Worried about daughter

LaurenRae · 03-12-2004, 05:42 PM

My daughter (she's thirteen today!) has had a cough off and on since the beginning of February. The cough is a dry, hacking, non-productive cough - kind of like a sharp, high-pitched bark. It was so bad for a while that she missed an entire week of school. I had her at the doctor's - he prescribed an antibiotic (clavulin??). It helped somewhat - the cough never entirely went away but it did get a lot better. Anyways, it's back again. She has missed all this week of school. I took her back to the doctor on Tuesday and he sent her for some blood tests - said it's something viral and she'll just have to "wait it out". Well, I think 6 weeks is long enough! He did give her a puffer - Salbutamol - after I told him she had asthma (she never wheezed but had an awful cough) when she was around 2 and then off and on for the next couple of years. But she hasn't needed a puffer for at least 6-7 years. But he said that he didn't think the puffer would help her anyways.

She is getting weaker as the days go by - I made an appointment with her old pediatrician (he moved 2 hours away a couple of years ago) and we see him on Tuesday. The cough is so bad it just shakes her whole body. the funny thing is that when she sleeps at night, it pretty much is gone. She is now starting to say she is very cold - her cheeks are quite flushed and she has no temperature. Her hands are like ice. I dont' know what to do. I am giving her a over-the-counter cough medicine but it really doesn't help. She is losing weight (she is already too thin) and has no energy at all. She says she is also having trouble breathing sometimes - I don't know if it's the chest muscles that are sore or if something is actually restricting her breathing. Does anyone have any ideas/suggestions/comments??? I don't want to take her to her doctor here because, frankly, he doesn't really seem to care - and I don't know if I should wait until Tuesday. Thank you.

jonvieve21 · 03-12-2004, 08:03 PM

I know how you feel. I have an asthmatic child. And when he has a flare up he coughs like no tomorrow. I think you need to keep an actual diary of your daughter’s condition. Document facts, not I think. Take her temperature. Take her weight daily and document it. Try to find out what she is wearing or doing that you notice her coughing is worst. Don’t vacuum in front of her. Change her sheets to 100 % cotton. They have special allergen sheets that promote the growth of mites. Take all stuff animal toys away. Then take all your data to the doctor and see what happens. Good luck

Katyana · 03-12-2004, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaurenRae

My daughter (she's thirteen today!) has had a cough off and on since the beginning of February. The cough is a dry, hacking, non-productive cough - kind of like a sharp, high-pitched bark. It was so bad for a while that she missed an entire week of school. I had her at the doctor's - he prescribed an antibiotic (clavulin??). It helped somewhat - the cough never entirely went away but it did get a lot better. Anyways, it's back again. She has missed all this week of school. I took her back to the doctor on Tuesday and he sent her for some blood tests - said it's something viral and she'll just have to "wait it out". Well, I think 6 weeks is long enough! He did give her a puffer - Salbutamol - after I told him she had asthma (she never wheezed but had an awful cough) when she was around 2 and then off and on for the next couple of years. But she hasn't needed a puffer for at least 6-7 years. But he said that he didn't think the puffer would help her anyways.

She is getting weaker as the days go by - I made an appointment with her old pediatrician (he moved 2 hours away a couple of years ago) and we see him on Tuesday. The cough is so bad it just shakes her whole body. the funny thing is that when she sleeps at night, it pretty much is gone. She is now starting to say she is very cold - her cheeks are quite flushed and she has no temperature. Her hands are like ice. I dont' know what to do. I am giving her a over-the-counter cough medicine but it really doesn't help. She is losing weight (she is already too thin) and has no energy at all. She says she is also having trouble breathing sometimes - I don't know if it's the chest muscles that are sore or if something is actually restricting her breathing. Does anyone have any ideas/suggestions/comments??? I don't want to take her to her doctor here because, frankly, he doesn't really seem to care - and I don't know if I should wait until Tuesday. Thank you.

Sounds to me like she needs a steriod inhaler to decrease the inflammation.

quincy · 03-12-2004, 10:46 PM

I agree 100% with Katyana. The point is to use the corticosteroid inhaler the moment a cough or cold starts at a higher dosage and eventually taper. The rescue inhaler should only be used if she's in a state of coughing where she can't stop, or she is wheezing.

My husband and also a friend sound exactly like your daughter. The symptoms seem to be a cough variant asthma or a twitchy lung symptom or something like that.

My husband has tried the corticosteroid inhalers which helped, but he lost his voice from them. He dispatches for an emergency department...so he had to go off them. I suggested he ask his doctor about Singulair. He's actually doing well on it. I also suggested it to my friend, and her doctor put her on them as well.

Your daughter very well may have had bronchitis, but that triggered her asthma or the cough which can go on for months (from my experience with my husband and friend).

Call the doctor and see if he will prescribe the Singulair. First check it out on the internet or pharmacist to understand what it does.

I think she should still get other tests to make sure there isn't anything more wrong, but her weight loss could very well be from the exersion from the coughing. Neither my husband or friend cough while sleeping (unlike having a cold).

Consider the Singulair.

Please let us know how your daughter is doing.

Best to you both,
quincy