20 month old bad cough for months

[Melly1991]

Worried about DD now, it's been months and she has had a persistent cough and runny nose has been worse past 3 weeks .

I cannot say how many times we've been to the gp over the past month to be told she doesn't need antibiotics and they can't hear anything on her chest. She had a temperature yesterday of 38.5 so finally we were given antibiotics and she is on a full day 2 at the moment. It seems like the cough has literally gone on now for months but it's gotten worse past 3 weeks. GP said nothing they can do, I'm pretty worried to be honest. We are practicing hygiene etc and there is nothing I can think of that would be affecting her?

She has her vitamins daily and has had all her injections.

Has anyone else experienced a very prolonged cough lately and what I can do to help her?

I should have added this is her second dose of antibiotics now, last does finished 2 weeks ago

Ask the GP to consider if it could be cough variant asthma

@OwlCityisthemostunderrated I did ask them and they said that they can't test for asthma until she is 5 not happy with my gp at the moment anyway but that's for another time.

I wouldn't diagnose with asthma at that age. But I would trial an inhaler to see whether it helped or not. Because recurrent viral wheeze (with cough) is very common, and usually responds to salbutamol in the short term (and in the longer term may respond to beclometasone as a preventer).

@nocoolnamesleft thank you!

LO has had a cough for about six weeks now, originally on her first antibiotic for an ear infection. Took her back to the doctor recently who advised it's most likely post nasal drip after the infection. She recommended a saline nasal spray and Zirtek which we give her at night as that's when the cough is worse. Its only a few days in but it's already making a difference!

It's probably asthma.

Dd was diagnosed with asthma at 4 after trialling inhalers for a month. The preventer has been a godsend. No more runny noses, coughs, colds, etc.

Thank you we will try that!

@SureLook can you send a photo of which Zirtek it is? Thanks

My similarly aged child was diagnosed with persistent bacterial bronchitis after a long running chesty cough. Her GP didn’t know anything about it but the paediatrician we saw immediately recognised it. It needs a longer course of antibiotics (2-4 weeks).

Here you go @Melly1991 the Zirtek is technically for two and over but the doctor advised a 1.5ml dose would be fine until she is two years old, then it's 2.5ml. The pharmacist also said that was fine.

We are having the same issue, Dr can't hear anything on her chest and says it's viral, she finished antibiotics 10 days ago but still has an awful cough & runny nose. An inhaler was suggested if the cough hadn't gone after a few weeks so I'll be taking her back again

Sorry, just realised I never attached the photo 🫠

Is your her bedroom heated? Damp and cold air can aggravate the bronchial tubes