Chronic Cough

[AnnaNemmity]

My 12-month old has been dealing with chronic cough and runny nose for five months. This first started in October of 2008. Originally, I was told by her GP and an Urgent Care Doctor, that her ear was red but she just has a cold and, "We don't prescribe antibiotics for a cold."  When her condition worsened, her doctor diagnosed both ears with an infection and prescribed her Amoxicillian. Two weeks later, on Halloween, she was back at urgent care, worsethan before. Again she was prescribed an antibiotic, Azithromycin. During this time I am trying to manage her pain and fever with an infant pain reliever. A week later, she is still ill, Azithromiacin is long acting, so I am still hopeful it will work. Then her doctor tells me that I should not have taken her to an Urgent Care because they do not specialize in babies, and he prescribes her Augmentin. Then she gets a virus that severely dehydrates her, and I am told by her doctor that if she wasn't nursing so well that he would have her admitted. At this point, she is so sick her eyes are red and sunken in and she is so pale that you can see so many veins in her in her tiny ashen face. He gives her an antibiotic shot (I don't know the name), because she has severe diarrhea and is throwing up.  He also tells me to resume giving her the Augmentin when she is better. Once that round of antibiotic was done,  I though things were great, her runny nose and cough were gone!  Over a week goes by and she goes in for a follow up appointment. Her doctor looks and says they her ears are very bad and she needs tubes. It is the 19th of January, and her surgery is scheduled for the 26th, she is prescribed another antibiotic, again I can't remember the name. During this time she is dealing with temperatures from 102.7 to 104.3. After surgery, her ears drain pus and blood for about 6 days. She is much more engaged in her surroundings than before. Since the October 2008, her nose has continued to constantly run except during sleep, it is mostly clear with threads of yellow.  Her cough is very wet, and has been this whole time.  She has coughing fits every day, and are bad when she cries, sometimes to the point of throwing up. She has had coughing fits while eating and has choked a few times. I can't take it anymore. Her doctor says it is viral, and refuses to treat it.  She has also had a small lump in her neck this whole time as well, and am told this is normal. I am somewhat thankful that another antibiotic was not prescribed, she was on infant pain reliever and antibiotics for so long I am concerned about her overall well being. I am trying to do research for other ways to help her, homeopathically perhaps, not impressed so far.  I am also reading some stuff that suggests allergies.  How do you treat a 12-month old for allergies??  What can I do?? I have not done anything as of yet, except continually take her to her GP, dressing her warmly in cool weather and making sure water is always available.

[momtofourboys]

milk products can cause the excess of mucus that is why they say hen a child is sick with a bad cough and has a lot of mucus not to give them  milk.(well that is what I am told anyway)
as far as choking yes a speech therapist can do any thorough eval look at many positions of her throat (well not way down in but you know) see if things are lining up right and stuff like that. if noting is showing then they can order a barium swallow. if she is on any types of solids, they might consider a modified one (they put barium on the food) my 10 year old had one when he was 2 and it didn't show anything however they knew something was wrong. come to find out is tonsils were huge. doctor didn't think they were that huge until he removed them for sleep apena.  My now 5 year old just had one done at the age of 4 and he doesn't gag/choke all of the time, he was shown to have issues just on top of his tongue and down his throat. they aren't sure really what to think. they feel it could be his heart doing it (chris has some cardiac issues not saying your little one has it at all)
now I have a question and I am not trying to make you feel that you don't know what you are talking about, now when you say she chokes on her formula does she just gag or is she choking. the reason I am asking is that if it is actual choking and not gagging then maybe her cough and fever is aspiration pneumonia. Chris is choking on his foods plenty and I didn't worry after teh fact yeah during the fact, school calls it more like gagging and  i say it is choking. On Halloween of '08 he choked on his vomit, and they said with the thing like this they are gong to treat him for aspiration pneumonia. sure enough with in 18 hours he got the fever and cough

I understand about not really being able to switch doctors. I am at that issue with his cardiologist, he wasn't listening, but I wrote him a very nice, firm letter and he called me about my concerns and we are taking the next steps

Good luck
michelle

[AnnaNemmity]

thank you for commenting!  she has always gagged since she was born and the hospital and doctor said it was normal, would that be a speech theripist as well?  I will ask for a refferal.  her ent say that the runny nose and cough is something she needs to grow out of!  their father and I separated when I was pregnant with the 12 month old, and we also have a 4yr old.  i am overwhelmed every day of my life! he is a weekend father and does not help support us anyother way, as he is unemployed. my resources are limited as my children are on medicaid. i know i should probably get a new GP, it is just not easy and would be difficult to change back if I do not like the new one.  the provider list they sent for pediatricians has maybe 4 doctors.  she does have a milk sensitivity which seemed to get better once she was weaned from my breast and put on lactose free formula at nine mo, but her diarreha is back. she turns 12months in 8 days, I was thinking of trying soy or rice milk.  do you think that a milk sensitivity could cause the extra mucus?  I could only find diahrea and vomiting as symptoms of milk allergies.  she has no longer has fevers since she had tubes in her ears the 26th of January.

[momtofourboys]

MY HEART GOES OUT TO YOU GUYS. THE LUMP MIGHT BE A LYMPH NODE, WHICH CAN BE NORMAL. MY SON HAS HAD IT ON  HIS NECK SINCE HE WAS ONE AND HE IS NOW 7 NOW CHANGES IN IT.I HONESTLY HAVEN'T HEARD OF ANYONE GETTING A FEVER WITH ALLERGIES. IF SHE DOES HAVE ALLERGIES ONE WAY TO TREAT IT IS TO FIND OUT WHICH ONE SHE HAS. THEY CAN DO A BLOOD TEST. ALSO WE USED TO GIVE CHRIS PEDIATRIC BENEDRYL WHEN HE WAS 2 MONTHS OLD. HE WAS ALLERGIC TO A SHOT HE HAD TO GET EVERY MONTH SO THEY WOULD GIVE HIM BENEDRYL. YOU MIGHT CHECK ONTO THAT. AS FAR AS THE CHOKING SHE NEED TO BE EVALUATED BY A SPEECH THERAPIST TO SEE WHY SHE IS DOING THUS, IF IS IS WHEN SHE IS NOT CRYING.
LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING THE MINUTE MY DOCTOR TELLS ME NOT TO TAKE MY CHILD TO AN URGENT CARE PLACE WHEN THERE IS NO OFFICE HOURS I WOULD BE LOOKING FOR A DIFFERENT DOCTOR.
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU AREN'T GETTING ANYWHERE WITH HER PRIMARY DOCTOR, CAN YOU SWITCH DOCTORS? AS FAR AS ANTIBIOTICS GO AND HER WELL BEING I THINK SHE WILL BE OKAY.
WHAT DOES THE ENT THINK. CAN YOU TALK TO HIM/HER?

GOOD LUCK
MICHELLE