ChristusG Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 DD8 has begun hacking away, all night long. It's been going on for the past three nights....thing is, she doesn't have a cold! And during the day, she doesn't cough at all. I'm going on very little sleep, and so is she. We've been putting Vicks on her feet every night and covering them with socks. And she's been sleeping propped up. We don't do cough syrup. Still coughing. Any idea what it could be? She just coughs and coughs and keeps the both of us awake for hours. I didn't get to sleep until 3 AM the other night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 Does she have allergies? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kagmypts Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 My son did this for months on end, and it turned out to be Cough Variant Asthma. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trilliums Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 We just got a call from county health about whooping cough. Apparently even. Accinated kids can catch it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 My oldest, with asthma and allergies, coughs a lot during the night if she skips her meds or is bothered by her allergens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 Night coughing was the first symptom of dd's reflux. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted September 10, 2012 Author Share Posted September 10, 2012 DD doesn't have any allergies that we are aware of. I thought of whooping cough, but she never had a cold. And she's not coughing till she's gagging or vomiting. I truly hope this is not it since DD#3 (10 months) is not vaccinated against it, as of yet. I was wondering about asthma....she's never had any other symptoms of it. Hmm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kagmypts Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 DD doesn't have any allergies that we are aware of. I thought of whooping cough, but she never had a cold. And she's not coughing till she's gagging or vomiting. I truly hope this is not it since DD#3 (10 months) is not vaccinated against it, as of yet. I was wondering about asthma....she's never had any other symptoms of it. Hmm. I could write a novel about this. My DS still does not have any other typical asthma symptoms, but he definitely has asthma. We also found out that he has reflux (like a PP mentioned0. It took nearly 18 months for my DS to be properly diagnosed. http://www.webmd.com/asthma/guide/cough-variant-asthma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 I would Also say asthma and/or reflux. I have been dealing with asthma in ds for 7 years (he was 8 months old the first time we were told it's asthma, but not called asthma until they're older) and still missed some of dd's recent symptoms that got her the asthma diagnosis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsH Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 We also don't usually do cough syrups, but this is the time that I do actually use it. We switched to a homeopathic brand available at major drugstores, Similasan. You'd want the one in the purple bottle. It actually works. If you don't want to go that way, some other options: steam before bed, in case there is some mucus creating post-nasal drip (even if no symptoms during the day, I frequently get this during changes in seasons, when allergens change). Try some benadryll, if you're willing. Raw honey is also supposed to help. A humidifier can help, though I'd expect that to be more of a problem in the winter, unless your a/c is set to really cold? If it keeps up for another few days though I'd definitely go see someone. As others have said, there are so many reasons that could be causing this problem. All the best, hope you get some sleep soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
God IS Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 My child has had both asthma related cough and reflux cough. In both instances she had no other symptoms of either. When then dr wrote a script for inhaler, I thought he was mad, but one puff and she was all better. We now keep one around bc she will get this"inflamed lung" cough whenever she has allergies or a bad cold. Pepcid ac over th counter for a few days to rule out reflux. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMV Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 -Cough variant asthma is a definite possibility. Some kids with asthma just don't wheeze but do have a cough that represents bronchospasm. Often this will be worse at night, after exercise, or if exposed to environmental triggers. It would be reasonable to see her regular doctor for an exam, oxygen assessment,PFTs, and a Chest X-ray. Or if she is in distress you could go to the Emergency Department which should do three of the four and will probably refer you for the PFTs. -Reflux is also a possibility (and the nocturnal association fits here). Also there is a relationship between reflux and asthma so the reflux can make the asthma worse. -We're seeing a lot of pertussis pocket outbreaks so this is a consideration if you're in the midst of a local one and if she isn't fully immunized (and possibly even if she is because at age 8 she may have waning titers depending on the way her primary series was done). In the second stage of pertussis infection (Paroxysmal Stage) the attacks do occur more frequently at night so this may be what you're seeing. These symptoms will have been preceded by the Catarrhal Phase which consists of often mild Upper Respiratory Infection symptoms and an occasional cough. In some older children this stage can be missed if it is very mild so this is possible for your daughter. Diagnosis requires a nasal swab (for culture/PCR) and or a blood test (for serology). We send both here because the serology will be diagnostic later in the course than the PCR and this has been helpful to us for better tracking. If your pediatrician has a strong suspicion that this is pertussis it is acceptable for them to prescribe a macrolide while awaiting test results. If it does end up being Pertussis then susceptible close contacts (especially infants who can have apnea and respiratory distress) should also be treated. Good Luck! I hope she feels better soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munchkins_mama Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 If you have access to a health food store, or any store with Essential Oils, try putting Eucalyptus oil on her feet at bedtime. It sounds crazy, but it really works! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 Put the vicks on her chest, not her feet, to really stop the cough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
besroma Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 I would have her checked for cough variant asthma. Albuterol can be a great help during times like these if she does have it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchel210 Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Night coughing was the first symptom of dd's reflux. Mine had this too...my 11 yo. She had a DRY hacking cough...it was reflux! I had to give her Carafate to stop it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Hobbes had this this week. He had no cold. Then I could hear a wheezy sound from his chest and he started to run a fever. He had a chest infection that responded to antibiotics. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto10blessings Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 sounds like when my older children had whooping cough at ages 8 and 10. One had a mild cold for a few days and the other did not have anything. When they were in the second stage they were not sick at all and only really coughed at night. They did not have the classic whooping sound, just coughing fits. Even if she is vaccinated she can still get it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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