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Original poster

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

97 replies

coughinfitter · 21/12/2023 21:41

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

OP posts:
elliejjtiny · 21/12/2023 23:13

2 of my sons do this, now aged 10 and 13.

JMSA · 21/12/2023 23:17

Still happens with me as an adult Sad
I dread getting a cough not least because of my pelvic floor because they last for weeks if not months, and my gag reflex really kicks in.

Onceuponaheartache · 21/12/2023 23:20

It is possible he is asthmatic s thia is a common symptom however getting a doctor to diagnosed under the age of 4 is nigh on impossible.

However coughing til you are sick is perfectly normal, the coughing creates a syphon from the stomach. Just try and make sure he sleeps on his side to prevent him aspirating.

Both dd and I suffer, drives me mad.

missymousey · 21/12/2023 23:29

My son was the same, any cold would go to his chest and his coughing often triggered vomiting. Started when he was about a year old. I took him to GP and paediatrician and for a while to a homeopath. No real advice. Best for us was the Calpol plug-in vapour things plus blue inhaler when really tight chested, if I timed the inhaler right it often meant he had enough breath to avoid the vomiting. Seems to have more or less grown out of it at last, he's 6 now.

Appleblum · 21/12/2023 23:43

Yea happened with both of mine... cough cough cough vomit, cry even more 😪😪 it nearly decimated me several times having to change them and the sheets in the middle of the night when I was already so shattered with dealing with them the whole day.

Doctor said it's because their spincter wasn't as developed yet and they tended to throw up whatever was in their tummies. Phlegm came out as well so that was a positive I could console myself with. They both outgrew it.

RandomButtons · 21/12/2023 23:47

I’m an adult and coughing makes me puke. I’m also asthmatic mind.

everythingthelighttouches · 22/12/2023 07:54

A tip from me would be to film him at night next time he has laboured breathing in his sleep.

my DS had this, it was very loud. Combined with the constant vomiting when they saw the video, the paed went “oh goodness. I see” and put him on reflux meds immediately.

I should point out that in our case our DS was extremely premature so we were under a paediatrician on the nhs anyway. And it did turn out that he had very severe GERD.

Xiaoxiong · 22/12/2023 08:00

DS1 didn't do this, DS2 did and it was a shock! He grew out of it by 6 or 7. I remember once having to explain to school when he piped up to tell his reception teacher that he had vomited last night and the look on her face nearly killed me that he didn't mean D&V vomit but gag reflex from coughing, so no need to stay home. If we had he would have been home with successive 48 hours off between October and March.

ChateauMargaux · 22/12/2023 08:41

I would consider seeing an osteopath.. it can help with this. If he is having frequent coughs all year round.. I would consider vitamins, food intolerance, and alternative therapies... it sounds more frequent than 'normal' and in my experience, there are things that can help... if this doesn't resonate with you.. no problem!

Outwiththenorm · 22/12/2023 08:45

Onceuponaheartache · 21/12/2023 23:20

It is possible he is asthmatic s thia is a common symptom however getting a doctor to diagnosed under the age of 4 is nigh on impossible.

However coughing til you are sick is perfectly normal, the coughing creates a syphon from the stomach. Just try and make sure he sleeps on his side to prevent him aspirating.

Both dd and I suffer, drives me mad.

Yes the only kids I’ve known to do this (including my DC) have turned out to be asthmatic.

BerriesNutsConkers · 22/12/2023 08:47

Sallyh87 · 21/12/2023 21:54

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

Kids are the same.

I'm in my 50s and still vomit often with a nasty cough!

TurquoiseDress · 22/12/2023 08:47

Yes definitely not unheard of for vomiting caused by a coughing fit

Last year I had an awful cough which lasted weeks on end- I had many coughing fits, the worst ones resulted in me vomiting, took me by surprise at first!

Coughing can have such force it causes vomiting especially in younger ones

TurquoiseDress · 22/12/2023 08:48

Oh and I do not have any lung condition, no asthma history

TurquoiseDress · 22/12/2023 08:52

From my perspective I would say it's a normal thing and think your GP

With your child though I'd suggest get a second opinion

TurquoiseDress · 22/12/2023 08:53

*I would agree with your GP

CaineRaine · 22/12/2023 08:56

A persistent cough can be the only symptom in childhood asthma, I’d guess it’s less likely though if the coughs only coincide with colds. My child had asthma with cough as the only symptom but had it regardless of having a cold or not, they needed the blue and brown inhaler plus montelukast tablets when it got bad.

SnapdragonToadflax · 22/12/2023 08:59

Mine does this, he's nearly 5 and it seems to have lessened but it was really bad when he was about 2. He has asthma.

ETA: he's been treated for asthma since he was 2.5 (inhalers and steroids when needed). They don't diagnose asthma until children are around 7, as they don't have the lung capacity to do a peak flow test until then.

OldTinHat · 22/12/2023 09:20

I'm asthmatic, in my 50s and still sometimes vomit when coughing. It's just a thing.

BeggyMitchell · 22/12/2023 09:28

notmorezoom · 21/12/2023 21:47

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

Absolutely.

DS did this up until about two , my nephew up to about 3/4!

They are both perfectly healthy strapping teenagers now if that helps?

CreationNat1on · 22/12/2023 09:29

My eldest, now 15.5 and perfectly healthy was a cough, vomitter and also a drooler and red rash around the mouth. They grow out of it, but yes it was hard going.

mogtheexcellent · 22/12/2023 09:31

I started doing this after being pregnant. I vomit up a foam mostly unless ive just eaten. Apparently its gulping air in when i cough.

zingally · 22/12/2023 09:35

It is quite common.

I'm a primary school teacher, and we see it happen a fair bit, especially during winter cough season.
Most seem to grow out of it, or at least learn to subdue the cough so it doesn't reach the vomit stage.
Give him some water as soon as the coughing starts, and encourage him to keep his mouth closed when coughing to subdue it. It's that loud, open-mouthed, full-bodied cough that little kids do, that tricks their bodies into thinking it's worse than it is, and thus the gag reflex goes off.

CheeseCrackers45 · 22/12/2023 09:49

Young kids have a sensitive gag reflex, so it's not at all uncommon for coughing to trigger vomiting. My son is nearly 2 and almost always vomits when he has a cough/cold.

ChaosAndCrumbs · 22/12/2023 09:59

Both of mine are vomit when cough kids. It’s definitely very common. The recurring cough - how often does he have one? If it’s constant I’d recommend keeping a diary. My son was on prophylaxis antibiotics for a different problem that irritated his stomach and I kept a diary to show the doctor, which helped to demonstrate just how often it was happening. If there’s a possibility he needs another inhaler, I’d take the diary to demonstrate how often he has a cough and fingers crossed the doc will listen.

Original poster
coughinfitter · 22/12/2023 10:15

ChaosAndCrumbs · 22/12/2023 09:59

Both of mine are vomit when cough kids. It’s definitely very common. The recurring cough - how often does he have one? If it’s constant I’d recommend keeping a diary. My son was on prophylaxis antibiotics for a different problem that irritated his stomach and I kept a diary to show the doctor, which helped to demonstrate just how often it was happening. If there’s a possibility he needs another inhaler, I’d take the diary to demonstrate how often he has a cough and fingers crossed the doc will listen.

He's probably had the cough at least once a month since September. Not sure if that's that often or just the normal amount.

OP posts:
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