3 year old's chest infection still there after 2 rounds of anti b's

[mamabear35]

Hello,
I'm worried about DD who turns three in two days. She's been sick for almost 4 weeks now. It started with a week of fever and coughing before she was prescribed a course of amoxycillin. When she finished the course the fever returned and the coughing was worse than ever. She was due to have her grommets put in (she has had glue ear since December) but the doctors at GOSH said there was now a crackling in her right lung and wouldn't recommend putting her under anaesthesia. She was placed on a second course of antibiotics (augmentin) which she finished yesterday. She hasn't had a fever while she's been on them but her chest is still rattly and she is still coughing. It doesn't sound like she's coughing anything up but its a dry rattly cough. I just don't know how to help her and am worried there could be something worse as her chest infection just isn't clearing up.
We are in France at my in laws at the moment and don't know what comes next. Should I take her to doctors and ask for an x-ray or just wait and see. Would they put her on steroids at 3? That's something I'm not particularly keen on but don't want to risk this turning into pneumonia without me picking it up. Anyone with advice or been in a similar situation I'd appreciate your help.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

Your poor dd. Yes I would take her back.

Is there a history of asthma in the family?
She may need an inhaler and steroids if ABs arebt shifting it. Dd had steroids at 2 and a half.(prednisilone) but obviously it depends on the French health system

[mamabear35]

Thanks Gileswithachainsaw. My DH had terrible asthma as a child, was repeatedly admitted to hospital for a collapsed lung. The GP's back home in London say DD is too young to tell if she has asthma (?). Does your DD have asthma? How did she react to the steroids? I hope she's better now.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

I think it depends where you go because I have friends who's children were diagnosed very young and another friend who's gp refused to consider it a possibility based purely on age and couldn't have been more wrong

Dd was diagnosed around 2.6/3yrs after several chest infections and two hospitalisations for "vital induced wheezing"

It runs in families and is often also alongside eczema and hayfever (although not all the time)

Dd was fine with the steroids but they have been short courses (2/3 days)

The inhaler if they give you one is the harder part to master with regards to recognising when it's time to give it and when to realise it's not enough if that makes sense.

There's every chance this could be a stubborn chest infection or something viral which is why ABs won't shift it and with regards to asthma as I said before, if they don't diagnose before a certain age then you may find this repeats itself :(

But you can't know really til you see the dr. Explain that your dh was asthmatic as a child.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

Oh and yes she's much much better now, hardly has any flare ups and the ones she does are easily managed and we hardly use the inhaler compared to before.

Thy often grow out of it .

[mamabear35]

oh your poor DD, I'm glad the steroids and inhalers seemed to do the trick.

My GP knows about Dh's history but to be fair this is DD's first chest infection and her older sister is clear. OK well I think we will wait and see until tomorrow. If it is a stubborn chest infection it will just draw out and shouldn't get any worse. If she does get worse I'll take her straight back. Thanks for listening.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

There is every chance this is nothing but it doesn't hurt to have it in the back of your mind so your just that little bit more wary if that makes sense. And needing an inhaler to clear a chest infection doesn't necessarily mean it's anything else either.

I have one with And one without too. (Although I haven't relaxed on that front yet she's high risk fir asthma but so far seems ok)

Don't be afraid of the steroids, they are fab and one course is nothing to be concerened about.

I don't know what the weather is like in France at the mo but sometimes if it's really hot or muggy it can make you a bit wheezy.

I'm sure your dd will fight it off soon enough, it's not unusual for anti biotics to need more than one course to clear it.

[GiveTwoSheets]

My 3yr old has just had 3day dose of steroids and been diagnosed as asthmatic, he now has brown and blue inhaler. It's taken 2years of constant coughs, crackles on lung, hes had atleast 4 or 5 lots of antibiotics.

He'd finished antibiotics for a crackle on his lung then two weeks later back to coughing and another crackle on lung and wheezing this time, so he was sent straight up hospital. Even though I'm asthmatic and is family history of it Drs where reluctant to diagnose it and was fob off with the kids get coughs blah blah by one Dr.

[Sirzy]

DS was diagnosed at 11 months so they can diagnose only but only when there is a big history.

I would push for an x ray and/or steroids

[mamabear35]

Thanks everyone. I will keep a close eye on her. I think I will also end up taking her to the doctors here tomorrow or as soon as they can give me an appointment. The weather here is grey and muggy Gileswithachainsaw.
Givetwosheets I hope your 3 year old is better. Can I ask did the steroids have an immediate effect? Where there any side effects? I'm hesitant to give her steroids but you lot have made me feel more comfortable about it. How often do you all use the inhalers on your children?
They mentioned an x-ray at Gosh sirzy but decided not to bother. I should have pushed for it.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

I didn't notice any side effects with the steroids. The first times she had them she had three purple ones which you dissolved in water so the taste can be an issue u Jess your dd is easily bribeable

The ABs however sent her loopy she was really hyper on them

The last time dd had steroids they were tablets she could just swallow which were easier to get down her.

Inhaler- we just have blue one and use it as and when needed she never required (or if she did we weren't given one) a brown preventer.

Unless your diagnosed though the most you will probably get is a blue one if they feel it will help.

[Gileswithachainsaw]

Unless- excuse typos

[Sirzy]

The steroids normally work within about 6 hours with DS, we figured last time he was admitted he had had about 40 course of pred in 4 years, he has never had any side effects from them other than a bit of hyperactivity!

[GiveTwoSheets]

Yes steroids did help, he had 5 little pink tablets (dissolved in a bit of water) in morning, hospital gave him his 1st dose. 1st dose helped wheezing but took few days for rapid breathing and cough to ease off. He also had to have 6 puffs x 6times a day of blue inhaler (equalavent to nebuliser) for few days and brown inhaler twice a day. It's been a week since hospital and he's fine now just using brown inhaler, he has review in few weeks. No side effects whatsoever.

I've had the steroids and nebulisers myself in the past, never had any side effects. I'm hoping that like most children he will grow out of it, mine didnt start til I was 13.

My only concern was that left untreated it can cause more damage and wished I'd been more pushy with Drs.

As pp mentioned steroids tablets taste vile unless your able to swallow them.

Hope your daughter feeling better soon.

[tiredwitless]

After two courses of antibiotics a chest xray would be a good idea. There are infections which don't respond to the commonly prescribed antibiotics, e.g. viral, pertussis, TB, (rare but does occur).

[Gileswithachainsaw]

How is your dd today

[Sirzy]

To make the steroids taste better mix them in a tiny amount of blackcurrant juice.