Anyone have a child with a 'habit cough'?

[DLgal]

I know this is a zombie thread, but I could have written it years ago. My son was doing this. He is autistic and has ADHD and had occasional tics. A few doctors tried to tell me it was a tic, a habit, a stim, etc.

Ended up being allergies. Pretty significant environmental ones. He is basically severely allergic to everything and was having constant post nasal drip. This was uncovered during allergy testing at age 14. 3 years of allergy shots (and counting) and the cough is FINALLY GONE, once he was tapered up to a high enough allergy shot dose.

I feel bad that he suffered with that cough for over 2 years before we did something about it. It was a loud, barky, almost constant cough. He was starting to develop nodes on his vocal cords.

 

[Lizsa1]

I've tried everything and using humidifier at night nothing stops this constant cough.
it started like a dry cough every 20seconds and now it's a constant every 2 seconds soft cough like throat clearing sound. Been in and out of hospital they did x-ray and MRI of brain as she also lost her smell and taste so that went a week before cough started and were in 5weeks of this coughing now. It stops when she sleeps then minute she wakes the cough starts till she's asleep again. I've tried a naturopath seen many doctors and specialist (no one has seen anything like this) but specialist diagnosed a habit cough . Waiting to see a phycologist. Just feels like it will never end and it's really hard as many comment on it when we go out and she's feels no-one wants her around because of her cough.

 

[disneypharm]

I have had a chronic cough all my life. After several tests and checking with several specialists (pulmonologist, immunologist, internist, and ENT doc) and undergoing several diagnostic procedures for nodes on my vocal cords, I was finally diagnosed with cough-variant asthma (did a methacholine challenge test). Just to add, my only symptoms is coughing and no typical symptoms of asthma.
Here is a good link about it: https://www.webmd.com/asthma/guide/cough-variant-asthma

""Cough-variant asthma is sometimes called chronic cough to describe a cough that has lasted longer than six to eight weeks. The coughing with asthma can occur during the day or at night. If you have nighttime asthma, it can interrupt sleep. People with cough-variant asthma often notice that coughing increases with exercise, called exercise-induced asthma. Coughing may increase when they are exposed to asthma triggers or allergy-causing substances like dust or strong fragrances, or when they are in cold air."

 

[Pea-n-Me]

actually - my dh had this problem. what happens is after awhile the nerves just cause it to happen because they are so used to it (definitely not a technical explanation, but that is how the doctor explained it to my dh). it's very real, it's just not caused by illness.

at any rate, my dh was on medication for it (i don't remember what) and eventually it went away.

My mother had this cough that kept on for YEARS. Her doctor thought it was her cardiac meds, changed them, still coughing. He thought it might be allergies; tried all sorts of medications; still coughing. He thought it might be an ENT problem. HE diagnosed acid relux and put her on medication; still coughing. This sort of thing went on for over three years. Last year, her new primary care doctor said she was sick of chasing this cough, so prescribed Tessalon Pearls (which only treat the cough, not the cause). It stopped the cough. My mother's supply ran out, so I tried her off them for a couple of weeks...NO COUGH! I refilled her prescription, but will hold off until she starts coughing again. (They're expensive, and aren't covered by her drug program.)

This. They have to be taken around the clock, however, to see results.

 

[kanerf]

It is a shame that Codeine has pretty much been outlawed in this country. It is very effective as a cough suppressant. You used to be able to buy 4oz's of Codeine cough syrup over the counter in Arizona where I grew up. I think you can still get it in Mexico and I have gotten some pretty magical stuff in Europe that works better then anything we can get here.

 

[princesscinderella]

Local raw honey may help if it’s being caused by allergies that are not diagnosed. Have them swallow a spoon full a few times a day, just don’t feed it to a very young child/baby. It’s also soothing to the irritation a constant cough will bring on.

My daughter has Tourette’s and had blinking and grunting tics. Once we went on a gluten free diet due to my gut issues (as I’m the one who cooks), her tics amazingly disappeared. It was crazy! If she eats gluten they come back. It’s highly inflammatory to our bodies. It’s worth a shot to try this too.

 

[Lizsa1]

Local raw honey may help if it’s being caused by allergies that are not diagnosed. Have them swallow a spoon full a few times a day, just don’t feed it to a very young child/baby. It’s also soothing to the irritation a constant cough will bring on.

My daughter has Tourette’s and had blinking and grunting tics. Once we went on a gluten free diet due to my gut issues (as I’m the one who cooks), her tics amazingly disappeared. It was crazy! If she eats gluten they come back. It’s highly inflammatory to our bodies. It’s worth a shot to try this too.

Thanks I'm definitely going to try remove gluten and see if that helps. Ive been told it's like a tic shes also started cracking her nuckles since this cough started. I've never heard or seen anything like it it's just so constant and repetitive. I've tried honey lots no improvement. She does have asthma as we thought it was her asthma playing up at start but steroids didn't help, we also have her on a preventer.

 

[princesscinderella]

Thanks I'm definitely going to try remove gluten and see if that helps. Ive been told it's like a tic shes also started cracking her nuckles since this cough started. I've never heard or seen anything like it it's just so constant and repetitive. I've tried honey lots no improvement. She does have asthma as we thought it was her asthma playing up at start but steroids didn't help, we also have her on a preventer.

I wish you the best of luck it’s so hard feeling helpless when it’s your child. When starting a gluten free diet I encourage you to read all labels as it’s a hidden ingredient in a lot of items you wouldn’t think have it, like soy sauce. It also usually takes a full two weeks of a gluten free diet to start noticing the changes, our body actually goes through a withdrawal period when it’s cut from the diet. www.celiac.org has a wealth of information on going gluten free.

 

[Poohlove]

I too am leery of steroids, they are quite damaging in the long run and often times if you do not resolve the underlying condition the inflammation comes right back and can be worse. I agree that there may be an emotional component to the chronic coughing, she is you but maybe some relaxation techniques such as yoga or mediation might help. My sister grew up with asthma and has lots of problems from long term steroid use, my niece also has asthma and my sister avoids prednisone at all costs.

 

[Lizsa1]

I too am leery of steroids, they are quite damaging in the long run and often times if you do not resolve the underlying condition the inflammation comes right back and can be worse. I agree that there may be an emotional component to the chronic coughing, she is you but maybe some relaxation techniques such as yoga or mediation might help. My sister grew up with asthma and has lots of problems from long term steroid use, my niece also has asthma and my sister avoids prednisone at all costs.

Thanks yes I try avoid it but use if her asthma needs it I have to give, She is on a orange preventer to keep her from needing the prednisolone. I think their is an emotional cause too as she's always been very sensitive and emotional and anxious. I'm hoping the phycologist helps.

 

[Disneytrippin']

This might sound like a simple suggestion but, do you all run humidifiers in your house? Is the air in your house dry?

 

[Pea-n-Me]

@Lizsa1 Have you tried Benzonatate before?

 

[Feralpeg]

My daughter was very ill about a year ago. Afterward, she had a cough that wouldn't go away. She did two rounds of steroids, but it still took almost six months for the cough to go away.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

I've tried everything and using humidifier at night nothing stops this constant cough.
it started like a dry cough every 20seconds and now it's a constant every 2 seconds soft cough like throat clearing sound. Been in and out of hospital they did x-ray and MRI of brain as she also lost her smell and taste so that went a week before cough started and were in 5weeks of this coughing now. It stops when she sleeps then minute she wakes the cough starts till she's asleep again. I've tried a naturopath seen many doctors and specialist (no one has seen anything like this) but specialist diagnosed a habit cough . Waiting to see a phycologist. Just feels like it will never end and it's really hard as many comment on it when we go out and she's feels no-one wants her around because of her cough.

I’m sure she was, but did she get tested for Covid? The cough along with the loss of taste & smell are symptoms.

I do know my own kids’ pediatrician told me a couch can take up to 6 weeks to fully disappear after an illness. Although it sounds like it’s becoming more constant than getting better?

 

[kymom99]

See Disney, gosh how I wish it would be that easy with DD! The nurse told me that some kids do that to get attention, unfortunately that is not the case here What scares me is that this is going to be very hard to get rid of. It is seriously affecting her quality of life - she can't sleep, she is miserable, and she is unable to perform up to par at gymnastics. She is a competitive gymnast and had been doing so well - she was the all-around state champion last year. But her performance has gone downhill ever since this started last June and she is struggling to just maintain her current skill level. It is very frustrating and upsetting to her because she LOVES gymnastics. It is such a shame because she was doing so well and showed so much promise. Now it is possible she will not even be able to continue competing. She was in tears last night

I have looked online and apparently there has been quite a bit of success treating this through hypnosis. To be honest, I feel a little (ok, a lot!) weird taking her to a hypnotist, but at this point I think I'm desperate enough to try anything. Right now I'm dreading when she comes home from school because I'm going to have to tell her she has to go on the prednisone again - she hates that stuff.

My son was a runner through high school. His soph year he started having trouble breathing during races. No issues really during practices. He too showed a lot of promise that faded by his junior year. We had him checked out and nothing seemed to be wrong. They gave him an inhaler for exercise induced asthma. It didn’t really help. The doctor ordered bloodwork, chest X-rays, etc. at children’s but my son didn’t want to do it. He wasn’t sick so I didn’t force the issue. I truly believe now that it was stress. He put too much pressure on himself and my husband did as well. He is introverted and internalizes all his stress. Not saying this is your daughters answer but it could have something to do with it.

 

[Poohlove]

Thanks yes I try avoid it but use if her asthma needs it I have to give, She is on a orange preventer to keep her from needing the prednisolone. I think their is an emotional cause too as she's always been very sensitive and emotional and anxious. I'm hoping the phycologist helps.

That’s how my sister is, if she needs it then she gets it but she tries to avoid when at all possible. It is scary stuff, I hope that you and your daughter get some relief soon!

 

[Lizsa1]

DH has it, and it drives me INSANE. (His is a little cough; think Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter movies; sounds more like throat-clearing.) He swears up and down that he has to do it because of post-nasal drip; that he can't breathe if he doesn't. Which is hooey, because the minute he falls asleep it stops.

See an ENT and get rid of it; constant coughing damages the throat for real over time. (I can't get DH to agree to an ENT. He told his internist about it and the twit just ordered a chest x-ray and then called it good. Great that he checked for lung cancer, but this is about his THROAT.)

Is his constant and how long has he been doing it? Possibly a steroid nasal spray daily to prevent the post nasal drip? I've booked in to see a ENT but out lung specialist seems to thinks it's not necessary but taking her anyways.

 

[Lizsa1]

I know this is a zombie thread, but I could have written it years ago. My son was doing this. He is autistic and has ADHD and had occasional tics. A few doctors tried to tell me it was a tic, a habit, a stim, etc.

Ended up being allergies. Pretty significant environmental ones. He is basically severely allergic to everything and was having constant post nasal drip. This was uncovered during allergy testing at age 14. 3 years of allergy shots (and counting) and the cough is FINALLY GONE, once he was tapered up to a high enough allergy shot dose.

I feel bad that he suffered with that cough for over 2 years before we did something about it. It was a loud, barky, almost constant cough. He was starting to develop nodes on his vocal cords.

Thanks I'll look into this I'm booked in to see ENT. Who did you see to find this out?

 

[Lizsa1]

@Lizsa1 Have you tried Benzonatate before?

No I haven't, she can't swallow tablets unfortunately.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

No I haven't, she can't swallow tablets unfortunately.

You can try putting it in applesauce, yogurt, or food, then. I have seen it work miracles in the hospital and at home when it is given round the clock. It helps quell an overactive cough reflex. Definitely worth a try.