Help with my daughters hacking cough.......PLEASE!!!

[lilly72]

My 18 month old daughter has had a hacking cough and cold for 4 days now and I am at desperation point. Her cough is keeping her up all night and consequently I am not sleeping either.....she is irritable and so am I. Has anyone got any ideas on how to help her relieve the cough...and how to adminster cough mixture when she kindly spits it back out at me...I have a syringe but that is not working and I am literally desperate for some friendly advise.(we are off to the doctors later on today)

Thanks...in advance.

I usually put cough mixture in with the milk that way it gets swallowed.

Have same prob, DD 4 months coughing like mad at night. DR listened to her chest on Monday said nothing to worry about.

If you get medicine, PLEASE tell me what it is!

Oh, poor you! When a cough is related to a cold (ie not just a "dry" one) you are not supposed to use a suppressant, but I always have or nobody would get any sleep when it's that bad. I don't know which one to recommend, you could ask the pharmacist which ones are supposed to taste nicest. (I have used Sudofed, it's OK but a bit strong.)

Can you get hold of a dropper, with a squeezy bulb, instead of a syringe? The tube is usually narrower, and the bulb can be squeezed gently to drip the liquid at the back of her mouth - or squeezed briskly to squirt it down her throat! It might work...good luck!

re: medicines to prevent coughing, there's little evidence to show that any of the so-called active ingredients work - other than being a nice syrupy solution (ie you could make it yourself!) but one expert told me that there IS evidence that those linctus with Dextromathorphan in them do work (a large study showed that it suppressed clinical cough) - so have a look on the label. not sure what the lower age limit is on dextromathorphan is but a pharmacist could tell you.
He also said that a lot of the medicines have a very low dose in it, & in adults you need to give yourself 60 mg to produce a good result (he takes it himself and within half an hour his cough has stopped).

Lilly72, my dd also seems to have a persistent cough for ages, GP listened to her chest and said nothing too much to worry about. Thankfully it doesn't seem to bother her at night (in that she doesn't wake up because of it) but nonetheless these things are a worry aren't they. The only thing I've tried is Tixylix but it seemed to make no difference whatsoever. Like Bundle, I also gather that many cough medicines do not really have any proven benefits other than maybe soothing the throat. Not sure if you've tried Tixylix but it seems to be quite an acceptable flavour anyway even if it wasn't that effective.
Good luck and hope your dd is soon better (and you get some sleep!)

I found Benylin's night cough mixture did help a bit - as for getting it in that's a harder question ! Have you tried those dummy things that let you squirt the medicine into the mouth slowly ? I had one but first time I used it it gave me an eyeful of penicillin so I can't exactly recommend them - but I know some people have managed better than me !!

I think the Benylin tastes OK - I sometimes find my dd will swallow it up if I take some as well, and I always let her hold her cup of juice ready for a quick wash-it-down swig.

Good Luck xxxx

i would recommend a humidifier - the increased humidity in the air hydrates the lungs/tubes and eases the cough. alternatively, try a wrung out towel on the radiator.

hth.

I'd second bossykate's suggestion - when DD had a bad cough when only about 3/4 months the Dr told me that the only thing that would help would be a humidifier (dry air irritates all the tubes and makes the cough worse). It seemed to work, and we have also used it since with olbas oil when she's been bunged up. I got mine from Argos.

I agree re: humidity. mountaineers get terrible hacking coughs and that's thought to be a result of dry air/low oxygen etc on the airway.

I've just been reading this thread, Thanks to all those who suggest humidity !!
I've had a hacking cough, have not slept properly all week, my Mum always suggests the old, head over a bowl of water but I've been a bit dismissive of it, I think I'll give it a try tonight !!

DD also has a horrid cold and cough AGAIN! DD is only 9 months so can't take many over the counter medicines as most are for over a year old.

The chemist has just given me some saline drops for her nose to try over the next day or two.

We also give her baths with the Breathe Easy bubble bath that has menthol stuff in it. The menthol, with the humidity of the bathroom really does help - we try to do this morning and night at the moment.

Have you tried using a nasal aspirator to suction the mucus from her nose, also saline drops can help clear it out. We only came across these when we moved abroad but both have proved very useful.

We also raise the head of the cot at the first sign of a cold and , yes, dd does move around but it is often helpful enough to let her get to sleep again.

You could also try a humidifier or wet towels on the radiator as dry air won't help either.

Hope it clears up soon.

LizS

Last time ds had a cough that was keeping us all up, I finally went to the doctors with him after a week and it turned out he had a terrible chest infection.

Thanks for all your help....dr said dds chest and lungs were clear and prescribed antibiotics to help with poss ear infection and to help with cough plus saline drops and tixylix. All in all she is much better and has slept today for a solid two hours without the hideous coughing...agree with the wet towels etc...they helped also...am off now for an early night...hopefully without too much coughing...thanks again (antibiotics have been put in her milk and in her yoghurts...!So no spitting them out.....)