Ammonia smell in coop-first time owner

[Popcorn]

I'm so worried about Stefan. He had what we thought was a chest infection 4 weeks ago. Doctor gave him some antibiotics, but it didn't clear anything up. We took him back, and he was diagnosed with asthma and was given an inhaler. Again - no improvement over the past two weeks.

 

All this time his cough has got worse and worse, like a seal's bark, and over the past two nights we've been up all night with him as he's been coughing uncontrollably and has been breathing irratically.

 

I took him back to the doctor this morning, and he prescribed Stefan a course of steroids and has said that the 'larynyotrachael' infection (?) he has, has no cure, he's done all he can and if he has another night tonight like last night, we are to take him to A&E.

 

Does this mean Stefan will have this terrible cough and breathing problem for the rest of his life?

 

I'm so worried about him and "Ooops, word censored!"ody seems to be able to give me any straight answers on what we can do to help him?

[Ziggy]

That sounds awful Poor him, having to go through this, and poor you having to watch him ...

 

I think you should ask to be referred as soon as possible to a specialist, there must be some doctors out there who will know more about this and will be able to advise you... even if, and I really hope it's not so, what Stefan has doesn't have a cure, there must be ways to manage it to make things easier for him... It doesn't do to just say 'nothing to be done' and leave a mother to worry watching her child cough like that... If your doctor is not helpful, maybe taking him to A&E will ensure you get seen by someone there who might know more about the condition...

 

I'm sorry I can't be of more help as I've never had to deal with that condition, but I hope you get the help you need, don't leave anyone at the doctors alone until you do...

 

Best of luck, big hug to you both... keep us up to date will you?

[Mrs Frugal]

Oh dear, Gina, what a worry for you . I'd take him to A&E if it persists because you will see a different doctor and will probably be referred to a consultant far more quickly than via your GP. Both my boys have had respiratory problems so I know how worrying it is for you to have to watch him.

 

Good luck. I hope Stefan's soon feeling much better and that he gets some treatment soon.

 

Sending you both loads of hugs and positive vibes. xxx

[Paola]

My eldest who is now 8 started wheezing on her first birthday I took her to the docs the next morning and was sent straight to hospital. We came home with an inhaler, which turned out to be the wrong type for her age This was only discovered after about half a dozen trips to A&E in the night. I do know what you are going through Gina ((((hug))))). What inhaler has he been given? Thankfully she grew out of it within a couple of years. It can be easily managed with the correct inhalers, so try not to worry to much.

[Tina C]

Gina - don't know much about medical matters but as its been described as an infection could it be something that will respond to treatment rather than something that will be long-term? Trying to present a posistive side - not much help I know, sorry.

 

Sending (((((hugs))))) as i know how horrible it is to have a sick child - you just want to take it all away from them and suffer yourself don't you?

 

Hope you have a better night tonight - but get down to A&E if you have to and try and pin someone down for more info. Why not try NHS Direct for advice and support in the meantime?

[Popcorn]

Thaks girls. It's always a comfort to know somebody else has been through it, and come out the otherside.

 

Paola - his inhaler is a Salbutamol. Does that mean anything to you?

[xScrunchee]

I found this on NHS direct- http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/articles/article.aspx?articleId=116

 

Each time I type 'larynyotrachael' infection in my search bar it comes up with things about croup.

 

I would ask to see a different doctor or go to A&E though and insist that somebody explains it all to you properly.

 

Edited because link wasn't working!

[Tina C]

Just re-read your post and I can't believe that the doctor just said that 'it has no cure' and left you to it. Does he mean that you have to wait for it to get better by itself or what? Get on to NHS Direct for advice.

[Snowy]

Oh Gina, poor you and Stefan, what a worry!

I agree with Kate, take him to A&E for an opinion. If it is an infection, it can be dealt with, it may need some more specific antibiotics. It is a bit early for him to be diagnosed with asthma, but sometimes drugs used for asthma can be helpful in acute infections. Salbutamol is a bronchodilator - basically it helps to widen the airways to help his breathing. The steroids will help reduce any swelling of the airways.

 

There does appear to be a lot of kiddies at the moment with a croup type cough - must be a bug going round Leicester! Sit in the bathroom with him, doors and windows shut and run the shower on very hot (obviously don't get in it). It creates a turkish bath atmosphere, lots of steam will help his breathing and ease his cough.

 

(((Hugs))) hope he's feeling better soon. Give him a cuddle from me.

[Paola]

Thaks girls. It's always a comfort to know somebody else has been through it, and come out the otherside.

 

Paola - his inhaler is a Salbutamol. Does that mean anything to you?

 

Yep, that is what worked well for my daughter. Usually a couple of puffs of that in her volumatic (sp?) worked fairly instantly. Have you been given a volumatic for him? I found that propping the head end of her cot up on a couple of books also helped.

[bronze]

I'm sure my doctor gave croup the techinical title of an larynyotrachael infection. It isnt curable but can be eased and most children grow out of it. Does he make a funny noise when he breathes in between each cough?

 

Would second/third getting a humidifyer though remember to take any books etc out of the room (learn from my experience)

[Mrs Frugal]

If it is croup, sitting him in a steamy room helps considerably. Ollie's had it several times in various degrees of severity and sitting him in the bathroom with the shower running on hot or having a bowl of steaming water nearby really does help.

[little chickadee]

Hope that everything turns out ok. You don't realise what worry is until you have a child yourself. Thinking of you

[Rhapsody]

Poor you and bubbie . Why are they pumping all these drugs into him that weaken all his natural defences if a) there is no cure and b) it is viral?

 

We had the same thing with my older son when he was a baby, but it was enviromnental- we lived next door to a skip yard and the diesel particulates and fumes were what was doing it, when we moved, he got better in 2 days! I would get Stefan sleeping in a steamy room -we used a steam steriliser constantly running for my son when he was tiny.

[The Dogmother]

Rosie had that at the same age (her father is asthmatic) and grew out of it. I was told at the time that this type of infection is common at that age when their bronchial tubes are still narrow. I used to hang damp towels with a few drops of Olbas Oil over the radiator in her room to keep the atmosphere moist and it helped the cough immensely. See if you can get him to blow his nose too, make a game out of it; the less mucous he has on his chest, the better.

 

She isn't troubled by it at all now and is old enough to do steam inhaling from a bowl when she has a cold.

 

My aunt (now retired) was the country's top physio in cardio-pulmonary problems and was a great help when the GP was floundering.

[buffie]

I'm so worried about Stefan. He had what we thought was a chest infection 4 weeks ago. Doctor gave him some antibiotics, but it didn't clear anything up. We took him back, and he was diagnosed with asthma and was given an inhaler. Again - no improvement over the past two weeks.

 

All this time his cough has got worse and worse, like a seal's bark, and over the past two nights we've been up all night with him as he's been coughing uncontrollably and has been breathing irratically.

 

I took him back to the doctor this morning, and he prescribed Stefan a course of steroids and has said that the 'larynyotrachael' infection (?) he has, has no cure, he's done all he can and if he has another night tonight like last night, we are to take him to A&E.

 

Does this mean Stefan will have this terrible cough and breathing problem for the rest of his life?

 

I'm so worried about him and "Ooops, word censored!"ody seems to be able to give me any straight answers on what we can do to help him?

 

I'd go to a homoeopath Gina, is this possible. They do reduced rates for children

 

Hugs

 

BB x

[BeckyBoo]

Hi, it's awful isn't it when your child is sick. Harrison (2) had a chest infection last week, started the day we arrived in Portugal for our first ever holiday, typical, and it's so frightening to hear them fighting for breath. I've no experience with asthma but I have with croup, eldest daughter had it and we ended up in A&E but with H, I've managed to prevent it three times. Each time I heard his cough turning a bit bark like, I ran the shower on it's hottest setting and filled the bath with really hot water, with all the doors and windows shut, then took him in there and we sat and read a book for 15 minutes, twice it was about 3 in the morning! But it worked, opens up their airways a treat. Don't be fobbed off - you know your child best and if you're not happy, STAMP YOUR FEET, TURN INTO A DOCTORS MOTHER FROM HELL AND DEMAND SOME TREATMENT!! The doctor in Portugal didn't even listen to his chest despite me saying, I think he's got a chest infection. He was going to prescribe cough medicine simply because his nose was clear and not full of green (sorry! ) It's only when I insisted he listen that he went, "Oh, he sounds terrible in there" and prescribed anti-biotics, which incidentally worked within 24 hours. If it is croup then I think keeping the atmosphere damp can help, ie those water thingys you can hang on radiators and propping up his bed or cot like someone else said.

 

I really really hope he picks up, it's been an awful year for that sort of thing with the damp weather. Hugs to you both!

 

Mrs B

[Cinnamon]

No other advice from me, as I think evryone has said it all, but I do hope you get some improvment in his condition soon.

I would take him to A&E right away if it were me,in the hope that you will find someone a bit more helpful than the Doctor you spoke to.

 

Fingers crossed for a quick recovery here xxxxx

[Guest]

Best wishes from me too Gina

 

Harry was also quite poorly with asthma when he was a baby so quite a few frantic trips to hospital with him during the night, so I know how worrying it can be

 

He had the appropriate inhalers for a while but grew out of it and now doesn't need them

 

I would also take him to A & E or a different GP if it persists

 

Huge hugs from all of us

[Tessa the Duchess]

I am so sorry you are having all this worry plus doctors not being very helpful.

My eldest son had asthma, my grandson also has asthma at only 21months, it is awful seeing little ones wheezing and struggling to breathe. I would

endorse everything said before and would also like to add one other thing.

I used a saltpipe http://www.thesaltpipe.co.uk/aboutsaltpipe.htm with my

son, and I can honestly say it improved things dramatically. I can't remember from what age you can use them, probably quite young as they

only use salt crystals. The only downside to them is that they have to be

used EVERY day for about 10 mins even when the child seems perfectly well,

but it is easy enough, just puff away while watching tv or being read to. Read

the website and see what you think, certainly worked for me, well that is until

HE became a stroppy teenager and point blank refused to carry on with the

treatment

 

I do hope things improve for you and your son.

 

Tessa

[chickencam]

My son used to get croup from time to time when he was little, and when he was three he got flu which left him with croup. The doctor told us that he was asthmatic, we did the steamy bathroom treatment and it took about three weeks for him to get better.

 

He is now 11 and is still prone to a cold going to his chest but has not had croup since and has shown no further signs of asthma, I think sometimes doctors can be too quick to jump to conclusions, but they are between a rock and a hard place. If they don't say something and the child gets worse they get critised and if they do they also get critised.

 

A lot of child care is about gut feelings and common sense, if you are worried take him straight to A&E.

 

Good luck I hope that he is feeling better soon.

[Egluntyne]

Poor little feller.

 

I hope he responds to the new medication.

 

I agree with those who have said take him to A&E if there is no improvement, and certainly if you think he is worse.

 

Just a thought....is he up to date with his whooping cough jabs?

 

My youngest got it at 10 months...despite having the vaccine.

 

He is 6 ft and ugly as sin now....but it was a worrying time so I can empathise with how you are feeling.

 

Here's hoping you have an uneventful weekend.

[Tessa the Duchess]

Just a thought....is he up to date with his whooping cough jabs?

 

Egluntine, I was going to mention this Other son got whooping cough

it sounded just like a barking seal, though if I recall there is a certain

amount of vomiting with Whooping cough

 

Tessa

[Guest]

You can still get whooping cough, even if you've had the vaccine.

 

Gina, I know how distressing it is too. I can remember sitting with DS waiting for every breath and wondering if I should call an ambulance. My GP said I should have gone to A+E and sent me straight there the next day (it was a Sunday evening). DS had Bronchiolitis, which is apparently quite common in the young. He was admitted to the children's ward. He continued to get it after every cold until he was about 5 when it started to get less severe. At 9, he no longer suffers.

 

If you are really worried, take him to the hospital. Doctors always prefer to reassure you about children rather than you leaving it too late. Trust your instincts and fight for your child.

 

Poor Stefan, I feel really sad to think of him being ill for so long. He's such a lovely, smiley boy!

[jomaxsmith]

I don't know your son's age but from the other posts I'm guessing pre-school.

 

One of my friends' son (age 3) has a tendency to get croup - that's the one with the cough like a barking seal - and she was told during his first attack to take him to A&E. Now that's what she does each time and I think they give him steroids which set him right pretty quickly.

 

 

It must be terrifying - my boys are 3 and 5 and I still worry at every little sniffle or temperature.

 

Sending you hugs

 

Jo