Croup and tonsillitis?

[AlwaysNeverOnTime]

3.5 year old DS had a horrible bark like cough last night and struggling to catch his breath during coughing fits. He wasn't bad enough for a&e but it was getting close to that point. He was up for 5 hours continuously coughing and I'm not exaggerating. He would have up to 5 minutes rest before the coughing would start again.

This morning he was fine, just cold symptoms and his voice is quite throaty if you know what I mean?

I took him to an ooh appointment and the doctor said he had tonsillitis as his tonsils were very big but could have croup too and to bring him back tomorrow if he was the same tonight.

DSs hasn't once complained about a sore throat and I'm just not sure he's got tonsillitis. Can you even have tonsillitis and croup at the same time? Sorry I don't really know what I'm asking here I'm just not very confident the doctor really knew what was wrong. I'm scared about tonight. I have work tomorrow too.

Anyone?

You can have at same time. Get a gp app and get the steroid medicine for croup - it's one dose and has been proven to help in all cases mild to severe.
We find cold air helps best - people often use steam but that makes it worse (you should treat swelling (which croup is - swelling of the voice box) with cold not hot).

How was he over night?

Is he stridulous? As in does it noisy when he breathes in? If he has a stridor at rest or one that won't settle he definitely needs to be seen asap. Croup is generally worse on a night so if he gets bad, don't wait until the Dr in the morning

DS2 had croup last weekend. He wasn't too bad in the day but awful overnight. By the time I took him to OOH he had bad stridor. They sent him off to hospital. He was given steroids which helped within about 20mins. Kept him under observation all day. They said it usually starts as a virus such as sore throat. And always much worse at night. Keep a close eye on him. Get him in a steamy bathroom if it worsens and call 111 or straight to a&e if struggling to catch breath.

The tonsillitis is the likely cause of the croup...croup is really just a restriction of the airways brought on by things like tonsillitis, chest infection, colds and flu and even teething. My older sister was hospitalised with croup as an infant and cut all her molars whilst in hospital!

My DD has just had croup and tonsillitis. She always has had it the same time. We are waiting on an ENT appointment coming through. It's horrible and sometimes there is nothing that helps.
Bowl of steaming water with a drop of olbas, Vickes, and a dose of piriton seem to help.

Thanks for the replies. I haven't been at work so only just seen them. Last night he was 1000 times better. Still lots of coughing but absolutely nothing like the night before. He was making a noise when he was breathing in. But I'm not sure it was stridor as I've never heard it before.

I have been reading up on croup and ddint realise croup was a symptom not an illness.