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Original poster

When to take toddler to doctor for a cough?

26 replies

youhadmeatjello · 23/01/2022 13:15

DS has had a nasty cough for a week now - very mucousy and congested. He seemed better, have been giving him broncho stop and calpol at night which helps and have elevated his cot.
He’s not eating as much as usual but still eating.
He has lots of energy, very bright, playing and shouting as usual but we’ve had multiple incidents of him coughing so much he makes himself sick.
I was thinking it’s time to take him in to get his chest listened to as he’s been sick again last night (2-3 times over seven days now) but DH thinks I’m overreacting.

He’s not had a fever, not Covid as we’ve tested, no other worrying symptoms. Just seems whenever he gets mucousy (running, walking too fast) he has a massive coughing fit and throws up.

OP posts:
girlmom21 · 23/01/2022 13:17

It sounds like an infection. Call them tomorrow. Most doctors have a policy where they'll always give appointments for under 5s same day

WeAllHaveWings · 23/01/2022 13:20

Some coughs/colds can linger and 7 days is not long, if he otherwise seems ok I personally would wait few more days.

4intheCorner · 23/01/2022 13:20

I took my 4 year old after 7 weeks. I was very apologetic, but the doctors said 7 weeks was too long and really should have seen her after 3-4 weeks.

He has another awful cough now, and we are on week 4 so will be making an appointment soon.

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busyeatingbiscuits · 23/01/2022 13:23

If he's fine in himself and no fever, I wouldn't take him to the doctor. Sounds like a virus.

Original poster
youhadmeatjello · 23/01/2022 13:24

Ah ok maybe I am overreacting. It’s unusual for him to be eating less which is what made me wonder if he’s a bit poorlier than he seems, and his cough sounds horrendous with all the retching but it has been seven days tomorrow I think.
He’s currently sleeping and hasn’t coughed once but he has had broncho stop and calpol.

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Goldi321 · 23/01/2022 13:27

what0-18.nhs.uk/professionals/gp-primary-care-staff/safety-netting-documents-parents/coughcold-children-1-year-and-over-advice-sheet

This website is super helpful for common ailments in children and tells you at which points to seek medical advice (GP vs. Urgent).

Lancssss · 23/01/2022 13:27

As he’s being sick from coughing I’d take him personally. He might need a ventolin inhaler. My DC has viral induced asthma and they end up coughing so much they vomit, the inhaler helps loads.

mynameiscalypso · 23/01/2022 13:30

We had a phone appointment with the GP before Christmas - at that point DS had been ill with a cough for two weeks (including being sick from coughing), temperature, not eating, pretty lethargic etc. The doctor said so long as he was drinking and he wasn't struggling to breathe, we were doing all the right things and there wasn't much they could do. All the symptoms we described she said were entirely normal and were more distressing for us than him (eg the being sick, it's mainly because they can't cough well enough to be properly productive so end up being sick instead). It took about a month for him to recover.

Original poster
youhadmeatjello · 23/01/2022 13:46

Thank you this is very helpful. He’s drinking but not as much as usual, refusing water and just wants squash or milk so I’ve watered the squash down and am going with it.
He also coughs when drinking sometimes but I think that’s because he either refuses it or guzzles it really fast! I’ve had to take his open cups away while he’s got a cough as he gets a bit tip happy with them!

OP posts:
mynameiscalypso · 23/01/2022 13:49

@youhadmeatjello

Thank you this is very helpful. He’s drinking but not as much as usual, refusing water and just wants squash or milk so I’ve watered the squash down and am going with it. He also coughs when drinking sometimes but I think that’s because he either refuses it or guzzles it really fast! I’ve had to take his open cups away while he’s got a cough as he gets a bit tip happy with them!
We also resorted to squash (and sometimes very weak juice or smoothies in a vague attempt to get some vitamins in there!). We also had several cups dotted around so he can sip little and often to try and prevent the guzzling too (which didn't always work...)
decafforme · 23/01/2022 14:02

Last time I rang the doctors for a cough for dc they said to give it two weeks, pharmacy said the same. They after that they said not much they can do if not infection. However we didn't have sickness and no infection with ours if you have other symptoms going on no harm in a phone call.

Original poster
youhadmeatjello · 23/01/2022 14:09

Yes it was the sickness that worried me I wasn’t sure if it was normal.

Not to drip feed but I get very bad health anxiety (am on medication for it) so I sometimes struggle with making the right call when it comes to DC as I always jump to worst case! Because of lockdown he really hasn’t been unwell that much either so this is his first proper proper cough like this

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Original poster
youhadmeatjello · 23/01/2022 14:37

He’s just had a two hour nap without coughing once so it definitely seems to be worse when he’s mobile. I think I’ll wait a couple more days and see how he is

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jupitermars1345 · 23/01/2022 15:06

My oldest daughter who is now almost six always always vomits when she gets a cough.
She has done since being a baby but she's perfectly ok otherwise.
My mum said I used to cough and vomit with it as well.
She recently had a bad cold and cough which lasted 3-4 weeks and then it suddenly went.

GoodnightGrandma · 23/01/2022 15:08

If it’s been a week with no improvement I think you should take him.

Original poster
youhadmeatjello · 23/01/2022 16:14

@GoodnightGrandma it has improved - he’s coughing a lot lot less now but it’s the fact he’s been sick again recently from coughing.

He’s running around the living room like a mad thing at the moment, climbing everything so although he’s mouth breathing a bit (snotty nose) I don’t think he’s having any trouble!

OP posts:
jupitermars1345 · 23/01/2022 19:01

Sounds fine to me
I think it's common to be sick with coughs
My daughter can be sick a handful of times with one over the course of a week

Hm2020 · 23/01/2022 19:34

I’ve never got he hole it’s more distressing for us then them Confused anyone who’s had a fever and is coughing till thy get sick I have myself will know it is distressing. I’d definitely take after 7 days with no improve but as you say he is improving a bit maybe wait a couple of days.

Original poster
youhadmeatjello · 23/01/2022 21:42

Thanks! Yes he’s definitely better, he was coughing constantly all night at the beginning of the week even with bronchostop and calpol so none of us got any sleep and now he has a blocks of hours where he doesn’t cough overnight (still having the medicine at night).

It seems to have switched from being worse overnight to worse during the day but he doesn’t sit still during the day and is always running about. He’s also discovered retching so keeps forcing the end of the cough if that makes sense - he grins as he’s doing it, even though the cough starts off genuine.
Toddlers!!

OP posts:
Tee20x · 23/01/2022 23:50

Came on to say the same. Coughs and colds are doing the rounds. DD started nursery a few weeks ago and since then has caught 2 colds but has had a lingering cough in between.

Common to be sick when coughing - same happens to me if I really cough - not so much actually vomiting as I've obviously learnt to control it, but gagging.

Younger kids have a more responsive gag reflex which then causes the sickness. Just keep an eye and if there is no improvement in a few weeks or it gets worse again contact them GP.

I think nhs says something like if a child has a cough for longer than 3 weeks to contact them??

PinkButtercups · 23/01/2022 23:56

Cough medicine isn't actually recommended. It stops them coughing which the body needs to do to clear the lungs.

I'd stop with the cough medicine and see how he gets on. Always best to phone the GP even if it's for reassurance. No one can tell you on MN if it is a virus or infection.

Phone them, even if it's for your own reassurance.

Hope he feels better soon x

Original poster
youhadmeatjello · 24/01/2022 00:00

Thank you I didn’t realise that about cough medicine, it’s a herbal remedy rather than properly medicinal so I presumed it just soothed.

He’s only had one coughing fit since he went to bed at 6.30 so I’m feeling a bit better that he is ok but I’ll see how he is tomorrow (I’ll stop the cough medicine as well, he only has it before bed at the moment).

It doesn’t seem to actually bother him as much as it bothers me, apart from when he was sick, and he hasn’t had a fever or anything like that.

I’ll phone for reassurance tomorrow if I’ve got any concerns but he always seems worse first thing which makes sense as I get that when I have a cough or cold, or when he’s zipping about, which again makes sense I guess!

Really hope he gets bored of the forced re thing though. It sounds hideous and it can’t be doing his throat any good!

OP posts:
Original poster
youhadmeatjello · 24/01/2022 00:00

*retching

OP posts:
EmmaMaya · 24/01/2022 00:05

My LO has just recovered from a five week cough. Doctor after 3 weeks but I did visit pharmacist after 12 days. Hopefully they recover soon!

Tee20x · 28/01/2022 21:50

Just to update on my cough situation - took DD to the doctors today after about 3 weeks of coughing. Retching and being sick over the last week - they said they reckon she's got a chest infection and that her chest sounded rattly. Was prescribed antibiotics, so may be worth taking baby in for a once over anyway.

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