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General health

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Original poster

Was/is it Croup? If so anything I can do?

17 replies

Nemo2007 · 08/02/2007 20:11

HV thinks DS [3.3yrs] has croup. Last night he woke up at about midnight with a funny noise but then couldnt breath and was making a funny noise. Thought he might have been having an asthma attack as symptoms very similair down to the cough and wheezing. Gave him 2 puffs on DD1s salbutamol inhaler which didnt really help so gave him some water and was about to phone NHS direct when it started to ease. After about 20mins he went back to sleep with occasional cough but nothing else. Today has has been fine but HV came out to weigh DD2 and asked her about it and she said it is probably croup and to listen out for him again tonight as if he is the same need to take him to hospital. Now DD1 had an episode like this on sat night/sun morning but she usually has breathing problems so quick go on nebuliser she was fine again and they did say she had a viral infection.

OP posts:

gothicmama · 08/02/2007 20:13

try boiling kettle in a closed room steam can help as can wet towels on a radiator

Sheraz · 08/02/2007 20:15

Boil and reboil the kettle until the room is thick with steam, really untill you can see nothing but steam. It is the best thing. Shut the dor tightly and go back and do the same every few hours. Croup sounds abit more hoarse than a wheeze it is lower pitched and more rasping.

Sheraz · 08/02/2007 20:16

ANd is upsetting ot hear as well. Makes you want to breathe for them.HTH.

Donk · 08/02/2007 20:17

When ds had croup and woke up unable to breathe - I shut us in the shower room (not the shower!) with the shower on full blast at its hottest - this gave us lots of lovely steam which did the trick

frumpygrumpy · 08/02/2007 20:19

Sounds like croup. A cold, fresh atmosphere is good too so you could try holding him near an open door in the middle of the night when he gets a bout of the serious coughing, or a walk outside in the daytime, much easier. Croup is such an awful sound, made me tingle with worry. Not pleasant but might help.

gothicmama · 08/02/2007 20:22

If there is ashma in the family I would caution against cold air especially at the moment as it may make matters worse although fresh air is in general good. you can try to raise matress by putting something underneath matress to raise it

Original poster

Nemo2007 · 08/02/2007 20:23

thanks all at least it is less serious than the asthma that DD1 has..lol

OP posts:

frumpygrumpy · 08/02/2007 20:40

thanks for correcting me gothicmama, I know nothing about asthma

Millie1 · 08/02/2007 22:28

DS has just had this - woke in the middle of the night, breathing really noisily and finding it hard to get a breath. Scarey. Took him to out of hrs who diagnosed throat infection but he was worse the next day so we took him back to our own GP who gave him a dose of steriods through a nebuliser. He had to have the same treatment the following day. Still sounding raspy and congested but I hope he can go back to school tomorrow - although maybe staying inside and not running around.

It's horrible - hope your DS is okay tonight.

AdelaideS · 08/02/2007 22:30

Croup sounds like a seallion

summer111 · 08/02/2007 22:43

Croup is like a barking cough which is worse at nigth and tends to last a few weeks. dd had it from 18 mths until about age 7yrs and she used to get a bout of it every winter and often summer. The only thing that helped was as another poster said, cold air. I used to stand with the bedroom window opened, holding her beside it or else would take her out in the night air. We saw the inside of A and E on a few occasions for meds too. It's quite frightening until you know what it is and how to cope with it.

Original poster

Nemo2007 · 08/02/2007 22:47

definetly sounds like croup then. I did consider taking him to A+E last night but he begged not to go.

OP posts:

northender · 08/02/2007 23:14

ds used to get croup on a very regular basis. The first couple of times it was very frightening but once we got used to it then it was quite routine ie shut yourself in the bathroom with the shower on or in this type of weather go to an open door. Either of these used to work very quickly and we never ended up in A&E.

Can happen for 2 or 3 nights at a time I think. Hope he's OK nemo

Original poster

Nemo2007 · 09/02/2007 13:16

Had the same again last night at about 1am. Thing is he is perfectly normal in the day then night cough starts and he cant breath. Is it normal to have croup and be absolutely fine in day as I think thats the difference between that and asthma possibly

OP posts:

liquidclocks · 09/02/2007 13:20

Yes Nemo, that's normal. It's because the body produces 'natural' steroids during the day and then when the levels drop at night the airways seize up.

Just keep an ear out - it doesn't usually last more than a few nights but has a tendency to get worse before getting better so be prepared for an a&e visit. ALso do keep a general eye on him - DS1's croup at 18 months turned into pneumonia - he was fine but he did need admitting and IV antibiotics.

themildmanneredjanitor · 09/02/2007 13:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

liquidclocks · 09/02/2007 13:25

we were told that too - barking means they need steroids. It doesn't take that long either - you'll get seen really quickly in a&e as he's so little and then they examine him, give the steroids (and calpol) and with DS1 (on the first occasion) they monitored him for a hour and then we went home.

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