Please tell me your experiences of croup

[Letsallscreamatthesistene]

Had to call an ambulance for my nearly 2 year old at midnight. Its croup but it was very scarey. Heavy wheeze and sternal recession. All ok, had calmed down a lot by the time the crew got here. Had a dose of steroids and hes been alright since. Coughing and grumpy but none of the breathing issues. Did it happen again for you? Did it sort of 'peak' and then die away? Thanks

Ah, that sounds v stressful. Hope DC continues to feel better. Once had similar with DC1, who from then on was very prone to ‘croupy’ coughs but never had anything as bad again.

It's awful. We eventually saw a paediatric respiratory consultant and got a treatment plan, one for when the child is well and one for when they're sick. Two different inhalers basically. It's the most horrible thing and so scary. I would push for that referral.

DD1 had croup at 4. Advised to sit in the bathroom with a hot shower running. Its great advice as we still use steam to ease a chesty coughs.

But she did develop pneumonia a month afterwards and required iv antibiotics.

Steam isn't recommended anymore for croup.

Dts had it so many times, four or five times a year at least until they were eight and it just stopped, 🤞

We were at hospital so many times that in the end I convinced the gp to give me a prescription for dexo to keep at home instead of having to go to hospital.

It's horrible and scary, the first time it happened I had no idea what it was. It may well come back tonight.

Oh it's horrible, ds had this a couple of times.

One tip my dm gave me which helped a lot : put a bowl of steaming hot water in the bedroom with a good few drops of olbas oil in it (obviously where it can't be knocked over)

I did find it always passed quickly thankfully.

Dd had it twice exactly a year apart. Got the steroids each time and magically cured her really fast! Dexamethasone I think.

My DS used to get it - ended up with paramedics a couple of times. In the end was also prescribed steroids to have at home.

He seemed to stop getting it as much once he was about 5 - but I still live slightly in fear of it. Interestingly when he gets a cold now he often seems very croaky compared to my eldest.

DS1 and DS2 both had it, DS1 needed steroids once and they admitted DS2 for a night when he was about 15 months.

It’s so horribly scary, but in both cases, the steroids kicked in fast and it didn’t happen again to the same extent.

The worst thing was trying to get DS2 to use the nebuliser, he was getting so angry and scared his breathing was getting worse and worse. Awful.

I hope your little one recovers quickly x

We’ve had an ambulance out for croup a few times too, aged 2 and 3. We now have dexamethasone to keep at home and a pulse oximeter. The plan when he can’t breathe with a barking cough is give the medicine, wrap in a big blanket and go outside as cold air helps. You have to be sure of the barking cough though as for bronchitis or pneumonia it apparently wouldn’t be good to give the dexamethasone. As he has tendencies to those too we also have ventolin/salbutamol at home as that doesn’t do any harm if you give it wrongly.
The other thing that has helped is giving ibuprofen for a few days once you hear a barking cough the first time. The onset also seems to be slower the older he has got.

@TheVolturi

Dd had it twice exactly a year apart. Got the steroids each time and magically cured her really fast! Dexamethasone I think.

Same for my little one, woke with croup took him straight to walk in centre. Doc gave him 3 steroid tablets, croup was completely gone after first tablet. It was like magic!

Mine had it in the olden days, steaming up the bathroom helped and if that didnt the front door step in a blanket if it was a cold night. I would end up sleeping on the floor in their bedroom so I could step in before it got too bad. We never got to the steroids needed level, thankfully. It would pass after a couple of nights. If it hadnt we would have been at the doctors as it can lead to secondary bacterial infections and the antibs are needed

Yes ds2 had it badly when he was about 18 months or so. Very floppy, massive high temp (it hit 39+) and as you described really struggling with breathing it was very scary. We were on the phone to NHS direct or whatever they are called now and the operator could hear how he was and said "I can hear him and I'm sending an ambulance straight away" we were blue lighted in, but after a dose of steroids and I think he had oxygen if I remember correctly, and he was back to just being normally grumpy and poorly quite quickly. The nurse said at the time come straight in if he ever gets croup again in case it gets bad like that again.

Yes we've been told the same. So if it happens again tonight we'll be admitted I think.

Hes having a nap now. His cot is tilted at the head end, theres a humidifyer in his room and we've given calpol.

Why isnt steam used anymore?

If its been used for years and worked?

We have been to A&E quite a few times for croup. Luckily the steroids have always calmed and he has been ok the next night. I hope he has a settled night for you.

@MrsDThomas because cold air has been shown to work better.

DD2 had it once as a baby -- following advice from (in those days) NHS Direct we opened big window onto roof terrace and positioned her there so that she got as much cold fresh air as possible and fortunately she improved without needing ambulance or steroids. It never happened again but I remember how scary it was.

Dc4 has had croup twice since October
First time was diagnosed by gp who summoned blue light ambulance as oxygen level low.
By the time ambulance arrived after nebuliser and initial steroids administered dc was fine but we still spent 5 hrs at paediatric A&E waiting to be seen.
Eventually sent home with 3 day course of steroids and inhaler to be taken 10 puffs very 6 hours including in the night

2nd bout i called gp the morning of new years eve and seen straight away with steroids prescribed again. Dc bounced back even quicker