DD 6 cough for 5 weeks. Swollen glands and tonsils no pain.

[SippingSipsmith]

Hi

My DD has had a slight cough all summer. I took her to GP a few weeks ago after a week of cough and GP said her tonsils and glands were up.

She's been fine in herself but still coughing. She had red eyes due to hay fever but not lots of hay fever symptoms. A few of us also caught a slight cold a couple of weeks ago and all a bit snotty - other DD and DH coughing too but no where near as much.

Took her back to GP yesterday who said her tonsils and glands STILL up. She couldn't tolerate GP looking in her ears at all but hasn't complained of ear ache.

She now has a 7 day course of amoxcilyn (sp) but now I'm really worried something sinister is going on.

Any medics or people who've had a similar experience?

To add - we have made a follow up appt for a few days after she's finished antibiotics but it feels a long way away. She's had 2 doses yesterday (she's on 3 times a day) and is still coughing this morning. The cough is probably a couple or three times an hour so not noticeable except it's not going.

Are there white spots on the tonsils? This usually means bacterial infection hence antibiotics. How long is the course? DD had tonsillitis twice this year and had 10 day courses both tunes.

My DD also had a cough from August to December/January- she was on and off unwell, (more just under the weather) during that time both me and her dad fell ill with whooping cough, she wouldn't have the blood test to confirm but me and DH did and was positive - I think he had WC too personally but didn't present badly as she'd been vaccinated - DH has it 'medium' bed because his vaccination was 40 years ago, I've never had the jab so had a hell of a time with it

Flumpybear she's on a 7 day course. No pain or white spots. Cough isn't as bad as WC one is I imagine as intermittent. Sometimes it's like she's clearing her throat and can be slightly chestier. She's been up just over an hour and has maybe coughed 4-5 times.

It's just such a worry everything being up and no pain and the cough not going now.

I'm not sure if I should be doing more at this stage or just go through motions with GP.

GP wasn't going to give antibiotics until DD made such a fuss of ears being checked - it really hurt. Think antibiotics are just to rule out bacterial before they start extra tests .

Sitting here worrying antibiotics aren't going to do anything and will have lost 10 days where could be doing something.

Should add I have an anxiety disorder so I'm in blind panic mode tbh

Sorry just seem it's 7 days. Amoxy is broad spectrum so suspect it's a push to see if she's got an infection somewhere (tonsils flare up as part of lymph system) to help rid body of bugs) and coughs lasting a while can be due to post infection (post infection or post viral cough)

Hope it's all fine - Siracusa to the GP again and ask to explain his or her thoughts on what's going on

Ps I'm not a medic, scientist so have some generic background understanding

Thank you flumpybear. Got everything crossed after 48 hours this antibiotic will do something so can stop worrying so much.

I hear you with anxiety disorder because I have the same. If she's got discomfort though on her ears it could just be that, rogue bug flaring up the lymph system and ear infections are horrible, I had loads when I was younger (swimming I think) and they make you feel terrible sometimes - I remember walking once and being in such pain in my head - give it a few days, maybe call the surgery Tuesday or Wednesday if she's not responding at all, or getting worse -
Just keep reminding yourself that it's HIGHLY UNLIKELY to be anything sinister and far more likely to be a bug of some description

Just a thought but you mentioned hay fever, dies she respond to antihistamine meds'?

Thanks Flumbybear,

Feel stupid saying this but haven't given any! Her hay fever symptoms haven't been bad enough for me to reach for the Piriton - just red eyes which she doesn't have now and sniffing her I have I put down to the cold.

Explained this to GP yesterday and she didn't pick up on any of it so just left it as we will treat it as an upper respiratory tract problem.

We have not long come back from holiday and her symptoms were the same there in Greece but little grass and tree pollen there.

She's just coughed again with phlegm which is a good sign???

A cough can well be a hay fever symptom, glands can also swell in response to the inflammation. Definitely try the antihistamine!

Would tonsils swell as well or can they just be large in some kids anyway? I never look at her tonsils unless she has tonsillitis which she's only had once so don't have a baseline for her.

Not sure whether to try antihistamines if trying antibiotics as guess won't know what she's responding to if anything??

Have a look on google at post nasal drip and see if that fits. My Dad has this a couple of years ago and was really unwell. A course of antibiotics and an antihistamine nasal spray sorted him right out.

In my experience tonsils can swell, I don't know if that's usual though.

Pollen has been very high this year, I'd just give the antihistamine a go rather than leave them coughing for another week. Hay fever is miserable.

If there's no signs of infection eg high temp, feeling unwell then it's unlikely to be an infection I'd have thought?

Yes no temperature so at a loss. Not sure why GP didn't suggest antihistamines. Bought some Piriteze this afternoon but yet to try. Her glands and tonsils are still swollen. She's not coughed much since home at 4pm but was coughing out and about at park and forest today. Just want it all to go away.

Hi,

Sorry to jump in - we asked a respiratory paediatrician to explain why kids cough - and what you might need to look out for.

It might be of help: