# Coughing but only at night - asthma?



## Sparky0207

Lucy has been coughing through the night for about a week now. She never coughs during the day but it seems pretty constant through the night and breaks her sleep. Its a tickly cough rather than a chesty one.

Ive made sure her room is warm enough and shes always wrapped up. I suffered with asthma as a child and my OH and Lucy both have eczema - which I heard could make her more likely to get asthma - is it worth taking her to the docs or waiting to see if it clears up over the next week or so?


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## Happy

Sparky0207 said:


> Lucy has been coughing through the night for about a week now. She never coughs during the day but it seems pretty constant through the night and breaks her sleep. Its a tickly cough rather than a chesty one.
> 
> Ive made sure her room is warm enough and shes always wrapped up. I suffered with asthma as a child and my OH and Lucy both have eczema - which I heard could make her more likely to get asthma - is it worth taking her to the docs or waiting to see if it clears up over the next week or so?

I hope this doesn't sound wrong but I am so glad I have found someone ele with this problem. Phoebe only coughs at night as well and it has been going on for 3 months, it always breaks her sleep and she is really suffering.

I have been to see 3 doctors who told me there is nothing wrong with her, had 2 different types of antibiotics which did nothing and then eventually she was admitted to hospital after a reaction to the medicine. The doctor in hospital told me the cough sounded like broncitus (sp) and that we have to ride it out but it could take 6 months.

TBH I am not convinced with this and I am sure she may have asthma, it is in both sides of our family although OH and I dont have it.


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## Sparky0207

It doesnt sound wrong, I know what you mean and its reassuring to know someone else is in the same boat :hugs:

I didnt realise it could mean asthma until I mentioned it to my mum and she said that was how my asthma started.

My doctor is usually pretty good so I think i'll take her this week and let you know how we get on. Sorry to hear you had such a crappy experience xxxx


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## Jkelmum

They dont like to diagnois asthma until aged 5 if they can help it , Ethan is 3 as had a cough for 4 wks now onset of exersise and worse at night my doc is willin to try a inhaler if ut continues 8 wks :wacko:


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## Happy

I just dont know what I can do for her anymore it seems chesty but her chest is clear, last night she woke up 3 times coughing her head off.

I hope your doctor can give you some answers.


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## Happy

Sparky0207 said:


> It doesnt sound wrong, I know what you mean and its reassuring to know someone else is in the same boat :hugs:
> 
> I didnt realise it could mean asthma until I mentioned it to my mum and she said that was how my asthma started.
> 
> My doctor is usually pretty good so I think i'll take her this week and let you know how we get on. Sorry to hear you had such a crappy experience xxxx

How did you get on at the doctors?

I took Phoebe for a fourth opinion and she just looked at her and said she has an allergy to something as the skin under her eyes is quite dark. She checked her throat and tonsils which are red raw :cry: and her glands are up which is why she is producing so much mucus.

I've been told it maybe asthma so she has been given an inhaler but tbh we are on day 3 and it seems to be worse. I have to go back next friday if it doesn't work and they are going to try and antihistimine (sp) failing that she will be referred to a specialist. :cry: xxx


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## Vici

Have you tried a humidifier? I know alot of people swear by them in babies rooms :)


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## HanKi x

Vici said:


> Have you tried a humidifier? I know alot of people swear by them in babies rooms :)

Was just going to say the same.


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## lottie7

Oh my goodness................ other people are going through the same as we are!!!! My daughter has had a cough for MONTHS!! Her skin is covered in what has been diagnosed as eczema. We have had inhaler after inhaler (she's 5 years old). Our nights are truly awful. She hasn't slept for more than about 15 minutes at a time for months as she is constantly coughing. It breaks my heart to see her be so uncomfortable at night. I'm wondering if she has an allergy but don't know where to go for allergy tests?
xx


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## Happy

lottie7 said:


> Oh my goodness................ other people are going through the same as we are!!!! My daughter has had a cough for MONTHS!! Her skin is covered in what has been diagnosed as eczema. We have had inhaler after inhaler (she's 5 years old). Our nights are truly awful. She hasn't slept for more than about 15 minutes at a time for months as she is constantly coughing. It breaks my heart to see her be so uncomfortable at night. I'm wondering if she has an allergy but don't know where to go for allergy tests?
> xx

The doctor told me today it takes them ages to test for allergies and its better to be reffered to a consultant. We are seeing an ear,nose and throat specialist next week so hopefully we can get nearer to finding out whats wrong. xx


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## lozzy21

You could try and make her room a bit cooler, walm air makes my astma worse


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## ld2204

i couldnt believe it when i have just read all these posts, thank goodness we are not alone, jake has had a cough for about 5weeks, mainly worse at nite, been to the doctors 3 times, chest clear every time. We have had an inhaler for 2weeks, cant say iv noticed a difference, but we're unsure if he is even getting any as it is such a battle giving it to him, went to the asthma clinic today but they couldnt do anything as he now has a cold. Im so frustrated as i dont feel it is asthma, we have no history of asthma in the family, jake had bad baby eczema but only gets the odd bit now. Please keep this post updated with any results, ideas and advice ladies. Hopfully we'll get it sorted for better sleep for us and our
poor little ones.x


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## ld2204

jake is 10 and half months by the way.


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## lottie7

Keep us posted as to how you get on with the Consultant. It sounds like there's a few of us battling a cough!

xx


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## MrsRoughton

my lo is the same some nights worse than other and has an inhalor but that stops her wheezing but not the cough! i have found that propping you her pillow end helps a little. 
btw she is 23 months.


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## lesleyann

my Lo is younger but he has this but more when he gets very excited and goes overboard with his jumping ect No help though sorry


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## Happy

We are off to the specialist this coming Wednesday so i'll let you all know what happens, it seems there are quite a few of us going through this.

I have noticed in the past few days Phoebe seems to cough less if her room is at 22 degrees, she went through from 6pm to 6am last night without coughing although when she woke up she had a coughing fit. When we saw the doctor this week she now has an infection on her left lung but they dont want to give her antibiotics just yet (she is fine in herself) because she has had reactions to two previous ones.


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## Heavenx

My daughter is almost 20months old and has had a constant cough for the past 5 months. It started with a cold so at first we just thought it was part of a common cold but it lasted and lasted and has never gone away. It gets worse at night, breaking her sleep and also after playing out doors, running around. I've seen 2 different Dr's and both suggested asthma but they bth said it couldn't be confirmed in a child her age. Both Dr's have been happy to prescribe an inhalor though but the trouble is giving it to her, how do you explaing to a 20 month old to keep the inhalor covering your mouth and nose and take deep breaths in? We've tried to make a game of it and she's not afraid of it but just doesn't breath in as much as she needs to so so far it's proved pretty pointless in treating her. 

How did you get on with the consultant appointment Happy?


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## Happy

I went ok. They couldn't find anything wrong with her chest, we went for an x-ray and it was all clear. The consultant told us he thinks she picked up a virus in December and has just been getting one on top of the other which is why she has had a constant cough. He also said it is not unusal for babies to get this during their 'first' winter and he expected it to disappear within 6-8 weeks when the weather warmed up, if not she had to go back and see him.

It turns out he was right and it has almost disappered thank goodness.


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## Heavenx

Happy said:


> I went ok. They couldn't find anything wrong with her chest, we went for an x-ray and it was all clear. The consultant told us he thinks she picked up a virus in December and has just been getting one on top of the other which is why she has had a constant cough. He also said it is not unusal for babies to get this during their 'first' winter and he expected it to disappear within 6-8 weeks when the weather warmed up, if not she had to go back and see him.
> 
> It turns out he was right and it has almost disappered thank goodness.

That's good news, I'm glad the x-rays were clear and that her cough is now clearing :)

It's useful to know about the viruses and 'first' winter, hopefully that may be what's behind a lot of babies long lasting coughs. My dauhter has had one cold after another so far this year, it's redicilous, she seems to only go for 2 or 3 weeks without a cold and of course her cough is always worse then. 

Glad Pheobe is OK x


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## caggimedicine

Harry has had a cough which is only at night... here's the bad news - he's had it for a year!! He's seen about 4 GPs, and numerous pediatricians, and no one can work out what it is. Some have said asthma and prescribed inhalers (various different ones), and some have said it's not asthma but don't know what it is.

We've been having follow-up appointments about every 2 months and had one last week. We saw the head of the pediatric unit this time who said she'd done a lot of studies on kids with coughs, and said that 9 times out of 10 they never find the cause but the child grows out of it. She's told us not to come back again (I think they've given up), but did send Harry for a chest x-ray just to make sure!

Harry has mild eczema, but there is no eczema or asthma in either of our families.

Here are the things we've tried (not in any order)

Humidifiers
Raising Harry's head (e.g. pillow, proping legs of cot up etc)
Cleaning constantly (in case it was due to dust)
Cough medicines
Brown inhaler (steroid)
Blue inhaler (salbutamol)
Various nose drops (prescribed by GP)
Antihistermines (incase of allergies)
Antibiotics


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## DragonMummy

My boy has this too. I give him a Clenil inhaler (the brown one) morning and night and that helps x


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