6mo with hacking cough for 7 weeks. Please help... can't take much more :(

[Zara87]

**posted here and children's health board too for traffic. Sorry )

7 weeks ago ds2 age 6mo got diagnosed with bronchilitis and an ear infection. He had a cough and high temp. Put on antibiotics for ears which all cleared up.
However the cough hasn't gone and is getting worse by the day.
I have been back to the docs at least once a week for 7 weeks now, which may seem ridiculous but everywhere we go everyone is telling me how poorly he sounds. It's relentless, day and night. I see different docs most of the time who all listen and say he doesn't sound infected and put in steamy bathroom and just wait for it to to.
This weekend has been particularly bad. He's now off his milk and food.
I took him to the out of hours docs yday morning who checked everything. Said his throat looked inflamed but his oxygen level was 100% and normal temp, chest still clear but constantly hacking cough while we were there. Doc diagnosed croup and put on steroids for 3 days.
However since yesterday he is so much worse. He can't sleep, he's coughing and coughing and coughing. He won't stop crying, I can't stop crying. He looks in so much pain and so sad. I have a ds1 age 2 who is fed up of us staying in all the time but when ds2 so is this poorly I don't feel we can go anywhere!
I know I have 2 days of steroids left but listening to croup coughs last night on YouTube, this doesn't even sound like what he has.
I should add, his temp often goes up to 40 and he's been quite violently sick 3 times in the last week too. Totally unsure if it's related.
If anyone has any advice as to what the hell I should be doing id be very grateful

If he is still having high fevers then he may have a secondary bacterial infection in the lungs. I would ask for a referral for a chest x-ray urgently .

Thanks @jaffacake2. I asked the out of hours doc for that yesterday but he said that as his oxygen was 100% they wouldn't even entertain it. Does this sound correct?
If he has a secondary bacterial infection would the docs hear it upon listening to his chest or or is it something only an xray would detect? Would it be normal for his oxygen to be at 100% with a secondary bacterial infection?
Thanks again

Fever of 40 in a 6 month old with on going coughing should be checked out thoroughly. There can be consolidation in a part of the lung which is infection and still maintain good oxygen levels. My own granddaughter had IV antibiotics a few weeks ago for pneumonia with oxygen levels 98% . She was very ill, and is 18 months old. Her chest sounded clear but doctor spotted the infection in xray.

That's interesting to know. I will ask for a chest xray and see what they say. Thank you for the advice and I really hope your granddaughter is on the mend?

Oh dear. I could have written this about 2 years ago. My daughter developed an ongoing cough after bronchiolitis which just never ever went. Unless the fever is constant then I suspect you won’t get anywhere with further tests. Our daughter coughed night and day, often so much she was vomiting. We tried pretty much everything - it nearly broke me.

In the end, we only made headway once she was ill enough for an admission - sats v low - and she’s been under a paediatrician since birth because she was a NICU baby. I’d push for a respiratory nurse referral. The only thing that’s made a difference is a steroid inhaler and a management plan from the asthma CNS. There is a mixed view as to whether inhalers help kids that young but tbh in your shoes I’d be willing to try anything. You do have to grit your teeth with regard to giving the inhaler and pin them down to ensure it gets in but maybe worth a try.

Good luck - it’s absolurely hideous. My DD had her first bought at about 10 months and she’s almost 3 now.

Thank you she has now fully recovered. Hope your little boy is better soon. Sometimes you just have to be politely assertive to cover all possibilities with medical staff. Mother tigress we call it in our family !!