Can't. Stop. Coughing!!

It's driving me absolutely mad, I've had drainage and a stuffy nose for the last 2 weeks and an insanely tickly throat that makes me cough all the time until I almost gag.  The worst part is I'm losing sleep because every time I drop off I wake up again choking and coughing.

I'm here on a visitor's visa so I can't exactly go to my fiance's GP without paying loads of money (I went once for an ear infection about a month ago and they were kind enough to see me as a temporary resident), so does anyone have a good suggestion for an over the counter remedy/ cough medicine?

Like others who have posted, I have been sick ever since I arrived in March.  My immune system really must not be used to the UK germs!

It could be allergies and not a viral cough. Why don't you talk to a pharmacist and see what they say?

First time I was ever in the UK or Europe for that matter I got so ill at the end.  When I got home I had the worst cough and no voice left.  I think I just had to wait it out.  Do you have travel insurance?

Check for allergies first with OTC meds.

Hi,

Snap! I have Bronchitis right now, same deep cough as you and little sleep- I have anti biotics and my GP told me that most cough meds are useless and to have lots of hot steamy showers/steam baths over a bowl.  Eucalyptus can help soothe the airways too.

However~ he's not us! ~ so three effective options for you

1) Vegetable Cough Remover from a health food store (tastes nasty, but works!)
2) If you can take it, PHOLCODEINE LINCTUS, very cheap (£2 approx) and make sure you get the one that has sugar or it's VILE! The stuff is excellent
3) A throat soother- Boots Glycerin & Blackcurrant Linctus (£1.10 ish) thick smoothing liquid will allow you enough time to slip into sleep

Hope you feel better- this one hit me with a sore throat on Tuesday afternoon and my whole office wanted to kill me after 4 hrs non stop coughing  

Try Night Nurse for your cough.  Or just walk into Boots and ask what they suggest. Hope you feel better soon. I've had a million colds since I moved here.  

Codeine!  Helps you rest. 

I have to agree it sounds like allergies especially since you are describing drainage---
give claritin a try and a decongestant like sudafed---also don't assume it would cost a fortune to see a GP if it doesn't get better give them a call and find out how much it would be.

Helena

I had it for three weeks! Miserable! I sounded like I smoked two packs a day. Went to the GP and they said there was nothing I could do. I tried cough syrups..nothing. Just takes time.

Codeine!  Helps you rest. 

And, amazingly, one can get it "over the counter" in this country...fantastic! 

But, it can be constipating.   Not good. 

I work in a health food store and we have a few good remedies for this kind of thing.  We can't keep our natural hayfever remedies in stock; they keep flying off the shelf.  The Potter's vegetable cough remover that was mentioned is a good one, so is Luffa Complex by Bioforce (excellent) and Perilla (very good if the problem has to do with - or is aggrivated by - dust).    I have been keeping healthy from viruses and bacteria for the last 5 months with a tincture of echinacea, but the pollen is EXTREMELY severe this year (worse than last year at this time), the hay fever is just terrible.  The symtoms are horrendous (not like the light little sniffle I'm accustomed to with hayfever). Severe headaches and constant tickling itching nose, eyes and throat (which makes me cough and have a scratchy voice...miserable for a singer, I can assure you).  Today I have felt pretty lousy with it (I need to take some of the stuff I sell).