cough that won't go away

[Linzoid]

my 4 year old son started with a cough, cold, fever and sore eyes about 5 1/2 weeks ago. He got antibiotics and has seemed pretty well in himself since. The cough tho has not gone away. Some weeks it has been only slightly troublesome but this week the snot has returned and the cough has stepped up a gear(keep running upatairs to him). He's being tested at the moment for a possible immune problem. Would you say it is normal for a cough to go on so long or is this dfinately not right and therefore a symptom of the immune problem? I have propped him up on loads of pillows and put a wet towel on the radiator. During the summer he was suffering allergies and wheezing, the doc gave us an inhaler which i have only used once since, would it be worth using now?

Linzoid
Dont have personal experience of this, but do know someone who's 6 month old has had a cold since Xmas and is still suffering from the cough. Doc advises it is just viral and nothing they can do. Sounds awful though, and I do sympathise. My personal opinion on the inhaler would be not to use it unless doc/NHS direct says its OK. could he have caught another cold from somewhere else, hence symptoms have worsened?
Have you run NHS Direct - usually v helpful.
hTH

Hi There,

My ds who is 3.7 has asthma. He only gets it when he has a cold. When he starts coughing badly at night I was told by doctor to give him his inhaler and it cetainly works. I would ask your doctor to see what they think. Good luck.

We have similar with our 19 month old. Sometimes he coughs so much he's sick. I believe that 'theres a bug going around' Half the children in the neighbourhood have/had it. - It started ages (a month?)ago with a cough which is worse when he lies down. Then the fever came and the snot. It cleared up for about 3-4 days and before you know it it's all back again, fever through the roof, snot, horrible cough where he just can't 'catch' it and today weepy yellow stuff from 1st one eye and now the other. I went to the doctors inbetween illness' and he gave us an asthma inhaler, which we have given but it doesn't seem to help. I would give your DS a couple of puffs, it won't do him any harm. We are also doing that, keeping the fever down with Calpol/Nurofen a few doses of cough mixture a day and now washing his eyes with cooled boiled water. If it doesn't improve on Monday (especially his eyes) Will book appointment. Even though amazingly he seems alright in himself?? and you wouldn't think he had all that wrong with him.

My doctor told us not to give Nurofen as my son is asthmatic. Calpol would be fine but I wouldn't personally give Nurofen.

My son has a salbutamol inhaler, he's 4 and i'm not sure what the doasge is as i have lost the box. I have just been up and given him one puff which was a real battle. How much and how often could he have it? What would i do if he were to have an asthma attack and how common is it for a cough to progress to an attack? sorry for all these questions but feeling a bit anxious tonight.