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Children's health

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Unsure what to do - unwell toddler

9 replies

HR313 · 31/10/2023 22:58

My 2 year old last week ended up with a stye in her left eye - was quite red and inflamed and she had a pus filled lump in her eyelid - we managed to do warm compresses and it has now almost gone.

However, by Friday last week at about 2.30pm had a call from my daughters nursery saying she had barely eaten, struggled to go to sleep and was very tearful and had a temp. I collected her not long after the call and she came out with tears running down her face but was glad to see me and her sister.

Since Friday she’s got progressively worse - all she wants is apple juice and milk, she’s managed two evening meals since Friday and had tolerated jelly/grapes/puff crisps/sweeties/ice cream (not ideal I know). Over the weekend she developed a hideous cough (my guesses are she has covid). She’s waking 2,3,4 times in the night, the temp seems to have gone (with help of calpol). Me and OH are exhausted, we really don’t know what else to do - her cough sounds awful (it’s not croup) but she sounds as if she is choking when she does and gags often.

We’ve started giving cough syrup and have used saline solution to help her breathe too and Vicks baby vapour rub and the diffuser at night time. Nothing really seems to be helping. She’s exhausted, irritable and constantly crying throughout the day. She’s barely been napping either (only 40 minutes when she usually sleeps 1hr 15/30 mins) when she is well.

Not sure what I’m asking here but I’m utterly exhausted and I feel touched out and the constant screaming and crying since Friday is really getting me down as nothing I do seems to be helping her 😞

OP posts:
SM4713 · 31/10/2023 23:01

Have you tested her for covid yet? Lemon, honey and warm water is more effective as a cough suppressant that commercial preparations- and FAR cheaper. I worked on a research study into this! Ibuprofen is longer lasting to help her settle than paracetamol. I hope you all get some sleep soon. x

MidnightOnceMore · 31/10/2023 23:02

What you are doing IS helping - emotionally and also if you weren't caring for her she'd be in more physical discomfort. You can't magically cure her.

Is her temperature ok? If you're sure she doesn't need a doctor, keep doing what your doing. Make sure you eat and drink enough too. If she does need a doctor just phone 111.

HR313 · 31/10/2023 23:06

SM4713 · 31/10/2023 23:01

Have you tested her for covid yet? Lemon, honey and warm water is more effective as a cough suppressant that commercial preparations- and FAR cheaper. I worked on a research study into this! Ibuprofen is longer lasting to help her settle than paracetamol. I hope you all get some sleep soon. x

Edited

Thank you for your reply. I will try the honey and lemon with warm water - I didn’t think to do this even though I often drink this when I have a sore throat myself.

OP posts:
Loubelle70 · 31/10/2023 23:07

My little grandson age 18 mth has been ill with similar, hes big eater drinker but was barely touching a thing for 5 days.. certainly nowhere near like he does eat drink. He is recovering after 7 days, eating better etc. Id say if DC at least eating something (dont worry what atm)...amd drinking dont be too concerned. This time year it'll be the autumn bugs.

HR313 · 31/10/2023 23:08

MidnightOnceMore · 31/10/2023 23:02

What you are doing IS helping - emotionally and also if you weren't caring for her she'd be in more physical discomfort. You can't magically cure her.

Is her temperature ok? If you're sure she doesn't need a doctor, keep doing what your doing. Make sure you eat and drink enough too. If she does need a doctor just phone 111.

Thank you - I needed to hear this. It’s been emotionally draining for us all over the past 4 days. I think if she isn’t better by tomorrow I will contact the GP and go from there. Thankfully her temp is fine and has gone now since the weekend. It’s just the cough that sounds awful and she cries when she does, which is pretty much all the time.

OP posts:
Ducksurprise · 31/10/2023 23:15

Have you tried a steamy room. I don't think this is recommended for croup anymore but it has been used for 100's of years and I certainly have seen it work for croup and bad coughs. Many a night I've camped on my bathroom floor with an unwell toddler.

If no improvement I would contact doctor tomorrow, but agree with pp, you are doing great and caring for her which is exactly what she needs.

SM4713 · 01/11/2023 18:37

How did you get on OP?

HR313 · 01/11/2023 19:00

Thank you for thinking of us, she does seem to be a bit better today and had a better nap of over an hour and a half this morning as she woke at 5.30am. She’s been quite irritable still and throwing lots of tantrums and crying most of the day. It’s been exhausting, she threw a fit in the middle of the supermarket as I needed to get bits for tea. This is more like her usual self, still coughs when outside but doesn’t seem as bad as it was at the beginning of the week. Hopefully she is over the worst of it now 🙏🏻

OP posts:
CyberCritical · 01/11/2023 19:10

If it is Covid and she feels like I do and have for the last week and a half, then she is:

  • stupidly and annoyingly tired
  • achy in all muscles but particularly back and neck
  • congested or runny nose, seems to change every couple of hours
  • coughing which is actually starting to hurt chest/back because of muscle pain
  • horrible taste in back of throat, kind of slimy feeling from all the snot
  • overall irritated and mardy, like I want to snap at everyone because they're all annoying.

As an adult who can self identify and explain these symptoms I am

  • drinking warm soothing drinks
  • having citrusy/very cold things that cut through the sliminess/bad taste and help with the sore throat
  • cough medicine to reduce the cough
  • paracetamol for all the aches
  • snoozing whenever I can for the tiredness.

As a child who can't explain I would give them

  • calpol/child neurofen
  • cough medicine (make sure it doesn't have paracetamol in)
  • ice lollies/squash
  • opportunities to just cuddle and feel comforted.
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