4yo constant cough…

[toddlercoaster]

Hi everyone! So my 4yo has a constant cough every single night that wakes her up. It’s been going on since 2 weeks. It sounds like she needs to spit out phlegm. I have taken her to the GP twice and was always told the cough will go away on its own and her lungs and everything seem fine. But today she’s been coughing too much since 3am and is continuing. I give her benaliyn but it’s of no use now. She started having cough when she was down with flu (she caught from her nursery). I’m worried can it be something evil? Will it go away? Any home remedies that help plz?

Morning and Merry Christmas 🎅🏿
My daughter has had the same continuous cough for a while now. The GP prescribed an inhaler to help with this. It doesn't necessarily mean she's asthmatic but helps with the breathing. We're reviewing her need for it in a few months. It might be worth having this discussion with GP. The only reason we talked about this with Dr is because my son suffered from same symptoms and he was given an inhaler too when he was about 3. Anyway your DD's cough doesn't seem to be abating so worth making another appointment. I hope she recovers soon.
Apologies that I don't have any home remedies

My GP told me he cannot prescribe me an inhaler because she’s under 5! 😭

Merry Christmas!
My son is the exact same the minute, we have had an inhaler for a year now, he's 4 and it does help massively.
They can deffo prescribe you one, I'd ask to see another doc.

Sorry the GP hasn't helped. My DS was definitely under 5. Maybe 3 or 4, I can't remember but he was still at nursery and is an August child so definitely not 5.

Does an inhaler mean asthma? Her cough is constant (sometimes worse) I have an appointment with the GP tomorrow. Is it salbutamol?

With my son it turned out he was asthmatic. And with my daughter she's taking it to help with the cough - it has really helped btw, the household has been able to sleep!
I remember being concerned about DS being asthmatic (probably because not my own years of badly managed childhood asthma) and the GP saying it doesn't necessarily mean it will develop into this - in the case of DS it did but your DD may not end up being asthmatic.
And yes it was salbutamol.
I hope all goes well at GP x

Some things that might help are washing her bedding at 60, hoovering her mattress, hoovering the floor, cleaning any blinds, damp dusting and freezing any soft toys to kill house dust mites all should help.

Doesn't always mean asthma no.
We have a lot of people in the family with asthma so my son will likely have it as he has a constant wheeze on his chest but too young to diagnose

So I have been to the GP. He checked her lungs and all and said she’s completely fine but since she’s had a bad cough for almost 6 weeks the GP prescribed her a course of antibiotics. I asked him about the inhaler, the GP says she doesn’t sound asthmatic, and is too young for asthma 😒 so he cannot prescribe the inhaler (as she’s under 5)! I feel so sad and helpless now. Hopefully the antibiotics work!

This is rubbish.

Asthma can't be diagnosed before age 3 because the airways are too small.

5 is definitely old enough for an inhaler. We also do give them to under 3s as they help as well!

Your child needs a trial of inhaler (with a spacer- 5 is too young to coordinate breathing in at the right time for an inhaler on its own). In older kids/adults I'd be asking them to do peak flows before and after using it but they might be a bit young for that.

You need an appointment with a different doctor.

(Full disclosure: I'm an anaesthetist, not a GP, but have spent plenty of time working in A&E)

That's rubbish! My LO had an inhaler before 5, she's not asthmatic but it did help her as for a while all colds seemed to settle on her chest. Xx

My boy had a cough at night for 13 weeks. He was prescribed antibiotics and steroids but nothing helped. I kept taking him back to the doctors and the last time she
suggested trying an inhaler. He's 18 months and this finally done the trick.

My 17month old has had an inhaler since she was 11 months for "post viral wheeze" she had been coughing for about 10 weeks before ending up in a&e with low o2 levels in July where she got the blue inhaler. She is now on both blue and brown and it definitely helps but she still gets a horrendous cough that I've been told could last 6 weeks with every viral illness she gets (and that's providing she doesn't catching anything new before it goes) she's pretty much been coughing since April when she started crèche full time.

Hope the antibiotics help

My LO has an inhaler and is only 2 I would be asking for one to see if it helps.

Absolute rubbish! My 10 month old has an inhaler as does my 3 year old! Both currently blue ones but are monitored.
3 year old diagnosed with childhood asthma after a night time cough for 4 months. 10 month old diagnosed with "post viral wheeze" basically asthma precursor after the 3rd bout of chest infections/bronchiolitis etc.