Mommy's Cough Just Isn't Going Away :0( - Boynton Beach,FL

I would think about pertussis. Back in the day, it used to be called "the 100-day cough"...a relentless, dry, hacking cough that just goes on and on. Many people do not know that pertussis is actually nearly endemic, since most adults were vaccinated as kids but lost that immunity as adults. About 5 years ago, a campaign was launched to revaccinate adults, but that has been slow going. Pertussis, or whooping cough, may not present with the usual wheeze or whoop like you see in the commercials. It may be a simple dry cough. It is fairly harmless to you IF you are healthy, although it can disrupt sleep and therefore make you feel tired. It can be a problem for young children and especially infants (it can be fatal). BTW, I work in the medical field as a pediatrician, that is how I know about all this stuff. We pediatricians know a lot about pertussis; adult doctors may not know as much since they don't see this disease as often as we do.

You can get tested, but if you have already had the cough for 3 weeks or more, there is a high chance of a false negative so it may not be worth it to you. Only thing, if your children start with a similar cough, quickly bring them in to be tested, just to be safe. Good luck.

Hi Kg -I think it's good that you are visiting the doctor again since you arent feeling better. You probably need a different antibiotic and they should also check you out for residual inflammation in your lungs that might be causing you to not function as well as you might otherwise. Drink LOTS of water and try to get a lot of sleep. Your body needs some time to recover and this may have been a little more serious infection which is why it's taking you longer to bounce back.

I hope you feel better soon!

Yup - used to happen to me all the time. I'd get bronchitis several times a year for weeks at a time. I lost about 1/4 or 1/3 of my year, all in all. The cough is usually worse at night, so you don't sleep. So you don't get well. The cough for me was so intense that I had such a headache. And of course, I'd wind up peeing in my pants with every cough. Is this what you are doing?? I'd finish the treatment just to get rid of this infection. That's what I did. Three years ago I found a fantastic liquid nutritional supplement, and I have not been sick since. Not even a cold, never a flu. Same with my husband and son. More energy, good sports nutrition which helps working out (and my husband is a runner, doing much more mileage and with no more knee braces), and lower cholesterol. I can't say enough about it. Maybe you should try it! I like the idea of using all food and no drugs!!!

Did the doctor check you for Whooping Cough? The worst epidemic of WC in 55 years is going on right now.

Last summer I was effected with asthma severely. I usually have very mild asthma and no more than one mild attack a month, but last summer I was severely effected with asthma all summer, fall and winter. I went to my Allergy and Asthma doctor and she said she has seen more mild asthma patience coming in with severe asthma symptoms at that time. I live in Arkansas. It is possible that the same conditions that effected my asthma last year could be effecting you in Florida this year. I was put on several medications to control asthma last year. This year, I have not even had a monthly asthma attack. I quit the meds at the first of spring this year as advised by my Allergy and Asthma Doctor.

2 years ago I had a cough that went on for 8 weeks. My ribs were hurting from coughing so much. I never had a fever. I rinsed my sinuses out with saline a lot and tried to cough up as much phlem in the shower as possible. I'd sleep with a heating pad on my chest. Finally I went to the dr, and they made sure it wasn't walking pneumonia, and they gave me a little cough medicine with a bit of codine in it. I only took it at night because that stuff would really knock me out, but the cough finally went away 3 days later.

I have the same problem and have recently had the same treatment as well. My doctor had to start me on Singulair and it has made a world of difference. He believes my cough was not my asthma at all but rather my allergies (which is how all this starts for me). See if your doctor will give you a sample of Singulair to try and see if it helps. I doesn't not work over night but I noticed a difference in a matter of days.