What can I do for DS (3.5) while we wait for tonsil op? Horrendous coughing.

[doricpatter]

He's been in bed for over an hour and is just coughing and coughing. He's had a cold this week which always makes him cough at night, it's awful. He's sooo tired.

He always has water by the bed (gets a dry mouth from snoring) but I can't think what else to do for the coughing. I did once try the Vicks thing but it didn't make much difference. Maybe I just have to wait it out ... :(

Have you tried a room humidifier? I find it works better than a bowl with hot water. We put a few drops of baby vicks or carvol in it, but I think just the steam does the trick. It doesn't stop DS coughing completely, but definitely reduces it and helps him sleep.

We have this one

I'm sure you can get a cheaper one if you look. Or maybe someone you know has one you could borrow and see it works before you decide to buy one?

I use the sudofed plug in which seems to offer some relief.

A humidifier is a good idea too, or just boil kettle in room to get some steam in there.

Poor little man. Whens his op?

I'd thought about a humidifier but TBH his room is baltic really cool and the windows are already soaked with condensation in the mornings and the idea of pumping steam in there makes my teeth itch. That aside, it's not like it's hot, dry air in there. Maybe I should just bite the bullet though.

Hadn't heard of Sudafed plug in, will investigate that, thanks :)

We're waiting for a date. None of us have had any sleep for 3.5 years so it can't come soon enough! :)

Sorry namechange obviously!

Try propping him more upright I have found that occasionally, but not always being more upright helps. DS on a bad night has found through his own investigation ( so I can't take the credit) that leaning so he lies with his head on my chest and is at right angles to me is often better ( and maybe more solid and supportive) than a few pillows.

BTW I know all about the lack of sleep thing :(

Also if he is having the dry mouth and coughing from mouth breathing which I assume he does from your message on my thread, then plug ins will not make that much difference
He is probably coughing as a result of the dry mouth/throat and pooling saliva from mouth breathing :(

Thanks norks. Yeah, it's a weird sort of barking cough, not chesty but not a true throaty cough either. Always always always when he's had a cold and for weeks afterwards.

So much of his symptoms have gone on for so long I can't remember when they started and I sort of accepted a lot of them as normal ... feel terrible I didn't push it with the medics much sooner. Poor wee soul :(

However, onwards and upwards. Hurry up postman!

I know how awful you feel I hadn't even noticed that the reason DS was "naughty" and kept getting up at night was because he was contiually stopping breathing!!!

DS was also diagnosed with Asthma initially due to his cough and wheeze from obstruction. However his cough has diminished so much since his adenoids were removed, that he has now been off the asthma meds for nearly a year.

I agree roll on postman :)

Doric I found your post while searcing for information about tonsillectomies (my son is due to have an op on the 31st). Perhaps an obvious observation, but the "barking sound" you mentioned sounds like croup. If so, your son might benefit from steam run the hot water in your shower to build up steam and then let your son stand in it for as long as possible (not the hot water, just the steam). Good luck!

DS had his tonsils/adenoids out when he was 2 and he suffered terribly with coughing/snoring before he had them out so can completely sympathise.

Our GP gave us some children's sudafed elixir which we used when he was very bad...for some bizarre reason it stopped the coughing but I have no idea why!

Might be worth a try if you get desperate.

A big yes to the humidifier. My gran used to call it a humiliator .