Help a desperate dad.?

Daughter coughing at night


I’ve completed a search on this subject however it seems as though I’m hitting road blocks at every turn. The year before last my 6 year old (4 at the time) starting coughing toward Mid winter and never really stopped until early summer. Last year the same thing around xmas she started and little relief until early summer. Now this year it was the same. Over the last there years we’ve had all kinds of testing and she’s been on all kinds of meds. We’ve had her in for allergy testing twice first at four then this year again both times nothing. The Docs have had her on pretty much every med, we have a nebulizer and all the complimenting drugs, albuteral etc… No real significant change. We took her off all meds because nothing helped. After a few months of the symptoms this year she got a CT and the docs diagnosed with Sinus infection (I’m not sure if this was just a last ditch to allay a parents frustration) the cough did seem to subside however with warmer weather calming of the cough was predicted. It’s gradually getting better now that it’s getting warmer out however last night the cough starting kicking back up, was a cooler night than it’s been. I was starting to think the issue was related to the furnace however it never turned on last night. Also I had a professional outfit come in and clean everything ducts carpet etc. Upgraded her air purifier from a 100 dollar unit to a 200 dollar unit. Some of the info I’ve read on ionization is contradictory and seems unproven. Additionally if that were the issue, specifically related to the furnace (positive charge on the air due to it being forced through vents) last night I would have expected the cough wouldn’t have been aggravated as it never ran. We’ve been to an ENT they put her in the hospital for testing ruled out obstruction, GERD, tumor, underdevelopment etc..


So according to the docs (all of them we’ve been to) we’ve got an otherwise healthy kid that mostly coughs at night from what I believe to be a post nasal induced whooping/Croup like cough. So bad it literally keeps us awake (mostly thinking about how I’m failing as a parent)…


Between the research and specialists and lack of results I’m literally thinking of relocating my family to warmer climate before next winter to avoid witnessing this sweet kid endure another winter where her stomach, back, sides hurt due to coughing… She sleeps so poorly she gets wiped out then catches whatever the latest cold is which only complicates things. Last idea the doc had was perhaps we should send her to a voice therapist. That is getting little merit seems as though if it were a condition related to speech we’d see a decrease of activity at night not an increase.

Help a desperate dad.?
It sounds like she might have vasomotor rhinitis. I don't know if any of the doctor's mentioned it, some doctors don't take it seriously. But, believe me, it can have a big effect on quality of life. Unlike allergies (allergic rhinitis) it affects the throat more than the sinuses, although it affects both. It is aggravated by dry air, I've gone though winters when I had to take a cough suppressant every night (dextromethorphan is pretty effective for me, but at times nothing helps). My main symptom is a sore throat.





Basically, with vasomotor rhinitis, you react to all kinds of small particles in the air. Smoke, perfumed products of all kinds, chemicals, are all big offenders.





Air filters don't really help. I still run air filters at night, but just because I've gotten used to the white noise. I used the ionic breeze for a while, but eventually stopped because I felt it was making things worse, not better (I even had the "ozone guard").





What has helped me is getting the irritants out of the house. I don't know what you use in your house, I'll list some of the things that bother my condition the most (and after you read all this, you might want to try moving south after all. ;O)





-- It probably goes without saying that no one in the household can smoke. Even if you only smoke outside, the scent stays in clothing and hair.





-- Dryer sheets are a big offender. When I get clothes from eBay, they almost always have strong detergent and dryer sheet smells, and I have to wash them a minimum of 6 times before I can wear them. (I stopped using dryer sheets altogether long ago, so I can't tell you if unscented ones are OK, or if the problem is the fabric softener itself.)





-- You should use unscented laundry soap (I usually use All Free and Clear). And don't use bleach, it's an irritant (particularly bad if you use it on her sheets).





-- If anything is worse than dryer sheets, it's carpet freshener and air fresheners. I first started to notice I had a problem when I slept on a mattress on the floor of a room where a sprinkle on/vacuum up carpet freshener had been used. And I can't believe some of the commercials on TV now for all kinds of Glade and stuff, ones that alternate between 2 different scents, ones that are heated. You can't have any of this stuff in the house.





-- Get all perfume and cologne out of the house, never wear them. They are really too strong to be nearby, even if they aren't directly on her.





-- Any soaps she uses herself should be unscented, and I'd say anything you use should be unscented or only mildly scented. Even the "masking scents" in unscented products are stronger than the used to be, we're getting to be a very stinky society! If you can't find unscented products locally, try Needs.com http://www.needs.com/ or do online searches. Hair spray in particular is an irritant, you can get a non-aerosol one at needs.com





-- Lysol. I think all the new scents they've come out with are even worse than the original.





-- In general, try to avoid heavily scented cleaning products, although this it more difficult as time goes by, since everything has a "clean, fresh scent!" Well, if you notice the smell "lingers" with a particular product, quit using it.





-- If you have a fire place, it is probably best not to use it. You could try it in the future if you manage to get her problems under control.





-- I started using a pest control service after we had a little trouble with ants. Their formula gives me a headache, so I only have them spray downstairs (the bedrooms are upstairs). Sometimes I only have them spray outside and in the basement.





(I've heard gas heat can be a problem, although that's what we have now and it doesn't seem to bother me.)





Does she have a humidifier in her room? They can provide relief, although you don't want the environment too moist since it can promote mold growth. I don't current use one. But if using one helps her to stop coughing for a while to get some sleep, I'd say it's worth it.





Even with my efforts, the past couple years, I'd gotten to the point that colds always hung on for two months. And the coughing was ridiculous, all my muscles ached and it went on for weeks and weeks, like you are saying with your little girl. I was afraid to go out most of the time, for fear of having a coughing fit somewhere in public. And it seemed like every time I left the house, I caught a virus.





My husband picked up some Airborne gummies to try himself, and I so I gave it a try. I know I sound like a fanatic, but I can't begin to tell you how much this has helped my quality of life. I take it daily as a supplement, whether I feel sick or not. It doesn't completely prevent me from getting colds, but now my colds only last a week or two like a normal person. And no heavy coughing that goes on and on and on. I'm able to stay active through most of the cold. I know they make it for kids, too, if she hasn't tried it, I'd highly recommend you give it a try (take daily).





This is just a little thing, but I've always found a carbonated beverage stops a coughing fit better than water. I don't know why.





Even though I've written a novel, I'm probably forgetting something, so I'll edit if I think of something else. You can Google "vasomotor rhinitis" for more info, although the advice isn't always good.





No matter what you decide to do, good luck to your little girl, to you, and to the rest of your family. Take care.





Quick edit -- A place to find fragrance free cleaning products is Enviro-Rite http://www.envirorite.com/
Reply:Surely they've tested for asthma ? You don't mention it, though the drugs you used are for asthma. Asthma often presents as a cough. Gas fired heating is no good for asthmatics.


It's rare, and the cough would always be there if it's TB.


Only thing that cured my cough was seneca and ammonia cough syrup - real old fashioned, tastes terrible, but worked.
Reply:do you live in a cimate with high humidity levels? that might be a factor. I live in NM and I`ve heard of people relocating to here because of the dry climate, (very low humidity here) just a thought. I hope she gets better soon
Reply:it seems your daughter may be affected by the weather.





moving to a warmer area sounds like the best option. its what i would do.





it may cause a dramatic shift in your lifestyle, but wonderful dads like you would do that for your child.
Reply:Make an appointment with a qualified Homeopath asap .
Reply:sound like allergy induced asthma to me but have you tried a sleep study (maybe sleep apnea???)
Reply:Has she had allergy tests?


Maybe get her on some asthma/allergy meds?
Reply:smoke a dro blunt
Reply:have less chc and cocaine
Reply:I'm so sorry to hear this. Poor thing. Have you tried a specialist or a sleep doctor? Since it is mostly at night maybe it has something to do with how she sleeps. Try to video tape her while she sleeps and call a specialist for sleep deprivation. They might keep her overnight and they will test her while she sleeps and coughs. Good luck to you.
Reply:My nephew had the same cough for many years. Also had many tests. My great niece the same thing. It sounded horrible. wheezing and honking like a goose. Well, time went on and he was never sick, just the terrible night time cough. when he was 8 it began to subside, 9, 10, 11, less and less, now at 14 he rarely ever coughs like that. My niece is now 8 and her cough is going away also. Isn't is frustrating and weird? I wish you well, and can say in my experience they dissipate with time. good luck
Reply:I'm sorry I have no idea what it is, but you could try using a Netty pot on her before you put her to bed. It's just a teapot looking pot that you use to pour saline solution through her sinus to clean them out. I have heard that they work wonders on people suffering from allergies, better than any allergy medication. It may help keep her from coughing so much. They are inexpensive and worth a try since nothing else is working! I wish you all the best in finding a solution to her problem!
Reply:I'm sorry she's suffering without any relieve to make her feel better.





As far as I was aware coughing at night is a sign of asthma and needs medication to control it but it does take time for the right medication to be found which suits the patient. I've been asthmatic for over 10 years now and I'm still being changed about on my inhalers because of them not agreeing with me.





Moving to a warmer climate seems to be a last resort sort of thing because uprooting your family is a tough decision to make.
Reply:I'm not sure what the problem is since I'm not a doc, but I can tell you this: childhood coughing (especially the deep in the chest coughing) will cause scar tissue on the lungs. As she gets older, she will be more succeptible to bronchial problems. The older she gets (30's - 50's) and the more scarring done to her lungs leaves her a candiate for lung cancer. Please find a doctor who can get this under control.
Reply:From the sounds of it, you don't need a whole lot of help, you need reassurance. As I was in the middle of reading, I too thought that moving to a warmer climate would be a viable solution, but then you mentioned that as possibly being in the works also. Not sure where you are located at right now, but I have been looking around for work (if that's a concern of yours) and North Carolina is looking like a nice prospect. It's not quite Florida or Southern California warm, but it sure beats a Michigan-type winter.





Wish the best of luck to you and your family. Again, though, you are doing all you can for your child. The feeling of helplessness is only natural, but don't feel for one moment that you are a failure as a father.
Reply:Watch her sleep. Does she breathe thru the mouth? If so, she is drying out her throat and that could start the cough. Put a humidifier in her room and see if it helps the cough. Dry cool air going in thru the mouth over a period of hours would make anyone cough. Even if you don't pick my answer as best, see if this is the case anyway-doesn't hurt to watch her and it may be the problem. Simple remedies first-then go to more complicated answers.