Worrisome or not (coughing constant)

[sbgrace]

My son has had a very rough month. He's been coughing since the first week in Oct. He was eventually dx. with pneumonia and onset of asthma symptoms. He completed antibiotics Oct 26. His fever went away and the cough sounded less junky. But he's still coughing and coughing a lot.

 

I've talked to the pediatrician's nurse a couple of times since we completed those antibiotics. First I was told the antibiotics would keep working for another 10 days so the cough should keep improving. Then last week I was told this was probably just left over from the pneumonia and the pneumonia coughs can take a while to disappear. They said it probably wasn't asthma as he isn't getting albuterol response but keep using it every 4 hours in case it is doing something. Of course they told me I could bring him in for a listen but we have to pay 100% out of pocket and I just don't want to do that for no reason. They seem to think it's fine.

 

Just when I think we've finally turned a corner we have a time like last night and today. He's been constantly coughing this afternoon for example. He's not struggling to get breath or coughing so hard he's in danger of breaking a rib. But he's rarely paused for more than a 30 seconds in 2 hours.

 

I've done the albuterol with a mask spacer all through this even though it doesn't seem to help him. He had two puffs before bed, two puffs in bed early this morning when he was coughing a lot, two more before this started (this morning), two puffs after he began coughing (so about 2 hours ago), and I gave him another two puffs about 15 minutes ago.

 

 

The thing is I don't see any response to the albuterol. But could it still be asthma? Is this dangerous??? I don't understand what's going on with him.

[JessReplanted]

Do you think there's a possibility that the pneumonia did not fully clear up?

I think you should probably take him back to the Dr. :(

 

I'm asthmatic, and so is my son. There's a point when mucus settles in your chest, that albuterol becomes pretty much worthless. Constant cough can be a sign of asthma, so he really should be looked at again.

 

I'm sorry you're dealing with this. I have a house full of sick kids too, and I'm exhausted from being the "Are you breathing ok?" police.

[Rebecca]

So- you have been doing albuterol every four hours around the clock for several weeks?

 

I wonder if he is hyper reacting to the inhaler?

 

Sometimes too much of the bronchodilator (sorry spelling) can cause a response like that...

 

Also- is he on an inhaled steroid for maintenance- like QVAR or Flovent? Sometimes the bronchodilators won't work when the airway is inflamed and it needs to be calmed and opened with the steroid. When the airway is too tight, it can't open with the dilator and then the coughing...as the airway tries to open and hits the swollen, inflamed tubes.

 

Based on what you wrote, with an asthmatic, I would take him in as soon as possible. In fact, if one of my non-asthmatic children was coughing like that without barely a 30 second pause- I would take them in, too. I know that is probably not what you want to hear!

 

Rebecca

[Rebecca]

Just pondering, as I was remembering the history and that this is onset of asthma for this child...

 

I am wondering if he could even need a dose of Orapred (Ugh, I know)...

But I think I remember you saying that he had to have this with the pneumonia initially- did that help the coughing at all?

 

I am really sorry. I find this stuff so stressful. :grouphug:

[LMA]

Ask if adding Pulmicort and prednisone (Liquid for kids is Ora-Pred) to the albuterol will help. Take him to a pulmonologist if you need to.

 

I just finished a course of prednisone and antibiotics for coughing (which worked). I did not have asthma. I know from my own kids that albuterol only helps certain parts of the lungs and you sometimes need prednisone to help inflammation to quiet the cough.

[boscopup]

When my oldest had pneumonia a few years back, the first round of abx didn't completely get rid of it. He had to have a second round. The doctor did an x-ray when he was still coughing.

 

Since then, he has also had two instances of "habit cough", which the doctor at first treated as asthma, but he didn't do it at night, and Pulmicort did absolutely nothing for the cough (nor did any other meds). Ended up seeing an SLP, and the cough was gone immediately. That was a specific kind of cough though - a dry one that wasn't doing anything useful.

[gardenmom5]

I had pnuemonia (I aspirated something) when I was pregnant. I demanded another x-ray to make sure the pnuemonia was cleared up after having done two rounds of antibiotics. (including one of the more obnoxious ones where I had to take something for the nausea caused by the rx). I coughed for months - but it wasn't nearly as bad as when my infection was active.

 

some forms of pnuemonia are viral - and antibioticds won't help them. has it been determined exactly what caused your son's pnuemonia?