Persistent bacterial bronchitis / recurrent tonsillitis

[lollydu]

Just looking for experiences of anyone else with a 4 year old who just can't catch a break???

Since October last year she's had an on-off wet sounding cough and has had tonsillitis or an ear infection 8 times. This last flare up has been since beginning of July - tonsillitis so 10 days penecillin, then ear infection and 5 days of amoxicillin and we saw a private consultant 2 weeks ago (have cover through work) who suspects PBB and the recurrent infections are a flare up of this bacteria that the previous antibiotics just aren't clearing so she's had 2 weeks of co amoxiclav now as well which has knocked her for 6.

With the co amoxiclav, towards the end I noticed she was getting a sore mouth has a very nasty white ulcer, and now also has a persistent low grade fever. Not like the kind of fever she gets when she has tonsillitis, peaking at 38.6 or around there. I checked the leaflet on the medicine and it says there under more serious side effects that sores in mouth and fever need urgent medical attention as it could mean she has a low white cell count, but I took her back to GP yesterday and because she is fairly well in herself they aren't doing anything. I have her on probiotics and getting some immune booster drops tomorrow to start her on as I feel she needs building up, the worst bit is though that the cough is still present and none of it seems to have done anything!

Just feeling very exasperated and worried - would really like to speak with people who have been through the same and out the other side or currently in the middle of it all - so stressful as she's starting school next month and I'm worried she has basically 0 immune system now after all these antibiotics!

No advice but wanted to say you’re not alone.

My DD7 has had tonsillitis monthly since may with scarlet fever twice this year. I think we are at 7/8/9 infections in a year? Feels almost constant 10 day courses of penicillin. Her teeth are yellowing from it ☹️
We finally have an ENT appointment next month where I hope they’ll either schedule a tonsillectomy or change the medication so she’s not on and off penicillin all the time.
She currently has a sore white ulcer on her tongue and a cough and has had a low grade fever
For a few weeks On and off. Like your DD the gp and hospital haven’t agreed that she might have any immune issues as
She recovers in between infections (for a tiny 2-3 weeks) and said if her cell count was low she wouldn’t be growing / putting on weight and would be poorly all the time and it’s “just” a tonsil issue and it happens. I feel at my wit’s
End worrying all the time 😢xx

I'm sorry you're going through it too :(

She's been referred to a consultant paediatrician for the cough rather than ENT although I do have an open referral to see one of those too privately (feeling very thankful for my PMI) which I am thinking about doing because the cough still hasn't cleared. It's such a big thing having their tonsils removed isn't it, I didn't want to do that until we had investigated this cough that seems to accompany every infection.

I hope you get some answers - I'll come back and update here if and when I get answers xx

Just an update on my daughter if anyone else is going through the same? She just is constantly ill, I have an older child who had the regular illnesses as a young child but this to me just doesn't seem normal! She just keeps getting viruses, it's not always tonsillitis or ear infections, the last couple of hours of illnesses have been 7 days each time of high temps of 39 degrees and higher for days on end. She just has this persistent wet sounding cough ALL THE TIME, it never goes away even when she's not acutely ill. This latest round of illness is a 7 day virus that started on 27th September, then she had a couple of days on the mend and then a sickness bug on 5th October, and now she has another low grade fever.

My question to other mums of persistently unwell children is this - was there ever an underlying cause? Will ENT sort her out (appointment in next couple of weeks). And lastly the docs keep saying this cough is not treatable with antibiotics because it's not on her chest - can a cough be bacterial without it being a chest infection? I feel like at this point they should be trying it? She's in a 2 week cycle of illness and spiking temps every 2 weeks like clockwork with no acute source like tonsillitis or ear infection.

How was she as a baby and a toddler? There is a rare condition called Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia that one of the main symptoms of is a constant wet cough. Have a look at https://pcdsupport.org.uk/ as it may be of use.

Any chance this chronic illness circuit started after she had COVID? It can weaken the immune system enough that people start to get every other illness they encounter, even if the COVID infection itself seemed relatively mild at the time.

Ask for a blood test for mannose binding lectin deficiency. Very simple diagnosis and common immune issue. 2 of my 3 kids have it just means recurrent infections need to be controlled with prophylaxis antibiotics in the winter months

Thank you so much all for your messages. We are seeing a consultant next week and I will make some notes and bring them all to the appointment.

She did have Covid at about 18 months old (we all had it confirmed with PCRs and she was ill at the same time but we never tested) but I'm sure she had it too as we were isolating. And we've had it a couple of times since then as well but she's never had a positive PCR. I will mention that as well.

In terms of her health she has just gotten over the latest bout of illness - 7 days of high temps with no other obvious symptoms apart from the cough, and is just left now with the wet cough but very bright in herself. Her school teachers have said she coughs more coming in from the outside from playtime and after exercise. That makes me think maybe asthma but no one is exploring that - I find it odd as I know they say you can't really diagnose until they are 6 or 7 but there are a few in her class that have diagnoses and inhalers etc.

What I don't want is for the consultant to just say well let's take her tonsils out as they aren't large, she doesn't suffer with sleep apnea or snoring or any of the other issues that sometimes go along with dodgy tonsils, she just has a high rate of bacterial infections and this non-stop mucus cough.

I will update how we get on with the consultant and thank you again for your responses

Xx

Oh and I meant to say - that low grade fever she had turned into a really nasty virus and we ended up in A&E with concerns of meningitis and they took bloods which thankfully showed her white cell count was OK and nothing sinister. It was just a really nasty virus. Then we had a few weeks clear (always the cough though) and then another nasty virus that caused a week of high temps, then 2 days clear and then a sick bug, then another 7 day high temps virus which she finally got over a few days ago. She really can't catch a break! I have kept a diary and will be running it through with the consultant xx

I am a homeopath and a naturopath. I see children like this on a regular basis... we work together with a range of matched remedies, vitamin and dietary support and over the course of a few months, symptoms reduce and then do not reoccur. In some cases, ocassional antibiotics are required but the frequency diminishes. It could be worth considering ..

Hi. My son had a similar picture. Regular high temps and infections. (Not the persistent wet cough tho) Tonsils and adenoids removed at 3 years old. Eventually at age 5 after pushing for a paediatrician, he was diagnosed with cyclic neutropenia, a condition where his neutrophils dropped every 3 weeks like clock work and he was ill but well between for 2 weeks then ill again.

Me, as a young child. Underlying cause was allergic asthma and, tbh, my immune system is a bit crap but not worryingly so, I just get more colds than normal.

My health really picked up in my late teens when my asthma was finally treated. No idea why that didnt happen earlier, I think they were too busy treating the chest infections.

@lollydu this is an old thread, but would you mind sharing how things turned out for you? Also struggling with almost a year of protracted bacterial bronchitis...

(Cough responds to amoxicillin but always comes back a week or so after finishing the course of antibiotics, even the most recent 4 week course. Blargh!)

Tonsils and adenoids sorted it all out completely! I think the excess mucus is caused by the adenoids and having them out really improved things. Literally once they were out she never had another problem (they came out in jan24). She had tonsils adenoids and grommets fitted xx

Thanks for your response, so glad to hear things worked out for your little one! :)