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Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

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Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

General health

yet another cough to keep her awake all night.

28 replies

pirategirl · 28/05/2007 21:03

Ive tried everything with these coughs she gets.

is it just another cold? so i give her cough med
is it hayfever? so i sometimes give her antihistimine
is it an allergy?
is it asthma, and so i try her inhalers.

grrr, its a barking cough, yesterday it sounded as tho it had broken, today its dry again.

pollen?
milk or wheat(ex reckons)

who knows, argggggggggggggggggggggg

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fransmom · 28/05/2007 21:10

if it is a barking cough i suggest you take her to gp/out of hours gp clinic asap as it may be croup. dd just recovering from her 3rd bout of it

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pirategirl · 28/05/2007 21:16

hi , fransmum, the last time she had this, they said it was clear in her lungs, and that it was croup and there was nothing that could be done?

what do they do when yours has croup?

will get her an appt for gp 2morrow.

the out of hours is about 15 miles away, and i have no transport. she is asleep atm, and i know that even if disturbed 2night i can get her in in morning to gp, as they do appts for the day you ring only, so theres never a prob.apart from getting thru on the phone after a bank holiday of course.

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fransmom · 28/05/2007 21:22

dd lungs were clear too....... it was in her throat this time. actually there are things they can do to help ease croup. dexamethasone (steroids) is quite good, dd has had to have this again. she also had to have two nebulisers - we had to hold her .

if she has difficulty breathing - really wheezing - take her to a+e. ring for an ambulance cos you have no transport.

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pirategirl · 28/05/2007 21:39

last time i demanded another appt, for this type of thing, the gp, who i dont normally see gave me a tablet that i had to dissolve in water. i had to give her it in teaspoons, a couple every min or so for 5 mins.

bingo the coughing stopped abuot an hour later.

i think they must have been steroids.

a+e is 45 mins away, i live in the stix, but of course if i become really worried i will ring.

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Elibean · 28/05/2007 21:48

pirategirl, poor dd, hope she can sleep through with it.

Obviously if you're worried, A&E.

If its croup, or even if it isn't, a humidifier can help - if you haven't got one (assume you haven't 'cos you didnt' mention one) put a wet towel on the radiator (if you have one in her room). Or if she wakes up, sit her in the bathroom with hot tap running.

How old is she?

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pirategirl · 28/05/2007 21:52

she is just 5, and has had cough probs for yrs, but this is def diferent, last time it took that tablet to shift it.

she had it last week, and it went, with her inhaler, and some cough medicene.

i will be on the phone first thing.

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Elibean · 28/05/2007 21:55

If she is prone to asthma, inhalers might help - or at least not hurt - if it IS croup. I think.

Hope she's better v soon, xx

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Speccy · 28/05/2007 21:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

pirategirl · 29/05/2007 17:06

where does one get cetirizine from??

went to dos today, got more inhalers, have been told to religiously make her take the preventer every day from now on, so that its not so bad when she does get it.

'it' being the virus, or the virus that makes it sound croupy, or in deed the hayfever couhg or asthma. just hate no knowing, they dont seem to know.

Got the tablets, they are 4 little pink things, and she said to use them if she doesnt feel better at all after 2night, as croup is 'suppose d' to improve after 48 hrs?

well i am afraid i gave in and gave her the tabs about an hour ago, and do feel guilty , but if they work i dont care cant be assed with another shit night like we had last nite. She couldnt breather without coughing, and threw up twice with the severity of it.

the pills are called Prednisolone.

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pirategirl · 29/05/2007 17:15

just seen that its the ingredient in the Benedryl i already have here.

gawd, i hate giving her stuff. will see how this steroid works. she had it an hour ago but no change, give it a bit longer.

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Speccy · 29/05/2007 20:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

pirategirl · 29/05/2007 21:44

well its not going wel, the steroids have not worked. GP said the croup would last 48 hrs, if it is that.

she's coughing non stop, doc siad it would b worse at ight, but i know that anyway.

I have to get her up early 2morrw, take her to a friends, as i have a 3 hr driving lesson booked.

Cant cancel as will have to pay. I pray we have a good ish nite.

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princessmel · 29/05/2007 21:47

I agree about the humidifier. We have one and it does help. they are not too expensive in Argos etc.

Ds has asthma and dd had croup recently. It goes in each of their rooms depending on who needs it the most

I take it you have an asthma duvet and pillow etc. Freeze teddies to kill dust mites etc. Sorry if you have.

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princessmel · 29/05/2007 21:48

Oh and if you're going to give an antihistamine piriton makes them sleep really well....

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kittypants · 29/05/2007 21:49

pirategirl.i really sympathise my ds is doing same.were on second night.we only recently found out he has asthma.he was also quried allergies when younger.so im same.is it cold,asthma etc?.hes coughing all night,being sick when coughing,off food and milk.grrr

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kittypants · 29/05/2007 21:51

ooh we have cheapy pound shop humidifier-one use things i think.will try it.can i give piriton to 17 month old?sorry pirategirl,nicking all your advice!

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pirategirl · 29/05/2007 21:58

hey ask aaway, anyting to help any of us.

I am at the end of my rope with it tbh. It comes and goes about 10 times a year. stupid f ing ex dh insists she has a wheat allergy, cos he is stuck up his own hippy ass, and has been saying he's gonna take her to a homeopath, or for testing-WELL FUCKIN DO IT THEN.

I then get the balem for her coughs, from him, him saying 'she's always coughing', huh, wht you mean the one night a fortnight u have her, what about me having to be there all the time.

sorry lol, it just makes mestressed.hearing her like this.

its a case of, when she gets a cough, boy does she get a cough.

I gave her some benedryll, hasnt worked, might invest in piriton at some point for the help with sleep, and maybe vodka for me.

i willinvestigate a humidifier, how much r they?

have read so much stuff about all this, that they said a humidifier doesnt work?? i see its not the case for everyone?

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kittypants · 29/05/2007 22:01

worth a go?i got pound shop ones.

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princessmel · 29/05/2007 22:02

The humidifier we have is a plug in one. I think the one you have kitty may be one that hooks onto a radiator.

It was about £30. You put a bit of water in the bottom and plug it in. It makes the room really damp. So much so that we protect the carpet with a towel under the humidifier. last time dd had a cough we put it on and she stopped coughing after about 5 mins.
Piriton is ok for over 12months I think.
We see a homeopath but not just for asthma. For allsorts.

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pirategirl · 29/05/2007 22:08

ok, just need to clear up, I am a hippy ish type, but my ex thinks anything can be solved by just looking at a crystal for a long time !!

Better still just talking about something for months and never actually helping, or doing, that works!!

I just dont think she's got a wheat prob, and i regularly use natural prods,and rememdies, but nothing has helped with this cough.

the humidifiers i have been looking at seemto be about 30-40 quid

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kittypants · 29/05/2007 22:08

no its plastic tub with water or gel in and some sort of stones on top.apparently granules turn to gel when its finished.it says indoor dehumidifier.probably crap but says www.151.co.uk

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princessmel · 30/05/2007 07:56

Oh if it says dehumidifier than thats not what you want. That absorbs the extra moisture in the air. A cough is better in damp air so you need a humidifier

Yes pirategirl thats about how much we spent. They have them in argos. It looks like a kettle. Similar size. With a spout for the moisture to come out the top. A section at the bottom that you unscrew and put the ater in.
Hope your night was ok.

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kittypants · 30/05/2007 12:52

princessmel.ha ha thankyou!.ill look in argos.maybe lack of sleep has got me!

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pirategirl · 30/05/2007 20:18

the night was pretty awful once again. I think that the cough has started to break slightly today, not every time but soemtimes.
This will hopefully mean it is going to get better.

I am going to town on friday and night get one from argos.

the driving lesson was long today, i was shattered, but didnt crash into anything!

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quadrophenia · 30/05/2007 20:23

Hi pirategirl, I have a friend who had problems for years with her dd and a persistant non productive cough, she was at the end of her tether. She had no real help, or suggetsions from her gp and really found it all very draining, emotionally and physically for both her and her dd. Well she tried cutting dairy out of her dd's diet and it worked wonders, she said the change is unbelievable. maybe something worth considering, although she admits it can be hard work she instsntly knows if her dd has eaten dairy as it returns with avengence. I really hope you find a solution soon