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Children's health

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Original poster

how to treat a chesty wheezy cough in a 3 year old... help!!!

13 replies

ByThePowerOfGreyskull · 06/12/2009 10:35

DH and I have different points of view.

he has a temp of 38 so raised but not scarey. he coughs not with every breath but certainly several times each minute, it has been like this yesterday and then on and off through the night.

if he is still like this tomorrow I will see the GP but how would you treat him today??

Thanks

OP posts:

Original poster

ByThePowerOfGreyskull · 06/12/2009 11:08

bup

OP posts:

alypaly · 06/12/2009 11:16

steamy bath will help his ,get some glycerin lemon and honey from sainburys.
Is he coughing any gunge up?

Original poster

ByThePowerOfGreyskull · 06/12/2009 11:19

thanks AlyPaly, do you think going out in the freshair will help?

I am about to go and have a bath so he can come in with me and have a play ( he LOVES baths) we have glyycerin so will do that, I was hesitant because of the wheezy bit.

OP posts:

hgualotemita · 06/12/2009 11:20

Steam might help if you can get him inhaling some or in a steamy room.

Tbh it does sound like he might be a Tamiflu candidate, with a temperature and a bad cough, even though there's no way to be sure it is flu. I'm not sure I'd want to wait till tomorrow with that cough, but then I'd want to see or talk to a GP first too before giving antivirals. Are your out of hours GPs any good?

alypaly · 06/12/2009 11:57

if he is wheezy the cold air might make him worse as it tends to close the brochioles up when it is cold. It doesnt feel too bad where i am ,but i dont know if it is cold where you are.Glycerin ,lemon and honey is just soothing ,it will have no medicinal effect on chestiness. If he is phlegmy ,i would suggect an appt at doc tomorrow.
38 is not relly high so i wouldnt start worryng about flu or swine flu.
I would just give him calpol.
Does he suffer from asthma or gstric problems?
If he doesnt....ibuprofen is better at reducing temp than calpol.

alypaly · 06/12/2009 12:55

also you could put a wet towel on his bedroom radiator as that will stop the heat from drying him up

hgualotemita · 06/12/2009 13:02

Temp not an absolute guide to whether sf or not is it? Would depend on how much struggling with cough for me I think.

alypaly · 06/12/2009 13:07

yes i agree hgua....but i also think all these anti virals without a true diagnosis is not right too. Everyone is jumping on the swine flu bandwagon. They are not even swabbing anymore so it could just be ordinary flu...I agree if he is struggling with the cough to see the doc but some clinical trials are saying that unless you catch swine flu early...tamiflu is fairly ineffective. GP's are not stressing about it now unless you have a other health issues.i.e asthma

pofacedandproud · 06/12/2009 13:07

if he is wheezing I'd take him to emergency docs. Don't want it to get worse overnight.

hgualotemita · 06/12/2009 13:24

Yes re catching it early, and he's in the first couple of days, which is why you'd want to ask a GP today rather than tomorrow, perhaps. Being under five is a risk group in itself. Wasn't suggesting just ringing helpline and getting them just like that, but wheezing and coughing perhaps means if it is Sf then more likely to benefit from tamiflu than not.

If you can't test do you default to no tamiflu for anyone? prob for most but maybe not for ones more likely to end up in hospital (asthmatics, small children, ...).

Am only suggesting op consults GP sooner rather than later, so if antivirals prescribed they are more likely to work, not that she automatically gives them.

Original poster

ByThePowerOfGreyskull · 06/12/2009 13:32

thanks ladies,
we had a long bath together and I have given him some calpol and he has gone for a nap, bless him he looks knackered.

Dh took him out for a walk this morning he feels that the clean air will help his passages I wasnt' convinced but hey, tis done.

I will call GP for appointment tomorrow first thing if he isnt any better. mainly just try to stay wrapped up and snug this afternoon.

He has been diagnosed with sf before and we chose not to tamiflu as the diagnosis seemed to vague.. I don't feel he is very poorly so will sit tight for now.

Thanks again ladies.

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alypaly · 07/12/2009 01:23

hi hgua...not disagreeing with you...our doctors in this area a very conservative and have not been giving out tamiflu readily. My own son came back from uni in june with swineflu..(highly suspected but not confirmed by swab.) reason it was highly suspected was that more than 10 students who went to the same night club on the same night as my son(same air con system) had confirmed swine flu and the uni emailed everyone with the info. He was really ill for a week(temp 103) but doc never gave him tamiflu.

Original poster

ByThePowerOfGreyskull · 07/12/2009 19:48

thanks ladies,
went to doctor this morning,
still has temp. cough less but temp still making him grumpy.

Doctor was great, thinks it may be swine flu, but because he has had it a few days there is no point in his opinion in giving tamiflu. He wants to see him again on wednesday morning to make sure things are getting better not worse.

ibuprofen and calpol suggested to make him more comfortable.

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