Coughing 11 Year Old

My, at the time, 11 yr old son had a cough that started on a Friday back in the spring (March). It didn't seem anything out of the ordinary. Saturday morning he played out side just like usual. But when Sunday rolled around, he seemed tired. Sunday afternoon he started running a fever. The cough worsened. Cough medicines didn't seem to help at all. During the night I kept a close eye on him, because of the coughing and his breathing rate was much faster than usual (which in and of itself is not unusual if someone has a fever, but his seemed even faster than that). I took him into the doctor first thing Monday morning. He had double pneumonia.

I didn't think much of the coughing at first, because my son DOES have allergies. He also acted fine at first. And had no fever. I would take him to a walk-in clinic in the morning, unless he worsens during the evening/night. Keep a close eye Mama. Your gut will keep you watchful and let you know when you start to get that uneasy feeling, that it is time to take him in.

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My son (6yrs) was coughing for about a week...no fever, little congestion...but sounded like he was going to cough up a lung...it was horrible. But sense he didn't have a fever, I kept waiting to take him to the doctor.

Took him last Thurs...double ear infections (he never said his ears hurt and I asked many times if anything hurt), bronchitis with severe wheezing. He is on an antibiotic, an inhaler and singular. I have to take him back for a recheck in 3 weeks...doctor really didn't like the sound of his lungs.

So go ahead and take him in...best case it is just a cold and they send you home...worst case, bronchitis or pneumonia. Either way you both will feel better. Hugs!!

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TAKE him to the Doctor... it can be anything from Pneumonia, to Bronchitis, to Pertussis (Whooping cough), to Asthma...
He needs to see a Doctor.

Do not guess at it.

My Mom for example, had a cough. She said its just a cold. Well, finally it would NOT go away... she went to the Doctor and she had Walking Pneumonia.... then, because she had had other lung problems before and didn't go to the Doctor right away... she now has PERMANENTLY damaged lungs... which will never go away.

Giving cough syrup... will not make your son's cough go away... unless your KNOW what is wrong with him.

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BE very careful with this one. My 10 year old son may have the same thing and last Monday at Midnight he woke unable to breathe. Luckily my husband heard him struggling and we were able to get him to the ER after a steam shower had no effect.

AT the ER, they gave him two breathing treatments and did chest xrays.

They told me the same thing could happen the next night and gave us some medicine to open his airway. My husband slept next to him too.

Earlier on Monday, I had taken him to the doctors just to make sure it wasn't serious and the doctor said he couldn't hear anything in his lungs so just because it doesn't sound serious doesn't mean it isn't.

Good luck...I hope your son does not have what my son has.

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When I was younger I had whopping cough, my mother sucked so I was coughing for a good month, it got worse at night. I'm only 25 so it wasn't that long ago. You should call the hospital or dr. office. They usually have a nurse that can answer your questions. Also this may have nothing to do with anything but when I get sick now I end up with a lasting cough for like 3 weeks.

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Well, I just got over whooping cough. Take him to the doctor, please. They told as at the PTA meeting the vaccine wears off at age 11...I thought I just had a bad cough.

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Could be post nasal drip or asthmatic cough. Trip to doc will give you your
answer.

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Take him to the doc or clinic - possibly could be whooping cough but could also be asthma! Either way, you need to know!

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Maybe try a cool mist humidifier in his room. Does he have allergies? You didn't say how often he coughs or how long this has been going on. Is there any other symptoms such as nasal issues. Allergies could cause a cough with no fever.

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I would take him to a doctor. Whooping cough (Pertusis) has been showing up in record numbers in hospitals. For older kids and adults it is a deep cough that you cant seem to shake but for babies and toddlers could be fatal (and if he has it he will get better quickly with medicine, but if he spreads it to other kids/young children they could get very ill).

Better to be safe than sorry. I hope he feels better soon.

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I have walking pneumonia. It must be going around. I would get him to the dr. He may need antibiotics.

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I always say if you are worried enough to ask a question on here, especially for an 11 year old, he should really see a doctor. Pertussis is going around, and my sister had walking pneumonia recently.
Aside from that, me and my 2 year old daughter are just now getting over a bad cough that has lasted for 3 weeks already, her doctor checked her and she is fine so, most likely that is the case for you as well.

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Sounds like he has a post nasal drip which explains why it's worse at night. Just give it some time. You can try giving him some Benadryl to dry him up a bit and see if it helps.

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ibuprofen will help take down some inflammation which might help decrease the cough. It works with my son. Can he breathe or is he having trouble catching his breath. If he does have trouble the cool moist air outside might help. But see a doctor in the am or go to the emergency room if he has trouble.

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Have you had him to the doc to check for bronchitis or pneumonia?

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He could have bronchitis, take him to a doc (after a week is a good time to get diagnosed).

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Have you tried removing dairy from his diet? My daughter has the same problem, whenever she gets sick, it settles in her chest. It is always worse at night, because in the daytime he can move around and breathe vigorously to move stuff around. At night, the mucous can settle and pool (yuck). Try removing all dairy for about a week and see if it can clear itself out. Also, plenty of clear liquids to keep the mucous from getting too thick.

My 11 year old daughter recently had such a cough. This went on for over a week. The cough, no fever etc. She is not a complainer at all and it was keeping her awake at night. I could not decide if I should take her to the doc. But, she was "uncomfortable" breathing. I did take her in and she had bronchitis. I know we struggle as moms, take them in for something to hear, "it is viral", "seems fine" and then take them in to find a real issue the time you decide to wait. I would take him to the doctor just to set your mind at ease.

I hope he feels better soon. And we did try the humidifer, Vicks, etc. before we took our girlie in to see the doc. Good luck.

My daughter had the same symptoms last week. We had the stomach flu 2 weeks before so I first figured that is what this was. Actually, I did buy Claritin for her and it helped. I figured if it did not go away, I would take her in but it cleared up after a few more days.

Could be a sinus infection. Regardless, I would go homeopathic. Look up http://www.drfeder.com/ and coughs. We have gone to her and we have used the Lithy tree and European Hornbeam for the coughs. Once when my daughter was 2 she had a cough only at night. After days it was getting worse (at night) so I took her to the dr. (This was when I went to a dr that was not so conscious about excessive antibiotics) so they put her on 10 days o antibiotics. She got better but that led into another coughing sickness. Hence I changed doctors. But, I too one time was coughing at night and it was going in that same direction, so I went to the homeopathic pharmacy and asked them to give me stuff for a sinus infection (assuming that was what I had). What ever it was, it went away with the homeopathic remedies.
I swear by the hoeopatch remedies for my kids. Once time my husband used the lithy tree for a cough that was not going away and it did. Then a freind also had a cough, and after using the stuff, he wanted me to get him more for future protection (for he and his kids).

Check it out

Good luck.