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Children's health

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Original poster

my 4yr old is bringing up mucus, how can I help her....

20 replies

MuppetsMuggle · 06/09/2009 18:42

really get rid of it. I hate seeing her trying to bring it up and nothing. She got so upset as its been bothering her so much, although got her to fall asleep for the moment.

She first brought up her lunch and orange juice along with mucus - projectile everywhere.

Since then just mucus and water but shes struggling soo much, how can I help loosen it from her chest so its easier for her to bring up?

from birth she has always suffered from chest infections and viral form of bronchitis, and always throughout the year suffers with loads and loads of mucus, its worse in the colder weather.

TIA
MM

OP posts:
Original poster
MuppetsMuggle · 06/09/2009 18:49

bumping pls.

OP posts:
Original poster
MuppetsMuggle · 06/09/2009 19:02

.

OP posts:
AnyFucker · 06/09/2009 19:04

she is too young yet to reliably expectorate mucous

you are expecting too much of her

if she is bringing up mucous in her vomit, that is her body's way of getting shut

she swallows, her tummy rejects it

shop-bought expectorants are rubbish, don't waste your money

you could try a steamy room (bathroom, run the shower for ages and sit in there with her) and make sure she is drinking enough fluids

have you seen the gp ?

Original poster
MuppetsMuggle · 06/09/2009 19:10

Will make an appointment with our GP tomorrow. He normally gives her steriods which clears her chest up within a couple of days.

AF - DD is generally always drinking shes like a fish.

Its not that I expect to much of her, I just want to help her as I hate seeing her struggle so much to bring it up.

Have sat in the bathroom with her, and now shes gone to sleep - it seems to of settled her for now.

OP posts:
AnyFucker · 06/09/2009 19:19

sorry, muppets, have realised my post has bossy overtones

good luck with it x

imalwaysatthehospital · 06/09/2009 19:22

Im sorry to hear that, it's horrible when they are really upset and chesty - plus it sounds awful.

My DD was the same from birth - once when she was really bad I had her in the bathroom with the taps on hot in the sink and the bath, to try and get some steam for her. It helped a little on that occasion.

What she normally does is hack away for ages and then all of a sudden vomit - like your DD.....

I was advised to avoid all forms of dairy when she was chesty or coldly, as that forms mucus. I also didn't give her bananas as they apparently can be mucus forming (bizarre, I know). No chocolate either.

Lots of clear fluids, water etc.

If you're into that sort of thing, I took her to a homeopath and that really helped her.

I also got her some cough remedy from the health shop, something like drosinula, for chesty coughs. You can give it to kids but need to check the dosage. She liked it anyway!

HTH

Original poster
MuppetsMuggle · 06/09/2009 22:32

AF - you weren't bossy

IAATH - DD is allergic to bananas. Rarely eats chocolate (I don't eat it so don't buy it).

Only been drinking water anyway.

Will check the health shop thanks.

Anything else that I should keep on low in her diet.

OP posts:
alypaly · 06/09/2009 23:14

does she suffer from bronchitis or asthma.

if children get mucous on their tummies it often makes them sick.

glycerin lemon and ipecacuana is brilliant for breaking up mucus and getting them to bring it up. Ask your pharmacists advice ,it works.

nevergoogledragonbutter · 06/09/2009 23:16

sorry i'm late, i see anyfucker has said all i would offer too.

bibbitybobbityhat · 06/09/2009 23:25

Oh its awful this mucousy vomiting. Poor little thing.

Dairy is the no-no in the diet. And that includes switching from butter to olivio or somesuch.

Steam in the bathroom, moisture in the bedroom (humidifier over radiator if you have them on yet), Vicks on chest and soles of feet, karvol capsule on a tissue tucked inside the pillow case.

No dairy.

Small bucket tucked in alongside pillow (my dd has been known to deal with this at night without waking anyone else in the household up, but then she was a rather marvellous 6 year old)

Good luck . All my sympathies. I'm sure your lovely dd will grow out of it.

Original poster
MuppetsMuggle · 07/09/2009 04:43

thanks ladies.

BBH - We do all the karvol and vicks and steam room things.

She does suffer with asthma.
Bronchitis comes around every winter

DD has a small bowl there now.

No dairy, how can she go with out it?

She loves a glass of milk and yoghurts.

AP = thanks i'll go the pharmacy and enquire about that.

OP posts:
imalwaysatthehospital · 07/09/2009 07:28

Hi there

You can try goats milk, soya milk, rice milk etc - could be a little bit of an acquired taste, but worth trying.

You can get dairy free yoghurts, i.e. provamel yoghurts or soya yoghurts. Not quite the same as the others I know (my DD loves them too )

We have Dairy Free Sunflower Spread, you can get it in tescos.

Worth having a look in the Free From Section in your local supermarket or in health shop.

HTH

P.S. I find i only have to cut out the dairy when she is coldy, once shes over it I let her have it again. It might be worth you trying it just to see if it does make any difference, if you do and it doesn't, well at least you tried ....

CyradisTheSeer · 07/09/2009 07:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

alypaly · 07/09/2009 09:06

MuppetsMuggle ...is dd on a brown mild steroid inhaler to calm her bronchitis down and her asthma or is she just on the blue salbutamol.
buy omne of those facial steamers and get her to sit with her head over it and breathe through mouth. If you pu a spoonful of sat in it ,it makes its similar to salinity in nasal passages and the salt helps to make the mucous less viscous. If she is that bad ask the doc or consultant to provide you with a nebuliser and get some saline nebules to use when she is really bad.
she doesnt have to be like this.
you might have to buy the nebuliser, but its worth it. dont think they are available from gp..but the hospital might supply them. if not you can order them from your local pharmacy

Original poster
MuppetsMuggle · 07/09/2009 10:11

CTS - Will look up the massage or ask my GP to show me, she has loads of mucus throughout the year it really worries me

DD has both brown & blue inhalers which she has to take everyday whatever the weather.

Will ask the pharmacist for a nebuliser & the salts thanks AP

IAATH - I will look into free from diary products just to see if that will help, thanks

OP posts:
alypaly · 07/09/2009 10:18

you are better to get the nebulising solution ( saline 0.9% nebules)from gp on a precription so that it is monitored correctly, but you will probably have to buy the electrical unit. they are about £100 pounds and are not available on an FP10 prescription.

AnyFucker · 07/09/2009 12:10

the gp/hospital are unlikely to provide you with a compressor (the electrical unit that drives the nebuliser)

they are thought of as absolute last resort these days

if a child is ill enough to need a nebiliser, then they should be admitted to hospital (so current thinking goes)

Original poster
MuppetsMuggle · 07/09/2009 12:19

Been to docs and she has a bad chest infection and bad case of tonsilitus
So on antibiotics.

I know the signs to look out for if she needs to be admitted.

Thanks all.

Now the diet thing I just have to look into.

OP posts:
AnyFucker · 07/09/2009 13:18

good luck, the Ab's should kick in quickly if she does have a bacterial infection

Original poster
MuppetsMuggle · 07/09/2009 14:38

Thanks AF.

Hopefully it'll clear up quickly, I don't want DD to lose out on to much of school.

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