Cough/runny Nose

Hi, I understand what you're going through, I've been there. After the RSV, did the doctor talk to you about asthma? My oldest daughter, who is now almost 6, had RSV at 3 months old (2 nights in the hospital). For the next several years, she pretty much had a cough all winter, especially at night. We were told that she has asthma as a result of having RSV. When she catches a cold (which seemed to be all the time) it triggered the cough / wheezing and she had to use the nebulizer. Luckily she is outgrowing this, and we haven't needed the nebulizer this winter! But it was rough for several years when she was a toddler. We saw a pediatric pulmonologist for it. I would suggest asking your pediatrician to listen to his lungs and see if he is wheezing (I could never really hear it myself, but I knew when she kept coughing all night it was the asthma). Good luck with your little guy!

My son does this frequently too. I believe he has sinus/allergies because it runs in our family, but I haven't had him tested for it either. My son was diagnosed with reactive airway disorder at one year and was on a nebulizer as well. My doctor said I could give him Triaminic Nighttime cough syrup (even though he is well under the recommended age). I started giving my son a 1/2 teaspoon when he was around a year old and have increased it as he has gotten older/weighs more. He is now 3. Check with your doctor to see what he/she thinks first. Honestly I am so glad our doctor gave permission to use it because it really helps with that constant cough and runny nose. If his cough seems loose then the triaminic works best. If it is a tight, barky sounding cough then I find the nebulizer works better at those times although we rarely use the nebulizer anymore. We always seemed to end up in the doctor's office when he would get one of these spells, but since we have used the cough syrup it seems to run its course in a few days and then he feels better. Good luck!

Has your doctor talked about albuterol nebulizer treatments? My son was like this and ended up diagnosed with asthma at age 2. My other son has "irritable airways" and required nebulizer treatments as a young age, but is mostly fine now that he's older. I don't mean to scare you, but if your doctor hasn't done more about the cough I would try another doctor or even ask for a referral to a pediatric pulmonologist. There is a lot of stuff going around right now so it could certainly just be a lingering virus (someone just told me there's something out there right now that's been nicknamed the "8 week cough") or just coughing from sinus drainage, but I would have it double checked. BTW, some things that are good for an ordinary cough and cold (such as humidifier) aren't necessarily good for a more asthma/irritable airway type cough so that's one reason it's best to have it double checked. Try to have him sleep elevated at night. That helps most coughs and especially one that might be caused by sinus drainage. Good luck. Since he's over 12 months (no honey under 1 year) he should also be old enough to have some honey for his cough, but I would ask your doctor first.

That sounds exactly like my two sons. Bryce is 2.5 and Drew is 8.5 months. Bryce has been sick since he was born. He had chronic ear infections, tubes in his ears, still more ear infections and now one has fallen out. But, even when Bryce doesn't have an ear infection, he has the clear snot and coughing. Also, when he'd crawl or run, he'd sound like a fat old man - breathing wise. They have now put him on an acid reflux medication and diagnosed him with asthma. So now he takes Flovent, two puffs a day twice a day, plus, we put an air purifier in each room of our house. THAT HAS MADE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE. We had done all of those things individually, but now we have to do them all at the same time. He has never felt better! Also, Drew is going down the same path as Bryce, and all those changes also helped. When Bryce was 10 months old they did allergy tests on him for dog, cat, milk and dust mites and all came back negative. Well, since we've done the air purifiers, plus got special dust mite pillows and dust mite mattress covers, plus "de-stuffed-animaled" their bedroom, they can breath so much better!! I LOVE our Idylis air purifier. They only sell them at Lowes, and they are spendy, but SO, SO worth it. I've had lots of them that are just junk - these I'd spend thousands on if I had to. They're great! Bryce still struggles with ear infections so tomorrow we're going to an ENT and he might have to get his adnoids out...but we'll see.

I hope all this information helps! Private Message me if you have any questions!!

Sorry, one more thing...IF your son MIGHT have asthma, Vicks is bad for him. It'll make him cough more. I'm also a very emotional mom...I have depression/anxiety...so I totally understand how frustrated you are at not being able to help him...but you are trying!! It seemed like whenever I'd bring the boys to the dr. the dr. would ask how long they've been sick...and I'd always say: Since they were born! Keep up the good work - you are trying!!

Ha! I keep thinking of more stuff!! I read below that someone said to bring him into a steamy shower, but that is also bad if you have asthma. We were told to wash comforters, sheets, and especially shower curtains weekly. Shower curtains and the bathroom is just mold spore heaven. The Idylis purifiers also pick up mold spores and then has a UV-C light that kills the germs that land in the filter.

I use benedryl for my 12 month old when he's got a runny nose that prevents him from sleep. I am a seasoned mother of 5. My pediatrician knows I use benedryl and has no problem. If you visit the Dr. Sears website, it gives you the dosage for benedryl. With my first 3 children, benedryl was recommended for babies over 6 months. The problem with it is that parents were giving it to often and it would build up in the child's system. I only give it as needed, and at most once every 24 hours, twice if they're really stuffy. I only do it when necessary. I know you'll get some mom's on here that will say not to give benedryl, but your child probably has seasonal allergies. Try it once and see if it helps him sleep and breath better. I find that when my child can't sleep, he actually has a worse runny nose. Sleep is necessary for healing.

Dear S.,

I'm so sorry you're going through such a tough time with your LO. While I don't know your entire situation, these are some things I would do. Rather than attempt to focus/treat symptoms, they can help the underlying cause.

- Look into taking him to the chiropractor. I know it sounds strange, but there are so many ailments that stem from misalignment, especially in children: ear infections, colds, weak immune system - having the body in proper alignment strengthens and improves the entire immune system, which helps to ensure that the body is working efficiently.

-Try Vicks Vapo-rub on his feet, covered with socks, while he sleeps. VVR is mostly natural and non-toxic and worked wonders for all of us when we had the sniffles/cough.

-Make sure his diet includes plenty of veggies, even if they're pureed and mixed into oatmeal, sauces, etc. The phytonutrients they contain are powerful immune boosters. There is an Indian saying: "When the diet is poor, medicine is of no use; When the diet is good, medicine is of no need" - it's true! Limit all preservatives and refined sugars.

-Try to cut out/reduce dairy, which can thicken mucus membranes and aggravate congestion. Almond milk has just as much calcium and vit D (as well as less sugar) that cow's milk.

*Making these dietary changes will also help you to determine if a food sensitivity is the culprit.

-Run your shower SUPER hot and stand in the bathroom with him to allow him to inhale the steam before bed.

-Make sure he is on a complete vitamin, preferably a liquid one (we use Biovaxine - LOVE!) that has probiotics. These good bacteria also boost the immune system.

Good luck!! I hope he makes some progress soon.

I know - it is so frustrating to not see your kids healthy for such long stretches. I have had the same issues with my son, but he produces unnatural amounts of mucus and seems to get very little break between colds. A good pediatrician can get an idea just by looking in your son's nose - if it is red and inflamed, he likely has something viral, and if it is pale it is more likely allergies. That simple test could be a precursor to allergy tests, which really are only painful for a few seconds. I remember being shocked when I read that young kids get as many as 12 colds a year, and I was thinking "that can't be normal" but it is not unusual for kids to look like yours does all winter long. Hope this helps!