I have had this on a couple occasions and it has never caused me to loose control of my legs or faint. It would explain the coughing fits though.
I had what was diagnosed as Walking Pneumonia in my twenties. Finally went to the doctor and he wanted to put me in the hospital but I didn’t want to go. He said only way I couldn’t was to come in to his office every day for a period of time for shots. I was so sick, my chest hurt and I could barely get out of bed for a few days.