18 month old coughing - antibiotics or not?

[tiredAli]

Last 4 weeks ds has had 2 nasty colds. The last one cleared up about a week and half ago, but he's had this cough at night since that wakes him (and us up) frequently at night. GP says it's viral and can take up to 6 weeks to go properly and to give him regular doses of calpol. He said some people like to take a prescription of antibiotics just in case but he was really reluctant to.
Should I have pushed him for one? I just feel that while ds isn't sleeping properly he's not giving his body chance to fight it off. Maybe I just wanted a magic potion to make my little boy better!

Have you tried medised? might help with the sleeping.

We did when he was full of cold but I'm reluctant to give it him now because he's not bunged up, it seems to be lots of loose catarrh that he can't cough up. I thought medised was for runny noses.

Is his chest rumbly? Put you hand on his back and 'feel' as he breathes.

Sometimes the noise they make is congestion up in the throat which is normal (iyswim) but sometimes if they sound a little bit like a motorbike it can be a chest infection and you will need antibiotics.

Can you get an appt to see your gp today?

Have seen gp this morning who said his chest was clear. I think I'm worried that he's not got an infection at the moment but what if the congestion 'sticks' doesn't that cause an infection? But then the GP would have said so? I just don't want him really poorly over the next few days.

AB's will only work on a bacterial infection. If his chest is clear then they won't help anyway. Have you propped up his bed head, got a humidifer/vaporiser running, using Karvol etc to help him decongest. All these will help him at night. Medised too as it contains an antihistamine which eases it and makes them sleepy.

If his chest was clear then he probably doesn't need anti-biotics.
To help clear congestion you can give tixilicks cough medicine, put him in the bathroom when you have showers or try medised.

Thanks everyone. Have propped up cot, but sent mum off to get a Karvol plug in thing. Will dose him up with medised tonight and hopes it clears up soon! (tixylix sends him hyper!)