Dd1 has had a cough for over a month but only coughs at night?

[Marne]

I feel a bit guilty for not taking her to the gp but I'm not sure if there's anything they can give her. She has had a cough on and off since October ( seemed to get a bit better and then come back ), she seems to cough at night and in the mornings but rarely during the day,it's quite a loose cough but doesn't seem to be on her chest. Should I take her to the gp or do we just ride it out? She is almost 10 years old.

Take her to the GP if you are unsure. It could be an asthma type thing or some sort of allergy.

Asthma, classic symptoms. Get the GP to try a reliever inhaler for her for a week and see if it helps.

We just been to the GP about this. He's given us an asthma pump to try and my Ds's coughing stopped. He has a follow up next week.

Asthma. Also bed mite allergy.

I say asthma too. Both ds and dd were coughing at night for months, it never occured to me that it was asthma, it had been going on for about 6 months before i took them to the gp

Don't feel bad I only know this is a classic asthma symptom as I am asthmatic myself. It might not b but I agree go c gp and get them to check :)

Asthma. Classic. Well so I think as parent of 2 very asthmatic children

Try a different pillow? I bought some new (hypoallergenic by chance!) pillows from John Lewis a few years ago and developed a cough at night. Didn't think anything of it till one night I moved to the spare room to avoid waking dh and within 10 mins the cough had stopped. Got rid of the pillows and the cough disappeared...

DD2 has been exactly the same - took her to the GP with a cough in October and he said it was croup and couldn't do much.

Coughed on and off then about a fortnight ago started waking at night coughing. I was worried it was asthma (I'm asthmatic and used to have a terrible nighttime cough as a child) and it turned out to be a chest infection.

She's on antibiotics now and slept through for the first time this year last night.

So yes, definitely worth going to the GP.

DS2 had this, it was linked to viral induced wheeze (Docs actual terminology) I regularly steam his bedroom (mattress, carpet, curtains, soft toys), hoover, bought a Bionaire air purifier to run a few hrs every night (best thing I ever bought!) and keep the room as uncluttered as possible (he still has a couple of teddies as he's still young).

www.allergyuk.org/ is great for tips.

Can I just say, every time my DC cough at night my mother triumhpantly declares they are asthmatic and she should know as she had an asthmatic child.

I actually find it quite upsetting as I don't want my dc to go through what I went through and (without meaning to sound arsey) is probably to advise someone to visit a DC than to make an armchair diagnosis and declare that their child has a chronic condition.

gah, should have said

"it's probably better to advise someone to visit a GP than to make an armchair diagnosis and declare that their child has a chronic condition"

But then every response on this board would simply be "visit your GP"

I find it helpful to have ideas from a variety of people who have experienced the same problem, so I can help prompt the GP if he is being typically absolutely useless.

Your mother don't think u sounded arsey :) I know exactly what u mean about not wanting them to go through it I'm asthmatic as so is ds2 and while I'd known for a while he was it was still gutting when dr confirmed just feels so much worse when it's happening to them doesn't it

I don't think it's wrong to say:

"it could be asthma, definitely worth visiting your GP".

But responses that just say:

"Asthma. Classic symptoms"

"Asthma. Classic"

and: "Get the GP to try a reliever inhaler" are probably not that helpful.

It may be asthma, it may not, but it can be upsetting when people declare that your DC absolutely do have a chronic condition that you're really rather hoping they don't.

Even if those people have never met the patient and have no medical qualifications.

mummy, yeah it's crap, isn't it?

(though luckily neither of mine have been diagnosed with asthma, except by my mother )

Yourmother - it can help if you have some idea before seeing your gp, though. I took DS2 to the doctors several times over a two year period, with a night time cough, wheezy chest etc. He was grey, tired, not eating well...

I was reassured it was just a virus. Just a toddler cough.

Someone mentioned asthma (I am asthmatic but it hadn't occured to me). Took him back to gp, who agreed it seemed likely, tried an inhaler, and he was a changed child after 5 days.

It's always worth asking.

I don't disagree with mentioning that it could be asthma, sittingagain. Sorry, I thought I'd made that clear, but obviously not.

It's just declaring that it IS asthma that would upset me, if I had started this thread (though I obviously can't speak for the OP, who is probably fine with it).

Also a bit at advice to go to your GP and TELL them to try a reliever inhaler. I think the GP can probably work out what it is they need to do.

And I did qualify it by stating IMO as a parent of 2 children with it. But seriously you should take child to GP who has had years of medical training and can make a judgement. Hopefully it's nothing but if it's asthma or croup best to start treatment asap

Sorry, cross posted with your last couple of posts (on very slow phone).

I didn't TELL the doctor to prescribe an inhaler, I just asked if it could be asthma. I'd seen the same doctor - my very lovely gp - probably around 6 times when DS was between 18 months and 4 years. Asthma was never mentioned, despite him presenting the same symptoms every winter.

It was only when I used the word that an inhaler was suggested. He's 7 years old now, in very good health, but clearly asthmatic.

Sorry, sitting, I wasn't saying it was you who suggested telling the GP anything - it was another poster upthread who said that, not you.

My phone is just too slow to keep up.

Hope you get it sorted OP.

I would get it checked out.

My DD does this though after having colds.

She doesnt have asthma.

So don't get all worried yet.

I would get it checked out.

My DD does this though after having colds.

She doesnt have asthma.

So don't get all worried yet.

Thank you for all your posts ( didn't expect such a response ), I posted because I was thinking 'asthma' but thought I might just be panicking , she had a similar cough when she was little and the gp gave us some medicine that's used for asthma ( to relax and widen the wind pipe I think), she does tend to get bad coughs and they do tend to drag on. Her bedroom is full of cuddly toys, pillow pets and blankets, so her bed probably has dust mites, I will go and Hoover her bed and teddies ( and remove some from her bed ), I did reduce her teddies down last week but they seem to have made their way back to her bed.

Her cough didn't seem to bad this morning but she was coughing a lot before she went to sleep last night, I will try and get her to the gp and get it checked.