DS1 is age 3. He is generally very fit and healthy. Last October he had the flu vaccination and soon after, caught the first in the usual winter procession of endless coughs and colds. Since then, I don't think he's had longer than a week or so at a time without a cold.
The worst thing, however, is the cough. Since October he has regularly coughed during the night and when he first gets up in the morning. Sometimes better and sometimes worse, but it never entirely goes away. It seems to have worsened just lately - twice now he's woke up coughing uncontrollably for several minutes, before vomiting mucus everywhere. The mucus is thin and clear (doesn't look infected).
He's been seen by two GPs and a consultant paediatrician (most recently, just a couple of weeks ago). Paed ordered blood tests, which came back clear except for low iron, so DS has now been on iron supplements for two months. These seem to have helped his energy levels, but the cough remains.
Every time they listen to his chest, they say it is clear and that the only thing to do is wait for him to stop catching all these winter colds. He also has inhalers - Ventolin and a steroid - which he takes morning and night, with more Ventolin during the night if he wakes coughing. This seems to help for a few hours, but in the long run the fucking cough just.won't.go. It doesn't seem to be a wheezy sort of cough - they said if it was then stronger steroids might help, but me and DH don't think it is.
Is this right? Is there anything else that could be done for him or do we really just have to wait this out for however long it might take? I have no idea what the answer is, but surely the might of Western medicine must be able to come up with more than this to help my poor little boy?
Thanks for reading - any advice, opinions and ideas would be appreciated!