Chronic colds since moving to UK? Just me?

Yes, the NHS has been especially amazing to the MIL right now who's been going through stuff.  Really quick and good care.  Except for pain relief after major surgery.  Where they told her to pick up paracetemol in Tesco.     No danger of an opioid crisis up here due to prescription pain killers. 

Right?  I got TWO WHOLE paracetemol to get me through labor with my second.  Seriously, I'm surprised I wasn't just offered tea.

I never had allergies in the States like I have them here!  There is something that blooms in May and June that just does a number on me - I feel like I've run a marathon. It has gone away after it hits July or August, so far. I've always been allergic to mold, so perhaps it's the damp. I spent the 40 years before moving over here in one desert or another, so things that grow in prolonged damp are not something my immune system was ready for. I had it bad in 2017, not as bad last year, and "hit by a truck" this year.

I have also had two really nasty, vicious colds since arriving in SP '17. I don't think I had a proper cold in the States for a good five years before moving over.  There are going to be some "bugs" here that your immune system may not have encountered before. Consider it like putting a kid in daycare for the first time, only not as bad. 

Could be the rapeseed fields. I had no allergies in the US (pine pollen capital of the US) and I'm torn up here as soon as I walk out the door. It's only during the time the rapeseed is in full bloom. I'm pretty good right now.



Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

You definitely get chesty type colds/viruses, and more stomach bugs, when you move here, particularly if you have young children, who are constantly exposed to it at nursery or primary school. But you do build up a resistance over the years although I recommend the flu jab every year. And if you have not had a chicken pox vaccine, get one now. I had never had this vaccine stateside, and within a few months of being here someone gave chicken pox to me, and I was stuck quarantined at my rented house for around four weeks, with pock marks all over my face and belly - this from riding the tube as I overheard someone next to me talking about how they just had chicken pox and a few days later I had it. So much for not being infectious after your pock marks go.

Part of the problem with getting colds etc is the weather. Another problem is the fact that people over here think it's fine to go out in public, or be in confined spaces like classrooms or queues, etc, when they are highly infectious and they cough and splutter repeatedly without covering their mouths, this happens everywhere, all the time, drives me mad. They love to openly talk about how ill they are, and they almost seem to make point to go out and infect others. No respect for others. I do believe more people stateside are a bit more conscious of trying to keep their germs off others.

The other year, I caught the worst flu I ever had in my life off someone who purposely coughed in my face as I poured her coffee. She didn't apologise. And she did it repeatedly. I looked up at her, and she just had this stone cold stare. Three days later, I was really ill and didn't recover for over two weeks. Which i why I now recommend the flu jab.

You definitely get chesty type colds/viruses, and more stomach bugs, when you move here, particularly if you have young children, who are constantly exposed to it at nursery or primary school. But you do build up a resistance over the years although I recommend the flu jab every year. And if you have not had a chicken pox vaccine, get one now. I had never had this vaccine stateside, and within a few months of being here someone gave chicken pox to me, and I was stuck quarantined at my rented house for around four weeks, with pock marks all over my face and belly - this from riding the tube as I overheard someone next to me talking about how they just had chicken pox and a few days later I had it. So much for not being infectious after your pock marks go.

Part of the problem with getting colds etc is the weather. Another problem is the fact that people over here think it's fine to go out in public, or be in confined spaces like classrooms or queues, etc, when they are highly infectious and they cough and splutter repeatedly without covering their mouths, this happens everywhere, all the time, drives me mad. They love to openly talk about how ill they are, and they almost seem to make point to go out and infect others. No respect for others. I do believe more people stateside are a bit more conscious of trying to keep their germs off others.

The other year, I caught the worst flu I ever had in my life off someone who purposely coughed in my face as I poured her coffee. She didn't apologise. And she did it repeatedly. I looked up at her, and she just had this stone cold stare. Three days later, I was really ill and didn't recover for over two weeks. Which i why I now recommend the flu jab.

Probably because you are an American. These damn sick Brits are out to get you.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Could be the rapeseed fields. I had no allergies in the US (pine pollen capital of the US) and I'm torn up here as soon as I walk out the door. It's only during the time the rapeseed is in full bloom. I'm pretty good right now.



Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

I don't think we have rapeseed growing up here. My suspicion is that it's one of the local trees.  The Daughter had trouble with Eucalyptus trees at home, but none of them here. She was sitting on the bus and a lady sat down across the aisle with a big, lovely bouquet of cut flowers and that totally set the Daughter off.  But not me. So, no telling. Got hit with it bad the first summer we were here, not last year, and now again this year. The both of us.

This is what I was thinking!

For the OP, I have asthma and there is so much pollution in London that I can't be in the city period without a mask and rescue inhaler. You may want to consider a good quality HEPA filter at least for your bedroom. The pollution here is really truly shocking. They can easily test if you've developed asthma or another reactive airway disease, so I would push for a referral if you keep getting sick. They can also easily check if your immune system is responding to viruses correctly (they give you the pneumonia vaccine and check the titers a few weeks later) so there's also that if you keep getting very ill for long periods of time. Don't let them fob you off. I really hope you feel better soon!

Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk

I think I’ve developed some sort of asthma now  but cannot get my gp to do any test. I haven’t stopped coughing since I had a chest infection in the start of this year. My only relief is Benadryl at night and then two diff allergy tablets in the morning.  I’ve had chest X-rays but that is it. Last time I went to gp in May they literally gave me antibiotics and a prescription for over the counter allergy pills. I’m thinking about going private through work...

Right?  I got TWO WHOLE paracetemol to get me through labor with my second.  Seriously, I'm surprised I wasn't just offered tea.

You are a legend! When I was going through my stuff earlier this year I couldn’t get the midwives to stop asking if I wanted more codeine. They offered me a refill three times( initial prescription was 28 pills). I told my husband it made me uncomfortable Because I know the effects these can have on people and I felt like they just kept pushing.

I think I’ve developed some sort of asthma now  but cannot get my gp to do any test. I haven’t stopped coughing since I had a chest infection in the start of this year. My only relief is Benadryl at night and then two diff allergy tablets in the morning.  I’ve had chest X-rays but that is it. Last time I went to gp in May they literally gave me antibiotics and a prescription for over the counter allergy pills. I’m thinking about going private through work...

Have you had any chest xrays since? You can develop non asthma reactive airways, but I'd be concerned this is still tied to the severe infection you had. I would go private if your GP is refusing to refer you to the asthma clinic, I can't understand why that would be though. You should ask for a peak flow meter, that way you can see if your lung capacity is being reduced without the meds. The inhalers for managing asthma are fairly cheap here so it doesn't make sense they aren't doing any additional investigations. I'm sorry you're still feeling so terrible. Another thing that can surprisingly cause a lot of coughing is silent reflux. You might want to consider taking a zantac (ranitidine) at night and see if things improve, but I would also still go private since this has been going on so long.

Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk