DS can’t stop coughing - any ideas

[WhatWouldYouDo33]

My DS10 has had an ongoing dry barking cough for nearly month. It’s nearly gone in the day but continues in the night and keeps everyone awake.
he has been an antibiotics for nearly week, he is taking benilyn night cough and occasionally has been on calpol (when he had a fever). Nothing had made a difference. I just want it to stop! I can try GP again tomorrow but in the meantime does anyone else have any ideas or advice?

Might sound weird but turn the heating down if it’s high and open a window a crack to get airflow.

Asthma

Antihistamine?

I don't know what the minimum age for codine is but it is a cough suppressant.

Take the full dose of both Calpol and ibuprofen. The first is anti spasmodic the second is anti-inflammatory.

I had a cough that went on for months. Despite not being asthmatic I was given an inhaler and it did help.

No other asthma symptoms, anything else to add?

We’ve had the same thing in our house for the past month. I got over it fairly quickly but DS has had it about 5 weeks and DH 3. I think there’s a really shitty virus around.

@MooQuackNeigh thanks! This is helpful. Will push for an inhaler tomorrow, he had one before which helped.

I don’t know what the story is now but the gp told us last November that the average cough is taking about 6 weeks to shift now. I don’t know what to suggest because so many different things worked with each of mine and I’m so bad with cough types! So exputex or bronchostop or inhalers, hovering over and over and mopping to get rid of dust, pillows slightly elevated. Best of luck op

I second asthma. My nearly 10 year old was diagnosed with “cough variant asthma” last year. Ventolin inhaler helped loads and now he has a preventer inhaler and no longer needs the Ventolin unless he catches a virus or it’s hay fever season. Also an antihistamine like Certirazine at bedtime may well help.

My pharmacist advised that there’s an epidemic of the hundred day cough. DS and I have been coughing since February. Suppressing the cough is a bad idea, because it’s intended to help you get fluid out of your lungs. If it’s really bad you need to prop yourself up at night and sip water, and if too can’t breathe you can lie on your front. You can also try huffing to bring up fluid without doing an actual cough.

DS asthma is only a cough, it's called cough variant asthma and is often worse at night.

I would try antihistamines as it's often also allergy related and we are coming into spring pollen season (this also makes house dustmite alleges worse as well).

I'd also be taking him back to the GP'S.

Has he been swabbed for Whooping Cough? It’s on the rise worldwide.

An asthma puffer can sometimes help with a persistent cough, even if it's not asthma.

A warm steam vapouriser in the room at night is great for soothing a cough, I couldn't believe the difference a vapouriser made to my son's cough when he was young.

And codeine is a cough suppressant, but do be very, very careful as it can be addictive and not sure of safety in young people.

Your son must be utterly exhausted from not enough rest, and coughs can be so painful. It's definitely a good idea to try to stop the cough ,

Thank you all. I have been looking everywhere now for the children antihistamines and can’t find them 😭 will have to get them tomorrow. Can’t keep giving water at night, he is on desmopressin which means no drinking for 8 hours.

didn’t know about whopping cough swap. He was last seen by a walk in centre on Easter Monday and no mention of it.

I also agree with asthma, night time dry cough. Doesn't sound like whooping cough. What did he have an inhaler for before?

Zirtek should be easy to pick up for antihistamine. Liquid or you can give a ten year old half a tablet I think

The “100 day cough” is whooping cough and it’s a real shame it’s been renamed as it’s stopping people from recognising it as what it is. It is terrifyingly prevalent at the moment and is a horrific virus. I’ve had it for weeks. It’s much worse at night which would fit your son’s symptoms.

Sadly I’ve found nothing works and have been told only time will heal it 🙁

You could also try Vicks on the feet at night, usually guarantees us some sleep at night

So he's had an inhaler before that has helped?

Did they not follow this up at all? Virous infections often make asthma worse, DS asthma first started as a cold (most likely he already had the asthma and the cold triggered it). Which turned into continuous night time coughing slowly worsening over several months before they got a handle on it. He is bad everytime he has a cold, but it's fully controlled in-between times.

Sounds exactly like whooping cough - it’s much worse at night.

A persistent cough. About 4 - 5 years ago.

A steamer in his bedroom at night will really help. As will opening the window a bit and turning off the heating (it makes the air very dry). We have gradually passed this around our house since the end of October. It lasts for bloody ages.

There is asthma and there is cough-variant asthma. Push to get him checked for this.

Trying this now thanks

Yes a long time ago (4-5 years)
nobody followed up. Our GPs change constantly and he hasn’t been seen by the same person in years. If you get an appointment, you take the GP that has availability. The last person who saw him was at a walk in centre. I guess they don’t read all the notes and I forgot to mention it.

In my home country all children are seen by a paediatrician 😬 never a GP.

Whooping cough is everywhere right now. Only a tiny proportion of likely cases are being swabbed for it. Hundred day cough my arse. That's pertussis or parapertussis. Worse at night, uncontrollable cough, etc. Whooping sounds are less common in older children and adults.

Vaccine immunity is much less 10 years after vaccination. So, for most children in the UK... that's aged about 10 and a few months.

Unfortunately there isn't much that helps except time. Horrible illness.