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?

@NoisyDachshunddd 😢
I didn’t know immunity is so short.

I had an ongoing cough, started for one month but then went on for 2 years. Drank so many bottles of cough medicine and nothing worked! I was given an inhaler as GP thought it could be asthma, although it helped soothe the cough it didn't prevent it. Fast forward, more random diagnosis but in the end I was anemic and a cough for some reason was the main symptom. I was in my 20s however so hoping your son isn't experiencing the same. I'd get some bloods done and get him on some kids multivits with iron.

I ended up needing a blood transfusion because of how low my blood count was.

Chop an onion up and put it in his room, sounds so bizarre but it honestly works!

Take him to see his GP

Second Vicks on arches of feet and big toes. Also centre of chest and back

You said he’s on desmopressin, is that for this? (Just haven’t heard of this before). I’d say maybe go back to doctor

@stayathomer no it’s a medicine for children who bedwet beyond a certain age. After taking it he shouldn’t drink. So giving water for coughing in the night is not great unfortunately.

We and lots of people we know have had a post viral cough with fatigue. My husband’s symptoms were so bad he’s had blood tests and a chest X-ray. All the results came back normal so I wouldn’t worry too much, especially if any expectoration (phlegm) is clear (ie there’s no infection)

Thank you! As someone who is currently suffering this horrendous virus I feel like I’m screaming into a void 😩 (or I would scream if I could stop fucking coughing 😢).

There is a nasty cough virus going round, I known lots of people who have been coughing all winter. Antibiotics won’t help with a virus (and did nothing for my cough).

I’ve had it since early December and it was very bad in January but it’s nearly gone now.

So absolutely ask your doctor but it may be a question of keeping warm, hot drinks etc. That said if you are concerned do keep pushing as the GP service is awful these days.

Youngest has asthma - the over night cough and weird coughing up phlegm when she has a cold. After her second inhaler prescription she was put on the asthma nurse list and I get a text message to book a review over 6 months.

The first inhaler is given a trial and after that your supposed to go back to the GP after x number of weeks to discuss if it tej symptoms changed - did the GP not tell you this?

I have this too! Dry cough that’s fine in the day but at night and in the morning it’s like torture. It’s like there’s dust trapped in my throat. I’ve had it for a week now and it’s still no better.

No I have never heard this before. Going to GP with him later this morning.

Definitely ask about seeing the asthma nurse. It will be a nurse in the GP practice who will have a lot more knowledge than the GP on managing day to day with asthma.

Increasing the humidity of the bedroom can help with cough. Asthma being triggered at this time of year would make me wonder if it’s being trigged by hay fever.

I developed bronchitis after a cold last year and had a cough for about 6-8 weeks. Mostly at night but one bad week when I had another cold and it was continuous and made it difficult to move around at all.
I had to be propped up at night with olbas on my pillow and well hydrated. I was on a medication that needed me to drink a lot of water and if I hadn't the coughing overnight was worse. If they are on restricted fluids overnight I would push more fluids during the day.

Potentially related but I had to start wearing a pad to bed as I was having incontinence issues that went completely with the cough.

I have a prescription for an inhaler (but no inhaler yet - different story 🤦🏻‍♀️) with an appointment in two weeks to review his chest and whether it could be asthma.
i will encourage for daytime fluids.

Antibiotics for what? What tests were done? A cough is in general viral. If antibiotics didn't work, it means it was a viral infection or antibiotic resistance - quite serious if this is the case. Did they rule covid/long covid out now or 4 years ago (was it during the pandemic?), before giving the inhaler? ''An occasional cough is normal and healthy. A cough that persists for several weeks or one that brings up discolored or bloody mucus may indicate a condition that needs medical attention''https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/cough/basics/definition/sym-20050846 ''While an occasional cough is normal, a cough that persists may be a sign of a medical problem.
A cough is considered "acute" if it lasts less than three weeks. It is considered "chronic" if it lasts longer than eight weeks (four weeks in children).'' Did they diagnose with 'chronic cough'?

Spirometry can be used to help diagnose a lung condition if you have symptoms, or if your doctor feels you're at an increased risk of developing a particular lung condition.
For example, spirometry may be recommended if you have a PERSISTEN COUGH or breathlessness, or if you're over 35 and smoke. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/spirometry/#:~:text=Spirometry%20is%20a%20simple%20test,a%20cable%20to%20a%20mouthpiece.

@ForRoseExpert he does not have covid or long covid or antibiotic resistance. Could you be any more alarmist? For now he has an inhaler and a follow up appointment in two weeks.

Steam from hot water can help loosen the stuff in your chest and make your throat feel better. You can do this by sitting with your head over a bowl of hot water, with a towel over your head to trap the steam, and breathe in the steam for a few minutes. I think it might help your son feel a bit better.

Steam is not recommended for children

Why do you think this? Steam does wonders for children and adults alike.

My son has cough variant asthma. The best thing for him when he's struggling is a very steamy shower before bed. I run the shower very hot to steam up the whole room, then turn the heat down for him getting in. It's an instant relief and he doesn't cough the entire time he is in the shower. He also has a warm mist humidifier in his room when he's struggling through the night.

The only way steam would be bad for a child is if you're holding their head over a boiling kettle.

My mum used to do this to me and my siblings, and everything was fine. Of course, the water shouldn't be that hot to burn children's faces.