Hi Moms!
My 25 month old little boy is going on his 3rd week with this cough. I took him to the doctor when we reached 2 weeks. He said everything was fine and just to let it run its course and to give him Benadryl at night to let him sleep. The Benadryl does work at night, but he wakes up in the morning with a tremendous amount of phlegm. He falls into these caughing attacks that sometimes make him spit up. The phlegm that comes up is clear and all mucous. He doesn't have any other symptoms, like fever, ear ache, etc., just this annoying caugh in the mornings. Does anyone have any other suggestions for me? We are entering the 3rd week and he doesn't seem to be getting better. I'm going to place a cold mist humidifier in his room tonight and see if that helps his phlegm conjestion in the mornings. But other than that, I'm out of all ideas. Any suggestions?
My son had a cough for about three weeks as well (no fever or anything else). Halfway through I took him to the dr. who said he was fine and to wait it out. Didn't go away so I went back. Dr. said he had bronchitis, and put him on antibiotics. Now he is much better. I would go back if it doesn't go away. Bronchitis is going around now. I know lots of people who had it.
J.,
If this is only happening during the overnight hours, and you have forced hot air heat in your home, it could be that your son has some sort of allergy which is precipitating all of his congestion. The fact that he seems full of mucous, and he's coughing so much, but is not running a temperature, is a pretty good indication that something in his room may not agree with him.
If you do have forced hot air heat, I would recommend covering the heater vent(s) in his room with a wet towel for a couple of nights, and see if that makes any difference in his symptoms. If so, then it would be best for your son if you had your heater ducts professionally cleaned, since these ducts can harbor dust, mold, and many other different organisms which could be triggering his allergies.
Hope this information helps!
D.
I've been having the exact same problem with my 26 month old daughter, down to what the doctor said. Here is what we started doing: 1. put a pillow under her mattress to elevate her head. 2. give warm herbal tea. 3. spoon of honey before bed. 4. I take her into a hot shower with me before bed and let her play around. 5. I rub vicks on her feet. 6. a humidifier in her room. 7. I change her sheets every day, spraying the mattress and crib rails with Lysol. This has worked for us. Good luck and I hope your son is well soon!
I myself have the same problem and I'm 62. The problem is much better since I started using an over the counter product called "Simply Saline"....twice a day. It's an all natural (no med) nasel wash. They have it for children too...check it out at your pharmacy...but before using it on the baby, check with the doctor first.
Also make sure the babies room is dusted and vaced well and that the room isn't kept to warm. Don't keep stuff animals to close to the crib as they are dust collectors. Also if you can raise the mattress at the head somwhat by putting something under it...so that the baby isn't laying flat..might help.
My son sleeps with a humidifier, books under one side of crib to elevate him (this really helps), and I give him warm decaf tea with honey before bed which helps a lot to coat his throat to calm the coughing. It can turn into an infection like bronchitis so call your dr if he doesn't seem better soon!
Coughs from a cold usually take the longest to disappear after the other symptoms are gone. If the cough is dry and doesnt' sound barky or coming from the chest than it is probably nothing to worry about since the phlegm is clear. Cut down on the dairy, use a humidifier in his room and perhaps baby vicks on the chest at night. It is good that he is spitting it out. I wish my daughter would do that.
my son who is 16 months had the same thing....DO NOT let the Dr. just tell you it will pass. My poor son's lungs became inflamed and he was on a nebulizer for a week, which helped clear up the cough and the breathing. At 25 months they still don't grasp the spit it up and out, so they throw it up. Thankfully my son is doing better. As for the Benydrl, I (personally) wouldn't be giving your son it every night in order to help him sleep.
My 26 month old has been going through the same thing for about the same period of time. It finally seems to be getting better! He's also had a non-stop runny nose for the same period of time. Humidifier definately worked and doctor recommended warm water or tea w/ lemon/honey or just plain honey if that's all you can get them to take (as w/ my boy!). Also, I found a holistic cough syrup that is safe for little guys at whole foods. the brand is similsan (sp?) and you can also find it online. good luck... hopefully not too much longer now!!
We have been going through this as well. The only thing that really helps is to have the humidifier on and to make sure that his room is as dust-free as possible. You may want to aspirate his nose before bed to reduce the mucus. My little guy hates it, but it makes it easier for him to breathe at night. We have also used an incline wedge under his fitted sheet to keep his head elevated and let the mucus drain and not sit in the back of his throat.
Hope he feels better soon-
Dear J., I know that we cough because there is something to get out of our lungs (mucuous) It would seem that the Benedryl is stopping a post nasal drip and that is why it works at night. My grandchildren are older than 25 months but my daughter has given them mucinex which loosens the phlegm to get it out. Ask your doctor about this for your baby. The cold humidifier is also a good idea. I use one for my COPD when the cough gets bad. Also, has your son had a cold or does he have allergies? Mommy, you are doing a great job and you should be concerned about a cough that lasts 3 weeks. Maybe you need another opinion. Good wishes, Grandma Mary
Could be...
1. Pertussis, especially if your son is throwing up due to violent, and I mean really violent coughing. Oftern pertussis has a cough unlike what most people have seen, and it is sometimes frightening to witness. Since many children nowadays are not vaccinated, pertussis is actually more widespread than we all think, and your pediatrician may not be able to recognize it right away (the younger docs may have never seen the disease, and the older docs may have forgotten what it looks like). There is testing available. This is definitely the first thing I would think about.
2. RSV...it can leave a cough that lingers for up to a month, although not as violent as pertussis, but with occasional vomiting after coughing.
3. Middle ear fluid...there are cough receptors in the middle ear that can be tickled by the presence of fluid.
4. Asthma...not all asthma wheezes, sometimes it coughs.
5. Allergies...this time of the year, mold and (I think) ragweed are most common. There is testing available as well.
Unfortunately, for 2 and 3 there is not much to do except wait it out. For pertussis, there is an option to treat with Zithromax, however, after the first 3 weeks of illness the effectiveness of treatment wanes. Of course, for asthma, the best way to determine this is to simply treat with albuterol and see if it works. Allergies can also be treated easily with a nasal spray or Singulair.
No matter what - avoid cough and cold preparations at all costs. These can harm your child, and most of the time they either do not work or work only a little bit.
I would go back to your doctor and present these options. If you are not satisfied, do not hesitate to get a 2nd opinion or request a referal to a pulmonologist (lung specialist).
I would look at some different things.
Have you changed laundry detergrent? Fabric softner? Any bedding or stuffed animals that he sleeps with. Do you have candles or those smelly plud-ins ( all very toxic).
I would remove milk products if you can, temporarily, to see if the phlegm lets up. Dairy can increase phlegm.
Try the humidifier.
I would remove all chemicals from his clothing and bedding by cleaning everything with non-scented, non-toxic cleaners.
It is definitely a sign of something going on. Sometimes the manufacturers of products you have used long term change their ingredients and can cause this.
The non-toxic line I use is available at https://www.shaklee.net/healthmatters4u/getclean/index
You can get all the details and stats there.
Let me know if I can be of any additional help.
L.
Visit my blog www.nosickvisits.com
Hi J.:
Benadryl has starch in it, which is a complex carbohydrate and is mucuos producing. This may add to your son's possible respiratory issue. My suggestion is to consider exploring the natural wellness route to safely address the core challenge and its symptoms.
My office is available to assist you, via a consultation. You may visit www.wholecreations.com/wombfull.html to learn more about the service and contact to schedule an appointment.
All the best,
N.
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