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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:
Thisismeyeah · 28/03/2023 11:52

Does he have any chest recessions or tugging at the throat? I'd ask the question why they haven't given an inhayler. The hospital will be able to provide it but it may be that the gp wont at a certain age Im not sure. When DS was very young and we were in A&E they said inhaylers dont qork under a certain age but I cant remeber how old he was then. I want to say less than 6 months but cant be sure.

Original poster
tvstations · 28/03/2023 11:55

Thisismeyeah · 28/03/2023 11:52

Does he have any chest recessions or tugging at the throat? I'd ask the question why they haven't given an inhayler. The hospital will be able to provide it but it may be that the gp wont at a certain age Im not sure. When DS was very young and we were in A&E they said inhaylers dont qork under a certain age but I cant remeber how old he was then. I want to say less than 6 months but cant be sure.

No he doesn't really have retractions

OP posts:
Luckyonetwo · 28/03/2023 12:00

@tvstations my 12 month old has just been diagnosed with croup and was given steroids to clear it. Don’t know if that helps at all or if your ds has had them.

Thisismeyeah · 28/03/2023 12:00

Try recording the bad episodes to show at the hosp and GP thats what we do

LysHastighed · 28/03/2023 12:02

tvstations · 28/03/2023 11:45

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.

Show quote history

The first time we had to call an ambulance, GP gave dexamethasone to keep at home. The third time we needed an ambulance, GP added the budesonide for the winter months. Flu vaccine is also important.
We have a pulse oximeter at home since the first ambulance call out, which I find very useful. It’s not supposed to be 100% accurate on children but it’s always matched the ambulance/a&e reading exactly. Otherwise, watching YouTube videos of retractions is a good way to recognise when he’s in trouble.
A couple of times a croup attack has been followed a day or two later with bronchitis, so definitely worth listening out for.

LysHastighed · 28/03/2023 12:10

One more thing — after nearly five years of it starting at 2w old and including at least 12 episodes of bronchitis and 3 of pneumonia as well as croup I’ve realised that while I always know when he is going to get pneumonia or bronchitis, the doctor can’t do anything until he’s actually got them. We were always going too early then having to go back when he was properly ill. (I can’t predict croup, he goes from normal to severe breathing difficulties in an instant.)
Secondly, it takes them ages to get over all these things unfortunately. As long as he isn’t getting worse patience may be needed.

Original poster
tvstations · 28/03/2023 12:12

Luckyonetwo · 28/03/2023 12:00

@tvstations my 12 month old has just been diagnosed with croup and was given steroids to clear it. Don’t know if that helps at all or if your ds has had them.

Yeah he had it on Saturday and was better but now coughing a lot again.

OP posts:
Original poster
tvstations · 28/03/2023 17:12

He's been so miserable all day Sad

I'm not sure what else to do with him. He's stopped vomiting from coughing but his cough is relentless and it hurts him. He's just lethargic and unhappy..

No fever, no retractions. Just this nasty dry cough.

OP posts:
curious79 · 28/03/2023 17:14

IMMEDIATELY buy a Vicks humidifier with a 1.5-2L water holder in it. It is a godsend for a dry cough. I have two - so if the whole family is down we can have one too as well as DD.
Large amounts of condensation on windows but that's fine for the relief

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