Terrible Cough @ Night for past month..getting worse..HELP

Updated on December 24, 2008
C.T. asks from Orange Park, FL
14 answers

Hi my 14 month old daughter has developed a very bad cough over the past month. She coughs sometimes during the day but it is terrible at night. She coughs all during the night. The cough sounds like a dry cough. The doctor told me to give her Alvert for a week at night to see if it helps. It has not helped at all. I run a humidifer in her room each night and I have also tried rubbing Vicks on her feet, on her back and on her chest. I have also propped her up at night but nothing seems to work. Her ccugh is geting worse. Could she have allergies? I am very concerned and need help. Thank you.

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C.G.

answers from Pensacola on

I really think I would take her to another doctor. They can do test to see if and what she is allergic to.. I know it aggravates her, and worries you. I would do this for more of a peace of mind for you

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M.H.

answers from Miami on

My daughter also has the dry cough like a post nasal drip. It comes and goes. She is 5 now and it started around 2 1/2. At first the Dr. said it was a sinus infection, but I took her to an ENT and they said it was allergies. So now when it starts we give her an antihistimine. I would take her to a speciality Dr. like an ENT.

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C.P.

answers from Miami on

Hello C.,

your daughter probably has some sort of allergy. in addition to checking her for allergies... I would strip down her bed, pillows, etc and wash them in dreft or something like that. also do her clothes in dreft too. another thing, no baths before bedtime. I'd change the bath to the morning. have you changed shampoo, or shower gel lately? do you have a 'live' tree in the house? are you using candles, sprays, etc? all that could be irritating her airways.

skip milk produtcs for a couple of days. at least try no milk at night to see if that helps.

you can also use essential oils to help with the cough.
get: peppermint, rosemary and basil oil
on a tissue or paper towel put:
5 drops peppermint
2 drops rosemary
1 drop basil

put that in the bedroom where your daughter CANNOT reach it.
change it daily.

Well, I hope that helps. good luck! ~C.~

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M.M.

answers from Jacksonville on

Hi C.. My son has had the same exact symptoms a couple of times. It got so bad that I called the doctor and when they saw him they told me that he had the croup. It is a dry, non-productive cough. Sometimes it sounds like a barking seal. They gave him a steroid in the office to bring down the inflamation. It really worked. If it's not getting better with the Alavert you should call them back and take her in. Good Luck!

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S.W.

answers from Miami on

Who is your doctor? Do you have animals in the house?
Let your pediatrician know all the details. Feather pillows, wool blankets, etc can be culprits as well.

V.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

I did not realize it, but milk can cause allergies in some people. My son has had post nasal drip and "seasonal rhinitis" for years (he is 10 now). I noticed his multi- sneezing "fits" when he was around 4 yrs. I never associated it with milk. But just this fall I stopped allowing him to drink any (he LOVES it, so it was h*** o* us both), but within a week, his drippy nose dried up. You might try skipping any milk for a few days in a row and see if there is any change. It wouldn't be instant, and you'd have to cut it out completely (not just before bedtime like someone else mentioned) to see if that had any effect. Some folks are intolerant of the lactose and have stomach issues with cow's milk, but for some other people it is the proteins in the milk, and it manifests as things like post-nasal drip, etc.
It's worth a try.
Best wishes...
Oh... and be sure to double check your humidifier to be sure it's clean and gets cleaned regularly. If ignored they can grow mold/mildew and contribute to the problem.

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M.H.

answers from Orlando on

go back to the doctor is probably some kind of allergern. try detoxing the house too.

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P.P.

answers from Orlando on

Hi C., in the past I've given mothers this remedy, many have trust it, I raised six kids of my own on it. I've never used anything else. It's an old fashion remedy from the Islands. Turn-up bottms and pure cane sugar. You peel the turn up bottoms and dice them and pour a cup of sugar over the diced Turn-up bottoms, it will make it's own juice please don't pour water into the container with the diced bottoms and sugar, it wll make it's own juice in the space of about thirty minutes, if you have any more questions, write me back. It sounds like a cough my oldest son had when he was little. This remedy got rid of it.

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M.H.

answers from Fort Walton Beach on

Hi C.,

I agree with Melissa that you need to detox your house. The fact that it's worse at night may be that's shes lying down or it may mean that she has her face in a chemical that is a trigger. It could be the laundry detergent (the baby detergents like Dreft, and Woolite and others made by P&G, J&J, or Colgate-Palmolive are not any better than Tide) or it could be outgassing from the mattress. If the mattress is not new and it just started, try to determine what has changed lately. Has she started a preschool? Did she recently get additional vaccines? Has she made a new friend? Anything can help.

Detoxing is not expensive if done properly and it can, at least, get you to a point that you can eliminate some things. It's never a bad idea to get rid of dangerous chmicals in the home and I'll be glad to help if I can.

Regards,

M.
www.squidoo.com/ifyourbabycouldtalk

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D.G.

answers from Boca Raton on

Hi C.- My son goes through the same thing. Sounds like allergies to me. Try Zyrtec during the day for a week, see if that helps. Not all people will respond to some medications. For instance, Claritin does nothing for me. But Benadryl always works. So try a different allergy med as long as your sure it isnt something in the house you can remove. Could it be a particular fabric or mold. Remove all stuffed and fabric things from her room and try to reintroduce things slow, like when starting food. It might be an allergy to something in the room. Good luck

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P.E.

answers from Panama City on

call the doc back
our family made our our coughsyrup and it worked, honey, whiskey and lemon juice. Honey gets it down and the other cuts the flym

L.S.

answers from Pensacola on

Hi C.!

We are suffering with the same cough! It seems like a lot of coughs are worse at night so put Vicks Vapor Rub (or store brand) on the heal of her foot and cover it with a sock. Whatever you put on your feet will travel upwards throught he skin. I always used it and it works. It may take 1/2 hour to 45 minutes but you will be amazed by the results! She should sleep soundly. Keep an eye on a cough too. Sometimes doctors can miss something also. You know your child and if something is not clearing up be persistant in getting treatment. We have had doctors send my kids home with, it's just a cold, let it run it's course - to full blown pnemonia! Hope she's better soon:) Have A Very Merry Christmas!!! L.

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N.I.

answers from Daytona Beach on

Hi C.,
I feel so bad for you! my 7 month old son, had a really bad cough too I taught it was related to the bad cold my 3 year old son had. But he had bronquitis for the past 2 and 1/2 weeks. They gave me the the machine for the buterol medicine, I know i will write it wrong but it neubulizer, or something like that like a breathing machine. I would suggest u take her to her pedriatician and demand them some type of treatment if not change doctors. Good luck!

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J.G.

answers from Orlando on

Stop using the humidifier. That just makes it worse. I had the same problem with my oldest for a couple of years before I took her to an allergist. The pediatrician just kept saying she had a virus. She would cough so hard she would vomit all the mucous out that had drained to her belly. Now she is on Singulair. I use store brand Claritin liquid when she starts to have any problems. I suggest taking her to an allergist.

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