Looney Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 Help! I had a really bad cold last week and have completely recovered except for a really tickly cough that only rears its ugly head at night. During the day I hardly cough at all.....but at night it is dreadful. I think I am getting about 3-4 hours sleep maximum at night and this is interrupted by bouts of coughing. Also having really strange dreams as a side effect! I have tried cough medicine but it doesn't help - I'm beginning to dread going to bed I NEED a good night's sleep! Any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harveypup Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 Try sleeping in a more upright position - ie 3 pillows. This will help to stop the mucous from sliding down your throat and thus making you cough. You could also try taking a Nytol - when I have one of those NOTHING weakes me up ( they are only herbal too) Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 what about steaming yourself with some olbas oil?? (towel,bowl, oil) I know exactly the type of cough your'e on about though, and its awful..poor you....I think in the end cough mixture got rid of mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillfamily Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 you could try hot water with lemon and honey - always helps me. i also try and sleep in a more upright position - 3-4 pillows behind me. Hope you better soon................not nice being sleep deprived Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 Like Chelsea, I swear by steaming. You can buy a fantastic concoction from the chemist called Menthol & Eucalyptus Inhalation, you stir a spoonful imto a bowl of boiled water and inhale with a tea towel over your head - it's brilliant, and great for your skin too. Get better soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cate in NZ Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 Lorna, do you have, or have you ever had asthma? After a cold it can take up to 6 weeks for the cough to resolve, and believe it or not that is normal Asthma, even in it's mildest form can prolong the cough symptom, and it's generally a niggly, tickly cough, especially at night. If it's a tickly cough then steaming etc may not make a lot of difference, absolutely no harm in trying, but generally steam works better for congestion and breaking up thick, sticky mucous as in a chesty cough. Tickly coughs tend to respond better to soothing, calming measures, such as honey and lemon. Sleeping more upright may also help. Have you changed anything recently, such as pillows, bedlinen, washing powder, just in case it's an allergic cough. I hope it resolves soon though, not great to be surviving on so little sleep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotlipz Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 I and everyone else in my open plan office have had this - it's been so dabilitating. I am on week five and still havent had a good nights sleep! What my doctor used to say when I was a kid and suffered from tonsilitis was to disolve a soluble aspirin in a little water and gargle this for as long as you can stand. When you then swallow the aspirin not only will it act as an anagesic and hopefully take some of the swelling down which I suspect you have at the back of your throat but it will have also numbed your throat so it wont feel the tickling - try it, it really works! Failing that have a large brandy!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popcorn Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 Lorna - I've had it for three weeks now. My throat was awful last week, but is getting better now. Only hurts a bit when I swallow. Gargling with aspirin was bliss. It really took the edge off and helped with the swelling. TCP helped too. I've found that a teaspoon of neat honey at bedtime soothes and stops the tickle, and also mixing it in lemon and hot water. Cough mdicine hasn't made any difference to me. I daren't take anymore. It's blummin horrible having a cough. Me and my OH have been sleeping in separate rooms as I'm driving him bananas coughing all night. Hope it clears up soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 I find the honey. lemon and hot water works for me too and I enjoy the addition of a tot of whisky. Helps me sleep, honest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 A bit of ginger added to the honey and lemon concoction works wonders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 Lorna - I've had it for three weeks now. My throat was awful last week, but is getting better now. Only hurts a bit when I swallow. Gargling with aspirin was bliss. It really took the edge off and helped with the swelling. TCP helped too. I've found that a teaspoon of neat honey at bedtime soothes and stops the tickle, and also mixing it in lemon and hot water. Cough mdicine hasn't made any difference to me. I daren't take anymore. It's blummin horrible having a cough. Me and my OH have been sleeping in separate rooms as I'm driving him bananas coughing all night. Hope it clears up soon. Just keep an eye on it Gina and go to the docs to get it checked if it goes on for too long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melanie Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 I had had a dry, tickly, unproductive cough for about 10 days, coughing in the day as well as during the night. I decided to go to my GP as I was feeling exhausted from so much coughing and so many broken nights. I'm also booked in for a hysterectomy next Tuesday and didn't want to face surgery in that state The GP prescribed a codeine linctus (she said it was a prescription only medicine) and it worked a treat! I think I slept through the night the first night I took it and after a few decent nights I felt I'd really turned the corner. I didn't take it as many times in the day as the dosage permits because I was having to drive and there is a warning on the bottle that it may cause drowsiness. When I was no longer constantly coughing, my sore throat also got better. It might be worth a try Lorna - I'd also tried honey and lemon in hot water, ordinary cough medicine and at bedtime port and brandy, whisky mac , a slosh of calvados in hot chocolate (not all at the same time ) but none of those provided more than a couple of hours respite. Hope you feel much better soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popcorn Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 Just keep an eye on it Gina and go to the docs to get it checked if it goes on for too long. I'm going to have to Clare. I can't have anymore time off work and I need some sleep! I think Stefan and I have been passing it back and forth to each other as we've had it for so long. I am feeling and sounding much better now though. Thank you. And I hope Lorna is too. I seem to spend all my freetime down that Doctors Surgery Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Looney Posted January 31, 2007 Author Share Posted January 31, 2007 Thanks for all the advice and best wishes - apologies for not responding earlier - the phone never stopped ringing last night so I didn't get chance! I'm ashamed to say that I am still registered at a doctors surgery in London even though I have lived in Cambridgeshire for two years now..... I have never suffered with asthma although I know I'm run down as my eczema has flared up Well, I tried propping myself up in bed last night but that wasn't great as although it reduced the coughing i can't sleep like that I had a couple of shots of amaretto (is that how you spell it?!) in the evening - mainly because I was feeling sorry for myself but told OH it was for medicinal purposes and before bed I had some camomile tea with honey and lemon and that seemed to soothe the tickle.... .....and I only woke up about three times in the night coughing - YIPPEE! Really sorry to hear that other people are also suffering, you have my sympathies. I feel completely wiped out. Hoping that tonight will be better than last night and by the weekend I will sleep right through. I might even be allowed to sleep in my bedroom rather than the spare room! Hope you are all feeling better too. By the way, a woman at my work has suggested putting a bowl of vinegar on the bedside table and covering it loosely with brown paper - apparently it stops night coughing. Thanks again, you're such a lovely bunch, I feel much better just from reading your messages xxxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 Tut Tut, you bad girl! GET yourself registered with a local GP!!! OH only developed Asthma when we moved to this area, at the grand old age of 29. We have always lived in the open countryside, so you would think that it wouldn't have been the change in air that did it, but it was.... he could only stop his night time wheezing and coughing by drinking huge amounts of strong black coffee... It was a real shock when he was told he was asthmatic. Sorted now though! Get yourself checked out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Looney Posted January 31, 2007 Author Share Posted January 31, 2007 Tut Tut, you bad girl! GET yourself registered with a local GP!!!OH only developed Asthma when we moved to this area, at the grand old age of 29. We have always lived in the open countryside, so you would think that it wouldn't have been the change in air that did it, but it was.... he could only stop his night time wheezing and coughing by drinking huge amounts of strong black coffee... It was a real shock when he was told he was asthmatic. Sorted now though! Get yourself checked out! I know, it's terrible.....I'll do it soon I promise OH is asthmatic so he should also register himself he's been in intensive care before because of his asthma so it really is shameful and incredibly stupid that we are not registered with a GP [Must also find a dentist!] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 ah, I haven't been to the dentist for over 13 years! "Those in glass houses......." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Looney Posted January 31, 2007 Author Share Posted January 31, 2007 Thanks I feel a bit less now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 I've had my cough since the beginning of December when I had a half hearted cold which I saw off in just a couple of days! I always get a lingering cough, it is the absolute worst part of a cold for me. I am not coughing at night though, it is mainly during air temperature changes, and I thought mine was dry, but it was tiny bits of leftover catarrgh which just won't shift. I generally don't take anything as I don't get colds too often, but am now trying some cough medicine this time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 Not wanting to cause a panic - but anyone in Banbury caught coughing is treated like a pariah - ther was a case of TB at one of the schools, although they think it was introduced by someone from India visiting rellies. Gina - now Stefan is at nursery, he will catch lots of things (strengthening his immune system) and will pass them straight on to you. I think I had a cold for the whole of the first year that Rosie was at nursery Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
