I think this is what I have. Whooping Cough aka Pertussis.
http://www.whoopingcough.net/
I've never had coughing attacks like this before in my life. For the past 2 weeks, I've had at least 2 or 3 attacks a night during which I can't get any air in my lungs and I feel like I have asthma, and they end in vomiting until my stomach is empty. I almost had Wilhelm take me to Urgent Care on Friday night, because I thought I was going to suffocate.
Last night, though, I managed to get a decent amount of sleep and I only had 3 coughing attacks total, none of which ended in gagging. It helps to have the humidifier on all night and to sleep in an upright position on the couch. Everytime I had the more violent coughing spells, I was laying down in bed or eating.
So, even though I was immunized as a kid against pertussis, you can still get whooping cough. You should have a regular booster every 10 years. If you haven't had a booster for whooping cough, you should seriously look into it. The average length of the illness is 6 weeks and it can last for 3 months or so and make you more susceptible to other respiratory infections.
I think because I was immunized once, I'm already past the worst part. My biggest fear is that Wilhelm has picked it up from me, even though he was recently immunized, and he's not showing the symptoms except a stuffy nose and some mild coughing, but if he's carrying the bacteria when our baby is born, our son could get it. In unimmunized infants, the sickness is often life-threatening.
Anyway, I've definitely already been sick for 3 weeks, the last 2 weeks I've had coughing spells, so I'm hoping I'm entering the recovery phase and should be ok by the time the baby is due.
Moral of the story: keep your immunizations up to date!! I doubt I can convince the doctor this is what I have, because we never recorded one of my coughing spells, and my lungs sound clear to him, but I'm going to ask him to give Wilhelm antibiotics, too, to protect the baby in case that is really what I have. Hopefully he agrees.
3 comments:
FYI: There are tests for Pertussis... your doctor could culture it or send a PCR.
I'm a fan of this idea, 'cuz your my sis. (Plus, I think you could make a strong argument that if you truly have that, treating it before your baby is critical - and therefore he or she should send it.)
Outside of this special circumstance, your doctor is probably right - bronchitis is not considered chronic until 4 weeks - even after effects of virus can go that long. Moreover, have you been around others with Pertussis? It's not an illness that crops up at random very often. Abx trials show no difference in pts with acute bronchitis with abx vs placebo. And, in fairness, he's probably thinking in the best interest of your kid - you wouldn't want him to have his first ear infections with amoxicillin resistant bacteria that could come from treating your illness.
Still, if you think you have Whooping cough, ask him to test you. You should be able to just get a nursing appt to have a swab done. (And to convince him, you have to say "I probably don't, but it's so dangerous for the baby, it's worth ruling out.")
Cheers!
Oh yeah... and feel better!
Thanks, the doc believed me, but said I would have had it long enough that only the blood test would be accurate, and since there is nothing they can do to treat it.... it would be a waste of time. After two weeks the bacteria have done the damage and the disease is not contagious anymore, plus I'd have the antibodies... so he said Tristan wasn't in any danger...
Thanks for the good wishes though. I'm only having attacks when I laugh, and sometimes when I lay down now... so it's much better. Tell your patients to keep up on their immunizations!!!
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