Whooping cough!!!

[alibobins]

Been to see consultant with Ds2 today after him being really wheezy coughing and poorly and she has put him on a 4 week course of clarithromycin for whooping cough
Ds2 has already had 2 weeks worth which was ment to finish today but she said his lungs are still full of gunk and he is still having coughing fits making his lips and tongue turn blue :(
She has taken a sample to send off to confirm but said she is pretty convinced.
If after 4 weeks he is still the same she is going to have him admitted to hospital for further investigation.

I thought all children got vaccinated against whooping cough. Did he get it in spite of vaccination??? That must be absolutely awful and really frightening I imagine. Do inhalers such as ventolin help????

vaccines aren't 100% effective and they can wear off. There have been big outbreaks of pertussis in adults in the US.

oops - posted early! ali- i hope your son makes a quick recovery. My sister and I both had whooping cough and it did take about 3 months until it was gone completely - it is known as the 100 day cough iirc.

My mother got pertussis twice and this was back in the days of no vaccines.

She had it once as a child, but it was relatively mild.

Then had an explained cough/chest illness in her early 60s. They thought she had TB.

It was pertussis.

He has had all his vaccinations he's only 10 months so not long finished them :(

He has got inhalers and they do help he is fine between coughing fits just a little rosy. The coughing fits can last anything up to an hour :(

The pead said if he stops eating or drinking or stays blue around the mouth when the coughing fit happens then he will need hospital care.

Have you tried the usual things for coughing? Raising up the end of the bed, steamy bathroom etc? It might help to relieve him a bit.

Poor you and poor ds, that must be absolutely awful to have a coughing fit of an hour. I have bad asthma, and 15 minutes is already totally exhausting. Has he got a cold as well? Because if so, it might help to use a saline nose spray (Sterimar is easy to use) or drops (I find them difficult to dose myself), because it would reduce mucus leaking into the throat, but this is of course assuming he has a cold. I don't know much about whooping cough, always thought that it didn't exist anymore in the UK ...

Well last night was better he only woke 4 times and was easily settled after coughing.
He seems to have a snotty nose on and off when he's coughing his nose runs and his eyes water :(
I will try anythin to make him more comfortable.

I thought you couldn't get whooping cough anymore and questioned the consultant.