For those of us being hammered by bugs

[stripetop]

Hello

I wondered if we could have a general chat, handhold, tips thread for those of us being hammered by bugs just now.

I have two children, I also have fairly severe health anxiety focused on them.

We have had colds, chest infections, tonscilitis. Conjunctivitis, norovirus, poisoning, and that's just October.

They have a good diet. Im trying to continue groups etc. I've ordered sambucol on a friend recommended basis.

Any other tips.

My 19mo had two mild colds the first 12 months of his life (lockdown baby problems), he joined nursery at 12 months old and he was ill before his settle in sessions finished, we were hammered with illnesses for a few months, they were then slightly more spread out over summer but since September have been back with a vengeance. He’s breastfed, he eats lots, he’s outside all the time, he takes sambucol and vitamins. In the last 6 weeks we’ve bad 2 sickness bugs and I reckon about 3 colds/coughs merged together. It’s kicked off some awful health anxiety and I struggle to ever relax. I’m starting cbt soon. Dreading getting through these winter months.

[quote PollyWog]Thanks for the sambucol tip - I'll try it as well. My partner catches every bug going and she's gotten me into listening to this podcast. I'm convinced sleep is a massive factor with staying healthy, and I'm trying to get into better sleep habits myself.

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/feel-better-live-more-with-dr-rangan-chatterjee/id1333552422?i=1000537668852[/quote]
I've literally just started to listen to him too! But I've started at the beginning. On episode 6

Ive just realised I do nasal rinses as part of ablution before prayer

Wishing everyone a good day.

It's day 6 of isolation here as dc are both Covid positive. I don't know how dh and I have managed to escape it so far but we've had the windows wide open, sanitising and washing hands regularly. Cleaning down handles and light switches. It's SO bloody boring / draining / tedious but illl do anything to avoid Covid (immunocompromised).

I feel so depressed today. I just want to get under my duvet and not have to face life today.

Thank you for this thread ! I'm at my wits end with my dd 9 and her cough which is going into week 6 and getting worse. We've been to the GP twice and been checked over but we don't get anywhere !! I'm supposed to be getting a call from an asthma nurse this week as I asked if it could be this so we will see. I suffer from terrible health anxiety for myself and my daughter.

Just awful. Yes I also have health anxiety very specific to kids. Long story will maybe bore you all later.

Chucking it down with rain here, both coughing constantly. I've exhausted ideas from baking to painting to putting the bouncy castle up in a barn. Been up since 4.30. Hoping to make it to bed time and keep them going, probably for another long night.

People who don't get sick all the time... what's your secret? www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/4389336-people-who-don-t-get-sick-all-the-time-what-s-your-secret

Interesting thread

@stripetop

Just awful. Yes I also have health anxiety very specific to kids. Long story will maybe bore you all later.

Chucking it down with rain here, both coughing constantly. I've exhausted ideas from baking to painting to putting the bouncy castle up in a barn. Been up since 4.30. Hoping to make it to bed time and keep them going, probably for another long night.

Sorry to hear of your health anxiety x

We've been up since 4.30 too with the clock change. DS1 is now complaining of earache. Hoping it doesn't amount to anything.
How is everyone getting on?

We have had zero sleep all night and are shattered this morning due to the f*ing cough ! Not helped by having to get up for school I feel like such a bad mum. Has anyone found any cough medicines that would help my dd sleep. I feel so helpless watching her cough.

@AnimalCrossingHere yes my dd is 9 and has had this awful cough for 6 weeks now, I'm at my wits end.

We had three whole well days and now DS (3) has another cold. I’m just over my last asthma flare up from catching his last one. FML.

Morning.

Well toddler coughed all night but a non worrying cough. Baby meanwhile is really really sick, temp kept spiking, cough right into chest. Waiting on doctor opening 830 so I can try and get her seen. That will be a war in itself.

Haven't been to bed at all. The cry baby is doing, she's really not right.

Oh @stripetop - so sorry to hear about your difficult night! How are the little ones? Have you managed to speak to the GP yet?

Morning sorry to hear about the poorly little ones and bad nights.

@stripetop I hope you get an appointment for your baby to be examined. Keep us updated.

@lollipoprainbow, I've never used it before but when I was buying calpol the other day I saw Calcough , it's a cough syrup. I have no experience of it but others might. I think they usually say just water or honey and lemon if over one.

My oldest has gone to preschool but says he has a bit of earache so I'm on tenterhooks.

Just back, we are about an hour and a half from a hospital and forty five minutes from GP. She has croup and RSV. So have steroids and antibiotics and then while we were there she decided to look like she had conjunctivitis as well so eye ointment. Although it may just be snot trying to get out somewhere.

Got toddler chest checked as well and clear.

Went to every chemist in the town and bought calpol and various bits.

Home now and trying not to lose my mind.

How's everyone today?

Oh my goodness @stripetop what ashame. Hope you can get through it best you can and baby recovers quickly. How old is your toddler, can they entertain themselves whilst you lie on sofa? Lots of screen time / easy meals today.

For all those suffering with coughs, do you have humidifiers? Also vicks on the soles of feet as well as chest and back. Swear by this. Can't say I've noticed a difference in cough syrups tbh although my 2yo only likes the tixy lix kids one.

We were up at 3am this morning, toddler couldn’t go even a minute without coughing. Weirdly enough he seems to sleep soundly enough for the first few hours but once he starts coughing he just cant stop. Nothing seems to help, humidifier, pillows, sitting up, just cough cough cough. Seems better today than last night but today is worse than yesterday day if that makes sense. Seems totally fine in himself luckily apart from being a tad crabby but that could be due to the cold and rubbish sleep. Currently fast asleep in the car and I’m parked in a supermarket car park wondering how irresponsible it is to have a nap here too😵‍💫 Drs later on as a bit concerned it could be croup and last time he had that he went very down hill within a few hrs and we ended up at a&e so hoping to avoid that.

@stripetop glad you have been seen. Croup is really nasty. My 22 month old had it 3 months ago, ended upon A&E due to excessive drooling and low oxygen and fast heart rate. The steroid works very quickly indeed. He did have fevers for a week though. I was advised it can peak on day 4 then gets better. I had no experience of croup before this. Hope your DD gets better soon.

My Sambucol has arrived so just given first lot.

Thank you.

I've no experience of croup. What point do I panic. She's taken the steroid in full. She's asleep in pram next to me, I'm trying to contain toddler with my phone. She keeps waking and coughing but is exhausted. Temperature ok at moment, a little warm.

@stripetop she will soon improve now with the steroid. Just keep up with the calpol/ibuprofen as needed, don't worry if she doesn't eat much, not sure if she is weaned as yet? How old is she? Mine didn't eat much for a week. As long as she is taking liquids and plenty of wet nappies etc. Try to rest yourself.

For us like previous posters it's been relentless since March. Which I can only attribute to schools reopening- they're definitely the culprit.

It didn't help us that DC2 was born in March so the relentless stream of RSV, croup, hand foot and mouth, norovirus etc that DC1 has brought home from nursery has been soul detecting whilst also looking after a new baby.

The number of hours I've spent in children's A&E this year is ridiculous.

OP- re the croup, the steroids should work quickly (I feel like an expert on it now sadly!)

That should of course say soul destroying!

Thank you all. Yes soul is destroyed

She's ten months.

She is weaned or weaning but off food. She has upped her milk this afternoon so I'm going with that for now. Might try a yogurt or something later. She seems a little brighter but is doing the doesn't know what she wants cry.

Gosh, so sorry to hear OP, I'm thinking of you and the little ones.
Apologies if this has been said, haven't had a chance to fully read everyone's updates but we were told cold & fresh air is supposed to really help croup so we had windows open when DS had it. It definitely helped.
We ended up in A&E with him for viral induced wheezing (think asthma attack type thing due to the virus) and croup. He was given the steroids as well and an inhaler and he was so much better within just a matter of hours!

I'm so sorry you are going through this. It's such a worry and makes you feel so helpless seeing them so vulnerable.

Hope you all have a good evening xx

How are things OP @stripetop