VA6336 Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 For the last week or so, every night when my five year old goes to bed she spends an hour or two coughing. Not a productive congested cough, but that seal-bark-croup sound. She doesn't cough like that during the day. I finally sent my husband out for cough syrup so she could get to sleep and the pharmacist sent him home with Delsym which helped for a few hours and then she woke up around midnight and started all over again. I gave it to her again tonight (an hour ago) and she's still "barking." What do I do?? :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaAkins Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 Sounds like a croupy cough. Warm steam or cold clear air should help. You might want to try a cool mist humidifier in her bedroom. Depending on whether you feel comfortable with it, some children's sudafed might help. Edited to add: I hope your little one feels better soon. That's such an annoying cough to have...two of my four children get that type of cough a few times per year and it's just not fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendi Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 Could also be a symptom of asthma. I'd see a doctor. Wendi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VA6336 Posted December 16, 2009 Author Share Posted December 16, 2009 I've always wondered if she was a borderline asthmatic. She tends to get respiratory distress more often than my other two. Could this be a symptom of RSV? My 9 month old nephew was with us for 12 hours over two days last week and he was dreadfully sick. He's much better now, but the doc says he had RSV. Anyone have any experience with RSV in a 5 year old? Can a 5 year old even get it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brigitte Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 Could also be a symptom of asthma. I'd see a doctor. Wendi :iagree: Especially if she has not had a cold recently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VA6336 Posted December 16, 2009 Author Share Posted December 16, 2009 By "inhaler" do you mean the albuterol inhaler that I have leftover from her summer pneumonia experience? :auto: to look in the medicine cabinet! Sounds like I need to call the pediatrician (again!) and talk to him about her cough. I'll tell him the Hive told me to. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnitaMcC Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 For the last week or so, every night when my five year old goes to bed she spends an hour or two coughing. Not a productive congested cough, but that seal-bark-croup sound. She doesn't cough like that during the day. I finally sent my husband out for cough syrup so she could get to sleep and the pharmacist sent him home with Delsym which helped for a few hours and then she woke up around midnight and started all over again. I gave it to her again tonight (an hour ago) and she's still "barking." What do I do?? :confused: I have chronic cough variant asthma symptoms and all four of our kids have asthma dx as babies/toddlers. Also of my niece and two nephews living with us... niece and oldest nephew have asthma. For asthmatics... dry hacking coughing is very common to occur at night. My younger nephew (does not have asthma) had a bout of this type of coughing a few times... he had bronchitis. It is treated like asthma and antibiotics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Anna Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 My dd3 did that for about a month and then came down with a cold and the cough turned congested. I took her into the doctor and she was diagnosed with something like "Reactive Airways Disease" or something. I was told that it's basically asthma without the chronic history to make certain of the diagnosis. We were sent home with a nebulizer and a bunch of breathing treatments to give her when she was wheezing badly or couldn't stop coughing. We've given her a couple (I reeeeaaally don't like to do that), and she seems okay, although now that I'm watching for it I catch her breathing hard or wheezing occasionally in the cold. So. You want to get a diagnosis? Take her in. If you want to avoid a label for as long as possible, I was told that buckwheat honey can help with the cough (1 teaspoon every 4 hours or so), as well as the humidity rec. by the pp. You might want to start listening to her a little, though, in case you catch more symptoms. HTH! Mama Anna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 If you find the inhaler, give her 1-2 puffs (whatever the directions were for her) and see if that helps. If it does, then you have an answer. I would certainly say that asthma/reactive airway is very likely. By "inhaler" do you mean the albuterol inhaler that I have leftover from her summer pneumonia experience? :auto: to look in the medicine cabinet! Sounds like I need to call the pediatrician (again!) and talk to him about her cough. I'll tell him the Hive told me to. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 My 6 year old has a similar cough. He has had it for a month or so and it is very, very intermittent. Some days, he will cough 3 times total. Other days, maybe not at all. Tonight, he laid down and started coughing and had to get water. For him, we can't figure out if it is a tic or something that is really there. It is so weird. Dh has asthma, though, so I don't want to ignore anything with ds6. I just hate to go to the dr right now with flu going around. You know...take in a healthy kid and come home with sick one... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coralloyd Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 You might want to try some Vicks on the bottom of her feet then put socks on. Works great when we have coughs here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VA6336 Posted December 16, 2009 Author Share Posted December 16, 2009 You might want to try some Vicks on the bottom of her feet then put socks on. Works great when we have coughs here. I never, ever would have thought to do that! My husband wouldn't let me give her the inhaler last night (and so we were up until after midnight until she finally quit coughing!). He worries a lot about drug interaction (we had given her the useless Delsym). So I called the pediatrician this morning and their thought is croup, and they said put the humidifier in her room, give her Mucinex during the day and the inhaler every 4-6 hours at night as she needs it. I'm intrigued by the idea of a reactive airway that isn't quite asthma. This kind of stuff happens a lot with my daughter and while she doesn't seem to have the definition of asthma, a weakened airway would explain it. I don't necessarily want to get a diagnosis, I just want her to sleep!! We've been to the pediatrician three times already this month for my son and I'm sure we've been exposed to every bug under the sun...here's hoping the inhaler works tonight and we can stay out of the doctor's office. Thank you for the great advice and ideas to think about! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 Could it be pertussis? If so... antibiotics.... (whooping cough)... Carrie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lulubelle Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 what a coincidence, I just called the doctor today for my ds 7. Every year when cold weather begins he gets mild croup in the evening for a couple of weeks, then he basically coughs his way through a month or so till I bring him to the doctor for albuterol and the nebulizer. I was talking to a doctor friend I have and she heard his sniffs and thought he could have post-nasal drip from seasonal allergies. I called the doctors office to see if he should get tested for allergies. And, maybe he is asthmatic? I should hear back from the doctor tomorrow. Good luck with getting some answers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athena1277 Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 I have a friend who is a dr (general practitioner). When my dd had a persistent dry cough, long after dd had been sick, I asked her what I could do to help her. She mentioned that OTC cough meds don't really help and I could try some honey. Then she said something I hadn't heard before. She said sometimes when her kids get like that, she gives them some ibuprophen before bed. She said sometimes you get some swelling and such from the constant coughing. The ibuprophen helps to reduce the swelling and helps them to sleep. I have since tried this several times when my kids have had trouble sleeping due to dry coughs. It helped, especially when they are getting frustrated because they can't get to sleep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VA6336 Posted December 16, 2009 Author Share Posted December 16, 2009 I have a friend who is a dr (general practitioner). When my dd had a persistent dry cough, long after dd had been sick, I asked her what I could do to help her. She mentioned that OTC cough meds don't really help and I could try some honey. Then she said something I hadn't heard before. She said sometimes when her kids get like that, she gives them some ibuprophen before bed. She said sometimes you get some swelling and such from the constant coughing. The ibuprophen helps to reduce the swelling and helps them to sleep. I have since tried this several times when my kids have had trouble sleeping due to dry coughs. It helped, especially when they are getting frustrated because they can't get to sleep. We might do the honey...in warm water, maybe? She can't have the ibuprofen, since she has an NSAID allergy. Maybe acetamenophin would reduce the swelling, too? We know she has spring allergies (for which she gets doped up with Claritin for a few months), but what could be causing them during the winter? Did the doctor say what those allergies could be, Lauren? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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