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Original poster

How do i stop my 3yr old from coughing?????

15 replies

laneydaye · 14/02/2008 13:06

My daughter has a little cold nothing major, the usual.... Runny nose weeping eyes and a little cough that has developed into a non stop irritating cough over night.... Dont generally give cough medicine as i find it doesnt work, she has an inhaler!! given to her the last time she had a cough so have given her one puff this morning. Anyone have any ideas as to to calming the cough. Bless her she is worn out!! (me too)...
Thanks in advance...

OP posts:
WendyWeber · 14/02/2008 13:10

Aw, poor her - and poor you ("irritating" cough always makes me laugh - cos it irritates everybody else as well )

Anyway when one of mine had an irritating cough I used to use a cough suppressant like Tixylix - even if it was a "productive" cough (yuck) as well - because sometimes they really need to have a rest from it.

Also lots of sips of a really cold drink.

Hope she's better soon.

castille · 14/02/2008 13:12

You're right about cough medicine - my DH (doctor) says LOs shouldn't normally have it as the secretions can get infected if they aren't coughed up

A trick that might help is filling the bathroom with steam (shower on v hot for a few mins) and taking her in there, lightly dressed, for 10 mins before bedtime. That can ease coughing fits.

Desiderata · 14/02/2008 13:14

If it carries on being non-stop, you might want to ring the surgery and ask whether there's been a whooping cough outbreak.

And I'm with WW on the Tixylix, if only to give her lungs a rest.

Keep us posted.

OverMyDeadBody · 14/02/2008 13:17

I really sympathise laneydaye, my DS has had coughing fits for the past four nighs, it starts at about 4:30 every morning, doesn't stop till about 9am! It's almost continual too, about 30 seconds max between coughing fits. Neither of us is getting any sleep .

Cough medicine does nothing, I think it's the asthma, but the inhalers don't stop the coughing, just make the breathing easier!

He doeswn't cough at all during the day either.

avenanap · 14/02/2008 13:19

It depends what sort of cough it is. A chesty one is a productive one (brings up phlem), you'll need a chesty cough syrup for this, a dry cough is just dry, tickley cough makes her want to scratch the back of her throat. If she has a barking cough that is non stop or she's dribbling or unable to talk to you you need to take her to A+E straught away. Could be croup or eppiglotitis. Hope she's feeling better soon.

OnACaffieneHigh · 14/02/2008 13:19

Mum always gave me honey sandwiches. I think someone has since told me honey does have some medicinal value, but I don't really know. Made me feel better anyway, just because it was something I wasn't normally allowed.

HuwEdwards · 14/02/2008 13:21

Now, I read on here that Vicks vapour rub on the soles of your feet (honestly) at night will really relieve a cough next morning.

I recommended this to 4 people so far, and for 4 people it has worked (one of whom is my DD, 5)

Original poster
laneydaye · 14/02/2008 13:22

Good old mumsnet!!!! Havent been on for a long time, but after a night lacking sleep and a few trys at different things to stop the cough i thought why not. I tried the steam this morning....and she is wakling around with a beaker of cold juice.. She is frustrated more than anything.

Cheers though..

OP posts:
PrettyCandles · 14/02/2008 13:23

Sometimes a tickly cough is self-generating, the cough tickles and makes you cough more IYSWIM. A good way to stop that is to cup your hands over your mouth and nose, shut your mouth and breathe slowly through your nose. That warms the breath and stops the tickle. If she's coughing so much that she's retching or vomiting, that is because she isn't inhaling sufficiently between coughs. If you can get her to breath in through her hands it will prevent the vomiting as well.

Mikafan · 14/02/2008 13:25

HuwEdwards, whats the youngest you can do this on a baby? My daughter is 9 months with a cough at night but don't know if this would be ok for her.
Thanks

Original poster
laneydaye · 14/02/2008 13:25

Her cough is non productive by the way..My brother has croup and it definately doesnt sound like that. Am not overly worried just though there may be some ways of easing it to stop the frustration...

OP posts:
Original poster
laneydaye · 14/02/2008 13:28

Bless her she is sat here cupping her mouth.... Will try anything i suppose to stop it.

OP posts:
Desiderata · 15/02/2008 21:40

How is she, laney?

nappyneeds · 15/02/2008 22:37

I had the same with my dd a little while ago. Doc suggested the following - raising head end of cot mattress at night, using a humidifier or hot water in a bowl with a few drops of olbass oil. Otherwise if all else fails try medised as aids sleep and can help clear coldy type symptoms.

chocolatespiders · 15/02/2008 22:41

i find the txylix night cough medicine good for relief...
and inhaler at night time to...

you could have a vaporiser in her room, i have one for dd asthma

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