DD has a concerning cough

[Odonata]

I'm waiting for the pedi office to open but I'm worried.  DD hasn't been eating well for the past three days.  Took her to the Dr and she was fine other than a little stuffy nose.  I was asked if she was coughing and I said "not really"  I know she would sometimes have this dry cough like something was tickling the back of her throat a few times in the past week, but it didn't really seem like a constant thing.  It was suggested she was teething and all will be fine soon.

Then today she woke  up even more congested and I thought "great, another cold" but then she started having these coughing spells that were really raspy and she seemed like she couldn't breathe between them, kept gasping for air.  The first time I thought she was choking on her bottle, but then she did it again a bit later while sitting up and playing.  She vomited from the coughing both times and started crying.  This all happened in the hour she was awake.

She's down for a nap and, of course, I'm Googling because the coughing spells were really scary.  Her face was so red and she was gasping.  So now I'm all "OMG my kid has pertussis".  She's had her DTaP vaccines (2, 4, and 6) but I'm still worried. No fever, though.

What do you think?  Should I be this worried considering she's been vaccinated (and my husband and I both have been as well)?  

[mrs07]

It's always worst in the morning. After lying flat for hours, the mucus has pooled in there and they have the big nasty coughing spells. (My theory.)

So they cough alot in that first hour. I notice it with sneezing out the snot as well. That way they are all cleared through by the time you take them to the doctor

I would rec saline up both nostrils to keep the mucus thin and miving as much as possible.

I wouldn't freak out about pertussis, it seems unlikely. Gasping for breath is more scary to me.

[Odonata]

I hate how she was gasping so much that she puked. But yeah, it's probably chest congestion she's trying to move out. We had pertussis go through my school last year so I'm all on edge about it. I had two students in my class out: one who was diagnosed and the other was his friend he spent the weekend with who was quarantined.

[Pilsy]

I'm a bad one to ask. My daycare reported to families yesterday that someone who came from out of state for backup care was exposed to pertussis at his daycare at home and has tested positive. He's vaccinated and asympoyomatic so it isn't a documented case but they wanted to tell us. (Very glad they did. I'd be pissed had they not.)

I have been over analyzing my daughter's coughs since the email, of course!

Anyway, I hope your LO is ok - I bet she is! - but you'll feel better if you have her checked again. I think that's what I'd do. They can test her if they have any thoughts whatsoever it might be pertussis. Was there whooping? Can you ready your phone and record the next fit she has (voice if not video)?

We have an appointment Monday by coincidence, which is helping ease my mind.

Good luck! And I hope she feels better soon. So sad to see them being sick.

PS - not saying you should worry. Only that I am a worrier by nature and would prob get her checked, not because it's likely pertussis, but BC she sounds miserable.


Edited bc I was on my phone and wrote some nonsense.  

[Odonata]

Pilsy I could try to record her but I did look up on Youtube some cases and my stomach dropped when they sounded like she did when she was "gasping" for air between coughs. It was mucusy hacking and then she made this O with her mouth and wheezed while trying to inhale - her whole body went rigid and I thought she wasn't going to breathe again - almost like an asthma attack.

EH! I'm sleep deprived and over thinking. I am also a worrier by nature and we've got so much going on that my nerves are frazzled. My daycare was closed yesterday b/c the babysitter had a 'bad cold' so maybe she has that from her.

[undecidedowl]

I probably wouldn't be too worried. If it continues, I'd call the pedi to see if they want her in. Also, you can watch YouTube videos of different cough sounds (like pertussis or croup) since they are pretty unique sounds.

[Deleted]

Both my kids had that same sounding cough ALL winter. DS almost choked so many times. The pedi couldn't really do anything about it either. Vicks, saline in the nose, steam that's about all that helped.

I wouldn't be worried about pertussis. That cough is the most obvious sounding cough in the world. Like it's not even a question.

Could be croup. DS has never had it but DD did twice. The first time, I didn't hardly know it because it was a different sound than I expected. Even if it is croup, there's not a lot of fix to that either.

[daisy24342]

We just got over something like this...was RSV. My son got it, and had the breathing treatment but my daughter (6months) developed the cough and congestion but no real wheezing. It's so hard to hear them coughing ....hugs to you. I hope your LO feels better soon. Good luck with dr

[litasail]

Can you see her chest pulling in when she gasps? Is her breathing rapid? If so, you need to go to the doctor or ER. We spent a couple of nights in the hospital a few weeks ago with this. And now I've got the virus and have bronchitis, so there's definitely a significant chest cold going around.

Eta reading fail, just saw you're calling the pedi. Glad you're getting her checked out!

Sent from my SM-G920V using proboards

[lilac05]

I'm glad you're calling the pedi. I wouldn't be too concerned about pertussis, but she's so little. I always support calling the pedi when there's a question, especially at this age. Is she resting comfortably? Breathing normally outside of the coughing fits?

Whatever it is, I hope it passes quickly!

[Pilsy]

Apr 25, 2015 6:24:09 GMT -5 Odonata said:

Pilsy I could try to record her but I did look up on Youtube some cases and my stomach dropped when they sounded like she did when she was "gasping" for air between coughs. It was mucusy hacking and then she made this O with her mouth and wheezed while trying to inhale - her whole body went rigid and I thought she wasn't going to breathe again - almost like an asthma attack.

EH! I'm sleep deprived and over thinking. I am also a worrier by nature and we've got so much going on that my nerves are frazzled. My daycare was closed yesterday b/c the babysitter had a 'bad cold' so maybe she has that from her.

How's she doing now?  Has it subsided?  I hope the doc puts you at ease, whether it's over the phone or in person.  

[Odonata]

She's fine. Too much worrying from me! She's still coughing but nothing like this morning.

Doc said she was just clearing out all the mucus that built up in her chest over night.

The non-breathing and then gasping and then puking scared the crap out of me, especially since she did it more than once. When I (stupidly) looked up whooping cough and watched a video, it looked and sounded exactly the same, though I figured it was rare she would have it.

Still not eating well but she's playing fine so I guess it's just cold # ten-billion we're going through right now.
I just don't want to have another thing going on right now...we're trying to get our house on the market in a few weeks, H is coaching now so he's only home to sleep, we're having major health issues with the dog, and I found out last Sunday I'm pregnant again (shhhh, it's early and I tend to m/c so I'm holding my breath). I don't need a sick baby!