Can anyone help with dds cough?

[slowlygoingbonkers]

She has had a cough for two weeks now. Took her to the docs last week and they said because her chest was clear they couldn't do anything. It is getting worse. She isn't sleeping because of it and I had to get her from school today as she was coughing so much that she made herself sick. She says her ribs hurt from coughing. I have been giving her OTC medicine and lozenges but nothing is giving her any relief. She just looks so drained from it. She is 8.

Tia

Well, been docs. They refused to test on the basis that she doesn't whoop. they gave her antibiotics.
How do I find the local health protection agency? She's been worse today and looks so drained. She's hardly got any energy.

How ridiculous of your GP. It has been well documented that if children are vaccinated or partially vaccinated they may not have the characteristic whoop.

If you pm me what your nearest big city is I will find your local health authority and PM it back.

Only 50% of people with whooping cough whoop when coughing...I had it a few years ago. It was awful.
Tips....put towels or a duvet under her mattress to raise the topic her bed.
Get a humidifier...we got the Vicks one. Seems to help.
Antihistamine before bed (piriton or similar)
Ds2 has an awful cough...coughing til he is sick etc.
When I asked if it could be whopping cough the gp said "it's a possibility" and then that was that!
Hope she feels better soon x

Sent you a pm dikker

I get the results of my dds swabs tomorrow but she has suspected whooping cough. She has been VERY poorly
Thankfully the antibiotics have helped thoroughly! (Although she is still coughing lots :-(

How long do the results take NorthernMonkey?

3-4 days but. They did them Monday afternoon. I've done my part though as I have kept her away from everyone. They won't treat my ds's though until its confirmed which means another week off school if its is that

Silly question but I thought whooping cough was immunised against and it was only older children (teens) and babies and children that had not been vaccinated getting it?

The doctor who I saw told me that only 90% actually work so there is always that chance

I got whooping cough as a toddler and was very very ill.
I got it again when I was in my 30s
I was vaccinated.

*Thank you Goldmandra - although he's now developed another really bad cough I think it must have left him less resistant.

Whooping cough for adults is hell. I had it when I was 20 (caught it travelling in Eastern Europe), it lasted for months, and then I had post viral fatigue for another 18 months. I really hope you feel better soon *

Thank you. It definitely seems to come back with every little sniffle for a while.

slowly there isn't any treatment which is going to help your DD now. Antibiotics at this stage are simply about preventing transmission. There is even some debate about the effectiveness of giving them to young babies who have been exposed to the bacteria as protection but while they aren't sure it doesn't help they are erring on the side of caution and prescribing them anyway.

Hi, I have pm'd you the contact details of your local health protection unit.

It is true that once you are in the second/third stage of whooping cough antibiotics no longer help. However, often it is still good to get antibiotics as on completion of the course you will no longer be infectious to others, so with a bit of luck not the whole family ends up with whooping cough.

Usually GPs prescribe erythromycin, which is very effective but can make you very sick (severe stomach upsets), I would advise to insist on clarithromycin which is equally good but much better tolerated, plus it only needs to be taken every 12 hours whereas erythromycin needs to be taken every 6 hours thus disturbing sleep.

The whooping cough vaccine is now thought to only provide immunity for about 10 years and possibly even shorter. There are therefore calls for a booster for teenagers. Also the vaccine effectiveness is only about 90%, so of 10 vaccinated people, 1 can still get whooping cough.

How rubbish

Badvocsanta I was exactly the same. Had it as a toddler, was vaccinated, caught it again at 20. And I whooped - it was my mum who insisted I see the GP as she remembered it from the first time round. GP wasn't much bothered though

I also turne out to have no immunity to rubella despite being fully vaccinated and having had a booster 3 years earlier. I think people need to be more aware that vaccines don't always work/last.

I really can't believe how laid back these various GPs are being about a notifiable and serious illness.

Well ime they don't give a toss impy :(
I actually had the mmr 8 years ago (long story...took ds1 for his and nurse missed and jabbed my hand!) and yet I still got it again.
The gp we saw couldn't have vacated less, and as you say its a notifiable illness!
Would they be as laid back wrt scarlet fever?

Badvocsanta I think so yes. I wonder if it has to do with the funding system. Maybe diagnosing a notifiable disease takes up time/money/effort, so they prefer to diagnose it as any good old virus. The NHS reforms have created such a mess as there is no proper public health anymore awaiting the further reforms (and in future the responsibility for all public health issues, such as dealing with the outbreaks of what are now notifiable diseases) is expected to lay with GPs, so can only get worse I think.

"long story...took ds1 for his and nurse missed and jabbed my hand"

Yep.
If I was to tell you all the negligence and mistakes made in ds1s care as a neonate and infant we would be here all day :(