UPDATE: When a child has cold symptoms for a couple weeks

[Ginevra]

Do you go to the doctor? Do you ride it out? Intense argument with marriage partner today over this subject. Kid had a "tickle" cough first. I say a week, mate claims three weeks. Now kid has flem and snot and a cough that is juicy. This transformation was yesterday.

 

This doesn't alarm me. He has not had a fever or malaise or anything else alarming. I am going to take him to the doctor today only because DH is being so intense about it. But I am wondering what others think. My parents hardly ever took us to the doctor. We never went for mild stuff like this. Funnily enough, this was true for DH too, and he doesn't rush of to the doctor himself. He hardly ever goes.

 

My diagnosis, personally, is that DS had allergies and now has a cold. The initial coughing was pollen allergies and now he has garden-variety cold.

Edited April 13, 2016 by Quill

[amo_mea_filiis.]

I would go, if only to rule out a sinus infection. When my dd gets like that and it's not obviously allergies, her dr will get labs to see if sick or allergies.

[Mama Geek]

Have you been treating for allergies or a cold?  I am notorious for having allergies and sinus infections.  Is there any difference due to taking allergy meds.  If there is no fever or colored phlegm I would try hard to treat it at home.  I have gotten a lot better about taking clariten all the time and starting on benedryl as soon as I feel it starting up again....I haven't had to take antibiotics for more than a year now.  Some of the essential oils help with symptoms as well and a salt water nose rinse.  

[Plink]

Even if it is a small infection, doctors don't generally hand out antibiotics anymore, so I'd just ride it out.  

 

Sorry your family isn't well.  Consistent Zyrtec during allergy season has eliminated the regular stream or secondary infections in our house.  

 

[The Girls' Mom]

I'm like you...my poor kids have to be on death's door for me to take them in.  There are a few logical reasons for this:  Most garden variety illnesses can be fought off at home with rest and liquids.  In the modern age we have access to some wonderful over the counter meds to fight off congestion, expel phlegm and reduce fevers.  Healthcare costs too dang much for me to go pay for a doctor to say "Yes, it's a cold/allergies.  Go buy XYZ at Walgreens that they sell over the counter." AND it seems like every time we go to the doctor, we bring home more germs than we took in.  

 

So yeah, I'm with you...the kid wouldn't have been taken in just yet.  Mine have had the longest, lingering cold viruses this year, so it seems like one or the other has been snotting for months.  I did break down and take one of them in because their cold very obviously made the leap to infection (brown mucus, low grade fever, etc.).  

[Guest]

Have you been treating for allergies or a cold? I am notorious for having allergies and sinus infections. Is there any difference due to taking allergy meds. If there is no fever or colored phlegm I would try hard to treat it at home. I have gotten a lot better about taking clariten all the time and starting on benedryl as soon as I feel it starting up again....I haven't had to take antibiotics for more than a year now. Some of the essential oils help with symptoms as well and a salt water nose rinse.

I did buy Zyrtec last week which he started taking. At first, it seemed to help, but by this weekend, it wasn't really helping. I think that was when it went to a secondary something.

 

It won't surprise me if it is a sinus infection now. It's just that I don't worry about such things unless fevers or other symptoms become a problem. When a kid is acting normally, thoguh - still interested in doing activities they enjoy, able to discipline themselves through activities they don't enjoy - it doesn't worry me.

 

Personally, I don't think I have ever in my life been to a doctor about cold symptoms unless there was an alarming duration or intensity of fever and/or malaise.

[SKL]

I would not go for that, unless there were other health issues that warranted it.  If it went on for like a month and was interfering with life, I might call the nurse and ask if I should come in.

[Hilltopmom]

My teen just asked me last night to make him an appt with his dr, going on week 3 of cold, with meds he's used up at least 10 boxes of tissues. No fever, so I'm not in a rush, but he's getting miserable. The rest of us are all sick too, it just won't go away. He has it the worst, msybe it has turned into something else for him.

[gardenmom5]

probably not.

 

what color is the phlegm?  any facial pain?

 

I'd probably just do mucinex, ibuprofen (anti-inflammatory), and maybe an expectorant.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I would not go unless there is evidence of a sinus infection.  Coughs can last a long time.

 

It could be like you said, allergies and a cold.  My allergies are fairly severe.  It's sometimes hard to tell the difference between an allergy and a cold.  Probably the biggest difference is I don't tend to feel run down with allergies. 

 

 

[Julie Smith]

Dh sometimes disagrees with me over how long something has been going on. So I have taken to writing things down on the calendar. For example on Sunday Youngest started displaying sick symptoms so I wrote, "Youngest: sick, runny nose, no fever or cough"

 

I found this helped me keep track of symptoms and even lets me look back and, with proof say things such as, "See this illness or that one really happens this often".

 

 

[Mama Geek]

I have gotten good cough meds, but I doubt that they would give those to kids.  I would probably keep treating it at home unless it clearly becomes an infection.  Once it is clearly an infection I would for sure go in.  

[Calm37]

Hearing at least two people coughing somewhere in the house. There is a late-winter bug here that is at least 3 weeks long and pretty nasty. I am one of the few that hasn't had it yet. Oops, just heard a third cough!

[zoobie]

Absent big, nasty tonsils or fever or pain, no, I wouldn't go in for that. Everything is coated in pollen here and we've all been snuffly for weeks. My youngest had strep that came with a nasty cough last week, which apparently is going around lots.

[J-rap]

Well, the more important thing to me would be:  how does he feel?  If he feels progressively worse or just generally ill, achy, or whatever, I'd take him in.  If he feels good and seems himself, I'd probably wait it out a little longer.  One of my kids hangs on to her colds for the longest time.  She's always been that way...  She's very petite and I think her sinuses are small and just don't drain easily.  So with her, I just watch and wait.  She'll almost always have a cold for a month or two, and it will just slowly, slowly get better, or else it gets worse but then it's obvious that I need to take her in because she feels sicker.

 

I will say that sometimes phlegm is a good thing.  At least with my daughter, that's when I know her sinuses are finally loosening up and draining, which is usually the beginning of the end.

 

On the other had, more phlegm could mean a build-up of something too, so I guess bottom line I'd base it on is how is he feeling.

[scholastica]

If he's right and it's been three weeks, I would take a kid in that condition in just to confirm it's not a sinus infection. Also, if it is allergies, they may recommend other treatments that would be more effective. Once, when I had my daughter in with similar symptoms, our ped had a visiting med student. She told the med student that any time cold symptoms go longer than 12-14 days, she looks for sinus and/or ear infection. They can both cause the drainage and cough you're seeing. I had a sinus infection once and the main symptom was a cough that wouldn't go away and a bit of congestion.

 

If you are right and it's been a week, I would wait a bit longer.

[KrissiK]

Sounds like allergies to me!

[Guest]

Dh sometimes disagrees with me over how long something has been going on. So I have taken to writing things down on the calendar. For example on Sunday Youngest started displaying sick symptoms so I wrote, "Youngest: sick, runny nose, no fever or cough"

 

I found this helped me keep track of symptoms and even lets me look back and, with proof say things such as, "See this illness or that one really happens this often".

This is such a good way to do it. I had an illness record book when my kids were young. That thing was great! It really helped me to be able to say in a factual way how often this kid or that kid had been sick or how long it lasted. I should do that again.

[regentrude]

I would not take my child to the doctor for cold symptoms unless there was a high fever that did not respond to meds, a low grade fever that lasted for more than a week, or pain - headache and sinus pain which could indicate a sinus infection, or chest pain, which could indicate bronchitis/pneumonia. Or if the child was behaving as if seriously ill (listless, sleeping a lot, no appetite, no energy)

 

For just a runny nose and cough in an otherwise healthy appearing kid, I would wait it out and in the mean time treat for allergies.

Edited April 13, 2016 by regentrude

[Seasider]

I call it allergies and treat it as such. If it's never been diagnosed before, and typical antihistamines aren't effective, yes, a trip to the doctor may be in order to either confirm it's seasonal allergies or rule out a sinus infection.

 

In your case, it sounds exactly like what happens around here every spring until I get my kids and dh to remember to take their allergy meds. FWIW, Flonase, Nasalcrom and other such nasal corticosteroids are the ones that seem to actually make a difference without turning each of us into springtime space cases (Benadryl and Allegra put me down for the count!). Nightly showering, frequently replacing pillowcases, and not rewearing clothes from outside play before they are washed all seem to help.

 

I would go to the doc if dh insists, however, if I were to make the judgment call, I'd need to see one of these symptoms -

 

- fever

- green/deep yellow copious mucus (obviously not a nose full of pollen)

- wheezing or other asthma symptoms

- something that seems to be turning into bronchitis (your patient will be miserable)

 

Hope it turns out to be nothing serious.

[SparklyUnicorn]

We were all recently sick.  It lasted a solid 2 weeks.  Not the worst of it, but yes it lingered for all of us except the youngest kid.  He recovered the quickest.  The main symptom was coughing.

 

 

[happypamama]

I wouldn't go in yet.  Another week of the same symptoms, and maybe.  I'd look for fever, ear or face pain, and worsening of symptoms.  It is probably just a cold combined with seasonal allergies, so I'd wait it out a while longer.  If you have a neti pot or nasal spray, see if that helps a bit.  If it's a mild sinus infection, that might flush it out before it gets too terrible.

[Rachel]

I wouldn't take my child in unless they also had a severe cough preventing sleep or a fever. My pediatrician always says it takes 10-14 days for a cold to pass and kids get 6-10 colds per year. So far my kids don't get quite that many colds but they always last two weeks.

 

If my husband were insisting that I take my child to the doctor and I didn't feel it was necessary, I would compromise. Either call the nurse and ask her opinion or agree to wait a set number of days (1-3) then take the child in. I would hate to be overruled if I felt strongly about taking my kid to the doctor.

[Southern Ivy]

I would go to just rule out a sinus infection. Dh had a sinus infection the other day. His started out as a normal cold and just never went away. After 3 weeks, he finally went in and found he had a pretty bad infection. 

[Mom2OandE]

Allergies can easily turn to sinus infections/bronchitis. I'm dealing with that right now. Never hurts to just check it out. I don't run off to the doctor for any ol thing either.

[happypamama]

Also, re: having a discussion with the marriage partner about it.  I have found that my own marriage partner is relatively cavalier about his own health (sigh), but he's kind of hyper about the kids' health.  He'd go in for a lot more than I would.  I think it's because he doesn't spend all day every day with them like I do.

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

No, I wouldn't take the kid just for what you're describing. If the downward progression continues, I might, depending on symptoms. But it is allergy season, and DH is getting killed right now, so I would probably chalk it up to that for now. I would, however, tell marriage partner that if he felt so very strongly about it, he could take said kid to the doctor anytime he liked, and if I'm wrong in my estimation, I will happily apologize and be humble. I guarantee that won't happen :D

Edited April 13, 2016 by ILiveInFlipFlops

[Tsuga]

This year there was a three-week cold going around and as a homeschooled child she might have avoided it longer than many. I would not go to the doctor unless she was lethargic.

[Guest]

Update: vindication!

 

I'm sorry; it's just the truth - I am feeling very smug. I even have that oh-so-helpful patient care paper from the doctor explaining that the child has a viral respiaratory ailment "the common 'cold'." I did get a prescription for a super-duper decongestant, which registered as "OTC," and therefore is not covered by insurance. So I paid $48 for cold medicine, on top of a $50 co-pay, and since I have a high deductable, I assume I will get an additional bill for $100+ from the visit. So for $200-some dollars, I now know that I was correct; my child has/had seasonal allergic cough and now has a cold.

 

But at least I get to sit in my smugness and be right.

[momacacia]

Sounds like allergies,, and those can turn into bronchitis, but as long as the mucus is loose, it may be all coming out well.

 

Mulein tea seems to help allergy side effects well around here.

[Alicia64]

One son and I had -- what I kept calling -- a really brutal cold that went on and on. I finally realized that we had a flu virus. Not the worst flu I've ever had, but really bad if it had been a cold!!

 

Alley

[Katy]

I'm glad you were right.  Honestly if DH were that insistent I'd probably take a kid in too, or at least tell him he should.  He generally humors my intuition, so I'd feel guilt-tripped into following his in return.

 

That said, we've been known to have walking pneumonia get somewhat serious around here with very little symptoms until a near lung collapse, so if something goes on for three weeks I generally take myself in, and ten days for the kids (assuming a generous dose of benadryl makes no difference and there's not a previous allergy diagnosis that exactly matches symptoms).  If benadryl relieves symptoms temporarily, it's clearly allergies.  If someone has a virus, benadryl might dry up their sinuses slightly, but they will not feel well. Beware the paradoxical effect if you've never given it to someone though - if it's bad allergies and you give only enough to relieve symptoms a person can feel so much better they get hyper.  This is especially true for children with their tiny doses.  If a kid is over 12 and 100 pounds or more, I give them an adult dose (at least). If the adult dose is two tablets I generally give 3 to someone else over 100 pounds and take 4 myself for bad allergies if I haven't had any in 48 hours.  Talk to your doctor about safe dosages (I've seen very high doses safely used in a hospital, but idk about home use).

[Annie G]

I'm glad your ds just has a cold...and also that you were vindicated. But ouch...that's a lot of money to lay out. 

 

 

 

[kitten18]

Update: vindication!

 

I'm sorry; it's just the truth - I am feeling very smug. I even have that oh-so-helpful patient care paper from the doctor explaining that the child has a viral respiaratory ailment "the common 'cold'." I did get a prescription for a super-duper decongestant, which registered as "OTC," and therefore is not covered by insurance. So I paid $48 for cold medicine, on top of a $50 co-pay, and since I have a high deductable, I assume I will get an additional bill for $100+ from the visit. So for $200-some dollars, I now know that I was correct; my child has/had seasonal allergic cough and now has a cold.

 

But at least I get to sit in my smugness and be right.

Ha! I would feel vindicated too.

I have taken dd to the dr one time for a sick child visit and I think I've taken ds in twice. I'm super fortunate that they don't get sick often.

Dh used to bug me to take ds in when he was young because when he got a cold he would hold onto the cough for several weeks. I would always refer back to an article from dr Sears that said that a cough could last at least three weeks after the other cold symptoms were gone.

[AimeeM]

Yes.

Currently we are all are down with what we're referring to as "the plague." In fact, some of my chess club went down last week, too.

 

It started out with my oldest who simply had a "cold." That turned into a nasty cough. Took her to the doctor. Doctor said to give her OTC medications for the cough. A month later, the cough was still there, took her to a different doctor - who confirmed that the "just a cough" had turned into bronchitis, which needed an antibiotic and steroid. 

The same "just a cough" hit DS6. Took him in a week later and he also had an ear infection. Antibiotics.

I developed the same cough. Let it go and go. Ended up on steroids.

 

DS3 just went down with it.

 

Yes, I would take a child in for a cold that lasted a couple of weeks.

[myfunnybunch]

I see that you've already been vindicated. :)

 

My dh doesn't even bother to argue with Dr. Mom now. I ask him the same thing my doc asks me: Is the mucus soft or hard? Is it yellow or green, or is it clear? Fever? How long and how high? Then I tell him it's the virus that's going around and charge him a $20 co-pay. Better in my pocket, right? ;)

 

The crud that is going around here is a 2-weeker. Or longer. Many of the kids that we know who've had it, including my own, felt better after about a week, then relapsed after a day or two of feeling healthy(ish).

[mamiof5]

I'm with you. But...I also see your dh's side though. Years ago I waited for cold symptoms to go away...oldest dd ended with walking pneumonia. And I really don't remember her being extremely sick. So yeah, I guess at some point "better safe than sorry" type of approach.

ETA: just noticed update...ugh!!! One expensive cold!!! Sorry!! But I think I'd have taken him anyway. Glad it's nothing serious.

Edited April 14, 2016 by mamiof5

[Laura Corin]

I wait out colds.  If there is a cold, then a pause, then a cough/sore throat/ear ache starts, I tend to make an appointment, as it's more likely to be an infection piggy-backing on the cold.

 

FWIW, respiratory ailments are seen in the first instance by the nurse practitioner at my doctor's practice.  You can insist on a doctor, but the norm is the NP.  She is extremely experienced in these things, can prescribe and can also refer to another medic if necessary.

[pink&bluemommy]

I'm curious about the super duper decongestant. My son gets so stuffy during colds. Sudafed (the real stuff) doesn't work. Afrin gives temporary relief but not enough. Do you have the name of the prescribed med? Thanks and hopefully your son feels better soon!

[Guest]

I'm curious about the super duper decongestant. My son gets so stuffy during colds. Sudafed (the real stuff) doesn't work. Afrin gives temporary relief but not enough. Do you have the name of the prescribed med? Thanks and hopefully your son feels better soon!

I think it is called Bromfed. Or Bromed. Something like that.

[BarbecueMom]

I think it is called Bromfed. Or Bromed. Something like that.

Bromed sounds like what you use to treat a man cold.

 

Sorry, never mind me, just exhausted from the barber-cough quartet (well, trio I guess) that kept me from sleeping well. Not looking forward to two more weeks of this...

[SparklyUnicorn]

Update: vindication!

 

I'm sorry; it's just the truth - I am feeling very smug. I even have that oh-so-helpful patient care paper from the doctor explaining that the child has a viral respiaratory ailment "the common 'cold'." I did get a prescription for a super-duper decongestant, which registered as "OTC," and therefore is not covered by insurance. So I paid $48 for cold medicine, on top of a $50 co-pay, and since I have a high deductable, I assume I will get an additional bill for $100+ from the visit. So for $200-some dollars, I now know that I was correct; my child has/had seasonal allergic cough and now has a cold.

 

But at least I get to sit in my smugness and be right.

 

Hehe.. When one of mine was sick (with what we all had) he wanted to go to the doctors.  He thought surely he is dying and I'm ignoring him.  I said you have a virus and it's going to take a bit for all the symptoms to go away and there is nothing they can do.  He went from fever, body aches, respiratory stuff to a mild belly ache with a bit of a cough and thought surely he is dying and not getting better.  He was clearly getting better.  So I said ok.  I took him to a walk in clinic (I only have to pay a $20 copay for that so why not).  The doctor said EXACTLY almost word for word what I said to him.  He had a virus, nothing they can do, and it'll go away.  So I told her that he didn't believe me when I said that.  She said oh well don't feel bad.  I'm a doctor and my kids don't believe me half the time either.  LOL

 

[luuknam]

I don't know if it's your 10, 16, or 18yo (I'm guessing 10yo), but at 10+, I'd generally only take the kid to the doctor under the same circumstances I'd take myself to the doctor.

 

 

I would go to the doc if dh insists, however, if I were to make the judgment call, I'd need to see one of these symptoms -

- fever
- green/deep yellow copious mucus (obviously not a nose full of pollen)
- wheezing or other asthma symptoms
- something that seems to be turning into bronchitis (your patient will be miserable)

 

And, none of the above are too alarming to me either, as long as they're not too bad (high fever for multiple days or severe wheezing would be bad).

 

When in doubt, I call the doctor's office and talk to the nurse to see if I should bring the kid in. Calling them is free. I rarely do, but it might be the kind of thing to make your husband happy without having to actually see the doctor.

[Tsuga]

Bromed sounds like what you use to treat a man cold.

 

Sorry, never mind me, just exhausted from the barber-cough quartet (well, trio I guess) that kept me from sleeping well. Not looking forward to two more weeks of this...

 

I heh heh hehed.

[Guest]

I don't know if it's your 10, 16, or 18yo (I'm guessing 10yo), but at 10+, I'd generally only take the kid to the doctor under the same circumstances I'd take myself to the doctor.

 

 

 

And, none of the above are too alarming to me either, as long as they're not too bad (high fever for multiple days or severe wheezing would be bad).

 

When in doubt, I call the doctor's office and talk to the nurse to see if I should bring the kid in. Calling them is free. I rarely do, but it might be the kind of thing to make your husband happy without having to actually see the doctor.

It's my 16 yo, and yeah, my feelings on it are the same, especially since a 16yo has enough self-awareness to know when something has gone beyond the boundaries of what they have normally experienced with illness.

 

Honestly, DH is under a lot of pressure and I think his over-reaction about the cough was evidence of this. His mother is going through a lot of aging and illness changes, our dog is practically at death's door (we're trying to get through the string of birthdays around here before putting him down), and I think he was just in that "what next?!" mode and fearing something worse was around the corner with a kid. But it's all good now. I guess if it takes an unecessary doctor's visit and a stinging amount of money to alleviate DH's fears, it isn't the worst investment.

[Bluegoat]

No, I would not go for that. 

 

I might go if the child started to seem much sicker than before.

 

I don't generally go for sinus infections, though my kids don't often get them.  I get one whenever I have a cold, and I've only ever seen a doctor about it once.  Normally it clears up on its own, and it has never been hard to identify what the issue is, even in my kids.