OT: Anyone's child ever have croup?

[sassymom]

My son was rushed to the emergency room last night, by ambulance. He was choking and gagging and had this horrible sounding cough. When we got there he had calmed down a bit, still had the "barking" cough though. Come to find out he has croup, which I never thought was that serious. They gave him steroids and us some instructions for his care and we were home the same night. Just wondering if anyone else's child has had this and if you have any tips on how to help. He is quite miserable today. His "bark" seems a lot better today, it is few and far between thankfully. It just seems nothing will soothe him, any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Momof4girls]

Yes - all my kids have had it at one point, I think. The best thing you can do for them is steam therapy and cold air therapy.

Since it's chilly outside, and the croup cough gets worse at night, bundle him up and take him outside just for a few minutes to breathe the chilly air. It helps a lot.

Also, run the shower in the bathroom with the door shut - all hot - DO NOT get in, just sit on the toilet or the floor with him in there. The steam will help loosen it all up.

Also, we were told to administer Delsym - it's an over the counter cough remedy available at Walgreens or any pharmacy, really (I think we even found a big bottle at Costco). It works great for croup coughs.

Hope he's feeling better soon.

 

[emma'smom]

We've had this happen before with both dd's- mostly when they were babies. The croupy cough seems to be worst late at night (especially when they are lying down). We have called the on-call when the wheezing was alarming and took dd (then 2) to the emergency room for x-rays and a steroid breathing treatment. Sounds like we followed the same path you did...when things calmed down, they sent us home.

They recommended that we try to have her sleep with her head elevated and to use a humidifier. So I would sleep sitting up with my back propped against pillows so that I could hold her on my lap/chest.

The good news...they do seem to grow out of it!

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Definitely do the steamy bathroom and cool night air. We also have to use a nebulizer for our kids as they get it pretty bad when they do get it. It comes on hard and fast. My sister used to get it all the time, that's how I knew what to do when my first ds had it for the first time. It can be very serious so make sure to give your child the steroids. Also- do not give a cough suppresant. You want to loosen the phlegm up not suppress it. Many years ago they used to give kids ipecac syrup to make them vomit when they had the croup because it helps to get the phlegm out. On the plus side- while the cough sounds horrible like a seal barking, it doesn't hurt them like it hurts to cough when you have a bad cold. HTH.

 

[macmahony]

My middle daughter is the croup queen. She has it all the time, her colds turn straight into croup. We have been in the ER once with it, but now we treat it at home (per doctors orders....if she gets really bad then we would go to the ER) First we put her in the shower (not in the shower, in the room), and close the door and let her sit in the steam for about 10 minutes. Then we will run her outside in the cold air, that breaks it up. It is always worse in the night, so even though it is okay today, expect it to get worse tonight. It should last for about 3 nights. We have only had to do steroids once, and now we do the shower and outside (it works just as well, and no drugs). It never fails, if we are going somewhere, she wakes up with croup (not sure how she does it either!!!) She can be perfect all day, no cough, no fever, nothing, and that night be miserable!!! And it is croup season..so I am sure it is just time. Our doctor told us some kids just get croup easier, not sure why, but not to worry, she should grow out of it. (I think she had it at least 4 times last winter)
Good luck, and try the shower, and cold air, it works wonder, and then no trip to the ER!!

 

[sassymom]

Thanks, seems like I'm doing the same as you did. Imagine my alarm when I heard my 2yo gasping for breath and gagging uncontrolably. (sp) All I could think at the time was I don't even know CPR or Heimlick, with not knowing what was happening my mind naturally jumped to the worst scenario. He seems to be doing ok today, very fussy but more regular coughs than the "barky" ones. Thanks again for your replies.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

My middle daughter is the croup queen. She has it all the time, her colds turn straight into croup. We have been in the ER once with it, but now we treat it at home (per doctors orders....if she gets really bad then we would go to the ER) First we put her in the shower (not in the shower, in the room), and close the door and let her sit in the steam for about 10 minutes. Then we will run her outside in the cold air, that breaks it up. It is always worse in the night, so even though it is okay today, expect it to get worse tonight. It should last for about 3 nights. We have only had to do steroids once, and now we do the shower and outside (it works just as well, and no drugs). It never fails, if we are going somewhere, she wakes up with croup (not sure how she does it either!!!) She can be perfect all day, no cough, no fever, nothing, and that night be miserable!!! And it is croup season..so I am sure it is just time. Our doctor told us some kids just get croup easier, not sure why, but not to worry, she should grow out of it. (I think she had it at least 4 times last winter)
Good luck, and try the shower, and cold air, it works wonder, and then no trip to the ER!!

I can totally relate. Unfortunately for us our kids need meds or they will end up in the ER. I hate giving them meds but sometimes even if they have the meds we end up at the ER because their heart rate accelerates immensely and they can't breathe very well. On our last trip to WDW all the kids got a cold that turned to croup. We made quite a few visits to Centra Care for breathing treatments and meds. They just get it so bad. I hope they grow out of it soon.

 

[Momof4girls]

Here's some good info on the Dr. Sears site regarding the use of Delsym with croup:
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/8/t089701.asp

But, definitely ask your pediatrician before you administer it. It is supposed to be good for a dry cough to prevent that tickle feeling that gets them coughing in the first place.

 

[sassymom]

Thanks, I will give a quick call to his Dr. before giving it to him, but it seems that may help him sleep better tonight should the cough be as bad as it was last night.

 

[plutolovr]

My DD (now 21yo) had croup when she was 11 mos old. Do you know that ever since then, whenever she gets a cold, she gets that "seal bark" cough. Her nickname at college is "barky."

 

[Suejeffali]

My DD (she is 6) gets croup at least 2 times during the winter. The worst one was when she got croup when she was 4 and was recovering from getting her tonsils out. Actually she has a cold now and I am just waiting for it to turn into croup. The last three years on Christmas she has had croup.

 

[hthrbells]

I feel for you my little guy had it several times! All the advice posted is the same that we were told by our Ped. I do not know about the Medication though. Our ds was hospitalized once with it and the other times he was put on steroides. Every kid is diffrent what one person swears by may not work for your child. The steam therapy and cold air do help I think. The best for our little guy was the cold air. Good luck and it will be over soon, it usualy only lasts for a few nights.

 

[Accentuate+]

Now there's a memory. My grandmother's croup treatment was...kerosene and sugar...yes, I'm serious....yes, it's nasty...she still swears it works.

If she decided you had the croup she'd get a teaspoon full of sugar, drip a couple of drops of kerosene from the kerosene lamp onto the spoon and pop it in your mouth. Yeccchhh

I would go to great lengths to keep from coughing around my grandmother.

 

[sassymom]

Now there's a memory. My grandmother's croup treatment was...kerosene and sugar...yes, I'm serious....yes, it's nasty...she still swears it works.

If she decided you had the croup she'd get a teaspoon full of sugar, drip a couple of drops of kerosene from the kerosene lamp onto the spoon and pop it in your mouth. Yeccchhh

I would go to great lengths to keep from coughing around my grandmother.

Now there's a true blue family remedy, I love hearing them. The cold air seemed to help a lot last night. I figured tonight I'd pop a juice box in the freezer so if he does have an attack he can sip on some slushy juice. I am hoping the cold will help reduce the swelling a little faster. Thank you all for your responses, I guess it's really not that uncommon. Here's hoping none of our little ones have to go through it again.

 

[Merriwind]

My DD (now 21yo) had croup when she was 11 mos old. Do you know that ever since then, whenever she gets a cold, she gets that "seal bark" cough. Her nickname at college is "barky."

Glad to hear it's not just DD8. She first got croup somewhere around age 2. Had it every winter we were in NY, really bad ages 3-6. DRs kept telling us that once she was a little bigger--and she is a tall girl--that her vocal cords (I think) would grow enough and she wouldn't get croup anymore.

Don't you know, last week, she woke up at 1am with that familiar barking, gagging, gasping cough. We were up the whole rest of the night, give ice chips, steaming, etc. Turned out to be strep!

I'm just glad to know that it's not unheard of for a "big" kid not to have outgrown the croupy cough. I was starting to wonder what was wrong with her.

Love the nickname!!

Good luck to all the other moms of croup kids now that winter is coming!

 

[Karrie Davis]

I am sorry to hear you are going through this. I too had no idea what croup REALLY was till the first time my son was hospitalized at just over 1 year old. We had to have a snow plow & ambulance come after a blizzard because he turned purple. It seemed to have come on SO fast the first time because I did not really know what the signs and danger really were. He was hospitalized at Children's the 1st time for 4 days because it was so bad. Since that April of 2005 he has been in the hospital 2 more time but nothing like the 1st time. They say a croup kid will be a croup kid till they are big enough for the swelling and even spasiming of the vocal cords to not block the air passage, I think we have gotten to that point. The flem is a side effect that makes them want to cough but it only make it worse just like with laryngitis (the adult version). My pediatrician has us keep steroids here at the house now and that is what has made a difference in him not needing to be seen as long - the quick response make for a really quick safe point. I also get laryngitis several times a year and it is the same thing, I even have needed the steroid before too!

Cold helps my son more then steam but each child is different. We do the freezer and he get to eat popcicals while we sit there, that help a ton to keep him in one place I know for us it was so bad that it was blocking over 90% of his breathing passage - scarry! He has has 2 cold with no signs ans one time where I had laryngitis and he never got more then just really sick. I am sure he still gets croup but it is no longer life threatening we hope.

Since it may happen again in the future see if your pediatrician will give you the steroids to keep at home. They only want to make sure you know what the signs are and at what point he will need the meds and they should give you what you need for the next time.

 

[chobie]

Oh yes BTDT. We called my son "croupy Jake" for a few years. We rushed him to the hospital the first time when he was 4 months old and they gave him steroids and kept him for a day. After that we brought him back 2 more times over the next couple of years. I tried the shower, and the outside in the cold air, but it never seem to help. He did outgrow it for the most part, although even now at 9 his cough when he gets a cold is barky sounding. But when he was a baby he was gasping for breath along with the cough and that was really scary.

 

[striker3636]

According to the info packets my hospital gave us last time my son was in for the croup - it is a virus. The virus causes a cold for something like 85% of us, and for the rest, the croup. It is not known what makes the difference in how out bodies react to the virus. We have made the midnight scary run to the ER and when we arrived ds was treated as a breathing emergency. SO relieved to know that when it is really critical, the 12 hour waits can be avoided. After that we have used these methods successfully (in addition to the others mentioned): sitting in the front seat of the car in the driveway with the A/C on full blast, and lately, sitting in the hot tub on a cold wintery night inhaling the steam. The last one has worked the best (added bonus for Mom and Dad at 2am). My doctors don't feel that you can "grow out of" the croup, but as you get older your body can handle the virus better and the breathing does not become as laboured. By now, when I first hear the bark during the night I know that for about a week I will get zippo sleep until the worst of it has passed.....

 

[Alex2kMommy]

My pediatrician has us keep steroids here at the house now and that is what has made a difference in him not needing to be seen as long - the quick response make for a really quick safe point. I also get laryngitis several times a year and it is the same thing, I even have needed the steroid before too!

Cold helps my son more then steam but each child is different. We do the freezer and he get to eat popcicals while we sit there, that help a ton to keep him in one place

Karrie, my DS6's young life sounds very much like your DS's, many trips to the hospital for croup and other respiratory-related issues. Because he had RSV as a baby, we used to keep Albuterol on hand and use it with the nebulizer, but it's been a couple years since we've used it. He's now able to get a cold, and it's just a cold, hallelujah!

To everyone else who has or will struggle with the croup, it sounds worse than it usually is, so just hang in there! It is worse at night, which is exhausting, but thankfully better during the day so hopefully you all can get some rest.

 

[sassymom]

This is the third night, and thankfully last night there wasn't a "bark" to be heard. I had him drink that slushy juice box before bed, and opened his bedroom window a bit to let the cool night air in. I haven't yet heard it tonight, he has been coughing but it's a normal cough. Could it be? Has it passed? I'll be anxious now every time he has a cold, I didn't know it was a recurring illness. For now I will enjoy the sound of him snoring like a buzz saw and hope the "bark" won't come back. Never in my life have I been so scared in regard to one of my children, and hope to never have to again. The sound as you all must know of them gasping and choking is horrible, let's just hope our little ones can stay healthy this cold and flu season.