To be so fed up and let down by medical professionals? Any help out there? Child cough.

When my baby was 8 months old (she is 14 now), she started coughing like exactly what you are describing. We were seeing a very expensive peadiatrician at the Bupa Cromwell hospital at the time for other issues. He melpt telling me to wait it out re: the cough.

then she starting vomitting everything and couldnt keep milk in only could keep rice milk which has 0 nutrients in it. At the last check it turns out she had lost a kg. Which is loads.

i decided to get a second opinion with another pead. She was diagnosed woth pneumonia. Both the GP and the effing paed had missed it.
cue 14 days of antibios, for which i had to wake her up at midnight as they were real 24hrs ones.

then with no iron, shit loads of antibio she had a reactive arthritis in her right arm.

at age 3 we removed her adenoids which have HELPED A LOT with those bloudy coughs / colds she was having.

14 yrs later she is super healthy and happy.

so OP get a second opinion, TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS because 90% probability rhat you are right.

just ask? Surely you only “push” for something if you’ve met resistance.

Hi op my DS is 3.5 and has been much the same. We have had many A&E trips for croup, infections and terrible coughs and throat issues. He has had extended viral swabs, uti tests, blood tests, inhalers, dex. After weeks of fever over 38.5 alongside the cough/throat/vomiting we have just finished a 3 week antibiotic course of different antibiotics and it has cleared at last. Peads think it is some kind of bacterial infection and hope that is the end of it. Definitely push for root cause investigation preferably with a paediatric doctor if possible.

Might not fit the symptoms but GERD (reflux related) can cause a chronic cough. Poor little lad - wishing you all the best.

I had my adenioids out, had to go dairy free and was allergic to dust and the stuffing inside stuffed animals 😅 adenoids removal cleared up the worst of it

A cough that’s worse lying down can be caused by post nasal drip. I live in Switzerland and they’re obsessed with saline sprays and irrigation for the nose because of this

Two of mine had full consultant support, steroid (brown/grey/purple depending on height of need) inhalers, supplementary oral medicines, blue inhalers by 2. Both had permanent coughs, that included interrupting sleep and limited “colds”. Both love to move/run/climb and are high energy - however had frequent admissions to A&E with terrifying low sats levels (tachycardia, needing HDU input, overnight stays). They’d go from “fine” (or playdates/nursery attending) to limp flopping, chest rattling and gasping in hours. The asthma pathway has been lifechaging for us - but I suspect we only got on it as we’d a horrible few months with DD aged about 18 months when she had several (6+) awful admissions to hospital. She’d 5 now and still on high dose meds but this is the first year we’ve only had 2 admissions!! And neither were high risk, which feels huge.

Beyond meds: things that have made a difference - mine cannot get cold hands feet or chests. Expensive (second hand) coats and snow suits. Wool socks. A good multivit (as their food intake drops if o2 does). Daily exercise dance &stretches (incorporating some kids physio movements).

(and yes we’ve tried removing food groups - with no impact - they are allergy tested and have no allergy’s and antihistimes made v little difference. I hate the level of steroids given in our home, but it’s been transformative in my kids lives. We absolutely had to push for support including keeping symptom diaries, with videos AND constantly making the effort to see GP/A&E to document their symptoms)

Can you ask your GP to refer him to a specialist? I’m under an adult Respiratory Consultant, I don’t know what the equivalent is called for children. If he was referred to a specialist they would probably do a CT scan (I presume they do these for children), that would rule out a condition called bronchiectasis, which causes coughing.

The Poster above has just reminded me, that the antibiotics my daughter took were a much longer course too. I wish I could remember the name of them but I really can’t, sorry.

He needs to trial the brown inhaler, we weren't given it until after the third hospital admission - you need to push for it.

My DD was also like this. Both my DD were diagnosed with asthma very young at one and two ( I know people say that you can’t but they were) and a regular steroid inhaler transformed things for them. I also used to get awful coughs and colds until I was put on an asthma inhaler in my 40s and they stopped. Can you ask for a referral to paediatricians or could you pay for one private appointment and pick a really good specialist? Also ring the Asthma uk helpline who are amazing.

I wonder if he's inhaled a foreign body. I think you need to be pushing for a referral for a bronchoscopy.

Have you tried eliminating dairy ?

What kind of heating do you have? My mum has a gas fire and I start coughing as soon as I walk in, there’s a very clear link in my case.

If the cough is noticeably worse at night, could it be snot sitting in the back of his throat and irritating it (I forget the proper name for this)? Propping him up to sleep could help.

Have you given antihistamines? Sorry if I’ve missed it in your thread.
And have they tried a trial of steroid inhaler?

My son had frequent croup (needing an ambulance) and bronchitis and pneumonia. A budesonide inhaler reduced the frequency massively.

I have two children, one had coughs until this year (now 4) but would get temperatures and have difficulty breathing and need support in A&E - pnuemonia and chest infections.

The other one, has a cough and congestion all the time! Has done since birth. They are under ENT following the hearing clinic saying they had glue ear.
But they are generally well in themselves - despite the congestion / cough