Multivitamins for 4YO/immune system shot/reoccurring chest infections

[ForTheLoveOfGrace]

Similar to another poster who has a 6mo my nearly 4yo who I've posted about before is getting reoccurring chest infections this persistent cough has been going on for years but this autumn has been shocking she's had 3 chest infections since the beginning of September.

The only thing that gets rid of this hacking cough that she has for weeks and keeps her awake all night is antibiotics

Doctors recent advice (lost count how many times we've seen them or out of hours at our local hospital) is her immune system is so low that we need to pull her out of pre school and not be in contact with children for 2 weeks to see if we can break the cycle and build her Immune system back up. This does make sense but if this doesn't work I'm going to insist on an X-ray and bloods being taken.

Anyway my main question is what multivitamins do you give your 4yo? She flat refuses the liquid stuff even on yoghurt and I really want to blitz this in the next too weeks with some heavy duty vitamins. Sorry for the long post but any advice hugely appreciated we really are at our wits end.

Maybe you could try probiotics such as kefir yoghurt etc. Your local health food shop should be able to advise you.

Anything that replaces the good bacteria after antibiotics would be beneficial.

You get chewy ones like jelly sweets

Does she wheeze? Have the doctors mentioned asthma or suggested putting her on a preventative inhaler?

Haliborange softies. They are like jelly sweets and my kids never refused them. I think they are for age 3 -12. Tesco often have them on a 3 for 2 offer.

My daughter was always getting tonsillitis at that age. It was miserable, she'd have a couple of weeks ok and then she'd get it again. It improved when she got into year 2 so age 6 or 7. I remember the consultant at the hospital saying childrens immune systems kick in at 7 ish and he was right in our daughters case.

I hope you see an improvement soon.

Chewable multivitamins with iron
Probiotic supplement
Elderberry syrup

Helped my 3 year old DD bounce back after a period of catching one thing after another when she started preschool.

Thank you so much for all your replies. *

Beard* yes good idea re the probiotics I’ll do that again.

Yes I was hoping for the chewy sweet ones recommendations are they heavy duty ones like Viridian Virikid Multivitamin? Does anyone know? I guess anything will help though.

Pink yes DD actual doc has been saying it childhood asthma for years, apparently it is common as a cough, asthma isn’t just a wheeze (which my DD doesn’t have but if it’s the cough the treatment is the same I never knew this until a year or so ago). The trouble is all the inhalers preventative or otherwise are doing nothing to keep the infections away and do sweet fa in my opinion but we felt we should give them a go. The doctor we saw recently when actual doc was away (I was glad for a 2nd opinion) agrees that they don’t seem to be working so it looks like we have to go back to her actual doc again and discuss (her actual doc is the head doctor there so the 2nd opinion doc didn’t want to step on toes)

Went thank you I’ve never heard of elderberry syrup for this I’ll research that and give it a go.

I heard this might last till she’s 6/7 the thought of that is utterly terrifying none of us sleep for weeks have a week off and then back to square one again and off she coughs. Poor poppet just keeps saying sorry and that she can’t stop coughing and all she wants to do is sleep! But it takes her till midnight or longer to get to sleep and then is up every hour till morning. It’s heart breaking.

Thanks all so far, much appreciated as always.

Sorry that didn't copy right at all just now but hope you get what I mean

I'm pretty sure there is sound research behind the use of Sambucol (elderberry) in building up immunity system and even reducing symptoms (and length of) in colds and flus.

We use the syrup for adults and the teddy bear chews for the DC
It is criminally expensive though.

I heard this might last till she’s 6/7 the thought of that is utterly terrifying

Sorry if I made you feel worse by mentioning that my daughters immune system didn't kick in until 6 or 7. It was meant to help although I can imagine that feels a long way off at the moment. We did find she was mostly fine between March and September, it was 'just' the winters that were really hard.

I'm not sure about the heavy duty vitamins. Ask a pharmacist, they should know and also point you in the direction of other immune boosters that may help.

I really hope your daughters health improves soon. It so hard seeing the poorly.

Perfectly ooh gosh don't worry I had it in my head that this is going to go on for ages anyway I didn't take it like that. Thank you for giving me hope. This past year it has felt like we only had 2 months off from it. But if we can get some help with dealing with it when it does enviably happen again then at least I'll feel better about it. I doubt we'll ever find out exactly what is going on. I have to remember it could be so much worse.

Thank you everyone

My DS who is 3 has been suffering like this for years in and out off hospital various infections, he is on blue and brown inhaler since August 2017 and montulekust granules, we did have him in nursery until then but I took him out and since he’s had medication for a year he was doing brilliant but that was after bloods confirmed immune system deficiency he needed injections to help him aswell still on inhalers, started preschool this August and last week ended up with viral throat infection, his medication doses got put up slightly for precaution to stop him deteriorating, our Pediatrics have said he has Reactive Airways Disease but could end up with asthma later, I never gave up I pushed for Pediatrics referral due to how bad he was when he was a baby, he also needed adenoids removed at 2, due to them being damaged with various infections

If it’s that bad does she maybe need her immune system testing? I think I would be pushing for it at this stage.
Also could you ask if preventive antibiotics may be better for her this winter?

Do also consider adenoids - they only come into play with breathing during sleep so if it’s worse when she’s sleeping it could be swollen adenoids that are then shrinking with the antibiotics

DD has had persistant problems with her chest since she was little, with multiple hospital admissions, steroids and antibiotics. No "normal" asthma but near constant viral wheeze, caused by coughs, colds and chest infections. I read about salt lamps and decided to try out of desperation. The day I got it she'd been on 4 hourly inhalers. Since then we have virtually never used them- the only time has been when we forgot to turn it on at night or when the bulb broke. As soon as we are back to the salt lamp she's fine. Even dh who was sceptical has been convinced.

Miss yes my daughter is on exactly the same drugs none of those you mentioned seem to help we’ll that’s wrong the montulekust did at first but not anymore. I keep begging for a pediatric referral but the GP won’t have it says no matter the outcome it’ll be the same drugs given & why but her through the tests. I completely disagree especially if the first diagnosis is incorrect which I fear it is. I am going to keep making nuisance of myself until they listen. The bugger of it is the out of hours consultant agreed we needed a referral but it hasn’t happened either they forgot or it got cancelled 😡

Red the more I think about it the more I agree it’s her immune system. My sister mentioned adenoids the latest GP said her tonsils and in turn adenoids we’re fine but I will ask again.

Zzzz thanks great advice

Dock I’ve never heard of salt lambs thank I’ll look into that.

Salt lambs lamps obviously

A gp can’t see adenoids - they can’t see how big they are unless there is a camera down there.
You can see tonsils but not adenoids

Thanks red that's what I said to him. I'm so feed up of GP's saying "children get ill & it's just one of those things!". Not like this they don't. I will keep fighting.

We had all this last winter it was miserable,

You want real Manuka honey and a humidifier for the cough my 5 yr old had a bad cough for 5 months last Xmas he had shit loads of antibiotics and inhalers and steroids drs wasnt sure why he had it so long and they were going to investigate with chest X-rays etc but the humidifier and manuka (we used steens and it must say umf) is what cleared it up!

You can buy something called sambucol from boots it's for boosting immune system, safe for children, we used this too.

Meant to add, in the last 12 months (touch wood) he has only had 1 cough and cold & tonsillitis once & 1 ear infection. Last year he would of had all that in 1 month!

Liposomal vitamin C, these stuff are miraculous
Manuka honey, raw from Steens
Elderberry daily
Fresh squizzed ginger (1ml 3 times a day)
Chinese skullcap

End result we haven't had antibiotics or even calpol in 3 years. First 12 months he had antiviotics 6 times!

Ooh thanks so much Danni & haterain really really appreciate your advice.

As much as I hate that you've all been through this too it's so nice to not feel so alone and helpless x