4 year old had a cough for 8 weeks

[tulipali]

My daughter has had a cough for the past 8 weeks, after 3 weeks I took her to the gp who said just a common cold, 2 weeks later, went back as it's keeping her up at night and she's coughing herself sick. They gave us an inhaler, this makes no difference, 2 weeks later back to the gp, they check her chest, look in her ears, temp, throat check, etc. All fine. But every single day she is coughing, it's not getting better, and it's worse at night to the point where she wakes up coughing which leads to screaming and a meltdown that we can't calm down. I'm at my wits end. I don't know what else to do. What could this possibly be other than just a string of colds which is what I'm being told?

Mine had this last year I thought they were never going to stop coughing.

I did all the usual stuff, honey and lemon hot drinks, steaming, elevated beds, water on radiators, vicks on feet inside socks, onion in room!

Eventually it went but it probably took 3 months and I don’t know if any of what I did made it better I think it just worked it’s way out of their systems. So many sleepless nights tho you have my sympathy

It’s not super bad - but my 6 year old has had a cough for months. I almost wonder if it’s habit.
She had Scarlet Fever since cough started so penicillin and it made no difference whatsoever.

Took her to GP a couple of weeks ago who checked her out & said there’s a viral cough that is lingering for ages with children.

I will be pleased when it finally ends as it’s pretty constant!

Whooping cough? Disclaimer - I have no medical training at all!

Well I did think habit but it actually wakes her up. Surely it can't be habit if it's in her sleep? And if it was whooping cough she wouldn't have a clear chest would she? I don't know. But we had t again last night! Went to bed at 7, woke up coughing at 8, had medicine, started coughing again 10-11!

I'm not sure really I was guessing on the whooping cough as my nephew had it even though he'd been vaccinated.

I don't think a lingering viral cough should be making her cough herself sick and into meltdowns after this length of time.

I'd go back and press for some answers she must be exhausted.

Friends little one was like this and go said in the end to try giving Calpol every bedtime.
Friend was a bit
But tried it and it did the job.

I think you should probably go back though

Try a dose of piriton.
In most common cold remedies to aid the coughing the active ingredient is antihistamine.
My daughter had been the same, last night that was my final resort. Not a cough and slept through from 11-7

My lb had cough for 8 weeks from Dec-Feb, like you after 3 weeks we went to gp, "viral", again like you went back after another 2 weeks, we were prescribed antibiotics after different gp said she could hear a very slight rattle in the upper chest so wouldn't diagnose chest infection but felt antibiotics would help, after treatment the cough had loosened up and was less frequent but nonetheless still there so again bk to gp after 7 weeks, at this appointment I was told "we don't really worry about viral coughs until its gone past 8 weeks, come back in another 2 weeks if it's still here" jesus christ. No joke by 8 & 1/2 weeks it stopped over the course of about 2 days!! Was very shocked. He's got another cough now already with another viral infection so he was cough free for about a total of 3-4 weeks. Anyway nothing we did worked, like pp said elevated bed, vapo on feet, chest, back, humidifier, over the counter cough medicine, piriton once or twice as has heard it could help but did not! Honey, warm drinks etc. If I were you I'd just keep going bk to the doctors over and over even though it's a total pain in the ass but make a pain in the ass of yourself and the gp will eventually do something.

My daughter had exactly the same. Really dry cough and would couch so much sometimes it would eventually make her sick. Literally nothing worked for us unfortunately calpol here and there but after a good 3/4 months it just eventually went. I feel very sorry for you all right now

There is an American cough syrup for children on amazon called Zarbees it works also try searching for elderberry syrup

By the sounds of it we'll just have to wait it out! Thank you all for your responses. Over the past few nights it's eased a little. She only coughed for an hour last night, doesn't sound like a win but it is!

Whooping cough nearly always shows a clear chest which is why it goes undiagnosed a lot. What’s the cough like? Does it go on and on until she’s sick/nearly sick or panics?
Record the cough and check it against other whooping cough sounds found on YouTube. If you think it might be, take the recording for the doctor to hear.
My entire family caught it two years ago and it took months for it to go. Antibiotics don’t help it.
It is unlikely though as at the age of 4 the vaccine I assume she had would still be going strong. It starts to wear off at the age of around 10.
If not whooping cough, it could be a string of colds and viruses. Cut out milk for a week and see if anything changes. Also a humidifier in the bedroom could help a lot. Especially if you use a vick’s menthol patch with it.
Hope some of this helps!

My DD had this GP thought it was allergy related and a post nasal drip causing her to cough at night. Have you tried antihistamines? We got loratadine and she eventually improved but not sure if it was that or it just eventually went away. She has been fine since

Well for anyone still watching. It went away by itself for 3 weeks, blissful, restful 3 weeks. But it's now back. More nights of coughing herself into a complete and utter meltdown. Exhausted isn't even the word anymore.