Please help, DS2 just won't stop coughing

[plhk]

He's been poorly for a few days but the cough has now taken on epic proportions.

He's prone to coughs, but I've never seen one as bad as this.

I don't mean to sound selfish but I'm absolutely shattered. I can't even imagine how he's feeling. Last night was bad, he coughed all night.

Tonight is unbearable. He's been sick a couple of times from his coughing fits and he just can not stop coughing. It's almost entirely continuous.

He has 5-10 minute spells where he just won't stop coughing at all. I'm not sure how he manages to catch a breath during that time. He's not gone blue or anything.

I have a humidifier in his room. The only thing that seems to help is Vicks. I've used his inhaler and it's done nothing.

My husband seems very worried too. What else can I do ?

Whooping cough? Maybe they can swab him

Have you considered whether it could be reflux, OP? It can present as a cough. It could be worth asking for a trial of Omeprazole.

I would try and push for asthma testing. This sounds so much like my son. He started with reoccurring coughs (bad ones!!) at 7 months and it just never got better, we struggled for years with his coughs, it was every 2 weeks at one point! Always really bad for 3-4 days. He finally was diagnosed at 11 years and has steroid inhaler as well as ventolin. He is no longer struggling.. Still coughs but it's manageable and lasts less time.
Try and speak to them again xx it's so tough and exhausting for all of you

Hi didn't want to read and run. I've not read all the replies but sounds very similar to my child. I'd say from age 2 we had what would be random sickness (wasn't proper sickness but her body bringing up all the mucous in her system). I managed the symptoms at home mainly, went once when she didn't seem to be getting any better and was told she had a chest infection (I'm not convinced,I think it was the sheer build up of mucous). She used to be so badly affected by coughs/colds and seemed to be ill for weeks with a simple cold and off food the full week - took her to GP several times to be told covid child/starting nursery/getting all the bugs. I'd had enough, done my own research and started on some piriton, the difference was incredible, helped immensely and then went to GP again because didn't want it to be a long term thing- they eventually listened and gave blue inhaler which made some diff to nighttime coughing and generally better in herself - put on so much weight ( was badly needed as she used to lose everytime she was unwell) and then they started on brown inhaler. After exercise- normally soft play or bouncy castles the mucous build up is insane but honestly the difference since starting the inhalers is incredible - I'd record all the evidence, videos, times of being unwell, anything that triggers it to go armed to GP. Hope that helps x

My son used to have a reaction to dust mites, not all the time, but if he was under the weather ...I would cover the top of his duvet ( wrapped around the top) with a towel along with his pillow. Seemed to work

Both my children were diagnosed very young with asthma at 1 and 2. Both were under a paediatrician . You could call asthma UK for advice which I would strongly recommend as they are excellent. There is help available and he shouldn’t be left to cough until he vomits. It’s also not fair on you as it is exhausting! There is also a chance it could be whooping cough so worth asking for a test. My daughter had it for 3 months last year and was sent home many times by gp and hospital before our lovely Gp tested her just in case. I hope he gets better soon.

One of my kids would cough a lot at night if the room was warm, we turned the heating down a small bit & the coughing stopped

My little boy is the same atm! Nearly went to urgent care Monday night as it was very croupy and the last time he had it he was kept in so I was scared. It didn’t progress but he slept in our bed for two nights (‘slept’🙄) and now again tonight he sounds horrendous - coughing and red faced and asking for more calpol! We were prescribed the steroid liquid for croup but haven’t given it to him yet - I think he may need it tonight though!
wonder if it’s all Covid related? Seems to be everywhere again! Hope your little one gets better soon and we get some sleep!

Sounds like my DS - brown inhaler has been life changing for him and we barely need the blue one now but it can be a fight to get it!

Snds like croup

BTW op, since you mentioned recurring tonsillitis- I had terrible coughs as a kid, terrible. I wasn't chesty at all, no wheeze etc, never an inhaler but I was 'throaty'. Every cold went terribly to my throat. No hospital admissions but I do remember the GP coming out for a visit one evening because I was vomiting up copious amounts of blood - i had coughed so much I burst a blood vessel in my throat.
I had recurring tonsillitis as well and at the age of 8 or so they took my tonsils out. Its been better since. I still had bad coughs every time I got a cold all through early teens but they got better and better and now in my thirties, while I will tend to have a tickly cough that's more persistent than other people, it almost never keeps me awake.

Just some hope for you. I doubt they'll take his tonsils out, for some reason they've really gone off doing it, but maybe worth an ask?

I think I missed how old your son is so use common sense and age appropriate advice. He’s likely coughing from post nasal drip if his lungs are clear.

2 schools of thought

1. get the gunk out, steam, Vicks/menthol, nasal rinse, Guaifenesin, etc. something on the throat to numb it so the cough isn’t necessarily triggered (honey, etc)
2. dry him up… otc products to dry up his sinuses and stop the dripping think antihistamines, Galpseud, or other otc drugs to stop the drip.

I have horrible allergies and went from a traditional cold with the fever and all the fixings straight into my late fall allergies. The only difference is my snot is clear and no fever with the allergies. All other symptoms are almost exactly the same including coughing until gagging.

@plhk try Vicks on his feet and cover with socks then cut up an onion (into quarters will do) and put it next to him while he sleeps. You can even have the onion next to him during the day. I use this combination for my children when they are sick and it really helps. Hope he feels better soon.

Call 111. Whooping cough is going round. You need medical advice.

I'd go to hospital he may have croup

My son has this and it's awful. I took him to so many doctors between the age of 3-5 and no one picked it up, until a fantastic doctor saw us and prescribed him a ventolin inhaler. Absolute game changer.
I would try a ventolin inhaler on advice from 111

I bought a blood oxygen finger monitor off Amazon for about £18 after my son had pneumonia. I had put him to bed with Calpol and ended up at A&E during the night because he couldn't breathe (oxygen levels dipped).

Also worth investing in a forehead thermometer. Now if anyone is sick I can give stats to 111/doctor and they can advise if it's worth the trip to A&E.

The 100 day cough, whooping cough has been really bad this year. Is he getting any better yet OP?