Please Help: I'm at my "wits end" with DS coughing all night long

[Lynn CC]

He goes back to college Monday and he's been up coughing all night now for 4 nights. He has antibiotics (for strepp throat), cough med/with codeine, I propped his bed up, and everything else you can think of such as chicken soup, vicks,popsicles, lemon/honey etc.

He coughs from around 10 at night until 5 in the morning then he can sleep all day without coughing, I've never seen anything like it. We are up all night trying to help him stop coughing. I think his roomate is going to kill him if he goes back to school like that, seriously he has kept us up for nights now.

I just don't understand what to do for him, the doctor didn't seem to think it was such a big deal, but how is one to function if they are up all night?
Any suggestions?

 

[tmt martins]

cough meds won't help but try Allergy syrup this will help .Nighttime cough could be due to more moisture in the air at night getting in the throat area and irretating

Hope this helps

 

[luvwinnie]

Wow. If the codeine isn't doing the trick, I don't know what will. I empathize because I get bronchitis often and it LOVES to hit at night. I hope he's better soon!

 

[clarabelle]

Coughing can be a sign of asthma. He may have a little that has been aggravated by his cold.
If it doesn't stop I would call the doctor again.

Have you tried steam?
Also I don't know if you are comfortable with this but alcohol is a cough suppressant. Maybe a hot toddy?

 

[barkley]

has he tried sleeping in another room or on the sofa? i find that when i have bronchitis i am much more sensitive to allergins (spec. from the plants that are near my bedroom)-when i move to another room away from them i dont cough nearly as much.

 

[wilderness01]

If he has any asthma do not use steam.

I just went through a bought of bronchitis for 4+ weeks and I coughed and coughed and coughed. It totally hit me at night. I thought my family was going to kill me. Have him sleep propped up and that may help just a little bit. Otherwise, the cough medicine did help a wee bit. He will just have to ride this out. Best of luck.

 

[Mary Anne]

I was sick this week and went to the Dr. He have me heavy duty meds and I do feel much better now. The Dr. did tell me it's a really nasty bug out there now that just lingers for weeks and you just don't get better. I hope your son does better soon as your son sounds like he has it bad.

 

[sweet angel]

Perhaps he needs a different antibiotic.

When I've had bronchitis, nothing really helps. The cough medicine only helps for so long. I've coughed so long and hard that I've wet my pants. I've also coughed to the point that I thought I gave myself a hernia.

Does he hear wheezing in his chest when he's laying flat? I've found that sleeping on double or triple pillows sometimes helps. Vicks rubbed on my chest sometimes helps.

The doc always told me that you don't want to stop the cough because it needs to expel the yuck that's deep down, but you do want to suppress it at night so you can rest. Maybe if he takes regular cough medicine like Robitussin during the day, and the codeine med only at night?

Did the doc order a chest x-ray?

 

[ducklite]

Coughing can be a sign of asthma.

That was my first thought. I'd get him to a doctor for a flowmeter test--it's inexpensive and painless, and if it is asthma, there are many meds that can stop the attack and prevent further episodes.

Anne

 

[Lynn CC]

thanks everyone, Yes I did take him to the doc and this is his second antibiotic a little stronger than the first one. He's practically sitting up I have so many pillows. He will be moving to his dorm room so hopefully he will be better there, I will be worrying all week!
No the doc. didn't order a chest X-ray, he said it sounded more bronchial than pneumonia. I can't wait until he feels better!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

No the doc. didn't order a chest X-ray, he said it sounded more bronchial than pneumonia. I can't wait until he feels better!

Just because he can't hear it doesn't mean he doesn't have it. Does he have other symptoms, like extremely tired, dull aches in a specific spot in back or chest? If he takes a deep breath can he feel a "rattle"?

My younger dd gets pneumonia and the doc's cannot hear it for some reason. I think it has to do with where it settles sometimes.

 

[debaudrn]

It could also be Pertussis (whooping cough). This is making a resurrgance in adolescents. The immunity they get from their immunizations as toddlers wears off by mid-adolescence. There has been quite a bit seen around the country. I am a school nurse in RI and we have seen much over the last two years.
It is also called the "100 day cough". Sorry to tell you that. Antibiotics are given but that is to prevent the spread to others. Otherwise what you have now is the standard treatment.
Debbie

 

[JVL1018]

Try Delsym..it's an OTC cough syrup that works really well.

 

[lillygator]

sorry to hijack - but if it was asthma would there be any additional symptoms?

 

[disneynutt1225]

Mucinex works really well for me. You take one pill every 12 hours and it takes less than half an hour to kick in - it's phenomenal.

 

[Blondie]

When I had Pneumonia the doctor couldn't hear it in my chest with a stethoscope. It was only on the X-ray did it show up. I had left lower lobe pneumonia. I would cough all day AND night long. I had to sit propped up as well and it only helped a little.

It couldn't hurt for him to have an x-ray, for peace of mind at least. Hope he feels better soon!