Chronic Nighttime Cough

[StrawberryLocks]

Hi wise ones,

My DD (18 months) has had a nighttime cough to varying degrees (sometimes terrible, sometimes pretty minor) for about 6 months. During this time we have seen multiple doctors who have said

• virus
• virus again
• possibly asthma (gave us a ventolin inhaler which didn't make any difference)
• possibly bacterial chest infection, but reluctant to give antibiotics (which I understand)

We then had an overnight stay in hospital after a wheezy episode, diagnosed as Vital Induced Wheeze, for which they gave us a Salbutamol inhaler. That solved the wheezing, but the cough remains.

She is otherwise well - no sign of a cold, no temperature, eating well, good nappies, good weight gain, sleeps like a dream (even through all the coughing).

Her chest is clear (according to Dr), but she does sound pretty phlegmy when she coughs.

I'm wondering if it's an allergy or intolerance, so we're trying her on goats milk as a first step.

Does anyone have a similar experience or words of advice? Anything else we could try?

I'm thinking - changing washing liquid, hoovering her mattress etc...

I'm desperate to help her ☹️☹️

When I read your thread title I immediately thought of asthma.

Can you go back to your GP? When ds's asthma was like this he had to have a different inhaler along side the blue one which should only be used as now and then inhaler not a daily one. A preventive daily inhaler sorted him out .

Ds has allergy asthma due to dust and other triggers. Nighttime cough due to dust mites on bed causing postnasal drip.

Takes anti histamine, asthma tablet and ventolin used for difficult times like colds.

Are you damp dusting?

I'd ask to be tested for a dust mite allergy. It's fairly common but can be hell, I know because I have it (along with 14 other allergies!) Take preventative measures in the mean time, so mattress, pillow and duvet protectors, damp dusting and hoovering every day, wash bedding at 60 or above weekly.

Loaf great minds!

Interesting point about dry dusting. I don't, but we have a weekly cleaner who does the majority. I will find out. Thank you!

Strawberry for dust mite allergies it really needs to be done daily, as well as hoovering. It's a nightmare, but really does improve things.

Also look at post nasal drip. We had that for about 2 years tbh, this chronic nighttime cough. Turns out it was adenoids partly to blame. Basically there was no air going through the nose and it was all just dripping into his throat when he lay down.

Got the adenoids out (v v easy op) and no cough since.

It's very hard to tell what it may be at 18 months though.

And if budget allows replace the carpet in the bedroom with hard flooring.

You can get chronic bronchitis with no other symptoms other than the chesty cough. It's quite common in children. I'd get her seen by a respiratory specialist.

My DD has been exactly the same since she was 11 months old (she's now 2) and it coincided with her starting at nursery and picking every virus going. We go in a cycle of ridiculously runny nose, then the night cough starts and then her snot goes green and we get a week, maybe 9-10 days if we're lucky, if no cough and the cycle repeats.

I've taken her to the docs several times and they always say chest is clear, probably a virus. They prescribed a blue inhaler at one point but it didn't really help and it was virtually impossible to get DD to use it with the spacer.

I suspect my DD might have enlarged adenoids which is causing the runny nose and post-nasal drip. She sometimes snores as well. I'm reluctant to push for the diagnosis though as I'm not sure I want her having an op.

My DD mostly sleeps through the cough, as does my OH, unless it gets really bad or she cries. I'm a terrible mum, I pop my ear plugs in and rely on my OH to wake me if she needs me, although I can hear crying through the plugs.

@RaeCJ82 I understand being wary of an op, but just be mindful that she may have sleep apnoea if they are enlarged and she's snoring. It will effect the quality of her sleep.

They may be able to put grommets in if there are sinus issues. This is a very minor op, out for all of 15 minutes, but will really improve the blocked nose and backed up sinuses.

The adenoids op is a piece of piss tbh. It ended up being much much easier than I feared. He was kept in overnight but only cos he had never been under anaesthetic before. They popped in a difene suppository whilst he was still under and he never even needed calpol after that!

They also put in the cannula after he went under (that was via gas from the mask) so even my fear about that was unfounded!

Would do it again, 100%.

For anyone who finds this threat in time to come and might find it helpful -- DD has been diagnosed with Protracted Bacterial Bronchitis and is on Co-Amoxiclav for 2 weeks. Fingers crossed that solves the issue.

Thanks to everyone who gave advice here ❤️

Poor boy,hope it does the trick.