Feeling desperate (long sorry)

[Lowesy]

My 2.8yo DD has had a cough which has lasted since Christmas day. Every time she gets a cough or cold we end up in the doctor's office often being prescribed antibiotics and this occasion has been no different. However, this time around, she took approximately half the bottle (which I was hiding in yoghurt) and then point blank refused any more. She's also not touched yoghurt since, which is part of her characteristics as a food refuser I guess.

So back to the doctor's we trundle whereby the doctor tells me it's on her file that she has recurrent croup (categorically never mentioned to me!) and prescribed Prednisolone, which bless her heart DD threw up every dose. Bearing in mind the food refusal I had very limited options to disguise it.

She now has a preventer inhaler which she has twice a day, but after a couple of days with no coughing at night, we're back to choking to the point of vomiting and having to rush her outside into the cold air to get her to take a breath. Boiling kettles in the bedroom works for a short while, but I'm 37 weeks pregnant and need some sleep too. Plus surely this isn't normal for an otherwise healthy 2yo to be this sick over a cold?

Not even sure what I'm asking tbh, but I'm absolutely desperate for her to get better. I'm afraid to take her to playgroup atm in case she picks up something else because she just suffers so much. Taking her to the doctor's is so utterly traumatic for her (goodness knows why, but she's always gone loopy in there), they always end up keeping the examinations short because of how distressed she gets. They couldn't get a look down her throat the last two visits and that was with me pretty much holding the poor child in a headlock! Just don't know what else to do, have followed all the doctor's instructions to no avail but "she has asthmatic tendencies" or "it's just croup" (that's lasted for 6 weeks). I feel like I am failing her somehow.

Get her on a good probiotic (Biocare do a good one but its pricey - strawberry acidophilus powder and it tastes yummy) Vit D3 drops and Vit C as well - again, biocare do a good one. Plenty of protein in her diet, try to reduce sugar where possible. Keep her window open a fraction at night for ventilation. Tea tree oil in a burner as well works wonders. Hope she gets better really soon.

That doesn't sound right. I would ask for a referral or a second opinion from a different doctor as keep reoccurring so hopefully they can pinpoint a cause

I can only sympathise. Am off the croup/bronchiolitis train for the time being, but my goodness it is wearing. And frightening too.

Has your local hospital got a children's walk-in centre? We have used ours sometimes because we get to see a consultant paediatrician. They often have a different approach from the GP.

Either way, it has gone on too long and I think the docs need to re-evaluate and maybe try something different. If there is no walk-in, perhaps ask for a referral? It's no good telling you to do things that your DD can't or won't go along with, however much you wish she would. That's not effective.

That's unacceptable.
Ask the gp - or phone - and request a referral to paed.

How many infections is she getting a year? 10-12 is considered normal, albeit excruciating. Why are you up at night? Can your DH/DP not see to her as you need your sleep if you're pregnant! Is it exhaustion that's brought you to this point or are you worried about something specific?

Thanks everyone. Will try and answer questions but am on my phone so can't check back.

Protein is a big problem to get into her. She generally won't entertain eating meat (although she licked a fish finger yesterday - major achievement!) so I'm heavily reliant on cheese. Which she will only eat as slices of, or grated so not a great deal. She does eat veg and fruit though and has recently added spaghetti hoops to her repertoire!

I don't know how many infections she's getting in a year, but I can't agree that 10-12 courses of antibiotics a year would be right? Which is what she'd be having as she always ends up on them as she can never shake the cold.

I'm up with her because she won't settle for DH, just dissolves into hysterical crying, choking and then we're all up anyway. She'd just begun sleeping through the night, but not sure if that's down to the nurofen she was having to soothe her before bed with the cold.

Probably a mix of exhaustion and pregnancy making me feel utterly incompetent. There just seem to be so many things about her that are "difficult", always seems like she's suffering. I think I'm worried about possible ASD (as well as the chest thing!) but each time I read about it, it doesn't seem to fit iyswim.

I think ere is a lot going on. You are gp, new baby imminent, she has been ill and ime it does take them a whole to recover from chest illnesses.
Also, it's not 10-12 lots of ABs, it's 10-12 viral infections per year.
My ds2 will also not eat meat and it's a worry.

No 10-12 infections a year, some of which may need antibiotics. But some children will need antibiotics frequently! I think it's important to separate out whether your wee one is a normal toddler with the standard number of infections, that are making you very tired - or is there a problem in which case see the GP again, maybe see someone different? Could you go and sleep somewhere else for a night to try and get a really good sleep? She might be upset but hopefully your partner would be able to comfort her? Good luck x

Also, I would question whether she has childhood asthma.
Has she been any better with the blue inhaler?

Sorry if I wasn't clear, I was just trying to demonstrate that every single cold she has ends up in the doctors office.

She doesn't have a reliever inhaler only a brown one.

Poor kid. Back to the bloody doctors again then. I wonder would it be prudent for me to make an appointment about her rather than for her? I know they'll obviously need to see her at some point but I explained very clearly to the last doctor that she was a food refuser, so hiding the Prednisolone in juice or squash was impossible because she doesn't drink them. But it was still prescribed anyway, and in her own style she of course threw it back up, which now reading about it I realise is common for this drug because it's so bloody vile!! Hard enough for any child to take but a food refuser?!

Anyway, I'm rambling now. Thanks for replying everyone I feel a bit less tearful now for the first time today

Pred is indeed disgusting. A shame, because it really does work!
I do think your dd should have a blue inhaler - my ds is using his ATM as he has a cough.

We are in same boat. My 4 year old ended up in hospital twice around18 months.....I feared every cold and hated friends who brought their snotty kids round thoughtlessly. A cold was a one month trial of sleepless nights, struggling to breathe....our ds has severe food allergies and an asthmatic response to colds.
We have singulair every night which has helped a lot.
I nebuliser with steroids and albuterol as soon as a cold starts. We usually end up with liquid steroids. But it does get better. 4 now and this is second cold since September...it is bad. They always are.let friends know to not come and ask for referral to asthma specialist. Sorry. It is awful and does indeed push you to your limit. I feel this every time.

following on from bubbawubba's suggestions, I'd cut all dairy inc the cheese, start supplements (good multivit) and probiotics (the biocare suggestion is a really good one)

Look into the food more (I say that as a parent of dairy and wheat free children who are way less difficult and more healthy since a change in diet - if you suspect ASD look at casien and gluten free diet too)

Ds was like that but with ear infections. 3 months to 20 months he had an ear infection roughlyevery 10-14 days with an ear infection (and needing antibiotics). At 20 months he had grommets and he's never been as bad since.

He's an expert in not taking medicine now.

IS it possible that the colds are causing glue ear too? Because the behaviour that can be seen as ASD can also be caused by glue ear. if she's getting a lot of colds, then glue ear is a possible side effect. Don't just go on "she can hear me". I would have said ds could hear me fine until the hearing test that showed his hearing was attrocious. He was also lip reading, which I also didn't notice. This is fairly typical, ENT said a lot of parents don't realise until they fail a hearing test.