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Original poster

My son's horrendous dry cough- please help

34 replies

tvstations · 28/03/2023 08:46

My little 11 month old man has had a horrendous few days. Sorry for posting here, but this place gets the most traffic.

He has this dry/ clangy/ metally sounding cough.

It sounds really painful and makes him cry and vomit.

He had stridor with it on Saturday so he was given steroids. He also had a high breathing rate. It got a little better for about 24 hours and then he started just uncontrollably crying ( no distractions helped ) on Saturday night. He wasn't coughing but he was just so unhappy. He cried for 2 hours straight, so I took him back to hospital. They gave him antibiotics just in case. His breathing rate was fine at this point.

Fast forward to Sunday ( around 24 hours after steroids ) and he's again just coughing and vomiting. He seems really sad. Yesterday he was lethargic and unhappy and coughing a lot. I took him back to the doctor and breathing rate is fine, oxygen fine.

His chest is always clear.

Last night was horrendous. He was coughing and crying and occasionally vomiting all night.

He's had this 4 times since he was born. But this time is the worst one, as he is crying so much and unhappy and it's just really sad.

Does anyone know what else I could try ? In terms of cough syrup for this age range or any kind of home remedy? If it was me, I would have milk and honey, but it course I can't give him honey because he's under 1.

It seems like he's getting recurrent croup- although, he doesn't have a real barking cough. It's basically a cough that's not causing his lungs to be full of phlegm and sits higher up somehow. Does anyone have experience with something similar ?

Thank you.

OP posts:
bellac11 · 28/03/2023 08:53

Acid reflux?

Original poster
tvstations · 28/03/2023 08:56

bellac11 · 28/03/2023 08:53

Acid reflux?

You think ? He has been a sicky baby since he was born and he was on special CMPA formula, but I did the milk ladder at 9 months and he seemed absolutely fine, so now he's having cows milk formula and dairy.

He doesn't vomit at all anymore after feeds. That completely stopped at around 8 and a half to 9 months.

OP posts:
KalvinPhillipsBoots · 28/03/2023 08:56

Take him to the GP

Original poster
tvstations · 28/03/2023 08:57

KalvinPhillipsBoots · 28/03/2023 08:56

Take him to the GP

I did. He's seen a medial professional every day since Saturday..

OP posts:
ObamaLlamas · 28/03/2023 09:02

Asthma?
Upper respiratory infection?
Silent acid reflux?
Allergy?

Keep pushing at the doctors.

BaffledOnceAgain · 28/03/2023 09:02

I was also going to say reflux. We had to take ds1 in the bathroom three times a night for some steam from a running shower at that age. It was the only way we could stop him coughing. It went on for 4 months and nearly broke DH and me. DS1 had been on reflux meds but the dose had never been increased. We'd tried everything before one clever GP said reflux, increased the dose for weight and the cough went in 24 hours.

GreatBigBeautifulTommorow · 28/03/2023 09:04

Steam….run the shower on hot and sit in the bathroom when the cough is bad.

bellac11 · 28/03/2023 09:04

tvstations · 28/03/2023 08:56

You think ? He has been a sicky baby since he was born and he was on special CMPA formula, but I did the milk ladder at 9 months and he seemed absolutely fine, so now he's having cows milk formula and dairy.

He doesn't vomit at all anymore after feeds. That completely stopped at around 8 and a half to 9 months.

Show quote history

Well what Ive been learning about acid reflux has opened my eyes about my own cough, I have a couple of different types of chronic cough which feel different. One is post nasal drip but theres another one which could be acid for me after what Ive learned.

Comes from the throat, not the chest, chest is always clear, oxygen always good, breath always good. A wheezing and horseness up in the throat can be symptoms (although you wouldnt know yet with non verbal ages)

Original poster
tvstations · 28/03/2023 09:09

BaffledOnceAgain · 28/03/2023 09:02

I was also going to say reflux. We had to take ds1 in the bathroom three times a night for some steam from a running shower at that age. It was the only way we could stop him coughing. It went on for 4 months and nearly broke DH and me. DS1 had been on reflux meds but the dose had never been increased. We'd tried everything before one clever GP said reflux, increased the dose for weight and the cough went in 24 hours.

Was it omeprazole that they increased the dose of ?

My son did have a temperature with this bout of coughing and vomiting. Perhaps reflux is exasperating it, but it's usually a virus he seems to get, which causes it.

OP posts:
FannyPhart · 28/03/2023 09:17

The main symptom of COVID is a persistent dry cough.

Original poster
tvstations · 28/03/2023 09:18

FannyPhart · 28/03/2023 09:17

The main symptom of COVID is a persistent dry cough.

Tested it already. It also doesn't explain why it keeps having.

OP posts:
Original poster
tvstations · 28/03/2023 10:25

Seems miserable today again. Must be painful for him.

OP posts:
BaffledOnceAgain · 28/03/2023 10:52

We used to have ranitidine before that was removed. My boys have also been on omeprazole at times.

If your DS has a temp, it sounds more like a virus, but steam in the bathroom would probably still help. It's not great for the bathroom though. Ours needed redecorating after a few months of three times a night steaming!

Thisismeyeah · 28/03/2023 10:58

Do you have a ventolin inhayler?

Original poster
tvstations · 28/03/2023 11:03

Thisismeyeah · 28/03/2023 10:58

Do you have a ventolin inhayler?

No I don't have anything for him. No one has diagnosed asthma. They say the child needs to be 5 to diagnose it.

OP posts:
Thisismeyeah · 28/03/2023 11:33

tvstations · 28/03/2023 11:03

No I don't have anything for him. No one has diagnosed asthma. They say the child needs to be 5 to diagnose it.

Show quote history

Yeah but it doesnt really work like that. My DS was under a consultant at age 15 months due to re admissiins to hospital for a viral wheeze. His shortness of breath is always connected to a dry cough and only occurs when he has or is getting a cold.

Dry coughing at night is often releived with an inhayler.

Have you done an LFT? Could it be Covid?

Thisismeyeah · 28/03/2023 11:34

"Viral induced wheeze is when the tubes carrying air to the lungs (airways) become irritated and inflamed by a cold virus. This causes the tubes to swell and narrow making it difficult for your child to breathe. Viral induced wheeze is a common childhood illness which affects a third of all children."

Thisismeyeah · 28/03/2023 11:37

He may not present as being wheezy in the day and could be worse at night. It really depends on your situation and what is happening with him. My DD also sufford with it had an inhayler but has not gone on to develop athsma.

Im not sure what the minimum age for an inhayler is it may be 12 months in normal circumstances. Id ask the question though.

Original poster
tvstations · 28/03/2023 11:38

@Thisismeyeah no one has taken it seriously so far. Apparently the lungs are always clear. He had stridor- which I don't think is the same as wheeze ? Excuse my ignorance I don't know much about asthma.

I just keep being told he has croup. Which is the upper part of the airway isn't it.

Yesterday the doctor did say he had bronchial breathing or something, but she would expect that with the fact he has this bad cough / Inflammation. She explained that the bronchial tubes are swollen / Inflamed, but not full of mucus.

I'm not sure what to do to get them to take this seriously and help him.

His oxygen stats are always good. He just had fast breathing this weekend so they observed him for a bit longer after they gave him the steroid.

OP posts:
Original poster
tvstations · 28/03/2023 11:39

I've done a covid test and it's negative

OP posts:
LysHastighed · 28/03/2023 11:41

Ventolin is no good for croup, but it is given for bronchitis, not only for asthma.
My son has had croup again and again, and he’s on budesonide morning and evening to prevent attacks.
Ibuprofen is also supposed to help.
Steam for croup is now considered outdated, the current advice is to try cold air. I used to find a late night walk in the sling helped.

Original poster
tvstations · 28/03/2023 11:42

Thisismeyeah · 28/03/2023 11:34

"Viral induced wheeze is when the tubes carrying air to the lungs (airways) become irritated and inflamed by a cold virus. This causes the tubes to swell and narrow making it difficult for your child to breathe. Viral induced wheeze is a common childhood illness which affects a third of all children."

That's what the doctor described to me yesterday. That the tubes are swollen/ inflamed. But I'm not sure she could hear a wheeze or if he has one. I don't understand why they just sent us away again with nothing.

The doc said she wasn't happy about his demeanour and how sad he seems. And that I should have a very low threshold for taking him back to a and e.

I'm not happy about his situation. Maybe I should take him back. But I bet they'll take his stats and they'll be fine and then they'll send us home.

I've been sent home so many times. They just say it's a virus and make me feel crazy.

OP posts:
Original poster
tvstations · 28/03/2023 11:45

LysHastighed · 28/03/2023 11:41

Ventolin is no good for croup, but it is given for bronchitis, not only for asthma.
My son has had croup again and again, and he’s on budesonide morning and evening to prevent attacks.
Ibuprofen is also supposed to help.
Steam for croup is now considered outdated, the current advice is to try cold air. I used to find a late night walk in the sling helped.

How did you get that ? Did he have to be admitted. I've called an ambulance before for my son ( we were abroad at the time ) and I've run into another hospital with him in my arms because I thought he was suffocating during some of these attacks.

Only to be told on examination that he has a fucking cold.

I've also run out of my house with him in my arms before because I thought he was choking to death because he was coughing so much and vomiting and I was looking for help. It's ridiculous. Again, I'm told eh and a fucking cold.

OP posts:
Original poster
tvstations · 28/03/2023 11:47

The cough is really metally sounding if that makes sense. So dry and has an echo to it.

It's not the typical barking type cough you get from croup.

OP posts:
ChuffKnows · 28/03/2023 11:48

Could be upper respiratory tract infection. We all had coughs and colds that kept improving then worsening again for a couple of months. Doctors said chests were clear but took sputum tests just in case. All came back positive for various upper respiratory tract infections and we were given different antibiotics accordingly.
Hope your little one gets better soon x

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