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Original poster

At what point does a cough become something else?

23 replies

alwaysthepessimist · 23/02/2019 20:27

DD 6 had a vomiting virus just before Christmas which led to a stinking cold, she seemed to get over it but then started coughing mid Jan- she is still coughing, it sounds awful and she sounds like she is purring when she is breathing BUT she has no temperature and in herself she is ok, she is tired and has dark circles under her eyes constantly, her coughing is worse at night, I have tried decongestants but that makes it even worse - I hate having to battle to get a gp appt without being at deaths doors because they always just say it's a virus and send us packing (for context we probably go 3 times a year) - how much longer do we leave it before taking her? I am absolutely knackered from her waking me up coughing too - good old DH decided to fall asleep on the sofa last night so he got a fricking great nights sleep!!

OP posts:

Littlebelina · 23/02/2019 20:34

I think the official advice is that a cough that has been going on for more than 3 weeks needs to be checked. Is it all the time of just at night? Dh's asthma started asca nighttime cough when he was a child

Littlebelina · 23/02/2019 20:37

Sorry, you said it was worse at night (+my reply is littered with typos). I would take her to the GP, at least if they dismiss it as a virus and it doesn't go away you'll be in a stronger position to argue it's not the second time.

Original poster

alwaysthepessimist · 23/02/2019 20:42

@Littlebelina thanks for replying
it doesn't last all night- probably the first couple of hours she is asleep then it kicks off again when she wakes up - normally as she starts waking the cough starts - she is coughing crap up but it's only like a green yellow colour but very sticky (sorry tmi) she is using a nasal spray and does blow her nose all the time too to try and ease it. DH has mentioned asthma tbh - I might try and get her in with the nurse practioner instead of the doc as sometimes I feel like they listen and don't dismiss as fast.

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Gibble1 · 23/02/2019 20:44

Green usually equals infection. Insist on a gp appointment.

Wolfiefan · 23/02/2019 20:45

Yep green sounds very much like infection. Poor girl.

Original poster

alwaysthepessimist · 23/02/2019 20:52

Thanks all - Now I am thinking we should call 111 tomorrow and see the OOH GP.

Feel terrible now but she has had no temp and in herself is absolutely fine

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Iamthestorm · 23/02/2019 20:56

Is there a nurse at your GP surgery, ours is brilliant. I took ds to see dr about a cough and got told it was a virus but given an inhaler to help but the cough just lingered on. Phoned for advice and they said to take him straight down to see the nurse and she was aghast and said he had an infection and was really struggling with very low oxygen levels. She made repeat appointments every few days for a couple of weeks until he was better and she is our first port of call now for anything, it feels like she really knows him in a way the Drs just don't have time to though they are great too. I would take her if I were you.

Iamthestorm · 23/02/2019 20:58

Don't feel terrible... You are doing your best which is good enough x

Littlebelina · 23/02/2019 20:59

Don't feel bad, I think we have it drilled into us how busy the NHS is and how we shouldn't waste their time. I think it's easy to think I'll give it a few more days before I go to see if they get better but think vast majority of gps would rather see small children than not. I know I have a mental battle everytime one of mine is ill to whether I should take them or not (dd is 1.5 weeks with a cough so had looked up guidelines yesterday).

If you give 111 a call they should be able to advise whether to go to ooh or wait to see your GP.

Hope she feels better soon

Original poster

alwaysthepessimist · 23/02/2019 21:00

@Iamthestorm - yes the nurse practioner is fabulous, really lovely I will try and get in with her on Monday unless she is any worse tomorrow - I would rather her than a random doc at OOH really...and thank you for being so kind

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WhatNow40 · 23/02/2019 21:06

We had this. At about the 3 week point the phlegm turned green and DS was coughing so hard he was being sick. GP did fuck all and told me to bring him back in a week if there was no improvement. Except I couldn't get an appointment. Ended up close to 5 weeks and going to the walk in centre. turned out his tonsils were swollen as well and glands were up, plus chest infection. Antibiotics finally and we're now close normal again!

FaithInfinity · 23/02/2019 21:08

If she sounds like that and she’s coughing up phlegm I would try to get her seen this weekend. I’d call 111 for an OOH appointment. Take a sputum sample with you, tends to make a statement! She might benefit from an inhaler short term to ease her breathing too.

Original poster

alwaysthepessimist · 23/02/2019 21:51

She is now in bed with me as her coughing is so bad - she is shattered so hopefully she will get some sleep and I am going to call 111 in the morning

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FaithInfinity · 24/02/2019 07:41

How is she this morning alwarmys?

FaithInfinity · 24/02/2019 07:42

always (sorry still half asleep).

Original poster

alwaysthepessimist · 25/02/2019 11:48

@Faithinfinity - sorry I barely got online yesterday - took her to OOH and they have said no infection, just viral but we need to see our own GP again this week - she isn't much better but she has gone into school ok, when I took her she did also have a slight temp - she is knackered though poor mite (as am I) early nights all round again tonight!

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hoge · 25/02/2019 11:54

Why on earth have you put her into school?

Adeste · 25/02/2019 12:22

Sometimes the irritation caused by coughing then causes coughing - a vicious cycle. Honey is a big help in soothing irritation if you can get her to take it. Have a spoon, or sip a drink, or suck a sweet/lollipop after each bout of coughing. If honey isn’t an option sucking a marshmallow will help a bit,

I find that tipping them over my knee so that their head is down and gently rubbing their back can help clear a good bit of phlegm. It can be hard if the sinuses are congested to be upside down.

A humidifier might help if the house is too dry. A bath before bed can help (assuming the house is warm and not damp)

I’ve found sitting sleeping up helps too (I prop them against me and sleep with them).

Decongestants can turn into recongestetamts after a few days so use sparingly.

Can you tell I’m a veteran of the night time coughing? Just been through a two week run.

pinkgloves · 25/02/2019 12:28

A lot of kids here have had a 2 month cough recently. They've all been helped HUGELY by humidifiers. We have four running in our house.

Last year I had a month long cough. Went to the doctor a couple of times and finally and they put me on a nebuliser and lent me one to take home which really helped.

They then said I had asthma. I didn't actually believe them and thought it was just the persistent cough everyone else had. Until I was on a plane sat next to a heavy smoker and had a full on asthma attack. I hadn't brought my inhaler (not believing I actually had asthma) and if another passenger didn't have one I could have died.

If her cough continues I'd definitely take her back in for a second opinion.

Littlebelina · 25/02/2019 13:56

hoge my kid's school would say to send them in with those symptoms. They'd possibly be marked as unauthorised if I kept them off

hoge · 25/02/2019 17:49

my kid's school would say to send them in with those symptoms. They'd possibly be marked as unauthorised if I kept them off

Good for them. If mine are I'll they stay at home. I wouldn't give a flying fuck about unauthorised absence. If they are not well they stay at home.

It's my job as a parent to make the decision, not the schools. They are not clinically trained to diagnose a child's illness over the phone. What a load of bollocks.

PoptartPoptart · 25/02/2019 19:27

I think you can buy home nebulisers from Boots op. Might be worth looking into? I’m sure the pharmacist would be able to give you some advice as to whether it might help your DD.
Also, have you tried the old trick of vicks on the soles of her feet with socks at bedtime? Sounds crazy but lots of people swear it helps.
Sympathies op, I hope she recovers soon

Original poster

alwaysthepessimist · 04/03/2019 14:04

@hoge apologies for the long delay - busy week last week - she went in last week because I am not a SAHM and I was the only one in the office last week due to holiday (only 2 of us normally) so staying off for me would have been awkward - more importantly SHE wanted to go in to school to see her friends, apart from being a bit tired and having a cough she was eating a drinking fine, we did go to see the gp and they did prescribe antibiotics which haven't done anything for her so we are back again tomorrow, she has a contact low level temp of 37.6 so nothing too dramatic and in herself she is fine, eating, drinking, playing etc etc etc - if she was off her food, listless etc then yes I would have kept her off. I did call school and tell them how she was and they assured me they would keep a watchful eye and if they thought she wasn't right would call me, as it was the teacher said she barely coughed all day! I do think she has the horrible, long lasting virus and her body just needs to fight it off - we are seeing the same person tomorrow so hopefully she can give me some more advice.

@littlebelina - our school is the same - bring them in and in 99.9% of cases kids perk up the second their mum turns her back and goes away!

@Adeste - we have humidifiers but these seem to make it worse, she always has a warm bath before bed and she has got to be really good with her own nasal spray and keeping her nose blown! I have the calpol room vaporiser going plus olbas oil - she won't tolerate vicks at all - says it makes her itch and tbh it makes me itch so I kind of believe her! I will ask about the nebuliser though tomorrow - might be worth thinking about

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