croup AGAIN, how many times this winter will this happen. dd 5

[pirategirl]

anyone else having tis with thier lo's. I have done the usual, paracetamol, bit of vicks onthe back and chest, but nothing works. I KNOW this !!

Given her her inhalers, just in case its asthmas type thing, but that never works. GUess we have to sit it out, She was off school ast week as i took her to disney paris, so i really didnt wanther to be off this week.

The steam thing doesnt work. God poor thing, every breath is a cough, and a wail.

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

no advice. my cousins just spent 5 days in hospital with a bad case of it.

Hi, here in Canada croup is very common, they don't recommend steam anymore but taking child out into the cold air.
My friend (a midwife and nurse also from UK) does this with her 2yr old and says it works.

He often needs steroids and has just had a specialist appoinment, have you tried to get referred??

Humidifier in the room works a treat with mine as well as Mummy's patent magic honey juice. Melt honey in a sippy cup with hot water, top up with orange juice and cold water. Sipping that really soothes their throat. I also know when it's coming on with my ds2 here it in his voice the night before, but it always strikes at 3am. So you have my sympathy. Do try the drink though it's very soothing if nothing else.

At bath time, fill the sink with boiling water - add a few drops of Olbas Oil - and let that permeate through the room - the steam and eucalyptus seems to work ( when DD went through this at least) then place a bowl of steaming water and Olbas in your childs room at night time - All I can say is it kept the worst of it at bay in our experience ........ Good Luck !!

second the use of humidifiers and warm honey/citrus drink

Steam never worked with DS, it always took us going outside in the cold air, which helped fairly quickly. I always did the steam thing, because I remember that being done with me as a child, but it never worked for DS.

Have to add, the steam trick always took too long to set up for me!!! I always opened a bedroom window and stood with dd facing the cold air. That always calmed her breathing down. (by the way hellish, her first attack happened in Canada and they recommended the cold air to us!)
DD used to get an attack any time she had a cold so it was probably 2-3 times annually, until she reached about 7yrs old and 'grew' out of it.
Best of luck.

thanks, yes i always thought the warm humid air was the trick, but the strangest thing is she gets worse indoors more so than outdoors inthe cold air.

I havent got the heating on (yet) but the house is fairly warm upstairs. I always thought cold air made coughs worse, but maybe thats when they have asthma?

She is supposed to have mild asthma, so its al a bit confusing.

I have sent her to school tho. Apparently its going round, I thought she might have got it on the plane, but prob coincidence.

dd had this last wek. neurofen is good as its anti inlamatory (sp)and croup is an inflamation. But if she has asthma she can't have that I suppose.

Yes agree with hellish. My doctor says that when she is bad in the night we should wrap her up in a duvet or blanket and walk round the garden with her.

Also he said that there is a medication but its steroid based. We didn't take it this time but would if it hadn't cleared up.
Our friends ds has it lots and always has the medication now.

And we use a sudafed plug in. they're great.

my dd always had croup - sometime 4 times a year or more and i was told it is common with little ones and they grow out of literally (as their chests get bigger). The first time was terrifying as it happened when on holiday in Spain though we got great treatwment. Since then we have always steamed her - run hot shower and stuck her in the room with all doors and windows closed. Olbas oil too. But last year she was diagnosed with asthma and I wonder now whether she had that all along SO i urge you to get a second opinion/see the asthma specialist at your gp surgery. good luck

yes she was diagnosed with asthma when about 1. She spent fromabout age 6 months to 2 coughing lots at night. TBH the inhalers didnt make much difference.

Of course I was unwittingly making it worse too at the time by giving her an iboprophen medication, when she had an added cough and fever ( ie a cold on top).

I am afraid when she is fine, and she has been fine for months, I let the inhaler slide. I must keep it up, i know, cos when she DOES get a cough like this, it prob doesnt help at all. Lets hope that yes she grows out of it.

I have had the steroid tablet on 2 occasions, when it didnt go away. One time it worked like magic. A bout about 6 months later, made no difference.

It can be very confusing and so frustrating to not be able to ease it.She's hopefully going to her dad's this weekeend too, so I hope she gets better poor thing.

Ds has had croup about 10 times all resulting in hospital treatment

We have been prescribed the medication to keep at home now to see if that helps.

parategirl, do try to keep up the preventer every day. i got my dd a trendy bag to keep hers stuff in and she is proud of it. it is the only thing that keeps her moderately healthy, chest wise. and iboprufen isn't ano no i was told when she has a fever it's ok (this by the asthma doctor)

I think there has been a lot of it this year.
Most of dd2's preschool class ahve ha dit, and dd1, 6, has ahd it horridly. Some of her friends have had it too.