6-year-old won’t stop coughing - HELP!

[Obsidian]

6-year-old DD has a dry / tickly cough, but doesn’t seem otherwise ill. It gets worse at night time and none of us got any sleep last night. She was literally coughing on every breath, which was awful. We tried all the usual stuff - linctus, Calpol, Ibuprofen, Olbas Oil, steam, honey and lemon, propping up her pillow. NOTHING seemed to help.

I’m 37 weeks pregnant and SO TIRED. Please share your top tips for helping to calm a cough so we can all get some sleep!!! Thanks

How long has this been going on for? If it's recent and quickly escalated it will just eventually due out.

If it's been ongoing for a long time and only at night, it's worth going to the doc and seeing if she might be a bit asmathic.

What ILove said, plus vick on the soles of her feet and socks on.
I find that if I let the coughing child sleep with me the child sleeps more deeply and the cough doesn't bother them as much. Obviously that might not be a good suggestion though!

Sounds like she might be asthmatic. This is what my son was like - inhalers really help. He’s also worse at this time of year when it gets colder and in the spring. Good luck getting it sorted (and also with the new baby).

Also is she propped up? That can help

It’s only been a couple of days - although feels like longer! She’s always had a tendency to get this kind of cough along with a minor cold. We did once get given an inhaler by the doctors when she was around 3, but it didn’t seem to help, so don’t think she’s asthmatic.

I just wondered if any more experienced parents were around who could tell me what actually works for a cough (medical or home remedies), because nothing we’ve tried so far has touched it - and I can’t stand listening to her cough all night (both on her behalf and my own!)

It’s not croup is it? I know she’s old or it but it can happen...

My brother regularly has that kind of cough (and has had since childhood) - you have my sympathy, it has a way of getting on your nerves (obviously your DD too!). Apparently a medicine based on oxomemazine works best for him!

Hi Obsidian

I also have a 'cougher', not asthmatic. There are some nights when nothing works, but we've had some success with a dose of Piriton at bedtime - I think it calms the irritation in the airways. Spoonful of neat honey helps to coat the throat a bit. She's better with window open and plenty of cool air.

Hope you have a better night tonight!

BI x

My DS had croup at xmas last year (he was 5) and has (what I would call) mild asthma. He was coughing on every breath. We took him to OOH and if it hadn't been xmas day would have been admitted.

Please think about getting her seen - a 90min wait now will be quicker than another night without sleep.

DS was prescribed prednisone and was so much better after a couple of hours.

Coughing that comes on at night can be asthma - probably worth mentioning to GP. I’m asthmatic and coughed my entire childhood. My parents would get up to give cough medicine which wouldn’t have helped!

Humidifier! Works like magic.

This is my 5 year old right now. Me & OH haven't slept in nearly a week! She has a humidifier on at night which helps, & she gets warm milk with honey before bed. Gunna try propping the head of her mattress up with towels as she doesn't sleep on pillows much. The piriton before bed helps here too

I feel your pain. Just took DS after having a cough for 2 weeks. No asthma. Doc says will just go eventually.

Coughing that gets worse at night often is asthma DS has only once had a wease. Yet he's had to have oral steroids a number of times. A lot of people don't realise coughing on its own can be asthma.

It's often allergy related, worse at night caused by post naisel drip. Try giving antihistamine, if that helps go discuss it with the doctor.

Please do investigate asthma with the gp. A night cough is a prime symptom.

You don't want the first time you realise your child has asthma to be a full on attack with no inhaler to hand.

Thanks very much for all the advice - so helpful!

Will try humidifier and Piriton tonight, and if no better, go to docs in the morning to ask about asthma. Sorry to hear others are going through this too - it’s pretty draining! Hopefully things will improve before the new baby arrives, or I’ll be on my knees 😩

Give the vicks vapo rub on soles of feet a try. Very weirdly it seems to work and no harm in trying. Good luck

Our trouble is trying to get a GP appt round here. It's like trying to run the gauntlet past guard dogs 😂

I know sometimes getting doctors appointment can be hard but if you say it's for a small child they should be easier to get through. I'm just very determined sometimes then they don't have a choice.

High dose vitamin c -look up vitamjn c protocol. Cut onion by side of bed. Elderberry syrup. Honey to help throat. Propping up a wee bit...steamy room. The right homeopathic remedy..call homeopathic helpline?

Vicks on feet helps us I wish I knew about it years ago. One of the many things mn has taught me.