Help me- toddler cough

[gyyy]

I'm going OUT of MY MIND.

My toddler ( one and a half ) has had a cough since Saturday. It's intensified to horrendous the last two to three nights.

Cough isn't bad during the day, just at night. He's constantly awake and crying. I'm SO tried and he's so miserable. I can't do another night like this.

He has an inhaler because he is prone to nasty coughs that are so severe he throws up.

I don't have any cough syrup and have found it doesn't make a huge difference. He's 'sleeping' propped up.

I can't take it anymore, what else can I do ? The inhaler worked really well on Saturday night, but now doesn't seem to help at all. In any case, I'm unable to really give him the inhaler as he fights it so much.

He cries the entire time it's on his face and probably takes two breathes of it max.

Help me please. Should I go out and try to find cough syrup. I'm so tired.

Get him checked out if the prescribed dose of the inhaler isn’t helping. Sounds like asthma

Do you have a humidifier? It’s the one thing that seems to help here. I also run the shower super hot with bathroom door closed and just sit in there with mine when they are coughing badly. It’s really horrible I’m sorry. Never found cough syrup very effective.

Given his age it sounds very much like it’s viral induced wheeze especially if the inhaler isn’t making much of a difference now. He needs checking over in case he needs steroids and the best place to do that is an out of hours GP appointment or paeds A&E if he’s struggling when settled and not running around. If you’re reluctant to go straight to A&E, you could always ring 111 but I find they tend to go straight to the ‘sending an ambulance’ option if it’s respiratory illness in kids especially overnight.

Vapour plug in - changed our lives

Big blob of vicks in a big bowl of boiling water in his room, obviously kept out of reach. And try an antihistamine. I have been there and these two things really help as a short term mitigation.
Check if he may need steroids tomorrow.

I'm not going to get any sleep tonight anyway. Neither is he. Might as well go to a and e and get some help I guess.

Best bet is humidifier.
Is his breathing ok? Any ribs sucking in, nostrils flaring, hollow at base of throat sucking in?

Alas my experience with a child with a lot of respiratory issues as a baby is they won't/can't do a lot for a cough stopping you all sleeping - treatment only kicks in where its getting where a child is working to breathe, even then DD was in a pretty bad way before a lot was done because we went in on a weekend.

Lots if fluids. Its incredibly difficult to effectively give inhalers to a child that age.

Do what you can to help his sleep - holding him etc, let him catch up as much as possible in day if he sleeps better then, ignore normal routines. To save yourself, tag team with a partner or any family member you can to get some sleep.

It's so hard for me to say if his breathing is normal.

I wish I could show it to a doctor.

Calpol plug in (fresh pad every night)
Blue inhaler (up to 10 puffs)
Vicks on soles of feet
Window vents open
Not too many layers
Propped up cot/bed

I have a child with asthma. The brown inhaler (preventative) changed her life - get an appointment with your doctor surgery asthma nurse and get on a preventative inhaler trial. She rarely coughs now but if she gets a cold we use blue inhaler during that time.

Video the breathing on your phone then show it to the doc.

@Whattodonexts I have taken a video indeed and I might call 111, hopefully they'll send me a link for me to send that. I really don't want to spend another night in a and e ! Just a few weeks ago I was there for really really bad tonsillitis twice ! It's so cold tonight. I feel like we have a slight improvement perhaps after the last two puffs of the blue inhaler.

He doesn't get much and absolutely hates it. But I'm sure he got a few breaths in.

The doctor told us twice a day two puffs. What's the maximum ? As I've done 4 puffs in the last 5 hours or so.

My little boy had this last week (18 m/o). We ended up in hospital as his spo2 levels were too low and pulse rate too high.
If it's impacting him that much he should probably go to hospital or at the minimum call 111. He might need oxygen or steroids (hospital can give oral steroid and nebuliser which is way more effective than inhaler.)
We spent 1 night / 2 days in but he came out right at rain

Max 10 puffs a day then go to a&e - he sounds like he really needs to see the asthma nurse- Phone your GP tomorrow and really push it. They can't diagnose asthma at this age but they can try him on the preventative inhalers and see how it goes.

Also as harsh as it sounds you have to pin him down and hold that inhaler device over his mouth and just get it done- lots of cuddles after. The crying actually helps him deep breathe it in more but he needs to take more than a couple of breaths per puff. If there's 2 of you at home with him then one pins him down and the other holds the mask over his face. Got to be done- bribery and cuddles work wonders after.

How scary. Last ditch attempt to see if he gets better here is the last couple of puffs of the inhaler, plus humidifier and I'm in my en suite guest room with him and have the shower running ( of a very small bathroom ) and door open. If he doesn't settle in an hour, I'll take him.

In the meantime I'll call 111.

@Whattodonexts I totally agree with you. I really do my best. We pin him down and he just cries and holds his breath with his crying 🤦‍♀️ and then barely breathes in.

It makes him hold his breath. It's a nightmare. You're absolutely right, we need to just keep it there longer.

Sounds like asthma. I am suffering from similar coughs that lead to vomit as adult. Humidifier in the room at night could help, also steam water to inhale before going to sleep. Always water near him so when he wakes up you give him some and for sure have him checked maybe he needs different dose or other inhelors. The syrops don't do anything indeed. As an adult, codeine syrop has helped but I am sure this is not something kids can take.

You're doing your best. Call your GP in the morning and get that appointment booked, with the asthma nurse ASAP but also a normal GP appointment for tomorrow to get him checked out. Try and sleep tonight. Slather vicks on his feet. Good luck OP you've got this.

It's really humid now in the bedroom as I'm running the shower in the en-suite with the door open.. hot shower.

Is that going to be beneficial for him ? I feel like he might be coughing a bit less.

Am I now overdoing it with the hot shower ?

I've also got a humidifier on, but realised it's actually a diffuser. Is that still beneficial ? Or do I need to buy a specific humidifier?

Ah I was just convinced I needed to go to the hospital. Went downstairs with him and he is just full of beans once he's up and about. Just doesn't seem unwell at all. He was laughing / walking around, wanting to eat stuff etc etc.

I just felt like - that's not an unwell child not getting enough oxygen, why should I waste our time again ?! I will be there until 4-5 am. My threshold is really low for taking him. He's probably been a and a 5-6 times this year for different things.

OP my 3 year old has a diagnosis of asthma. When she’s coughing/struggling to breathe, even if I offered her her favorite activities she’s lethargic, you can count her pulse v rapidly, and see her breaths ‘catch’ under her ribs. When her brother is poorly, he’s a miserable sod to look after, demanding and grumpy BUT very clearly not as oxygen deprived.

my best learning re inhaler. Presume they hate it. Incentive it. We offer the inhaler when sitting on my lap. Do teddy first. We use counting down for puffs (one puff, count slowly 10 9 8 etc) and they get a sticker afterwards (food treats don’t work when sick as they lose appetite). Lots of praise for doing it. It’s made a massive difference and we’ve faded the stickers out!
I sometimes explain that coughing stops us wanting to eat. The inhaler helps. And let them chose what to drink after too (squash, juice milk etc) as it does have a taste!

We also play with medicine syringes in the bath and do ‘water’ medicine with them every night. Again this is because my kid often ends up on oral steroids which are disgusting. So having them not be afraid of the calpol syringes is so important. Both my 2&3 year old will now self administer what they need to take (once I set up the dose) without protest.

For general colds: do they like the bath? Would they play in a warm one with tee tree oil/vapors in the water or close by (depending on skin sensitivity).

Vicks on feet with socks. Sleeping propped up. I bed share when they are unwell they find it comforting and settle easier. But sounds like this is all stuff you’ve tried.

In terms of avoiding A&E have you a finger oximeter in the house( they are cheap ish on Amazon and can be helpful as part of a “work out how they are”.

it’s miserable when they are unwell. Hope you can take care of yourself too (and it’s not too tough to access a GP in the am) x

Could it be whooping cough?

Baby may need steroids, I think take them to the GP.

My little one is 3 and has never liked taking the pump, the hospital taught me a way to give it when I'm are on my own. It was a game changer, however, I hate doing it because I feel it's cruel but it needs to be done. You lay them down, and put your legs over their arms and legs, with their head between your legs - essentially pining them down 😞. Then just give the pump as usual, mine will scream and I would cry but the nurses are like they need it and sometimes it's the only way.

Sending a hand hold and virtual hug, I was in your shoes yesterday, I had a full on breakdown and I was crying because I was exhausted. I hope your little one gets better, and you get some well deserved rest. 💐

Hey everyone. I took him to the GP today who said to just continue with the steroids and his ' chest is clear '.

We got antibiotics for fed and inflamed tonsils.

Apparently the cough comes from the throat.

What a load of tosh.

I then showed the video I took last night of his breathing and was told that it's laboured breathing and fast breathing and to take him to hospital next time he get like that.

Very frustrating visit tbh. I said I would like them to do something like a referral for asthma. They said they might do that at a later stage, but not for this accuse illness. I asked if there's anything else they can give him and they said no.

I guess at least last night with all the extra steam I created in the room, he finally did get some sleep.

The doctor said to give him even more puffs of his inhaler. I'll need to try the method a previous poster suggested.

It's very frustrating that she saw the video and thought it didn't look good, but was unable tk help us.

I'm so sick and tired of spending entire nights at a and e and being exhausted. It's inhumane.

@gyyy

I'm
Really sorry to hear about that visit. I have 2 that are asthmatic and with the eldest the gp done the same she wasn't diagnosed with asthma until she was 8 - we had many sleepless nights and a&e visits when she was young- I had to fight to get her reviewed by the asthma nurse. My little one is 3 and had a referral from the gp because he has been admitted so many times for the same wheezy, breathlessness. Keep fighting and tell them he has been admitted so many times, you want a specialist asthmatic doctor to review him. Also raise that he may need the brown preventer pump to help with the viral induced wheezy coughs.

The hospital and gp have always advised to give 10 puffs every 4 hours for 24 hours. Please DM if you need any help. I'm not a medical professional but this worked for my kids and I wished I had someone to advise me when I felt I was going insane. I hope he gets better soon 💐