Tips for a nasty cough?

[Deleted User] · 11/12/14 - 18:22

Does anybody have any tips on how to sooth a hideous cough from hell?

Since Monday I've had a nasty cough, both tickly and chesty and it's stopping me from sleeping, hurt the muscles in my stomach and back and is an all round pain in the arse >:(

I've got some syrup for a tickly cough, and some Robitussin for the chesty cough, plus some strepsils (Forgot how AWFUL they taste

)

Any tips at all on how to help? One of the worst bits for me is the tickly cough and coughing to the point of nearly throwing up. I'm willing to try almost anything at this point. I've just read that most coughs last about 18 bloody days, I do not like the sound of that.

I have onions, can I do anything with onions?

If anyone has any tips at all, that'd be great

itsy bitsy · 11/12/14 - 19:06

My hubby swears by Covonia cough medicines for tickly and catarrhy coughs.
He had an awful one earlier this year and that was the only med that hit the spot.
Hope you feel better soon.

chopsim · 11/12/14 - 19:18

itsy bitsy wrote: »

My hubby swears by Covonia cough medicines for tickly and catarrhy coughs.
He had an awful one earlier this year and that was the only med that hit the spot.
Hope you feel better soon.

I agree. Covonia is very effective. Tastes foul tough.

Marshi · 11/12/14 - 19:19

I had an annoying cough recently which was chesty/producing phlegm initially and then switched to a dry, tickly cough that just wouldn't go away. I found that switching all of my drinks to a hot cup of honey (literally just mixing the honey in a cup of hot water) and taking a couple of spoonfuls of honey before bed really helped me. Worked better than any of the over the counter medicines anyway! And it tastes better. ;-)

[Deleted User] · 11/12/14 - 19:20

itsy bitsy wrote: »

My hubby swears by Covonia cough medicines for tickly and catarrhy coughs.
He had an awful one earlier this year and that was the only med that hit the spot.
Hope you feel better soon.

Thanks for the tip, I'll get some tomorrow. Bloody tickly cough is the worst, unpredictable and causing me to nearly throw up every hour.

Hopefully that won't last 18 days surely it can't?

[Deleted User] · 11/12/14 - 19:21

Marshi wrote: »

I had an annoying cough recently which was chesty/producing phlegm initially and then switched to a dry, tickly cough that just wouldn't go away. I found that switching all of my drinks to a hot cup of honey (literally just mixing the honey in a cup of hot water) and taking a couple of spoonfuls of honey before bed really helped me. Worked better than any of the over the counter medicines anyway! And it tastes better. ;-)

Cool nice tip, I will grab some of that tomorrow too (Or rather send my sister to get some lol), any particular kind of honey?

Darthchaffinch · 11/12/14 - 19:25

heaped desert spoon of decent honey (NOT genric supermarkert rubbish) and a half teaspoon of cinnamon in a mug of hot water. It really does work.

FilliA · 11/12/14 - 19:31

Pulmo Bailey cough medicine tastes disgusting but works for me. It is seriously hard to swallow

[Deleted User] · 11/12/14 - 19:32

Darthchaffinch wrote: »

heaped desert spoon of decent honey (NOT genric supermarkert rubbish) and a half teaspoon of cinnamon in a mug of hot water. It really does work.

I have cinnamon in the house, but no honey at the mo, is cinnamon in hot water worth a go?

Darthchaffinch · 11/12/14 - 19:40

evesapples131 wrote: »

I have cinnamon in the house, but no honey at the mo, is cinnamon in hot water worth a go?

if desperate yes- add some sugar to the water.

Gormagon · 11/12/14 - 19:46

My grandmothers trick when I was a small(er) child with a tickly dry cough was a knob of cold butter rolled in castor sugar and allowed to melt in the mouth.

[Deleted User] · 11/12/14 - 20:06

Darthchaffinch wrote: »

if desperate yes- add some sugar to the water.

Gormagon wrote: »

My grandmothers trick when I was a small(er) child with a tickly dry cough was a knob of cold butter rolled in castor sugar and allowed to melt in the mouth.

Thank you, I'll be trying these at some point tonight no doubt I've been ok for 30 minutes now, I'm winning

[Deleted User] · 11/12/14 - 20:18

You cough because your immune system is not strong enough to repress irritation in your throat, or because you are allergic to some irritants in the atmosphere or both. The amino acid Histidine is the closest thing to a cure you can get.

Born lippy · 11/12/14 - 20:36

I read last night that chewing peppercorns is meant to be good for coughs!

I drip manuka honey down my throat and munch raw garlic

My sis swears by pholcodine

Each to his own. Hope you feel better soon xx

lea_uk · 11/12/14 - 20:43

Born lippy wrote: »

I read last night that chewing peppercorns is meant to be good for coughs!

I drip manuka honey down my throat and munch raw garlic

My sis swears by pholcodine

Each to his own. Hope you feel better soon xx

I had a really bad tickly cough a few years ago and Pholcodine was the only thing that worked. I tried the usual cough medicines and honey, lemon and hot water for 2 weeks. I finally got the Pholcodine and the cough was gone in a couple of days,

Born lippy · 11/12/14 - 20:48

Yeah lemon hot water does nothing for me, I always wonder if the boiling water kills the goodness? Lemon squeezed on its own into a glass gives my immune system n energy a real kick.

Same with honey, it makes stuff taste nice but the real cough fighting benefits seem to be had for me when the rich undiluted syrup hits n coats your throat?

Chewing ginger killed my last hint of a cold n gave a lot of relief

But yeah, pholcodine, though I can't stand medicine, sometimes your body just needs some damned rest

Johnbee · 11/12/14 - 20:56

OP, the big question is have you got any stuff to cough up and what colour is it? If just white, transparent or a bit yellow, forget it. You have a virus and will have to tough it out with whatever method grandma says.
But if it is yellow/greenish, that is different. That is a bacterial infection. If it is bad you can get rid of it fast with an antibiotic. Obviously antibiotics are over used and all that, but I am just giving information. I wouldn't use one unless I had good reason but if I had a good reason, I would take it with no hesitation.

Note, I am not a doctor so might be talking baloney like nearly everyone on the web. Even worse I might be deliberately misleading you to try to harm you, like some sick individuals do on the web. But don't take majority advice, take expert advice.

[Deleted User] · 11/12/14 - 22:31

I find steam inhalation is good for the sinuses and chest but needs doing more than once to take effect

curvybabes · 11/12/14 - 23:11

Covonia is good, but try rubbing vicks vaporub on the soles of your feet then put your socks on before bedtime, I thought it sounded crazy but it worked .. google it

justatech · 11/12/14 - 23:45

I have the same problem. I hurt so much this morning I couldn't stand up straight. I'm using paracetamol and Asda Mentholated Bronchial Balsam and so far it seems to be working. Touch wood!

Hypnodisc · 11/12/14 - 23:49

Codeine, and lots of it (well, within the limits on the packet

).

Seriously, codeine will stop any cough dead.

Fizzbin · 12/12/14 - 00:16

Hypnodisc wrote: »

Codeine, and lots of it (well, within the limits on the packet ).

Seriously, codeine will stop any cough dead.

And stop your digestive system in its tracks too ;-)

My tip is to use soluble co-codamol (codeine and paracetamol). Sip it slowly, gargle with it, sip again, gargle again etc. (don't just drink it all). That way it acts as a localised painkiller in the throat. Make sure the tablet is completely dissolved, and if it tastes too salty, leave it for an hour for all the bubbles to go.

MartinPickering · 12/12/14 - 16:16

I'll second the honey and cinnamon recipe.

In addition, buy some menthol crystals from any pharmacy. Pour boiling water into a suitable container, add a couple of crystals and breathe the vapour into your lungs. Some people put a towel over their head to keep the steam in. I prefer to put the towel over the container and lift it just enough to allow me to breathe a mixture of fresh air and vapour. It kills the cough.

And, finally: I am slightly inclined towards asthmatic coughing if I have catarrh. If I suspect this is the cause, I take a Cetirizine Hydrochloride pill. You can buy these over the counter as "hayfever reief".

barbeler · 12/12/14 - 20:17

Hypnodisc wrote: »

Codeine, and lots of it (well, within the limits on the packet ).

Seriously, codeine will stop any cough dead.

As well as your bowel movements.

[Deleted User] · 12/12/14 - 23:52

Well last night was fun, slept for about 45 minutes or so and coughed my way through the rest of the night and most of the day today.

Got my hands on some Covonia at 4 today and was cough free for 7 hours

(mostly cough free anyway)

Had another 2 coughing fits in the last hour though so I'm nervous about what the night has in store, hoping to get some sleep tonight, I think the covonia tastes nice

Poppy99_Poppy · 13/12/14 - 08:12

Someone who had whooping cough as a child and has had a propensity to cough ever since recommended Tyrosets (not sure if that is the correct spelling). I used to have these when I was little, orange throat lozenges meant for throat infections. I get bad coughs when I get a cold so I have bought some for the medicine chest. I think they numb the throat so they may stop the tickle. In my long "career" of coughing nothing has worked for me so far, just time to let it go from my system. I hope these might make a difference next time I get the dreaded lurgy.

Hey there!

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