamy shower helps, it might be that. Hard to tell without hearing you! Coughs tend to be worse at night, when you are more tired and when you are lying down. I used to get bronchitis 3-4 times a year and it was awful. I've now strengthened my immune system with a great nutritional supplement and I no longer get it - it's been a great 2 years! I used to have to take cough suppressants and expectorants, codeine at night to sleep, and it was awful. I was still sick for 3 weeks at a time. All that money for drugs, and it was a viral thing so no antibiotics would be appropriate. I sure love my life now! Be careful you do not let this turn into pneumonia.

C.,
You and your daugheter should get tested for the flu, just to be on the safe side. In June, I had a similar issue going on. I had a very mild fever one day but a horrible, horrible cough that got worse at night. I went to to the doctor and she tested me for the flu, as I am a teacher and I also had many students out sick at the time. It came back positive! Had I not known I had the flu, I would have gone to work the next day, since I really didn't feel that sick. So please, just to be on the safe side, get it checked out! Even if it's not that, there's no harm in being seen.

sounds like pertussis

My son and I had the congested, crummy, nagging cough; it took 2 weeks to go away completely!!! We didn't have fevers though! I would check with the Dr. could be mild flu-

Hope you feel better soon!

In the past I have a cough which lasted for months. It would be trigged by a cold or sore throat. Eventually through trials of various medicines,and a visit with the specialist, and series of tests I was diagnosed with asthma. Now I only take the medicine if I start to have a cough.
It is just one more thing to think about. I do agree with the other suggestions about calling your doc.
Good luck. It is no fun having a cough that goes on for a while, and wakes you up at nite.

This is definitely going around and it stays for a long time. My daughter, my 2 yo grandaughter, and I have had it for 3 weeks now, finally starting to abate. We have had a sore throat that won't quit along with it. Basically flu-like symptoms to start, sore throat, dreadful cough, especially at night, runny nose. Granddaughter got an ear infection as well, and threw up several times. Doctor put her on anti-biotics, told the rest of us to get a lot of rest. Yuck. It's going to be a long winter.

Hi C.
Oh yeah! I know the feeling. I've had a cough for about nine weeks now -same as you describe. On Sefpt. 30 I was diagnosed with pneumonia and took the whole round of meds but the cough didn't go away only intensified.
So much that my honey and the two dogs leave the room at nite to find peace.

Last Monday I was diagnosed with pneumonia again. The cough is so all encompassing that i've strained two muscles.

Funny thing is I have no other symptoms common with pnemonia - my energy level is 100%, no body aches, fever, chills just this damn cough.

My two nieces 5 and 7 have the same cough but their doctor said there is a serious upper respiratory virus going around and told my brother DO NOT give them cough suppressants -to let the cough run its course.

I hope you and your daughter find relief.

my daughter, my husband, myself, my co-worker, her son..... though we've gotten to the point where we're not coughing during the night anymore - we just cough a lot when we wake up and then it seems to pass for the day....you'll be on the mend soon...give it another week though - it certainly takes its time(runny noses notwithstanding). of course, if anyone has a temperature - go to the doctor - that could be a sinus or bronchial infection and need medicine. i think it's defnitely going around and around and around and it's going to be a tough winter. all i can say is fingers crossed bosses will be nice about sick days. feel better!

Hi C., YOu also might want to be checked for pertussis/whooping cough. When adults get it they often don't get the classic whooping sound, and if your daughter has been vaccinated for it, she might not get the severe whoop either. But it's highly contagious, so you might want to rule it out just to be safe. Chances are it's not, but some of my kids had it and it's the worst thing I've ever experienced. No idea how they got it, but doc. says prob. from an adult who didn't realize they had it. Good luck to you. Hope you feel better soon.

Just this morning I bumped into a friend who's finally getting over a bad bug like that. We have another mutual friend who's had a similar bug, and I understand she had the nighttime cough pretty badly too. So, yes, there is something like this going around. Maybe you can catch some winks sleeping partially upright in a recliner? When in doubt, check in with your doctor or nurse, they may have other suggestions.

Good luck, hope you feel better soon.

Yes, I had this for more than a month. Two trips to the doctor- said it was bronchitis. I rarely get sick, and almost never go to the Dr.

I finally used OTC meds to get some sleep because I was so exhausted. The doctor also recommended an expectorant.

Several other people I have talked to have had this, so it must still be going around.

Both my children have had a fever and cough recently. My daughter is still coughing badly at night or while napping. A few people in my church have also talked about having been sick and the cough just hasn't gone away.
My best advice is keep your immune system boosted.
Drinking hot fluids and gargling with salt water and even swabbing your nose with salt water may also help keep new colds or viruses from attaching your (already hard working over this cough) immune system.
Hope you both feel better soon.
Incase you were wondering its been about 3 weeks for my daughter, 1 woman at church had it for about 2 weeks when I heard of it and that was well over 1.5 months ago.

I have had a cough for weeks. For me it's worst first thing in the morning, just after I get up. Many days the only time I cough is that first few hours. Sometimes I only cough, sometimes I cough up phlegm (sorry if TMI).

I have not yet used OTC medications on it, or called my Dr about it. I'll have to do at least one or the other if it lasts much longer.

Beyond the cough, I don't feel sick at all.