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Toddler cough..

7 replies

Bol87 · 23/09/2019 22:46

Can I get some advice on what’s normal re-toddlers & coughs?

My daughter has frequent, recurrent coughs that are often not associated with any colds or obvious illness that we can see. It started last winter & she must have had a severe cough every other week during the winter months. It’s continued on a less frequent basis over spring/summer but none the less noticeable.

Her coughing always starts at night and once she starts, she cannot stop. And I mean, it’s every 10 seconds for the entire night. How she is not sick, I’ve no idea but she has the gag reflex of dreams. We went to out of hours numerous times last winter as we were so worried she could barely catch her breath between coughs. Sometimes we were sent home with an eye roll and but a few occasions we were given steroids and they worked a treat. Her coughing calmed right down and she was able to get some sleep to rest her poor lungs.

Is it normal to have constant coughs that aren’t linked to colds? And for coughs to be so severe she basically pants between cough fits from the exertion?! Doctors we saw last winter seemed very unbothered so maybe I’m just being an overly worried mum 🙈 I just feel so helpless when she’s crying and asking me to make it stop..

Thanks in advance

OP posts:
SarahTancredi · 23/09/2019 22:49

Any history of asthma eczema hayfever or allergies in the family ?

Night time.coughing is a classic symptom of asthma .

Try propping her up a bit at night as lying flat is worse.

WTFdidwedo · 23/09/2019 22:50

Mine's 3 now and also suffered with this. It's better these days but my GP is great so referred her for an x-ray which thankfully came back clear when she was about 15 months. He then prescribed a preventative inhaler which has helped, and an inhaler for any attacks. It's still pretty persistent as soon as she gets a cold though.

NannaNoodleman · 23/09/2019 23:03

DD has a long history of night time coughs and frequent chest infections.

She's been on Montelukast for about 6 months and it's a game changer! I've seen multiple post on here that freaked the crap out of me about side effects. Fortunately she's been fine.

The hospital also found a heart anomaly during investigations.

Bol87 · 24/09/2019 08:50

Thank you for the replies!

I have cough dominant asthma & heyfever.. i take a preventative inhaler all year round & a blue inhaler for when I get wheezy.

I have wondered about her following me with similar asthma & nursery have questioned it too as she so frequently goes in coughing. Perhaps a trip to the GP for a discussion might be helpful rather than waiting for the next cough to arrive and panicking when her breathing goes weird overnight!

I’ve just been made to feel so stupid by out of hours doctors last year and told kids get coughs, deal with it. I know they do but this badly and this often?! I tried to play a recording of her struggling to breathe when laying down between coughs to one doctor & he just shrugged and said don’t let her lie down! I spent two nights awake with her upright in my arms so she didn’t sound wheezy when asleep Sad

OP posts:
SarahTancredi · 24/09/2019 09:16

You are anything but stupid! And I'm frankly horrified at the drs. Especially with a family history of asthma.

Call your gp, see someone.you know and trust and go from there.

The good news is that some children do sometimes grow out of asthma . So this might not be a life long thing for her. Although obviously some dont but that's a few years away yet anyway.

Dont be afraid to get a second opinion Flowers

WTFdidwedo · 24/09/2019 19:40

Have you been to the GP at all or just the out of hours doctor's? It may take 2 or 3 trips with the GP depending what yours is like, but with family history hopefully they'll take.it seriously for you!

NannaNoodleman · 24/09/2019 20:01

@Bol87 our GPS have been so bad regarding DD's cough. I'm in the process of submitting a complaint. They made me feel like I was losing my marbles.

The paediatrician put her on Montelukast straight away ... a medicine the GP could have prescribed. We didn't sleep for over a year due to her cough and all that time she could've been on Montelukast!

They say a toddler has an average of 12 chest infections a year... but DD was a full term baby from a non smoking non damp rural household... so surely she should have been the lower side of average!!

Makes me cross to think of it.

I hope you get it sorted quickly.

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