not to take DS2 (age 3) to the doctor

[muddleduck]

He has a really nasty cough. He has had this since Friday, but seems to be on the mend.

I've kept him off nursery today but had to take him on the school run with DS1. Everyone I spoke to asked "have you taken him to the doctors?". And I know his CM will ask this tomorrow (if he is well enough to go).

Would you really take an (otherwise healthy) child to the doctor because he'd had a cough for 4 days?

no, i wouldn't

Nope. My DS has had 4 colds since starting playgroup in October, and i havent taken him to the Dr even once. There is nothing they can do.

Unless you are worried he has a chest infection, but they are quite unwell with that. I certainly know the difference in my children.

No. Not unless he wasn't getting any better.

If he's on the mend then I'm sure he'll be fine. You know your child best.

A lot of people are addicted to antiobiotics for everything nowadays though . It's no wonder the NHS is collapsing!

Nope, not if he's not feverish or coughing anything up.

If he's on the mend it's unlikely to be anything longer-term.

Is the cough causing him pain? Is there any mucus or discharge? If it is 'really nasty' and not getting better then it can easily turn into a chest infection requiring antibiotics to clear up.. If it's not as bad as all that then the doctor won't be able to help.

wow. you guys are quick

thanks.

YANBU if he's on the mend, why take him to the doctor?
Chances are it's viral, so there's nothing they can do about it.
If it carried on for over a week or so, that's when I'd be thinking about going.

All the kids around here have the same cough - really hacking, sometimes a temperature. I wouldn't take to the Doctor; I didn't take my DD and the Mum who did was told "It's a cough, nothing we can prescribe". Unless there are other more alarming symptoms, I wouldn't bother the doctor...

Also I learnt this (my cousin is a pharmacist and clued me in).. It's probably common knowlege to everyone else though.. cough syrups for under 6's are pure sugar water. It was decided a few years ago that under 6's were better off coughing up whatever was on their lungs rather than being medicated. So there's no actual pain relief/medicine in baby cough syrups. I could be totally off on this and happy to be corrected but that was what I was told if it's any use to anyone else!

Chunky, I think you're right. honey and water or warm water with juice is all you need and the best you can do after 4 days.

You can get achey after coughing a lot so a bit of medicine might be good as well.

I haven't taken my ds' for same reason.

(Just because they are asking if he's been to the doctors doesn't mean they want to stuff antibiotics down his throat. The NHS is skint because it offers a free health service)

Agree. If he appears to be getting better you're better off not taking his germs to the waiting room. I live where they are piloting the 111 service and if I am not sure I call them. Often they have helped me decide either way.

They wont do anything anyway. Honey & lemon and calpol if its making him feverish.

Not unless he'd had a high temp for all that time or was struggling to breath.

mumble, you must live near me :)

OP, no I wouldn't. If I took them the the docs every time they had a cough for a few days I'd never be out of there

Hi - no, I wouldn't take him yet. Colds usually last at least two weeks. If it lasts for three, I might think about going, or if he has any worrying symptoms that go beyond normal cold stuff (check NHS Direct) such as wheezing at night and so on.

My nursie sister badgered me into taking ds recently even though his cough fell into the 'not worth bothering the doctor yet' category IMO - turns out I was right not to go, doc unimpressed and ds got better within days anyway.

Just make sure he's not wheezing... I didn't recognise DC3 was wheezing and needed to medical treatment asap, I thought it was just a bad cold (in my defense, I had no previous experience of wheezing).

Does this thread prove that only truly dull AIBUs can be unanimous?