Persistent coughing

[newtonupontheheath]

DS (19months) has had three colds since the Easter break, but has had a cough pretty much constantly. I can't decide whether it's a symptom of each cold, or the same cough iyswim so just looking for a bit of advice.

We've taken him to the GP 3 times (although second time we saw the locum) and have been prescribed one bottle of linctus that tbh did bigger all! Chest is clear each time, so no ABs or anything else offered. Asthma has been mentioned but nothing offered to see if this is the case as they seem to think not and I'm certainly no expert!

Have bought some tixylix to try to sooth him as seems to be worse at night. Mattress is raised, and has been since cold no.1. Have been showering him at night, rather than baths, in the hope that the steam will help.

Does anybody have any advice? I feel so bad for him cough coughing as he's just started sleeping through (after cold no.1) but the cough keeps disturbing him! ( and us!)

Has he been swabbed for whooping cough? There's a lot of it around at the moment and the vaccine only provides short term protection so even if he's been vaccinated he could still have it.

Oh no he hasn't. Think another trip to the GP is in order. Can hear him coughing away now last night was slightly better but I sense we're in for a bad night!

Off to learn more about whooping cough. Would he be poorly in general because other than the cough he's fine, no fever, no loss of appetite etc

The NHS website has good info about it. It can start with similar symptoms to a cold but the cough just stays...and stays...and stays... It's also known as the 100 day cough. :( Worth getting swabbed for it but there isn't much they can do treatment wise at this stage. If they catch it early on sometimes they'll prescribe ABs but that's more to limit it spreading. Hope he feels better soon - whatever it is!

I took DD to the Drs this week as she has had that cough since before Easter, so 4 weeks in all. I generally believe these things sort themselves out which is why I waited a month, took her in the end because she lost her appetite and I suspected the cough was "winning".
She had a very slight crackle on her chest and now has antibx, but he was very clear there would have been no point taking her earlier (if i was expecting treatment),
At least with several visits you have a formal record of how long he's had it, maybe they could do some swabs to check? Sadly I think if the chest is clear they really do suggest letting it run it's course though.

Amazing thing happened last night...

In an attempt to do something (anything!!) I'd come to MN, as you do. DP had gone to google, as you also do, and found an article about persisting coughs in infants. It said to smear Vic's vapour rub on the soles of the feet, and cover with socks. Supposedly "cured" many coughs in young children. I was most definitely at this, but what did we have to lose seen as though poor ds was coughing, but not awake, so we couldn't give more medicine. (v reluctant to wake him!)

I shit you not. When I posted last night it was non-stop. After the Vics application he DID NOT COUGH ONCE ALL NIGHT.

Don't know how it worked, it just did.

I was v sceptical. We'd used vapour run on his chest when he'd had colds and it had helped him breathe but not done anything to the cough.

We'll be doing it again tonight and I'll update tomorrow....

That's great news! Good to know that it works as well :)

Excellent result!

I know!

Can't tell people in real life how we cured it though, they'll think we're mental