Feeling doctors fobbing me off

[Lcw29]

So my boys have had awful coughs for 7 weeks. I though it was improving but it's got worse AGAIN . My youngest threw up on me last night. And my oldest is coughing so much its keeping him awake. He whines in his sleep too.

We've spoken to the gp a few times now and been told their chests are clear. That we have to just wait it out. Is this normal and reasonable? They were on antibiotics once and it seemed to help but it's got worse again. Just feel helpless. And feel j can't go out because I don't want people thinking it's covid and staring.... they've had 3 clear pcr tests.
Would you contact the doctor again? Or just leave it?

Whooping cough? I had that when I was about 11 or 12, my mum didn’t have me vaccinated. I supposed even if you are vaccinated there is still a chance of picking it up, although unlikely. If it is that then you do just need to wait it out. But regular coughs can last a while, my LO had one for a couple of weeks, then it went away. Most coughs are viral so antibiotics won’t do much. Sounds obvious - but have you actually tried regular cough medicine?

I've tried cough medicine, vicks the lot . Just feel sorry for them as I'd rather it be me to be honest haha

How old are they? Has the dr physically seen them? I’d be more likely to contact the dr again if very young.
Back at the start of the first lockdown my 8 month old had a really really awful cough that lasted for months. Obviously you couldn’t get tested then, but a lingering cough was never a reason to continue to isolate but still the drs wouldn’t see her. They prescribed two different antibiotics, which didn’t work, and in the end an inhaler to give her, I think three times a day. This seemed to work but by this point she’d had the cough about 4 months so it may be that it would have gone away anyway.

There is a horrible cold going around at the moment that turns into a persistent chesty cough. My ds threw up in my car with it. My dsis has had it. She is currently on week 7.

But it isn't covid, and there seems to be viral so ABs won't help. Fluids, calpol, plenty of warm soups. Warm lemon barley eases it too. Lots of sleep. Hopefully half term and the opportunity to stay in bed and rest will clear it. Hope they are better soon.

Thanks everyone. They are 4 and 20 months . Clearly something is going around like you say. Hopefully it will clear soon. Im desperate for sleep hahaha

My kids who are 2 and 4 have had coughs for about 10 weeks now. Started off as croup in oldest, moved to youngest. Both really poorly. Oldest was given antibiotics after Dr hearing a crackle on chest. Out of hours gave youngest steroid tablet. Coughs continued, but no longer croup, really chesty and oldest voice sounds sore on and off. GP said no crackle in chest, both were clear. He said that they've probably had 3 or 4 bugs at the same time. Just to wait it out. He did give the oldest a spacer and inhaler for night time. I think it's cos people have spent so much time isolating and in and out of lockdown, that their immune systems aren't working as well.

My dd 9 has had a dreadful chesty cough for weeks now. We had a GP appointment on week 3 of it and they checked her vitals, chest etc and said it was clear and to wait and see !! Just as I think it's gone it comes back again. So annoying.

My 15 month old had a continuous cough but it's only at night, affecting her sleep (she's usually a 12 hour sleeper and is now so grumpy!) - she did have a chest infection which cleared but the cough remained. GP prescribed antibiotics and told us to give it another 6 weeks as her chest sounded clear, but the cough was getting worse. She's now been given a steroid inhaler as they suspect potential asthma although far too young to officially diagnose. Keep pushing GP, our bodies aren't designed to have a continuous cough and there must be something underlying if they have one x

Could it be environmental? Mould, damp, lack of ventilation, allergy?

I'm sorry your little ones are suffering too. If they are still bad by Monday I will call the doctor again. Especially since its got worse the last 24hrs. Poor things

It sounds like the bug that's been going around my sons childminder. Last week my son was coughing so much he threw up. Better now but still coughing quite a lot, some of the babies there are in inhalers temporarily. I would push for an in person visit. If your GP won't see them, call 111. It took me 10 mins of waiting and then they called me back with a booked appointment recently at a nearby out of hours GP at the weekend. Hope they feel better soon!

How old are they? My son was the exact same between the ages or 2 and 5. He'd have a cough all winter. He would get w cold, get a lingering cough, another cold, another cough. The cough just didn't go. I was fobbed off most of the time but at one point he was given steroids then an inhaler. That was at the point it was starting to get better though and didn't use the inhaler long term. He's 10 now. He doesn't get ill often at all but when he does get a cold, he'll cough for a few weeks - not ideal in current times.

Dd never had an issue. If she got a cold she'd get a cough for a few days then it would be gone!

We'd never sleep all winter as Ds would be coughing.

If you are concerned speak to the doctor again! I don't really have much advice. In our case he just outgrew it eventually. Was only a problem in winter.

Well today my oldest who is 4 was sick twice in the car. He wouldn't stop coughing. Decided to call 111 but took me an hour to get through. They said I would get a call from a doctor at 6pm. I'm still waiting. He has been sick again since, feels hot, is knackered and his cheek and ears are bright red. I'm so cross that we have not been contacted again yet! He's in bed but coughing.