Can a cough just last this long or is it something to worry about?

[Jessforless]

My DD has had a bad cough for probably 2.5 months, maybe slightly longer.

It started as part of a cold and came with a high temp and we just used calpol and the cold part subsided but the cough remained, think very chesty, sometimes makes her ‘sick’ and is terrible at night.

Went to the GP about three weeks in and they said chest infection and gave antibiotics (DH took her as I was working and I asked if they gave as a precaution or actively heard chest infection but he didn’t know)… she took the whole course perfectly and the cough didn’t improve one bit.

Called the GP, probably now 5/6 weeks in and they put liquid amoxicillin in our local pharmacy, were happy not to see her. Went through the two bottles and no difference to the cough.

Frustratingly I think she then got a mild 2nd cold, and the cough got worse. She sounds like a seal and I think just looks really poorly, big eye bags, quite pale, very tired looking.

2 months in we took her back to GP and they said it’s just a cough and her chest sounds clear.

It hasn’t eased. School have called me a couple of times about it and today I had to collect her because it made her throw up.

Is this anyone else’s experience that this is just a nasty cough and it needs to run its course? I appreciate it’s winter and everyone seems to be ill right now. Or would you book another GP appointment?

Just to add, not covid. Tested a few times and always negative.

Whooping cough?
Have you recorded the coughing?
It's called the 100 day cough:(

Has she had her whooping cough vaccination

This probably makes me sounds really stupid but isn’t whooping cough part of infant vaccinations? (It may not be, apologies if I’m wrong)

I’ll Google what it sounds like….

Dd is exactly the same, 5 separate periods off school since October, GP did the classic "just a virus" thing multiple times. Finally got antibiotics and an inhaler this week, if the inhaler helps they'll investigate for asthma.

I'd try again with the GP and get pushy iif antibiotics have made no difference.

We've had the exact same with my 1year old except it started beginning of September 2023
Took him numerous times and came back as viral every single time because he always presented with a cold too (thanks to nursery)

Finally seen a different doctor a week ago who has given us an inhaler, touch wood we have been using for a week now before nap and bed and he's finally stopped coughing (still the odd times)

Exactly the same here with my 8 year old, antibiotics also not helping.

Sounds like whooping cough. I had a thread about it in the summer. Goes on for months

I agree. I had it (self-diagnosed!) a few years ago, and it sounds just like this.

My DD (now 5) was like this two winters running (when she was 3 and 4). Last year was the worst and antibiotics didn’t help. She was eventually prescribed an inhaler and within a couple of weeks it had gone. We now use the inhaler at the hint of a cold and touch wood she’s been a lot better. Hope your DD is better soon.

Hi Jess,
How is your little one doing?

My son who's 10 years old is going through the exact same thing for about 2 month now. It started with a cold after swimming at school. Amoxicillin was prescribed, then Erythromycin for 7 days. Failing that, AE doc prescribed 3 days of Prednisolone 4th of March. It seems it worked after the first day of taking it but back to square one. It's more or less impossible to get a GP appointment.

My sons cough woud be described as a rattling and hacking cough. No mucus or phlegm but it's not a dry cough either.....