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General health

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Original poster

barking cough

11 replies

bagpussmice · 23/10/2005 20:53

dd who is 4 woke up this morning with the most strange deep barking cough - she was quite hot, but I put it down to the coughing.
Today she has been off her food, flushed cheeks and sometimes hot, although not a massively high temperature, just not herself.
Have put her to bed with calpol, but she keeps "barking" - it sounds so wierd, it's not like a cough, cough IYSWIM - just like a deep bark. I feel a bit worried as she has had coughs before, but not like this

OP posts:

spidermama · 23/10/2005 20:55

My ds, dh and dd have all got the most horrible cough. I'm sorry to say it has been going on for about three weeks now. Dh went to the doctor who assured him it was going around and it could take around five weeks to get better. She didn't give him anti-biotics because she said it wasn't an infection ... just a whole string of bugs hitting a depleted immune system.

LilacBump · 23/10/2005 20:57

DD woke up the other night with a barking cough and a fever (which came down easily). she coughs a lot during the day now but not like that bark she had.

ladymuck · 23/10/2005 21:00

Could it be croup - it is the right type of weather for it.

Steam works a treat. Take her into the bathroom with a hot shower running. Or sometimes taking them outside at night helps.

startingtobehalloweenylover · 23/10/2005 21:00

it could be croup... try running some hot water in the bathroom to make lots of steam and sitting in there with her

startingtobehalloweenylover · 23/10/2005 21:01

lol cross posts ladymuck!

ladymuck · 23/10/2005 21:08

A fellow sufferer I take it! First time ds2 had it I called NHS Direct who then sent an ambulance! Boy, did I feel stupid!

Original poster

bagpussmice · 23/10/2005 21:10

what is croup? would I need to take her to the doctors with it or does it just go on it's own, and how long will it last?

OP posts:

Original poster

bagpussmice · 23/10/2005 21:13

just read some info on nhsdirect website - feel more comfortable with it now if it is croup

OP posts:

startingtobehalloweenylover · 23/10/2005 21:14

used to look after a little boy who had it a lot LM!
luckily his dad was a GP!

bagpuss i don't think that there is any medication for it.. but steam does help ease the symptoms (please correct me if i'm wrong ladymuck!)

if it carries on though it may be worth going to gp just to get a definite diagnosis

ladymuck · 23/10/2005 21:16

As your dd is 4, I'd take your cue from her (I don't tend to visit the doctor that often, as most things pass). With steam the cough usually eases up fairly quickly (we usually only have it for a day or two at a time). If your dd is distressed by it then I'd take her to be seen, but ds2 (who is younger) is rarely bothered. In fact he tends to disturb ds1 (who then complains that his brother is "woofing" again!).

ladymuck · 23/10/2005 21:21

ds2 first got it when he was 6 months old, and we tend to have a couple of days each spring and autumn (usually when the weather switches between damp and dry, though no idea whether this is linked!). With ds2's first attack (when we ended up in hospital!) we ended up being given some mild steroids, but since then we've just used steam (and I doubt that our GP would prescribe anything).

If it is croup it sounds a lot worse than it is!

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