ds just woken up wheezing really badly

[booyhoo]

he is 17 months and has had a bit of a cold for a few days. he is wheezing but actually making a sound aswell. don't know how to explain but really bad wheezing. i have given him 2.5 ml of asda chesty cough medicine for children. is there anything else i caan do?

[penona]

Is it croup? Does he sound like a sealion?! It is a very distinctive bark noise.

[penona]

If croup, damp warm conditions are best - can be very serious but usually isn't, need to keep an eye (See NHS direct, or I can tell you!)

Best to take into a bathroom and run a hot steamy shower/bath.

[booyhoo]

he's not coughing. i don't know what a sealion sounds like. it souns like he's saying hiiic, hiiic, hiiic. like when people get hiccups.

[penona]

Oh OK. Croup sounds like a sealion barking, that sort of honking noise. You would recognise it, it sounds mad for a child to make that noise!

If not croup have no idea, someone else will have to help, sorry!!!

[JarethThePomBearKing]

Is he breathing OK? Are his ribs getting drawn in? Check his lips for a blue tinge.

I would ring NHS direct now for advice - 0845 46 47

[booyhoo]

thanks. i think it's just a really chesty cough. i have karvol. do you think that would help? or vicks?

[booyhoo]

breathing is chesty. all husky. no blue tinge to lips. thanks will ring them now.

[JarethThePomBearKing]

Only reason I ask is that I saw a 2yo go downhill extremely quickly with a chesty cough last week. Literally fine, scoffing food, then an hour later all wheezy and miserable. She had a bad chest infection and was borderline on being admitted to hospital.

I came down with it a few days later and it hit me in about an hour - was fine at 9pm, by 10:30pm I was wheezing and struggling and feeling like crap

[booyhoo]

FFS. NHS direct not available in my area. advised to contact GP!! i just called my mum as she has the NHS direct book and it just advises 'self care'. he has fallen asleep now and the wheezing has settled, peobably the cough medicine. I have put a bowl of hot water with karvol in it in his room. couldn't find the vicks.

[JarethThePomBearKing]

btw, what coughing medicine did you use?

[NorthernLurker]

If it comes back I would get him seen and if he's off colour tomorrow I think a visit to GP is in order.
Croup is a weird noise! Dd2 had it once - scared me to death.

[booyhoo]

it was asda chesty cough medicine for children from 1 year. i gave him 2.5ml as per instructions. yep, i will ring OOH if he wakes and is wheezing.

[JarethThePomBearKing]

Just wondered because I didn't think you could get cough meds for under 6's
(I stand corrected :) )

[booyhoo]

i wasn't sure if it was suitable for him either (i have a 5 year old so have it for him)but i checked. it is definitely for 1 year upwards.

[trixymalixy]

I would get him seen by the out of hours GP asap or even take him to a&e.

Little children can go downhill really quickly. I once took DS to the GP with a bit of a wheeze, by the time we got there (5-10 mins), he needed a nebulizer and was admitted to the children's hospital.

[booyhoo]

he is sleeping now trixy (has been for over half an hour)and the wheezing has settled way down. if he wakes again with it i will ring them.

[blinks]

i work at nhs24 and don't like the sound of this.... any extra effort to breath needs looking at promptly. at this young age it can become serious very quickly so really you should get him seen asap. nhs direct should be available to everyone, no?

cough medicines shouldn't be used for children under 2 by the way.

[JarethTheGoblinKing]

booyhoo - how is he this morning?

[booyhoo]

blinks i am in county down. the message said NHS direct wasn't available in my area. the medicine definitely says 1 year+. i wouldn't have given it to him if it hadn't.

jareth he is much better. i brought him in with me so i could keep an eye on him, he slept all night(i didn't) and no wheezing when he woke. he is a bit husky when he talks (well, when he makes his own sounds) but apart from that he isn't having any trouble breathing.

[bossyboop]

booyhoo glad to hear he is ok now. Just wanted to share my experience, my dd who is 3 had a cough and ear infection, her voice was hoarse then one morning she woke up and by mid morning was gasping for breath and wheezing a bit. I knew it wasnt great but she wasnt getting a blue tinge round the mouth and managed to get appointment at doctors that afternoon. By the time we got there she had to go on the nebuliser. Luckily she was ok after that and we took her home, she had to have a course of steroids and salbutamol inhaler. In hindsight I should have rang an ambulance as breathing difficulties can deteriorate within minutes. Reading about other mums experiences on MN and seeing her on the nebuliser made me realise just how serious it was.

She has been poorly again with an ear infection and so again back on the inhaler. She coughs to get air into the lungs rather than to get rid of infection. Its a dry persistant cough that often only comes at night.

Just wanted to share my experience as when its breathing difficulties it can be very serious and although common in young children to develop a wheeze during colds it may also be a viral infection which if left could get a lot worse. Vapour rub and steam inhalation are also useful to help the airways. I find the problem with dd is that she gets congested during a cold and cant quite blow her nose properly. As the doctor said she was coughing to get air into the lungs cough medicine was pointless and only an inhaler would help to open the airways.

[booyhoo]

thank you bossy. i will definitely be keeping an eye on him. today he has been fine. no wheezing at all. getting a bit worried that he might go downhill tonight again though so will keep OOH gp number on speed dial.

[trixymalixy]

Glad to hear he's a bit better boohoo.