<p>So I’ve had a bad cough for 12 days straight. Dr. prescribed some antibiotics over the phone. Missed 3 days of work (no sick time). Other symptoms are extreme fatigue, some congestion, and recurring headaches totally resistant to aspirin. Cough only weakly responds to cough syrups. Sometimes coughing fits are so bad that I have to fight to regain normal breathing (not exactly “whoop”, but close). </p>
<p>No fever or chest pains, so hoping it’s not pneumonia. </p>
<p>Any experience with whooping cough in adults?</p>
<p>Sounds like a visit to the doctor is in order. I actually felt pretty good between whooping episodes when I had pertussis and it was much worse at night, but I don’t know if that is typical.</p>
<p>You sound exactly like my son and his symptoms late last week - he went to the ER. And was diagnosed with pneumonia . The headache, exhausted, cough, congestion- he did have fever too. Go get checked out!</p>
<p>Goodness, sylvan, it sounds like it is time to see your doctor! The antibiotic not working does not mean much - it could be that you have some bacterial infection that is not sensitive to the prescribed meds. Get well soon.</p>
<p>Pneumonia is going around our area too…go see a dr. The extreme fatigue is how I know our boys have pneumonia vs something else. They seem to get pneumonia once a year or so.</p>
<p>I have had almost the exact symptoms—and did have the “whoop” developing (sound made when trying to breathe in between coughs). I was diagnosed with bronchitis and given a round of steroids, a z-pack and some prescription cough medicine. The difference has been AMAZING. </p>
<p>Shuffled down to the doc and got a general diagnosis of bronchitis with prescriptions for steroids, more antibiotics, and cough meds. Hoping to follow churchmusicmom on a path to better!</p>
<p>Feel better soon- may take a week or so. All 4 of us had bronchitis from July till Sept. I didn’t have much sympathy for the rest of the family till it hit me in August. Knocked me off my feet for a full week. Not fun.</p>
<p>FYI, I had pertussis as an adult (despite having the childhood vaccine). The “whoop” during the coughing bout was very distinct, followed by vomiting. During self-diagnosis, I read that with pertussis, one literally feels like they are going to die, and that is exactly how I felt. Fortunately, I recovered completely with an antibiotic (which, btw, does not cure the pertussis, but prevents secondary infections).</p>
<p>^Thanks - always difficult to make that decision to go to the doctor, since our insurance has a very large deductible. I’ll give pretty much anything 2 weeks to run its course, but this was just getting to be a major pita.</p>
<p>A teenager in our school district was just diagnosed with whooping cough. My 4 year old nephew got it a few months ago even though he had been vaccinated against it. Because he was vaccinated, he had a relatively minor case.</p>
<p>Time to go to the doctor. </p>
<p>PS–Be careful during your coughing fits. My husband broke a rib one time during a coughing fit.</p>
<p>H and D have both cracked ribs during (non-whooping-cough) coughing. Painful.</p>
<p>I really, really hope more folks get vaccinated. My nephew (who is one of the teens whose vaccinations wore off) caught it this summer and infected several others at his CTG camp, along with some school chums before the docs figured it out. I’m one of the few who cannot have the darned vaccine because I’m allergic to tetanus vaccine, and you can’t get a pertussis-only vaccine, at least in the US.</p>
Even without the chest pain or a fever, it could be pneumonia.</p>