18 month old and a cough for 3 months - anyone else?

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DD (18 months) has had a painful sounding cough for almost three months now. She's had three negative covid tests during this time, and I've taken her to the doctor twice (most recently two weeks ago) who checked her out and said she's fine, it's just a viral cough and it would clear up soon.

But it's not clearing up. And it's been three months. She's coughing during the night, which wakes us up on the baby monitor, and sometimes her coughing fits are so bad that she vomits. She looks really unwell - pale and almost like she has black eyes because of the dark circles. It's awful and I don't know what to do to help her when the doctor says it's just a cough.

Has anyone else experienced the same? Please tell me this is common and it does go away eventually . . .

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I've just spent another night listening to DD cough . . . I'm exhausted, she's exhausted, I don't know what to do except ask for another doctor's appointment

I would go back to the gp to get them to have another look, if nothing else it will document it is still persisting and you are worried. Poor thing, hope you get some answers soon.

Could it be whooping cough? That's also called the 100 day cough. Cant do anything for it now, but a blood test would diagnose.

We had this when my DS was 9-11/12mo...literally months and months of coughing. I was persistent going back to the GP until one finally took our worry seriously and referred us to the hospital's children's unit. They took an X-ray of his chest and & blood work and could see that he'd had an chest infection, but by that time it was clearing up.

Trust your instincts and be persistent with seeing another GP

Thank you so much for replying. I don't think it's whooping cough, I imagine that's quite a distinctive cough, I'm thinking it's more likely a chest infection that could potentially need antibiotics . . . but then, I know they won't work if it's viral, and doctors won't prescribe them just in case etc. and that's why I'm worried about wasting NHS time/resources etc.

I'll send our surgery another message today. Thanks again!

How is she other than the cough?

Mine was diagnosed with asthma in a similar situation.
She grew out of it

We’ve got the same with 2.2 year old, was also told a post viral cough.

I’ve finally got a face to face app this avo with a GP; so will let you know what they say.

I’m thinking maybe a course of antibiotics incase it’s got into his chest/

You could wait until out of hours and try 111 to get a different opinion. 3 months is a very long time for a cough. Poor wee soul.

My 2.5yo has had a post viral cough since December. We all had covid inNovember but she didn't cough once then! Started 2 weeks later and still going strong, mostly at night. Doctors are not one bit interested and shes fine in herself but it disturbs my sleep so must disturb hers too.

Omg my 11 month old is the same! Coughing since February. Seemed to get abit better but now we are back to coughing fits at night coughing a lot during the day! Been back and forth to the docs to be told viral too. It can't be normal surely? I think I'm going to take mine back! Keep us updated! Sending love it's awful

I was told post viral cough and could last a few months.

It’s really shitty as people in the playground move their kids away from my kid and give me bad looks. Luckily his nursery and kind and understanding.

We meant to stay home for 3 months?!!!

Did had exactly this from December 2019 to May 2020. I tried everything. With hindsight we possibly all had covid but did not know it then (had visitors from abroad).

She had two courses of antibiotics amongst other things. In the end we were given inhalers and after a week it was gone, not needed them since.

@OverTheRainbow88 no way that is crazy! My little girl has been like this since Feb so guess we've got abit longer to go! Feel so sorry for them and the docs are just like naaa could go on for ages just get on with it. 🙈 we have to keep doing covid tests on her otherwise nursery won't let her go despite it being the same cough

My son has had what sounds very similar. He has since been diagnosed with asthma and prescribed inhalers but was on an inhaler trial in case it was post viral wheeze. May be worth mentioning the possibility to gp or practice nurse?

I thought it was a little bit better yesterday evening, so I decided to hold off on contacting the docs again . . . and then she coughed so hard and so painfully this evening that she was sick. This happens maybe three or four times a week at the minute.

That's interesting, @Newuser82 - but I thought the previous docs would been able to tell from listening to her chest if that was a possibility?

Sounds like there's a really nasty long-term cough virus around

My two had coughs that would hang around for weeks and we‘d only get a day or two before the next virus came along. They often had bronchitis and croup.
I now have a pulse oximeter and dexamethasone at home, which has helped a lot as knowing that their oxygen saturation is fine means it really is only a cough. Twice it was much too low but mostly it’s just that it takes them ages to shake off a cough.

Mine were like this in 2019 so pre-Covid btw. During the pandemic they’ve been much better as the number of illnesses going round nursery is much lower.

@RedPandaFluff

I thought it was a little bit better yesterday evening, so I decided to hold off on contacting the docs again . . . and then she coughed so hard and so painfully this evening that she was sick. This happens maybe three or four times a week at the minute.

That's interesting, @Newuser82 - but I thought the previous docs would been able to tell from listening to her chest if that was a possibility?

Sounds like there's a really nasty long-term cough virus around

Don’t know if it’s diagnosed like that or not? My son had been coughing for ages, mainly at night. He was initially prescribed a blue inhaler which pretty much stopped it completely. He was then put on a Steroid inhaler trial for 2 months then we had to stop everything as apparently if he stayed ok without the inhaler it’s likely to have been post viral but if not then more than likely asthma. Unfortunately he has been diagnosed as asthmatic at 27 months old 😥

Us too 🤷🏽‍♀️ 10m old and has had a fought for 2 months! Poor tike.

Started as a cold, we’ve also done 3 covid tests all negative, doctor listened to his chest and said nope nothing wrong. It sounds really bad sometimes and his chest vibrates in the morning until he’s cleared it.

Same here, since January, we’ve done a course of antibiotics and blue inhaler, still not shifted so we had a chest x-ray today - GP said he was probably being a bit overcautious but also that we are in middle of global pandemic of respiratory illness so didn’t want to take any risks. We’ve got another course of antibiotics waiting for us but holding off a couple of days for X-ray result as don’t want to give them if no signs of current infection.