Help me get rid of DDs cough

[mom0299]

I need a recommendation for a good cough remedy for my 11yo DD. She has had a cough for a couple of months now. I've had her to the doctor and it is not bronchial. The dr. said it was allergies and gave her Singulair samples. That seemed to make it a little better, but it still hasn't gone away. Now I've noticed in the last couple of days that it is getting worse again. (She's still taking the Singulair) I've tried all sorts of OTC cough meds but they don't seem to work. What should I try?

 

[mykidslovesdisney]

Could it be illness induced asthma??

My ds11 has aways had a terrible winter cough for years. This yr they finally dX him with illness induced asthma. He has been on a flexinhaler since November and when he gets sick he starts the proair inhaler. He had the asthma so bad last month with a cold that they put him on breathing treatments w/ the machine. I honestly have to say this has been his best winter with the coughing under control.

I myself have also been dx w/ illness induced asthma. I was sick for almost 2 months. I have another cold now with the asthma starting up in coughing. At night i can hear the wheeze.

Is she able to laugh w/o coughing?? Does it get worse at night? Those were some of the ?'s the asthma ctr asked.

We went to an Asthma/allergy ctr for the asthma dx. My son currently goes there for his allergies. He also has been on Singular for the last 4 yrs. We tried taking him off it in the winter but he just got worse so we keep him on year round. Right now he is starting all the seasonal allergies issues.

Keep at it. If she is getting worse let the dr know. When I was sick for 2 months- I was in contact w/ the doctor via phone a couple of times a wk.

Good luck. Hope she is feeling better soon.

 

[Tinijocaro]

That's what happened to my dd last summer-had this nagging cough that was worse at night. Turned out it was asthma. Get it checked out.

 

[MinnieTink]

Is it all the time or more at night? My little guy was coughing at night for a while. I liked the Vicks on the feet trick. (I just like vicks in general) it helped him get thru the night. (Be careful tho... Not sure if this applies but a coworker told me that asthmatics cannot use Vicks)

Also another lesson learned...don't leave a 3 year old boy alone with a jar of Vicks and you tv remote. Not good times.

 

[CathrynRose]

Is it all the time or more at night? My little guy was coughing at night for a while. I liked the Vicks on the feet trick. (I just like vicks in general) it helped him get thru the night. (Be careful tho... Not sure if this applies but a coworker told me that asthmatics cannot use Vicks)

Also another lesson learned...don't leave a 3 year old boy alone with a jar of Vicks and you tv remote. Not good times.

Yeah - I imagine a 3 y/o and Vick and a remote = Not good times.

I was going to suggest asthma, as well. An ongoing cough which the doctor suggested allergies, and then prescribed Singulair (an asthma med) - it sounds like.... asthma.

I'd do an allergist, or even see if you can get her an inhaler. If the inhaler helps, you nailed it.

I have allergy induced asthma.

And no Vicks. Asthma is a thickening of the mucus, and inflamation of the airways and you *need* that cough to be able to breathe. Vicks suppresses the cough.

My mom died the Vicks thing with me, before I got diagnosed though. We didn't know.

 

[mykidslovesdisney]

thanks for the tip on the vicks. I didn't know that. We are soo new to the asthma that we are still learning.

 

[CathrynRose]

thanks for the tip on the vicks. I didn't know that. We are soo new to the asthma that we are still learning.

You know another thing to watch for - any cough suppressants.

If you pick up cold medicine, or Mucinex or anything when they're not feeling well, be sure NOT to get anything with a cough suppressant in it.

Expectorant = Good
Suppressant = Bad

 

[The Mystery Machine]

A cough that long certainly points to asthma. I would certainly get her checked out for that.

I am surprised the doctor did not try an inhaler for her with her cough going on that long.

 

[minniebeth]

My DD had a similar chronic cough. She was finally diagnosed with Cough-Varient Asthma. Not sure what triggers it, as she was tested for a lot and not much came back positive. However, she still was given the DX of that and was put on Allegra. Allegra seems to do the trick for her. My other DD with more severe asthma was put on Singulair for a few a years and we pulled her off of it, not a fan after some research, just our opinion.

Hope you can find a resolution for the cough!

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

I had this problem and went through all the breathing tests to rule out asthma. Turned out to be acid reflux.

 

[3boymthr]

I had a long nagging cough that wouldn't go away - after many different tests - four rounds of anti-biotics - checks for pnuemonia, lung cancer (I don't smoke but at the time DH did so they wanted to rule it out), etc. it turned out to be asthma. Now, I have illness induced asthma - I get a cold and then it turns into a month's long battle with an asthmatic cough. Originally my Dr. prescribed Singulair and it helped - sorta - I eventually stopped taking the Singulair because I only cough - no other symptoms - and after awhile the singulair made no difference. Like Singulair Albuterol will alleviate but not eliminate the symptoms. The only thing that will really resolve the coughing is a pack of prednesone. A couple of days on that and my asthma will stay away for months - or at least until I get another cold.

I would recommend that you request asthma/pulmonary testing. This will rule out asthma or prove it.

ETA - my brother also has asthma - his is more severe than mine - really really severe - less than 70% lung capacity - he has had asthma for 40 years and has not been hospitalized once for it. He uses a combination of homeopathic and pharmaceutical methods to manage his asthma. One of the homeopathic remedies he uses to help his asthma when he is suffering is have a cup of coffee. He swears this helps as coffee is a bronchio dialator. He says you have to use caffeinated - not decaf. He does take his meds regularly, keeps his recue inhaler handy and gets lots of excercise.

 

[minkydog]

Another vote for asthma. If OTC meds were going to help, they *would* have helped by now. There's a piece of the puzzle missing and I think a pulmonologist can find that missing piece for you.

 

[MELSMICE]

I say get checked for asthma also. OP - your scenario sounds similar to my DD's many years ago. Found out she has asthma.

Now when her cough starts she does her rescue inhaler. I can always tell when a cold she has turns into bronchitis by the way she coughs. She was at the Dr. today for a a cold & sure enough - it's bronchitis. I knew it as soon as I heard the "airy/throaty" cough!!!

Take her to an asthma specialist.

 

[ncmickeyluvr]

My ds has illness induced asthma. His only asthma symptoms are coughing. He never wheezes. As soon as he get any cold symptoms, I immediately start him with his nebulizer with albuterol or his inhaler. His doctor doesn't care which he uses but I seem to think the neb works better. He's also allergic to dust mites, so he takes Nasonex every night before bed.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Definetely sounds like what DD had when she was little and she was diagnosed with asthma. Her dr. always told us to put the vicks on the bottom of their feet... Probably a wives tale, but it did soothe them.

 

[my3sonsagn]

Ditto to getting her checked for asthma.

DS3 had a few nasty coughs over the winter; since you aren't supposed to give cold/cough meds to kids that young anymore we tried the Hylands homeopathic products (both the cough syrup and the cold and cough - at different times). They really worked well! DS10 got a cough, and we were out of the expectorant (he's asthmatic), so we tried it for a night on him, and he was able to get a comfortable rest relatively cough-free, too.

Hope she feels better soon!

 

[mom0299]

Thanks everyone!
I'll get her checked out for asthma.