Some views from the seasoned parents please..coughs/antibiotics

[zimm]

15 months DD (who was never ill before starting nursery, even though I did expose her to lots of other babies) has just finished a course of antibiotics for a cough/nose inflammation type thing. She had it for a while before I took her to the doctor (most of her friends seem to have coughs that last for weeks and she was fine in herself so I wasn't concerned). I wasn't keen on her having the antibiotics but the GP said they were necessary when I questioned him. Having finished the course she is still not better - still snotty and coughing although totally fine in herself, sleeping and eating well.

Is it worth giving her a week to try and kick it herself before going back to docs? I really don't want another course of antibiotics, she is so little for such strong drugs. I'm giving her honey and lemon cough syrup for symptomatic relief of the cough.

Sorry, she is my PFB I am dithering.

As long as she's not wheezy then i would be tempted to ride it out without antibiotics (but i'm not a doctor), these things tend to last quite a while in children. I try and avoid antibiotics as i find once my dd's have had them it lowers their amunu system and they end up picking up more viruses. Oh course if theres any signs of infection (high temp, feeling grotty) then take her to the GP.

I wouldn't take her back unless, as Marne says, she is behaving 'unwell'. A lot of kids have constant snot in winter. My ds1 had a cough for an entire summer once! It is worth making sure it's not asthmatic though. Check the breathing is ok, especially at night. If it's affecting breathing (not just a little snore, but she's finding it hard to breathe - lungs being drawn in/ extended coughing 'attacks') then I'd definitely take her back.

(I think some docs are very free with antibiotics and others aren't.) If some docs can't think of anything else and think you want them to 'do something', they will prescribe to keep you happy. Others are a bit more hardy, and say, 'can't do anything' but some parents are not happy with that. So depends on how hardy the doc is, I think. If the antib's didn't work then I would assume they were not necessary in the first place! I'd give it at least a week and maybe a top up of vitamins or something to try and kick it yourself.

Thanks all. The doc did listen to her chest/breathing so I assume he has checked for asthma type symptoms (DP has very mild asthma but TBH I have also assumed this is mainly caused by his parents being heavy smokers and living in central London when younger as the rest of the family are fine). She does have a little snore when she sleeps currently (not constant though) but it does not sound like a wheeze IMO. She does cough at night but not extended - just kind of couch, cough, cough, and then silence.

She sounds ok. Why did doc give antibiotics first time?

He said there was an 'inflammation'.

Yeah well, your do get inflammation with a cold, don't you? But it's not treatable with anti-b's! Anyway, I am not a doc. Go back in a week and ask for a different doc.

UUUrgh Seriously fed up now. She seems to have another virus (temperature which she did not have with the cough/cold) and I have a cold. We have both gone from being super healthy bullet proof beings to almost permanently ill since she began nursery....I really don't want to take her to doc again as he is seriously patronising but I don't want to miss anything.....

Oh yes and she still has the cough.

Sooo sympathise re nursery, but what can you do when they need to mix and socialise?

You just have to treat it all symptomatically and just grow a few grey hairs in the process.

Your GP sounds ridiculous re the antibiotics. Viral coughs can last 3 or more weeks easily and provided the child is playing, eating, drinking etc then there is no need to worry. Of course there was inflammation - all infections are inflammatory illnesses. Signs of chest infection, struggling with breathing, rapid breathing, fever, and a very unwell looking child! Rattly wet sounding coughs are not generally infected unless the other signs are there and they are not 'wheezy'.

GPs are supposed not to hand out antibs like smarties any more according to the chief medical officer. it encourages superbugs.