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Original poster

Question about this influenza bug and coughing

42 replies

IlanaK · 09/02/2006 11:29

Ds1 has had this bug since SUnday. Mostly just totally lethargic and sleeping, plus loss of appetite and diarhea. Today it has developed itto the most god aweful cough I have ever heard. He also has asthma so I have put him back on his ventolin inhaler, but it has not helped.

So, is this just part of this bug and we wait it out, or do I need the doctors. I have not bothered to take him with this bug as it seemed pointless, but I don't want him getting bronchitis or something without me realising.

OP posts:

Bozza · 10/02/2006 12:56

Agree about the strangeness of it GDG. The lack of eating had me thinking DS had tonsilitis at one point but doctor confirmed it wasn't. Still DS got jellies and chocolate mousse out of my concerns!

chapsmum · 10/02/2006 13:00

Tinker, a cough like a seal is an indicator of croup, which in itself isnt seriou if the child is well, the best way to get rid of it is steam inhales etc. A severe case of croup can lead to brochiolitus and requires immediate attention (antibiotics and steroids)

earthtomummy · 10/02/2006 13:19

Ds has had the flu bug and ended up with a chest infection - he had a temp. for 4 days over 38.5 though that didn't really come down so took him to GP's. Much better now after antibiotics.

Tinker · 10/02/2006 18:16

Thanks. She doesn't actually have "a cough" just when she does cough it sounds like a seal. She's very snotty with a very husky voice though. But otherwise, pretty well, just fed up with the snot.

colditz · 10/02/2006 18:27

It is a bloody hideous bug, ds had it for ages.

A bath in a steamy bathroom helped a bit, as did Tixylix, and Vicks Vaporub, and Medised, which really seemed to help him rest at night.

Also putting 2 pillows under the head end of his mattress.

GDG · 10/02/2006 18:29

Colditz - what's 'ages'? Ds has been off for about 2 weeks now!

GDG · 10/02/2006 18:29

'off' as in not well, not off school - for a while I was sending him in! Mean mummy!

Aero · 10/02/2006 18:46

Took ds1 for a follow-up check at the hospital today. Turns out it was pneumonia after all (as I suspected because the cough he had was unmistakable from last time). It came on very quickly with raised glands in his neck and a very high temperature (over 39degs).

He now has to be seen again in two months for another chest x-ray to check nothing has been left over in his lung as it appeared in the same place as last time.

GDG, if your ds doesn't improve or the fever doesn't settle over the next few days, I'd have him seen again. It took three doctors to listen to ds1's chest before the infection was detected! It was pretty clear from his other symptoms though that something wasn't right.

FioFio · 10/02/2006 18:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

foxinsocks · 10/02/2006 19:01

oh I'm sorry to hear that Aero. The pain on breathing did sound very suspicious - I'm glad he actually got seen by someone who knew what was going on. Hope he gets better soon (he must have been off school for ages now!).

colditz · 10/02/2006 19:38

GDG yes he has had it, on and off, and lingering for nearly 3 weeks now. I had him at the doc's, he gave us an inhaler.... I'm not convinced, I think it is a cough, not asthma.

Aero · 10/02/2006 19:56

He's actually much better now thanks foxy. Went back to school this week, but he's had two full weeks off before that because of this and two courses of ABs, the last dose of which he had this morning. (His teacher says he's

He did have a flu jab Fio, but he got it very late because of some hiccup at the surgery. He had one in November 2004 and didn't have so much of a sniffle all of 2005! Only got this year's in January though. Whether it would have prevented him from developing pneumonia if he'd had it earlier, I really don't know.

spursmum · 10/02/2006 20:01

Did everyone LOs start off with a yo-yoing temp? Just want to know what I'm in for as ds is very clingy now so I know he's ill.
He hasn't moved for almost 2 hours now.

colditz · 10/02/2006 20:33

sm, sounds like the start of it

spursmum · 10/02/2006 20:35

Oh great!! Just in time for half term
and it looks like we might miss the big family party.

tortoiseshell · 10/02/2006 20:35

colditz, dd had an inhaler for a bad cough - think it can relax the tubes to stop them getting into such spasms, so although the cough isn't 'asthma' it's mimicking the symptoms of asthma, so can be treated similarly. Hth.

childern · 10/02/2006 21:31

hi
my two have had a bit of this flu bug both had 1 day of high temp not them selves but got up next morning as right as rain this is the 2nd wk that i've had it with that lovely cough this bud really seems to knock you about i have never been this bad. hope everyone feels alot better soon hopefully half term will give this bug time to die off.

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