Long-Lasting Cough in 2.5Yo

Updated on March 24, 2013
L.S. asks from Fort Collins, CO
7 answers

My son, 2.5 yo has had a nagging cough for about 2 months now. It started with a virus/cold. Over the course of the last couple of months he has had a runny nose, watery eyes, croup, ear infection, eye infection, acting tired and "sick", sometimes acting fine (only the cough remaining) - not all at once, of course. Others in our family have also had similar symptoms from time to time over the last few months, so I know it is (was?) something contagious. He's also done a course of antibiotics (for the ear infection). He's been to urgent care twice - the first time they said it was a virus and he would eventually fight it off - the second time was for the ear infection/eye infection. The cough persists though. It is interrupting his sleep. He occasionally gags on it (pretty sure there is sinus drainage causing much of it). He does cough throughout the day, but most of the time he is feeling good and playing. The nights have been difficult though. We have been doing the humidifier, vapo-rub on chest and feet, elevated sleep surface. Nothing seems to help. Shouldn't this be over by now? Could it be something else? Would it do any good to take him back to the doctor again? Any thoughts/suggestions welcome.

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

P.G.

answers from Dallas on

I would call them and talk to the nurse. Then go from there.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

P.K.

answers from New York on

Post nasal drip possibly.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.H.

answers from Chicago on

If he is coughing more when laying down, I would have him checked for Pneumonia. It could be that, but that does usually have a fever.

Both of my kids have been on steroids to help fix a cough when it lasts too long or their breathing seems labored. I would talk to the dr.

Post nasal drip. My mom told me to try apples and pineapple together to help clear out sinuses. I did do that the last few days for my daughter who is very stuffy and it has helped, but it could have also been the end of her cold.

Also honey and ginger on a spoon a few times a day, and a few right before bed. should help coat the throat and help with the cough.

Also if it is from allergies. I head to take a tsp of honey a day to help fight it, but it needs to be honey from your area. Most stores will not have local honey, you might need to wait for the summers farmer markets. We will be doing that for my son this summer. I will be getting enough for next spring. The idea behind this is that the bee;s pollinate from your area and the small amount helps give your body the antibodies to fight it off better.

Good luck, hope your kiddo feels better.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.C.

answers from Washington DC on

I would visit the dr. again.
You could also try a sinus rinse.

R.R.

answers from Los Angeles on

My guy did the same last November/early December, turned out he has asthma, triggered by allergies that turned into a cold and then into asthma, at 3.5 he'd never exhibited signs of it before then. He was given steroids and improved, he now does maintenance breathing treatments.

I'd say, yes, take your son back to the doctor, he could have asthma, pneumonia, or something else, the doctor needs to find out. My guy's pediatrician had an idea what it was just by asking my guy to cough for her, and then listened to his lungs. Based on what she heard she had him do a breathing treatment then and there in the office, which confirmed it.

Hope your son is feeling better soon.

D.B.

answers from Boston on

Yes, it should be over by now - but he has a depressed immune system so it's not clearing up. I used to have bronchitis - 3 or 4 cases per winter for a month at a time, and I can tell you that nighttime is the worst because a) he's tired and b) he's lying down. In my experience, the doctor can't help other than to treat the symptoms. But you've been doing that and it's not working.

I agree that the post-nasal drip (nose, sinuses) is causing the gagging. The eye infection sounds like conjunctivitis - very common when people (especially kids) have colds or other upper respiratory infections. They touch the nose, then touch the eyes, and the infection just moves into another moist environment.

The humidifier is a good idea unless it gets so humid that you've got a mold problem - a lot of people are highly allergic to that stuff. So you can be messing things up while trying to do the right thing. Vapo-rub increases circulation which helps to move things around, but it's just treating the symptom and not the cause.

I'd say everyone needs to boost their immune systems. That's what we did, and none of us have been sick in 5 years - no colds, no flu, no stomach bugs, no allergies.

If you're at 2.5 months and you're spending money on products and doctor visits, you might want to talk to me or another nutritional consultant about some alternatives. There's help out there and in my 5 years of training and professional work, I can tell you there's great science being done on cellular nutrition and immunity.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

T.H.

answers from Kansas City on

I would agree that it's probably from drainage and not a separate issue, which is sort of comforting but not less annoying! ;)

We give our kids Zyrtec (generic is fine) for coughs. It helps a lot. You can give a 2.5 y/o Zyrtec but not cold medicine. You will need to do a dosage by weight so I would call your pharmacist. You can only give one full dose every 24 hours so you can either do it all at once, we like to do it at bed time, or do half in the am and half in the pm.

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions