Please help me stop worrying about dd

[catz]

 

I'm pretty sure it's not pertussis now, because she seems much, much better this morning. She leaped out of bed and ran into the kitchen demanding breakfast, and I've only heard a couple little coughs, no more of those scary coughing spells. Her nose isn't running, and the fever is gone.

 

Yay - I'm so glad. I hated when my kids were sick when they were so young. I still hate it now for that matter. I'm in MN too and my oldest is just getting over this hacking cough that has gone on 3 WEEKS! He never had a fever though. But at some points it sounded really croupy and nasty. There is some nasty upper respiratory stuff going around! Glad your little is on the mend! :001_smile:

Edited January 7, 2012 by kck

[Quad Shot Academy]

 

I'm pretty sure it's not pertussis now, because she seems much, much better this morning. She leaped out of bed and ran into the kitchen demanding breakfast, and I've only heard a couple little coughs, no more of those scary coughing spells. Her nose isn't running, and the fever is gone.

\

 

Just as an FYI: whooping cough has the amazing ability to disappear in the day only to reappear at night. It is really odd. If it picks up again, I would guess that is what it is.

[Carol in Cal.]

But would the antibiotics have helped that quickly? She had her first dose last night.

 

Oh yeah, not going there again with those. I doubt she'll even need the benadryl again- the mucus factory seems to have stopped production. I honestly didn't realize how much the cough medicine was going to knock her out. If she does get to the point where her coughing is keeping her awake all night again, we might consider trying a half dose, but that's it. And I'm calling her doctor today for more info.

 

I have no experience with pertussis, but when my toddler DD had pneumonia, the antibiotics started with a shot in the thigh and proceeded with liquid medicine, and I saw improvement overnight. Not cure, mind you, but very noticeable improvment from utter lethargy to just an annoying illness.

[QuirkyKidAcademy]

(((hugs))) Mommy

 

It is so hard when our babes are sick.

[Laurie4b]

I think that you're wise to sleep with her. It consoles both of you, and you are right on top of everything. Benedryl can make you extremely sleepy for a long time. I wonder whether she has pertussis? It's rampant out here, and the coughing sounds like that. I know a boy who has it chronically, despite being vaccinated for it. The swollen glands should be addressed by the Benedryl. If they swell any more, given how badly she is already coughing, it could be bad, so I would check to see if the swelling has gone down, and then keep checking for that.

 

??? Why would Benadryl help swollen glands? Glands swell from immune system responses with dead white blood cells in there which have been fighting infection and inflammation. I've never heard that Benadryl would help clear them out. I thought Benadryl was an antihistamine/decongestant. How does that work?

Edited January 7, 2012 by Laurie4b

[Laurie4b]

But would the antibiotics have helped that quickly? She had her first dose last night.

 

Oh yeah, not going there again with those. I doubt she'll even need the benadryl again- the mucus factory seems to have stopped production. I honestly didn't realize how much the cough medicine was going to knock her out. If she does get to the point where her coughing is keeping her awake all night again, we might consider trying a half dose, but that's it. And I'm calling her doctor today for more info.

 

I believe that honey is supposed to do as well as OTC meds for coughing. Codeine, is of course, a narcotic, so it may not beat that.

 

http://www.seattlechildrens.org/medical-conditions/symptom-index/cough/

 

I would encourage you to ask for a specific diagnosis in the future and to understand why each medicine is being given. Ask until you're sure you understand everything. Then you can make better independent judgments in after hours.

[sheryl]

Mergath, :grouphug: I understand completely; we are parents of an only child.

 

She was prescribed codeine. I believe you said you administered this. Cough syrup with codeine in it is so incredibly powerful that it has the potential to knock people out.

 

When I have a bad winter cough the doctor starts to prescribe "tessalon" (sp?) pearls for me. They never work. So, when he started to do so last winter, I reminded him to prescribe codeine which he did. It's the "only" thing that will stop it.

 

Hang in there. Be mindful what the maximum amt of codeine would be in a 24 hour period for your dd. Do not exceed that.

 

Give her plenty of fluids if she'll take it.

 

Also, if you have a humidifier in her room that may help a bit as well.

Edited January 7, 2012 by sheryl

[DianeW88]

Coughs can linger for 3 weeks after a simple upper respiratory infection. They are the last symptom to disappear. It doesn't mean that the infection is serious. It's just how it is.

 

Benadryl does nothing for swollen glands. It is an antihistamine. It is most helpful when dealing with allergies. With colds....not so much, although it will knock you out, so if you need to sleep, take it.

 

Most coughs tend to get worse at night, no matter what the cause. If the cough sounds like a seal bark, there is a good chance it is croup in a child under six years old. If the child is having trouble breathing or turns blue around the mouth, take him/her to the ER for a breathing treatment and a nice dose of steroids. Takes care of the croup like magic.

 

For any cough in a young child, sitting in a closed bathroom with a steamy hot shower going and allowing the child to breathe in the warm, moist air is helpful. We used to sit in there and read books when my kiddos were young and had URIs or the croup. With a URI it will loosen the phlegm and mucus and help them hack it up and with croup it helps relax the airways.

 

The one illness you MUST watch for carefully in young ones who have not been vaxed for Hib is epiglottitis. It is contagious, absolutely life-threatening and can kill in minutes. It is a swelling of the trachea caused by an upper respiratory infection from the Haemophilus influenzae bacteria. It has become uncommon now since the Hib vaccine was introduced, but for those who have not gotten that for their kids, please be aware of these symptoms:

 

Fever, sore throat, stridor (the type of breathing you hear with croup...thin and high-pitched), blue skin around the mouth, drooling, difficulty breathing (the child sometimes has to lean forward to get air past the swollen trachea), voice changes and difficulty swallowing.

 

Again, this is a hands-down emergency. Get your child to the ER and mention epiglottitis (younger doctors may not have seen much of it). DO NOT under any circumstance try to examine your child's throat, this can immediately close off their airway. Keep your child upright and call 911. With proper treatment (a stay in ICU and intubation is usually involved), the outcome is good.

 

Not trying to be alarming, just a heads-up for those who don't vax their kids (not judging, just trying to be informative). It is something you need to be aware of, so you can react quickly if it happens.

[East Coast Sue]

This sounds very much like mycoplasma pneumoniae. If so, her antibiotic should be erythrmycin or zithromyican (pardon my spelling). It is an atypical infection and does not respond to all antibiotics. Children often need to be hospitalized due to low oxygen levels. My dd had it at age 5- very scary. Please watch your dd closely.

:grouphug: and prayers.

[Amy in TX]

I was thinking about your dd today. So glad she's feeling better!

[TranquilMind]

It does. She hasn't had any in seven hours, though.

 

I analyze everything way too much. Can you tell? And I have OCD. Which is why I've been lying here next to dd since five to make sure she doesn't stop breathing or something. :rolleyes:

It's really scary to everyone, especially your first kid!

 

I wouldn't worry about her too much unless she isn't better in 2 days, or if she has more breathing or gagging issues.

[astrid]

So sorry she's sick!

Your description of her symptoms sound exactly like what my dd has. A week and a half into it her ped. diagnosed mycoplasmic pneumonia. She's on a big-gun antibiotic and codeine cough syrup. She's having good days and bad days. Yesterday was a good day, today not so much. The fever is gone, though. It was up to 103 before we got on the right antibiotic.

 

Sending hugs!

astrid

[Hedgehog]

:grouphug::grouphug: hope she feels better soon. Most times, sleep really is the best thing. And I think you're totally right to sleep next to her. :001_smile:

[Carol in Cal.]

??? Why would Benadryl help swollen glands? Glands swell from immune system responses with dead white blood cells in there which have been fighting infection and inflammation. I've never heard that Benadryl would help clear them out. I thought Benadryl was an antihistamine/decongestant. How does that work?

 

You're right, sorry, it doesn't help with swollen glands but if there is an allergic swelling it helps with that, and sometimes it's hard to tell. If there is swelling in the throat area, it's serious, and it can be dangerous to stop antihistimines without keeping a very close eye on things. Sorry for the imprecision.

[MariannNOVA]

So glad you both were able to rest and thanks for the update. :grouphug:

[Mergath]

Just as an FYI: whooping cough has the amazing ability to disappear in the day only to reappear at night. It is really odd. If it picks up again, I would guess that is what it is.

 

Really? Ugh. Shortly after she went to bed she had a couple more of the horrible coughing spells. Ended up throwing up the mini-dose of cough syrup I gave her onto dh's nice white shirt. It's strange, because she was doing great up until then.

 

Well, if it is pertussis, she's getting antibiotics, so either way we'll just keep on until she's better.

[Mergath]

The one illness you MUST watch for carefully in young ones who have not been vaxed for Hib is epiglottitis. It is contagious, absolutely life-threatening and can kill in minutes. It is a swelling of the trachea caused by an upper respiratory infection from the Haemophilus influenzae bacteria. It has become uncommon now since the Hib vaccine was introduced, but for those who have not gotten that for their kids, please be aware of these symptoms:

 

Fever, sore throat, stridor (the type of breathing you hear with croup...thin and high-pitched), blue skin around the mouth, drooling, difficulty breathing (the child sometimes has to lean forward to get air past the swollen trachea), voice changes and difficulty swallowing.

 

Again, this is a hands-down emergency. Get your child to the ER and mention epiglottitis (younger doctors may not have seen much of it). DO NOT under any circumstance try to examine your child's throat, this can immediately close off their airway. Keep your child upright and call 911. With proper treatment (a stay in ICU and intubation is usually involved), the outcome is good.

 

Not trying to be alarming, just a heads-up for those who don't vax their kids (not judging, just trying to be informative). It is something you need to be aware of, so you can react quickly if it happens.

 

Epiglottitis scares the living heck out of me. I had a chronic sore throat several months back, and read about it on the internet, and convinced myself for several days that I had it. I didn't, of course- just a normal OCD reaction, lol- but it's a scary thing to contemplate. That is one vaccine that no one should skip without a darn good reason.

[Starr]

Also at night you get the drip down the back of the throat. When you're upright and eating and drinking it's less noticeable. Poor baby, poor mom and dad. :( Hope she's better soon!

[Mergath]

So sorry she's sick!

Your description of her symptoms sound exactly like what my dd has. A week and a half into it her ped. diagnosed mycoplasmic pneumonia. She's on a big-gun antibiotic and codeine cough syrup. She's having good days and bad days. Yesterday was a good day, today not so much. The fever is gone, though. It was up to 103 before we got on the right antibiotic.

 

Sending hugs!

astrid

 

Aw, poor thing. :( If my dd isn't showing improvement by Monday, we're going to bring her in and have a few more tests run, I think, just to make sure of what we're dealing with.

 

I hope your dd gets better soon!

[HiddenJewel]

Really? Ugh. Shortly after she went to bed she had a couple more of the horrible coughing spells. Ended up throwing up the mini-dose of cough syrup I gave her onto dh's nice white shirt. It's strange, because she was doing great up until then.

 

Well, if it is pertussis, she's getting antibiotics, so either way we'll just keep on until she's better.

 

With WC they can seem just fine (not sick at all) except for the coughing fits which can be horribly bad at night. Antibiotics are supposed to make the person not contagious after 5 days of use, but they don't always lessen the symptoms and you have to let it run its course which can be a couple months.

 

Hopefully it was just in infection and she is on the mend quickly.

[J-rap]

Hopefully the antibiotics do the trick! I know they can kick in overnight. I got to be very good at listening to my child's breathing to hear if there was any wheezing going on (sign of pneumonia). Listen to her back and her chest, and have her breath deeply. Also, I have two children who began having asthma when they had bad chest colds. At first the doctor didn't believe it, but eventually he did. It seems to be what first kicked it in for one daughter in particular.

 

Also, have your daughter sleep in a reclined position, with her head elevated on several pillows. Lastly, a doctor-relative of mine said that the only cough syrup a child (or anyone) with serious coughing should take is one with the ingredient "tussin" in it (as in Robitussin). It's the only ingredient that helps loosen phlegm so it can be coughed up more easily and gotten rid of. He also said that you can usually take double the amount said on the bottle, safely -- but of course I'd check with your own doctor about that.

[Quad Shot Academy]

Really? Ugh. Shortly after she went to bed she had a couple more of the horrible coughing spells. Ended up throwing up the mini-dose of cough syrup I gave her onto dh's nice white shirt. It's strange, because she was doing great up until then.

 

Well, if it is pertussis, she's getting antibiotics, so either way we'll just keep on until she's better.

 

:grouphug: When we had it, we stayed up until 1 am and slept late. It did not see to be related to lying down; it would start about 8pm and taper off about 1. We hung out at home for 2 months, to not expose anyone else.

[DianeW88]

Epiglottitis scares the living heck out of me. I had a chronic sore throat several months back, and read about it on the internet, and convinced myself for several days that I had it. I didn't, of course- just a normal OCD reaction, lol- but it's a scary thing to contemplate. That is one vaccine that no one should skip without a darn good reason.

 

You're safe...it's very, very uncommon in adults. The airway space is generally too large. Although it can happen....it's what ultimately killed George Washington. Of course, all the bleeding they did to him didn't help either.

 

It's most common in children ages two through six. Incidents have dropped DRAMATICALLY since the Hib vaccine was introduced....for vaxed kiddos. Parents who choose not to get this vaccine definitely need to be aware the illness exists so they can react without delay if they see the symptoms of it in their child.