WWYD 4yr old DS coughing till sick, 3rd return of 'virus' in 7 weeks

[marl]

The virus that others have been talking about on Mumsnet this week has been with our family for the whole of last half term. On return 2 of this of it with DS3, which makes him weak, raised temperature, cough endlessly until he's sick, the doctor just said by phone 'oh dear, it may go round the family again, not a lot you can do' so hasn't seen him since the beginning of all this. Have just changed 3 lots of bedding tonight, calpol, water, steamer in room, ventolin, 2 pillows...and am now at wits end. He's missed 2 x one week periods of school this term...and the rest of us seem to be stuck in the house endlessly at weekends/holidays as he's either ill or just recovering. WWYD. Any suggestions desperately wanted! He has a healthy diet but during and after each bout of this he then goes off his food and his immune system just seems to be less and less robust.

[shewolfroar]

has a fever run it's course? I think it's sometimes needed to stop the virus coming back. if it is suppressed it..or something else... will just keep coming until the body can run a fever?

[shewolfroar]

and poor you...must be exhausting. we have had it forevee...no fever. our small had a big fever and has cleared it much quicker.

[marl]

Ah no major fever. Kind of 36.5ish to sometimes 37 which is high for him but not high as things go. Poor thing though, he's exhausted tonight and I feel bad I've been fractious with him, desperate for him to 'stop coughing' before he's sick again.

[WhenMarnieWasThere]

My 14yo DD has had a cough that makes her sick repeatedly for weeks now. We went to the GP and he was unconcerned. Prescribed cough medicine and an inhaler. Neither has seemed to have done much. She's still coughing and then sucking in gasps of air and it still makes her sick.

She doesn't want the fuss of a repeat visit to the GP but if it doesn't clear soon then I will take her.

[marl]

Yep, am thinking tomorrow may be that day before the bank hol. 3 nights booked in a hotel next week (which we did a fortnight ago thinkjng 'surely it will have gone by then') and a repeat of tonight away from home would be even more of a shocker.

[redspottydress]

Sounds like whooping cough to me.

[MatildaTheCat]

Agree likely whooping cough. Especially if there are periods of time when there is no coughing at all followed by huge fits of coughing. A blood test is needed for diagnosis but some gps are still in denial that it's a possibility despite having been vaccinated. Three out of four members of our family have definitely had it.

[tshirtsuntan]

My ds is just turned 6 and is also struggling with this, has been sick through coughing most nights for the past fortnight. Saw gp yesterday and as he's already using asthma medication was advised to up the dose of clenil modulate (Brown steroid inhaler). I coughed while in the surgery and he checked me too and prescribed antibiotics for a chest infection! As ds has the same thing I can see us ending up in a&e again with him. I feel for you, it's really distressing seeing them so run down.

[Purpleflamingos]

Poor you. My 5yr old has this. We are booked in to see the sugary nurse today as he isn't responding to paracetomol or ibuprofen anymore. He's just a burning bundle of lethargy. Two hours seems an incredibly long time to wait.

[Wiifitmama]

I would also say whooping cough. Sounds exactly like what a friend and her daughter had recently and it was that. It needs antibiotics to clear it but not all GPs and A&Es are recognising it.