DS vomiting from coughing is just a normal thing according to GP

[coughinfitter]

Can anyone help me please and share experiences.

Ever since my son, who will be 2 in April was around 8 weeks old, he's suffered from recurring coughs that end up in him being sick from coughing several times a day and several times at night too. I mean like 5 times a day and 2-3 times at night if it's very bad.

The doctors always say his Chest sounds clear. Apart from once, where they heard a slight wheeze and prescribed an inhaler.

The inhaler ( blue ) doesn't really help and basically any time he comes down with a cold, his cough gets really bad and he starts throwing up from it, several times a day and also at night. It's really stressful but the GP says there's nothing else that can be done to help.

I've seen several different ones and they say that his chest always sounds clear and he's fine and the throwing up is just normal.

Sometimes at night he also has laboured breathing, but again - not with the GP.

Is this really normal ? My Older DD doesn't have that kind of problem. Grandparents and extended family are horrified when they see it happen. They keep saying we should go private, which we are considering tbh. But I don't know if a private doctor could help us or if it just us what it is. Thank you

Is there any asthma in his family? Are you monitoring his weight?

yep all my kids used to (and sometimes still do) cough and then vomit. It’s not actual tummy sickness just the act of coughing make them vomit too.

His uncle had asthma as a child. That's it.

Weight and growth fine.

Yeah it triggers the gag reflex when they cough a lot. So I guess some kids just have that reaction ?

Really common for kids to do 'cough cough cough vomit'

My daughter hasn't done this for about a year now and she's 3 and a half but she did it plenty when she caught a cold before that. Hopefully he will outgrow it?

My dc are usually sick with a cough. 2 out of the 3 have asthma. If your ds has laboured breathing and coughing through the night, his blue inhaler should help it. I'd keep a note of how often he needs it through the night and tell his Dr. He may prescribe a steroid inhaler.

My youngest has this, eldest doesn't. Essentially phlegm stuck in her throat triggers the gag reflex. She's getting better with age, but it's still a problem at night when she's lying down. She was a vomity baby too, which eldest so wasn't.
That said the frequency you describe is much greater that I've seen. It's generally only once per night, as it does seem to shift out the phlegm with the sick.

Yes mine did it (maybe not as frequently as you mention) he was still doing it at 3 years old.

watch out for gastro-oesophageal reflux though (GERDs)

My daughter is 6 and still vomits from any little cough. My other two don’t.

Sadly, coughing still sometimes triggers my gag reflex and I vomit.

Kids are the same.

My son used to do this all the time in winter or when ill. He seems to be growing out of it and his immune system is stronger now he’s 3.5 but I imagine it will still happen occasionally when he’s ill. Very normal if frustrating!

Yep, mine is 6 now and it still happens at night, although it is infrequent now. From 0-4, it was happening every week and it was horrific. Every time he has a cough now, I give him a spoon of manuka honey, and it is the only thing that helped. I tried cough medicines, doctors gave inhalers despite saying there was no sign of asthma (so I tried once, he was still sick so we didn't use it again). Since the manuka honey, it is very rare that it happens. It does reduce, in my experience. Hope it does for you too.

Defo a thing in our house. Always vomit with a cough or even just a bit flemmy.

Perhaps don't go private, but make it clear to your GP that you're very concerned about this and ask for a Paediatrician referral.

I just had this for the first time I can remember. The tickle in my throat was so far down I was suddenly and unexpectedly sick, then completely fine. Gross.

It is really common for kids to vomit from coughing. In my experience they also gag very easily which I feel is related.

So the vomiting is pretty normal. Not sure so many cold are, but they do get a lot when little.

Hi OP,

We have similar with our little one. Persistent coughs that didn’t clear, prescribed inhalers. But when coughing too much, there’s always vomit.

Only thing I’d wonder about - were you only given a blue inhaler? We were given a brown inhaler and told to use this every day as a preventative measure. Then the blue inhaler was only to be used when we sensed difficulty with breathing. I have to say since using the brown inhaler twice a day every day we’ve seen a big improvement in my little ones ability to deal with coughs, and the vomiting is less

Sensitive gag reflex and/or GERD (reflux). Mine did it till about 7, slowly got better after that at least for cough cough vomit, different story about reflux.

Does he easily vomiy without coughing or have any other symptoms of reflux - silent or otherwise?

It can be distressing specially when they do this at the end of the meal and lose weight in the initial school years because they always have a cold and cough but it does pass. A bowl used to be a fixture on bedside tables during winter nights for many years.

Sending hugs your way, it is very stressful and leaves you feeling helpless! Try the steam vaporiser, it helps at times!

My son 5, does this as well. It's usually gagging from the mucus congestion and then end up vomiting. I wouldn't worry too much unless the breathing is affected.

Completely normal. I feel very much on the cusp of vomiting when I cough though I can usually stop it now as an adult. I'm sure as a child I couldn't control it.

This happens to me, the gag reflex

Mine is from GERD I think.

My daughter 7 would do the 'cough cough vomit' when she had a very mucusy cold as a toddler. Every cold would be the same thing. She's outgrown it now though