Help-DD coughing up small amounts of blood

[ariane5]

Dd1 (11) has been unwell since the week before easter hols-mild temp on and off, irritating cough, sore throat but also sharp pains in throat.she says that her throat is always very dry and she is tired.

We have been to gp loads-they kept saying its a virus. 2 weeks ago it got much much worse so went back and they took a swab and gave us anti b pres to hold-the swab was negative for strep throat so we didn't give dd the anti b.
She was so unwell all week that I took her back to gp again twice last week, they said again its a virus but reissued pres (for phenoxymethylpenicillin 4x5ml a day) to start if she got even worse. Dd did feel worse so started anti b on friday night.

All yest and today she had stomachache and this afternoon started coughing up horrible phlegm streaked with blood.
She has a cough that sounds like a bark and is feeling dreadful.

Dd also has ehlers-danlos syndrome, pectus excavatum and PoTS (causes fainting/dizziness).

I don't know what to do, she is nearly asleep now having had nurofen and paracetamol.

Any ideas what could be wrong?

[suebfg]

I don't know what it is but with symptoms like those, I'd call NHS direct or go to A&E

[TallyGrenshall]

If she is coughing up even a tiny amount of blood, I would take her to A&E to be checked out

[ariane5]

Dd has gone to sleep now, I don't know whether to let her rest and take her if she wakes up worse in the night or to gp in morning if no better.

She has had whatever it is for so long now and we have been to the gp so many times and they just keep saying its a virus.she had a very mild temperature today. I was wondering if the stomachache was the medicine as it is bright pink and apparently tastes horrendous.

[BrokenBananaTantrum]

Please phone NHS direct of you dont want to get her up.

[suebfg]

I don't want to do GPs a disservice but they are general practitioners. It does no harm to get a second opinion. You could call NHS Direct for their advice.

[ariane5]

Maybe I should just wake her and get dh to take her to a+e then.

I should have taken her earlier shouldn't I, I just thought it was because she had been coughing so hard, then I wondered if the antibiotics were starting to shift something but she did it again just before bed, only a tiny bit streaked in what she coughed up.

[Rosesforrosie]

It probably is because she is coughing so hard.

but

When I coughed up blood under similar circumstances NHS direct sent me to A&E, who treated me really seriously and checked me out fully. it was because I'd been coughing so hard, so they gave me steroids to help it stop.

And when it happened to me I wasn't an 11 year old. I'm sorry I know it's the middle of the night, but I think she needs A&E just to be safe.

[ariane5]

I will get dh to take her I think just to be on the safe side and given that she has a chest problem anyway its probably better to get her seen.

Feel bad I didn't take her earlier.

[Badvoc]

Look, if you are coughing up blood you need to go to a and e.
ESP a child.
Please take her.

[ariane5]

Dh took dd last night.

Apparently she has quite a nasty chest inf and the blood is due to coughing so much.

This happens every time dcs are ill, we take them to gp repeatedly for 2-3 weeks, get told its a virus then they suddenly get v poorly and it turns out they should have had antibiotics much sooner.the dr last night said to dh "why have you left it so long" and he explained that we had kept going to gp.

[Badvoc]

That's terrible.
Hope she feels better soon.
Had the same thing with my ds2 before Xmas...he should have had ABs long before he did.

[MERLYPUSS]

You may find you need an asthma pump just for the times she is getting a cold. We have been given this and DT1 has 2 puffs before bed and it stops his cold escalating to the point of anti biotics. The puffer is steroid but aparantly does not enter the blood streem, just eases the airways. After a week he is fine. I'd rather the puffer than the AB's.