Pregnancy rhinitis. Anyone else?

[AmyKT]

So I've had this post-nasal drip and hacking cough for two weeks. I tend to get long-lasting coughs, anyway, but now I find that there's this condition called "pregnancy rhinitis." It affects about 20-30% of pregnant women and it usually starts in the first tri, but here's the kicker: it lasts at least 6 WEEKS and for some, it doesn't go away until the baby is born! Aaaggggh!! I can't take this for another 4 months! Anyone else suffering with me?

I think this started from a regular cold (DD had it, too) but now it's just settled in for good. I don't feel sick except for the constant dripping of mucus down the back of my throat and the non.stop.coughing... It's making it hard for me to work (where I spend hours a day talking to strangers) and my belly hurts from the coughing and I keep peeing on myself!

There may be some seasonal allergies at play, too, but I stubbornly refuse to admit it. I never had allergies as a kid, so I don't really now what they feel like.

Anyone else hacking the day away? Anything seem to help?

[mum2row]

DDC crashing, saw your post and had to say something, I went through this with both my pregnancies and it is super annoying.

I found using a neti pot helped, it didn't get rid of the drip but definately using it once day made me more comfortable.

[somegirl99]

I've had it since the first tri too. I definitely have better days and worse days.

[AmyKT]

I just had a psychotic break of sorts. I went for a walk because that sometimes seems to help loosen things and while out, I sneezed and I peed so much (didn't even think I had to go) that it dripped down my leg and out the bottom of my pants. Why can't I remember to wear a panty liner? When I got back to my office the coughing fit began again and it's so blasted hot in my office that I threw a cup full of pens across my office, knocked down a poster, kicked the poster, saw it was crumpled, and smashed it up and threw it away. My sweet coworker witnessed all of this and I feel like such a fool, but I'm SO FRUSTRATED! I have to go sit at a public information desk for 3 hours in a little bit, and I know I'm going to cough the whole time.

I'll see about getting a neti pot. I'm sorry I'm not alone in this. Hugs to you other sufferers.

[trimestersdoula]

Last pregnancy I suffered from a stuffed nose and post nasal drip since the beginning of the 3rd trimester. It didn't go away until after DD was born. This time it has been off and on since I first got pregnant. It will stay for 3/4 weeks and then go away for a week (heaven) and then return. It was really getting on my nerves but I have just learned to live with it since I know I will be dealing with it until this LO is born.

[AmyKT]

Jaclyn, a friend of mine who went through this found that the coughing really affected her blood pressure in a negative way. She ended up delivering early due to pre-e. Do you think the coughing may be contributing to your high bp?

[coffeegirl]

I had it a few weeks ago. Very annoying, especially at night. My nose would get so stuffed that I couldn't breathe and would toss and turn all night. Even with the pillows stacked up high I couldn't breathe. I finally ended up taking some Sudafed at night only which I know is NOT a good thing for pregnant women to take, but I was truly desperate to get some sleep...

Then the next day I'd be anxious all day about having taken the Sudafed. *sigh*

I also used one of those little menthol inhalers which made me feel slightly more comfortable at times. Now the stuffiness is gone but I still have a slightly runny nose pretty much constantly.

[CrunchyChristianMama]

I pretty much feel stuffed up all the time, but especially at night. Some times my throat is all irritated too. Thankfully I haven't had the coughing part....

[LindsayK]

I'm right there with you. I got sick more than 3 weeks ago (back to back colds) and have this awful stuffed up nose. I have a hard time eating because I have to take a deep breath, then chew really fast and swallow, because I have to breathe through my mouth all the time. I can't taste or enjoy my food I am going on 22 weeks, and I am still 2 lbs lighter than when I got pregnant.

I AM SO SICK OF BEING SICK!!!!

I totally hear you on the hacking fits, too. I find that the only thing that works is to sip really cold ice water, slowly while willing myself not to cough. You actually can make yourself stop coughing, even if it its spasmodic. I try to imagine that I am hiding from a panther or some scary creature and that if I cough, I'll get eaten. Silly, but when nothing else stops the coughing, sheer willpower can.

Also, the neti pot does help with the post nasal drip (and incidentally, I think that is what triggers my coughing... the aggravated sore throat), sucking on vitamin drops, and just not talking to people. Do you have more of a chest cough, or is it from a really aggravated sore throat?

I had to laugh when I read about your tirade in the office. You totally did what I have wanted to do so many times (not with a poster, per se, but...) Its so frustrating! I think I am suffering from the effects of my cold(s), rhinitis, and seasonal allergies. It totally sucks. Hopefully your cold goes away soon, and you start to feel better!

[trimestersdoula]

Originally Posted by AmyKT

Jaclyn, a friend of mine who went through this found that the coughing really affected her blood pressure in a negative way. She ended up delivering early due to pre-e. Do you think the coughing may be contributing to your high bp?

I'm actually not coughing that much. Maybe a couple of times a day at most. I can just feel the mucous going down my throat and have to constantly clear it.

[Taylah]

I don't have the pregnancy version - I have chronic rhino sinusitis so I deal with it all the time It's just gotten worse in pregnancy I think, and of course I can't take much to help with it.

[AmyKT]

I am miserable! My situation keeps getting worse. Tonight I can't sleep at all because every time I drift off I wake up with a choking cough. I can't even catch my breath with this cough. I don't even want to list the medications I've tried in the last few days. They are all on the approved list my mw gave me, but I still feel guilty. And I know I'm keeping my poor baby awake with all this coughing. That's a big reason I'm keeping myself up tonight-- so she can sleep. I had to miss my family Easter gathering today. Dh took DD and I missed such adorableness as she hunted eggs with her cousin. I'm suppposed to work tomorrow and I know I won't be able to. I just want to cry. Oh, and I'm in a diaper. A real baby diaper. I'm using it as a pad because mine aren't thick enough to catch all the escaped pee as I cough. I am soooooo miserable.

[coffeegirl]

Sorry, Amy!

Since it's so severe, have you thought about contacting your doctor and maybe getting a stronger decongestant or cough remedy? I know it's not a good thing to take strong meds a lot, but everything I have read indicates when you are REALLY ill and miserable, taking prescribed doses in moderation is fine. I ended up taking Sudafed for a couple nights which I'm NOT RECOMMENDING, but it was the only thing that actually did work. Talk to your doctor. Only thing is I wish I had waited in taking the stronger meds....till I was super miserable like you are and there was no other option medication-wise.

[MJB]

You might remember me posting about my cough that wouldn't go away-- started late December and finally tapered off by mid-February. It was miserable, I was coughing until I puked, every day, and would sometimes pee while coughing/puking (and I've *never* peed myself even after 2 kids).
Well, I caught a cold 2 weeks ago and it's still here. It's not *nearly* as bad as it was before, but I was up until 2:30am the night before last with the choking cough. I did the whole cough-til-I-puke bit again and peed all over the bathroom floor. Then I got in a hot shower to see if the steam helped, and puked and peed in the shower. I was a ball of misery. I tried to take some cough syrup but puked it up. Finally I tried the wet sock remedy someone on here suggested before, and it really helped. I finally went to sleep with cold, uncomfortable feet. It was a lot better yesterday but still annoying. I took another dose of cough syrup and was able to keep it down and sleep.

When I was sick in Dec/Jan/Feb, I took a lot of medicine (with my doctor's okay). I felt bad about it, but I was miserable and having a hard time breathing or keeping food down so I think it was for the best. I took, at various times, benadryl, sudafed, guaifinesin, dextromethorphane, and guaifenesin with codeine. Baby Edie was >97th % for weight and perfect at the U/S.

[AmyKT]

Thank you so much for the support, coffeegirl and Mandy. I finally got to sleep at 2 last night.

Mandy, I do remember when you were so sick, and I was already thinking of searching for that thread to see how you survived. I've taken all the mess you listed except for the codeine, though IRL friends who've been through this have said they've had to do that, too. I'm glad to know that Edie came through your trials unharmed. I'm sure my baby girl will be fine, too. None of the meds I'm taking seem to help though. I may be calling my mw for some strong stuff on Monday.

[rlandnl]

Originally Posted by trimestersdoula

I'm actually not coughing that much. Maybe a couple of times a day at most. I can just feel the mucous going down my throat and have to constantly clear it.

I'm with you on that. I wasn't congested till this weekend, but I get crap in my throat and I have to give a couple coughs or clear it, just a couple times a day

[coffeegirl]

Originally Posted by AmyKT

Thank you so much for the support, coffeegirl and Mandy. I finally got to sleep at 2 last night.

Mandy, I do remember when you were so sick, and I was already thinking of searching for that thread to see how you survived. I've taken all the mess you listed except for the codeine, though IRL friends who've been through this have said they've had to do that, too. I'm glad to know that Edie came through your trials unharmed. I'm sure my baby girl will be fine, too. None of the meds I'm taking seem to help though. I may be calling my mw for some strong stuff on Monday.

If your doctor gives you the go ahead, codeine really does work well as a cough suppressant in my experience. Just a little before bed will do wonders. Much better than the dextro-whatever stuff that they put in other strong cough syrups and that makes you hallucinate. (hah always wanted to use that smiley.)

[jenifera2]

Jumping in from September DDC to say I'm right with you! It started for me right at the end of the first trimester and has been ongoing for a month, with a slight break for a few days.

I frequently cough to the point of vomiting and peeing and it's driving me crazy! I finally got a neti pot yesterday. I used it right before bed and slept all night (well, got up to pee but went right back to sleep) for the first time in a month. I tried using it again this morning and felt like I was drowning myself, but will keep giving it a whirl in the hopes of perfecting my technique.

I've found that cough syrup and drops don't help a whole lot because the post-nasal drip is still there irritating my throat. It's getting into seasonal allergy time for me, so I will be taking daily claritin for a while, and that might help too if it dries up my nasal passages a bit. We'll see I guess.

But for now I'd definitely recommend the neti pot. I resisted for a long time since I can't stand having water up my nose, but it has become the lesser of two evils for me.

[lunarlady]

Count me with the suffering, coughing, peeing, post-nasal dripping crew. I've actually starting going "Uh-hemmm" all the time, which is funny because I'm a teacher so whenever I do it I just look at a kid really stern, so the kids all think it is an attention noise not a get this crap out of my throat noise.

The coughing is the worst, however, and once it starts it is like a fit that I can't stop until it passes. Holding my breath sort of helps shorten them, but there is nothing quite like holding your breath with a room full of middle schoolers watching in interest as you slowly turn red. And during conferences, I got one that was so bad that the parent I was talking to was worried about if I was alright. All I could do was nod and wave him off as I coughed and coughed like I was dying, and tried limit the peeing to an amount that would be caught by a panty liner. It easily lasted more than a minute. Wonderful. Drinking water laced with honey helps a little bit, as do warm drinks, but really I will cough anytime I'm exposed to dry, cold air (will winter ever end?), when the temperature changes, or if lean my head back to look up at something. Sigh. And when they strike, my heartburn flares right to kill me, and sometimes I get so nauseated I'm sure I'm about to puke (and have a few times.) Such a lovely side effect of bearing a baby.

I'm hoping the heat of summer will help ease my symptoms. And having a humidifier running at night does seem to make it easier to sleep. I actually think I've gotten better at managing it, and I'm down to only about 2 or 3 fits a day, so I guess that is an improvement. I'm going on about week 12 of the coughing, BTW, so at this point I've tried it all. I guess I'll just add it to my list of noble suffering that I'm sure is earning me good karma somehow.

[meganlisbeth]

oh Amy, I'm so sorry you're feeling so rotten.

i keep hearing that i have a virus that won't go away, but maybe this rhinitis is my problem. i got really sick at the end of Feb and haven't been 100% since. i have yet to stop coughing and my nose is always stuffed. it's terrible.

i hope you start to feel better soon.
xox