severe coughing - when to worry?

[katierocket]

DS (2 yr) has had persistant cough for 2 weeks now - is really bad tonight - coughing constantly, and totally knackered poor thing.

he also has a temperature. thought about calling doctor out but not sure if this is a bit over the top? can't seem to do anything to help, apart from let him sleep in my arms.

what does anyone think? it's only a cough but seems quite severe.

I would call the doctor. They will be able to tell very easily from listening to his chest whether it is upper respiratory or a chest infection. I wouldn't take any chances really- it's probably just a virus that nothing can be done for, but definitely worth checking. Keeping him in a steamy room for a while may help too. Good luck, I hope he gets better very soon.

get the doctor. there are horrible chest infections and quite a lot of pneumonia around at the moment, someone needs to listen to his chest. good luck!

I agree- and also with tamum about the steam. If you have any eucalyptus oil (or vicks or something like that) a few drops dissolved in hot water can help.

Just read these messages - how is the little one (and you) holding up? When kids are this young I would rather be looked at as a paranoid mother than risk not taking action just in case. Call the doctor or get him to your local emergency clinic (normally at a local hospital?) You'll feel much better yourself knowing you've done something to help! good luck xx

my daughter was coughing a lot at the beginning of the week, she had a chest infection and needed anti-biotics. hope your little one is feeling better this morning.

thanks everyone, he had a very restless night but I didn't call doctor out as he didn't seem to be wheezing or anything. however I think i will call this morning just in case. I think I am too used to my mum's 'you need to be bleeding out of your eyeballs before you go to the doctor' way of thinking. (not literally obviously)

I just wanted to add that on the rare occasions that i've taken either d or ds to the doctor, it hasn't matered wether there was anything wrong or not the doctor has always said to bring them straight back if I'm worried and that it's better to have them checked over. I think doctors know that parents know when somethings wrong, true they might not be able to find anything specific but I've never been made to feel like I was wasting there time. Its the receptionists I sruggle to get past! Hope your ds feels better soon.

well I called the docs on Saturday and spoke to nurse (out of hours service). She said it didn't sound like a chest infection and to just keep giving him calpol.

After another rough day yesterday and bad night last night we took him to docs this morning and he does have a slight chest infection and has been given antibiotics. So now I feel like a terrible mother anyway at least he can get better now.
thanks for the replies

I took my ds to a&e during the night because he was coughing so much his breathing was going all shallow. He's got croup, apparently quite common at this time of year - especially in their age group (he's two aswell) I felt like I was being ott but the hospital is only over the road so I thought better to be safe.

katierocket, don't feel terrible, coughs are one of those things it's always hard to know what to do about, and if you had done something sooner he might not have had the infection then so wouldn't have been prescribed antibiotics. Hope he gets better soon.

fio, glad yours is OK (how useful to have A & E just over the road!) - I remember those croupy nights, my kids always tended to sound like sealions, DS2 still does sometimes and he's 10 now. Congrats on selling the house so soon btw!

thanks jan the only trouble is with having a big hospital over the road is that I am going to miss it when I move!

been to the doctors today with dd (4) with high temp, coughing and breathing difficulties. She has got croup. Unfortunately, nothing they can give for it just calpol and ibuprofen. fio2, how is your ds doing? neither of my kids have had this before, so I am very worried at the moment, dd has woken up lots already and I haven't even attempted to go to bed yet, looks like a long night for me! I just hope she makes a speedy recovery

My friends dd has just been hospitalized for a really bad upper respiratory tract infection.She had really laboured breathing,shoulders go up alot when they breathe in ,noisy breaths ,choking feeling when she tried to cough ,unable to cough properly .She had lost her voice and the dr was concerned that it nmay be epiglottitis which can be dangerous.
My friend is a nurse and she found it difficult to know when to get worried IYKWIM.
I would say of they are able to cough and take a deep breath without distress they'll probably be ok,if not I wouldn't hesitate calling out a dr.
hope that is of some help

kid -he is fine now. I bought him an electric vapouriser from boots its got ecalyptus type tabs to vapourise. They cost about 20 quid but it was well worth the money (you only use it when they are croupy) It made all the difference to his breathing at night. But after a week he was fine - its just a worry isnt it when they have trouble breathing

yes, when they have breathing trouble it is scary. DD wasn't too bad last night, woke up about 4 times crying. She says her throat really hurts. She seems to have her appetite back already and even asked for a cup of tea today!
In my flat we have a problem with condensation, too much moisture in the air, so maybe the moisture already there will help!? I even had to give her my pillow last night and make do with a cushion from the sofa!

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Oh podmog, thats just awful.

Have you tried a syringe to administor the medicine? I had to do that with ds the other night as his Temp was so high and he wouldn't take anything. I must have squirted it too hard coz he gagged! But he still swallowed it. Cruel to be kind and all that....
Good luck.

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Poor you Podmog my little one had pnuemonia 2 years ago and it was horrible - so many sympathies from me coming your way xxxxxxx and hope you all are on the mend soon

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