How to help 4yr old with a bad night time cough?

[mogkat]

Help!
My 4yr old son has had a cold for over a week and with it, a rather nasty dry hacking cough.
Seen docs who said just a virus and need to ride it out. Now on day 9.

During the day it's not too bad but at night the cough is horrendous.
It's keeping him (and all of us!) awake all night.

He starts coughing and coughing until he's wrenching and being sick and can't catch his breath. It's awful to hear and it's breaking my heart to hear him suffer.

We've tried (not all at once!):

Calpol or Nurofen for the pain.
Calpol vapour plug.
Vicks on the chest.
Honey/lemon drink.
Tesco children's cough syrup - which the pharmacist there told me is just a sugar syrup to coat the throat (?).
Tried propping him up on an extra pillow but he always slides off and down as he always sleeps on his front!
Sips of water.

What else can I try to help my little man? He's so tired from all this broken sleep (as am I). This is now day 9 and I've just been in there with him for half hour again trying to calm and settle him after another coughing fit.
Any other remedies that could help him? Willing to try anything!

Thanks !

No useful advice, but some solidarity as we are going through the same thing with 18 month old DD. Perks up just before bed then is crazy coughing all night. I’ve put vicks on her feet tonight with a footed sleep suit over the top and it seems to have helped a bit!

A Vicks paediatric humidifier - one of the best things I’ve ever bought as a parent , the minute one of mine starts coughing it comes out and I leave it going in their room all night it works wonders and they barely cough at night . It’s cold water so no burn risk.

A cold water humidifier helps here as well as propping the bed up on books (not the pillows as we have the same sliding off issue) I use the calpol plug in conjunction with the humidifier and it helps a bit.

www.onbuy.com/gb/vicks-paediatric-germ-free-humidifier~c2415~p24721282/?exta=gshp&stat=eyJpcCI6IjM0Ljk5MDAiLCJkcCI6bnVsbCwibGlkIjo1MDk3NTA1NywicyI6bnVsbCwidCI6MTYzNDc3NTc2MSwiYm1jIjoiNC4wIn0=&lid=50975057&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIo8b-54bu8wIVJu_tCh3C0w5oEAQYASABEgKkqPD_BwE

Humidifiers are great. We got one on amazon, about £15 and calpol plug ins are good.

Also another vote for a good slathering of Vicks on soles of feet with socks on.

Vicks on the soles of the feet is one of those crazy things that shouldn't work but absolutely does.

Humidifier works really well.

Rather than putting him on an extra pillow, put a folded blanket/duvet under the mattress so the whole top of the mattress is lifted, then he won’t slide off.

Also, try Vick on the soles of his feet

I’d take him back to GP and request he be assessed for asthma. Night time coughing for over a week is often the first sign of asthma. A cold/viral chest infection can be a trigger for asthma. Not saying he definitely has asthma, but he should be assessed with those symptoms in case he does have it.

Thanks everyone for the quick replies.

I've never heard of Vicks on the feet! But lots of you suggested it so I'm going to go back in there now and try some on his feet. See if it helps.

Just feel so helpless when they're unwell.

Will look into a humidifier.

@Toddleberry

No useful advice, but some solidarity as we are going through the same thing with 18 month old DD. Perks up just before bed then is crazy coughing all night. I’ve put vicks on her feet tonight with a footed sleep suit over the top and it seems to have helped a bit!

Hope your DD improves soon. It's horrible when they're unwell isn't it x

Would you try let him sleep in a buggy or car seat for a night or two, to help him sleep upright maybe?

Children’s olbas oil (not the normal one) works much better than vicks for my DS. Some on a tissue tucked into pjs helps. Vicks fades away into nothingness too quickly.

For the calpol plug in, I would suggest you put it on for 2 hours before bedtime. That way the room is already “prepped”. It then doesn’t need to be on all night.

Home remedy we used when growing up is a small teaspoon of oil (eg almond or maybe avocado could work) in hot milk before bed. Pinch of sugar makes it more palatable for kids. The oil coats the throat. Not sure if there is any science behind it (could be complete nonsense!)

Solidarity, as my 12month DD is the same. GP has said ride it out and it’s viral - even though we are in week 3 of the cough / cold. I’ve got a Vicks humidifier but I’ve not found it’s helped much, she seems to cough more with it on than not (don’t know if it makes the mucas stream down her throat more). Going to try Vicks on the feet.

I was once told that cough syrups are pointless for Children but actuality sucking on a lollipop help eases a sore throat in the way that lozenges work for adults. Obviously not at night but also calpol plug ins are fab and really help ease a night time cough