Night Time Coughing Allergies or Respitory Problem ?

[BirmFamily]

My 4 year old daughter had RSV when she was little and was quite sick off and on for a long time-as she's getting old it is getting less and less.  She has a mild case of Asthma that we use a nebulizer to help control - which is brought on by allergies.  Sometime when her allergies are acting up - she'll get a chronic cough only at night.  She'll start coughing as the evening goes on and by 2 am - it is constant until about 6am. Then it seems to disappear until the following evening.  She doesn't have this problem all the time, just occassionaly, but she gets it for a week at a time.  We've contacted to Dr and he'll prescribe her meds but it doesn't work.  Could it be something respitory that I haven't encountered ?

[Jerry_NJ]

When using a nasal flush please do not use tap water unless you first boil it.  I use distilled water I buy by the gallon at the grocery store...I think this water is free of bacterial contamination.

I rarely use the flush, but my problem is congestion, not mucus.  

[phiki]

Have you try sinus rinse? the popular one is Neilmed Sinus rinse sale in costco.  You can rinse nose 2-3 times a day.  You can use for little one too, as long as they know how to blow out the mucus in the nose. We started using it now after last thursday, I changed my son pediatric and she introduced this to us.
It works wonderful.  So much thick and green mucus came out from my son's nose.  Not after the 1st use,  it took two days for all mucus to lossen and the bad stuffs started to came out.  His cough decrease big time.
Bacteria and dust collect in the nose and deposit in the sinus area.  Your nose excreate out mucus to protect you and so when night come.  When you lay down, all of that will go down the throat and make you cough only at night. But the mucus mixed with dust and bacteria don't always come down to your throat for you to cough it out,  it accumulates and stays in there that is why your body continue to produce mucus to protect you.  That mucus will come down to your throat night after night.
Its good to rinse once you get home. And you should blow it out.
My son didn't want me to rinse his nose, I had to shown him all the scary pictures on the web about nose infection then he let me do it for him.  I rinse my nose too and its really not bad at all. I like it. Will try to do it daily. Hope this will help you too.

[phiki]

My son 4 has the samething too.  Only cough at night.  Some night less, but last 2 nights was very bad and he lost his voice this morning.  He is on Singulair for allergy, but it gives him rash so we go for Claritin every evening.  He also has albuterol inhaler and Flonase.  However, it does not work sometime like the last 2 nights. The flonase really made it worst so I stop.  He has this about a year off and on, but worse when the weather change.I have air filter and huminifier at home as well.
Myself, I started having sinus issue only recently about 2-3 years.  I have post nasal drop 2-3x per week. Sometime mild and sometime very bad.  I have all kind of allergy meds and snose spray Nasonex, which works good most of time.  
Last night, when my son cough so much.  And I was so deperate; I gave him my Nasonex 1 buff in each nostril and he stop coughing in about 5 mins.  It's mirracle to me.  
However, I just learn this home remedies last week and I want to share  with you to try and see if it works.  I tried it on me 3 nights ago and I did not have post nasal drop last 2 nights and no day neezing.  
For aldult:  2 red radish crushed + 1or 2 teaspoon honey + half yellow lemon.  Stir up and eat.  Make sure with full stomach because the acid from redish and lemon might hurt your stomach.  Try 2-3x per week.  Do not eat or drink dairy before or after take this at least 1hour.This is Mexican home remedies help nasal allergy and itching.
For children older then 2 years, you can cut it in 1/3 the amount and about 2 times per week.  
I will try this for my son.  I let him tasted the ingredient and he did like it so I will try on him tonight.  
Trust me it taste good just like cocktail salad dressing.
The other ingredient helps boot immune is cinammon honey tea in the morning.  1/2 teaspoon cinammon or less (up to your tolerance) + 1-2 teaspoon in 1 cup warm water every morning.  I try this and it keeps me warm and less neezing in Am.  My children did not like this tea because of the strong cinimmon taste.  Hope it will help. .

[cajun54]

Sometimes doctors give oral steroids for a short term to open the airways. After the dose pak is completed then the inhaled steroids usually work.  Oral steroids have very serious side effects but so does not breathing well.  Short term steroid use with dose paks can really help. the acceptable cut off for diffusion and Pulmonary function test is 80. That is normal number that is generally acceptable.  As an asthmatic I have taken dose paks off and on for yrs.  While I hate the side effects while I take them, it does make it easier to breathe and it seems to make my inhalers work better.  Sometimes my doctor has advised me to use the inhaler more than 2 puffs at a time  ask your doc about this.

[pearly]

RN:

Also, could you tell me what lowered diffusion numbers might indicate?  My diffusion #s were in the 66-73 range.

Thanks