Whooping Cough???

[Pips]

Hello all!  I am hoping there are some here with some knowledge about Whooping Cough.  I went to the doctor on Monday of this week (5 days ago) and was told I probably have bronchitis, although if I didn't respond to antibiotics, he wanted to test me for Whooping Cough. He put me on Levaquin because I am allergic to Erithromycin.  I have not improved significantly.  I'm wondering two things... 1.  Does it sound like whooping cough?  2. Even if I get tested, would it be accurate due to the Levaquin?

These are my symptoms...  

Initial symptyms (lasted about 1 week):  cold like with mild cough, also lost my voice

Next Phase (has been 10 days since this phase began):  severe coughing that has progressed to periodic (probably 6-8 per day) coughing fits that sometimes cause me to vomit and have difficulty breathing.  I am still in this phase.  While it seems like the coughing fits have begun to come at longer intervals between, and the coughing itself seems somewhat better, I still have one period of really bad coughing at night, usually around 4:00 am.  Last night I was throwing up and having a really hard time breathing between periods of coughing and vomiting.  My airway was definetly tight, but it was more like I couldn't take a breath, like the muscles in my airway wouldn't work or forgot how or something.  Weird!  I don't have a whooping sound, however for the first time last night I did have a strange sound coming from the airway when I finally could take a breath.  More like a wheezing sound then a whoop, but I was breathing shallow.

I should also add that I have asthma and have been using my albuterol inhaler every 4-6 hours.  Don't know that it is helping much.  I finished my last dose of Levaquin last not and am also on Tessalon Perles every 8 hours.  I do cough between boughts of coughing fits, which doesn't seem to fit with whooping cough, but it is mild and I'm wondering if it's due to the asthma.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated!!!  Thanks!

[notwellbutgettingbetter199]

Hi there, sorry for what you are going through, it doesn't sound nice. I have something very similar, except for the asthma. It started with a mild cough, but after 2 weeks the cough got aggressive causing me to lose my breath and gasp for air, as you say "like i have forgot how to breathe". Yes very weird, and very scary. I went to the doctor on the 3rd week and was diagnosed with Whooping cough. I dont make the whoop noise after coughing, but when i gasp for air i make a terrible whoop noise. sometimes i might spew small amounts of mucus as well. Unfortunately even though i am on antibiotics now, i was too late in getting to the doctor, and the medication is only really going to stop me spreading the infection, and Maybe minimize the severity of the coughing. It is now week 4-5 and the cough has calmed down, but this is also due to a lot of rest and fluids, and also trying to control and calm myself when coughing starts. I would like to think that i'm not going to have to gasp for air again, as my cough has definitely weakened. The only thing to do is ride it out, and try to stay as calm as you can when you struggle to breathe, otherwise you panic and struggle some more, trust me i know, and get as much rest as you can. I find if i am doing NOTHING at all, and not using my energy it is way easier to control. this is being called the 100 day cough, most people dont even go to the doctor and just ride it out, they must be the lucky ones who dont have trouble breathing. Hope you get better soon.

[Pips]

Ok ... let's add a low grade fever (99.8) to the list.  Also husband listened to lungs with stethescope yesterday and said while they were clear in the upper lobes, the breath sounds were somewhat diminished in the lower.  No wheezing or crackles though.  So... now am thinking Walking Pneumonia???

Any ideas?