J.C. asks from Hattiesburg, MS on September 27, 2009
Help for Daughter's Congestion and Cought
My 18 mo old daughter is very congested and and has a cough, her voice is hoarse and she just feels plain awful. I took her to the doctor (ended up not seeing her regular doctor) and he tested for strep, which came back negative. So he said that there was nothing he could give her and that just TLC would do the trick. I asked about decongestants or expectorants and he said she did not need them, to just use motrin or tylenol.
So now I have a coughing, congested, cranky little girl and it is just breaking my heart to hear her sounding so awful. We have a cool mist humidifier going in her room. We are breaking our normal rule of minimal TV so that she will rest, and she is curled up in a blanket on her bean bag. She's running a very mild fever, and the tylenol is working on that. But she is so congested (sound very wet, even just breathing you can hear it moving around - has not moved to her chest) I'm worried about her choking (using a pillow to help elevate her at night).
Should I take her back to the doc? I hate to take her if I'm just going to be told to keep doing what I'm doing, big waste of money. Please help!
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T.W. answers from Birmingham on September 28, 2009
Please take her to another doctor! She may have bronchitis or even asthma. At minimum they can give her a breathing treatment to stop the coughing. That is cruel to have a child that young coughing like that and not offer some type of relief. Good luck!
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L.D. answers from Tulsa on September 28, 2009
call your regular doctor and ask for a decongestant she can take, or call back the dr you took her to and ask for a decongestant again. I know there are plenty of meds by RX available for the little people. If that doesn't work, ask what she can take OTC for her age.
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T.W. answers from Birmingham on September 28, 2009
Please take her to another doctor! She may have bronchitis or even asthma. At minimum they can give her a breathing treatment to stop the coughing. That is cruel to have a child that young coughing like that and not offer some type of relief. Good luck!
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M.P. answers from Texarkana on September 28, 2009
Try Robitussin Pediatric Cough and Cold. It works wonders. And a second trip to the dr won't hurt. If children keep a cold, it can turn into an ear infection. That she would need antibiotics for. They can also tell you what else you can use for the cough and congestion. My kids used the Robitussin and it is WONDERFUL! They could breathe and the cough was controlled. See what the dr says about it! Good luck getting your precious one well again!
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A.P. answers from Florence on September 28, 2009
I haven't had to deal with this personally yet with my baby (2 1/2 mos), but my mom rarely took us to the doctor. She seemed to just know how to take care of things. 1. We never had a cool mist humidifier and unless I am mistaken they are generally for people with asthma. We had a warm mist humidifier or we would go sit in the bathroom while someone showered. The warm moist air helps to loosen the sinuses and clears them. You also might try massaging her forehead and nose. If you take both fingers on either side of her nose and rub upward it is amazing how it opens up the airway. You could try it on yourself or your husband if you want to make sure your doing it right. She should also probably be drinking lots of fluids. It will help with the cough and help flush her system faster. I hope you find this helpful and not just babbling! ;)
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J.B. answers from Birmingham on September 28, 2009
Hey J.,
I feel your pain! My 2 boys have the same cold right now. I have a few questions: Is this a recurring thing, and what color are her secretions? If it is recurring then ask your doctor about Singulair. This helps the little guys to fight off colds during the cold seasons. My son takes it and it really does help. If her secretions are clear, then it is most likely allergies (ragweed is blooming over here in Alabama). In that case have you tried Zyrtec or Claritin? My son was 1 when he was prescribed Zyrtec 1/2 teaspoon at bedtime. It's over the counter now. It makes their secretions thick and helps them to not drain down in their throat causing that horrible wet cough that never ends. It also helps them to rest. I would definitely call her doc back and ask if any of the above meds are an option for your daughter. I hope she feels better soon!!! God bless!
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S.P. answers from Huntsville on September 28, 2009
Hi J.,
I totally feel for you. My 20 month old son is recovering from the same thing plus he had an ear infection and is getting his 2 year molars. Make sure to use the saline spray and bulb syringe as much as possible. This helps to thin the mucus and prevent some of it from draining into the throat and causing that wet cough. This helped my son more than anything, even though he absolutely hates it. Also, I used the vapor plug in his room at night which seems to help. Hope your little one is better soon!
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N.P. answers from Jackson on September 28, 2009
Try steaming the bathroom and sitting her in it. Of course you have to sit in there with her. Steam seems to help w/congestion. They also have vapor rub and vapor baths for children. I'm told Johnson&Johnson makes a vapor bath. I'm sure you know that when I say steam the bathroom I do not mean put your child in the water I mean turn on the hot water to produce steam and sit in the bathroom w/her. It sounds crazy to have to say that but I don't want emails about someone who burnt their child w/hot water because they thought I meant put them in a tub of hot water.
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B.K. answers from Alexandria on September 28, 2009
I would go back however I'd consider seeing a different pediatrician. If nothing else, I'd call your current doctor's office and explain that she's not getting any better. If they still say there's nothing they can do, I wouldn't waste my time and money there. Another thought is if you've looked into an allergy/asthma specialist. My children all have asthma that is activated by getting a cold. They have a hard time shaking the cough part of a virus without antibiotics and sometimes a steroid. An allergist can help you figure out if this is what's going on. No matter what, I wouldn't wait it out too long. God bless!
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