Coughing at night for 5 months...Please help!

avalliere1128

My 20 month old son has been coughing at night for the past 5 months. We have been to the pediatrician numerous times, seen a pulmonary pediatric specialist and been to the ER. They thought/think it could be a form of asthma so they put him on a steroid inhaler and when that didn't help for 2 weeks they gave us an albuterol inhaler for the times were he can't stop coughing. Every time we have been to any doctor for this he is never wheezing and they say his lungs sound clear. Last ER visit resulted in the Dr saying that it could be reflux. We mentioned it to the pulmonary specialist and he said where it wasn't a ton better with the inhalers then we could try the antacid. 1st night he was on the antacid he wasn't supposed to get the inhalers and it was an awful night. We have put him back on the inhalers cause it does give him "some" relief and I say that lightly. We have pulled all rugs from his room, he has a cool mist humidifier and we have now bought an air purifier for his room. It's very frustrating to be seeing him go through this and I am beside myself as to what to do. Feel like I am getting now where with Dr's, but this is obviously something and I want it figured out. Has anyone else every experienced this or have any suggestions? TIA

kmc84

I'm sure you have tried this, but I'll ask just incase-have you used a humidifier in his room at night? If you have forced hot air, have you had your duct work professionally cleaned? Have you seen an ENT who has a focus on allergies? Has he had an exhaled nitrous oxide test (quick test where he breaths in and blows out through a tube)?

I'm sorry you haven't gotten any answers yet.

avalliere1128

We have a humidifier in his room. We have forced hot water heat so no duct work. We have seen an ENT yet, but I think when we go to the dr on Monday I am going to request that. He hasn't had the exhaled nitrous oxide test yet cause he's only 20 months and they didn't think he would cooperate with that.

kmc84

Try and get in to see a pediatric ENT. I'm sure they have another way of doing the test for little kiddos

It's so frustrating when you can't get answers. Good luck momma!

What kind of cough is it? Dry, moist, anything eve get coughed up?

Meery82

My first thought was reflux, but after reading, I'm thinking allergies or asthma. I agree with seeing a pedi ENT, just to cover your bases. I don't know how forced hot water heat works, but if it requires an air filter, try changing it. Do you have pets that could be causing it? It's possible that you just haven't found the right combination of meds to control it.

avalliere1128

It's a dry cough. Gonna recommend to Pedi to get referral to ENT pedi.

Thanks!

chrissynena

Just a lurker, but we had the same thing for 5 months. I felt so bad for her at night, we had many sleepless nights due to the coughing. We took her to the allergist/asthma center as I was sure it was allergies (I and her dad have terrible allergies), nope turns out it's asthma (which I also have horribly). The allergist put her on singular, and after about 2 weeks the coughing stopped. 

Edit: Forgot something. I wanted to say we had already been seeing the ENT since she was 5.5 months old for ear infections. He wanted to put her on singular but for the wrong reasons. I am glad we saw the allergist to get to the root cause.

Meery82

chrissynena said:

Just a lurker, but we had the same thing for 5 months. I felt so bad for her at night, we had many sleepless nights due to the coughing. We took her to the allergist/asthma center as I was sure it was allergies (I and her dad have terrible allergies), nope turns out it's asthma (which I also have horribly). The allergist put her on singular, and after about 2 weeks the coughing stopped. 

Edit: Forgot something. I wanted to say we had already been seeing the ENT since she was 5.5 months old for ear infections. He wanted to put her on singular but for the wrong reasons. I am glad we saw the allergist to get to the root cause.

Yes, an allergist might be a good one to try before the ENT Dr.

ah625

I would call your local health department and see if they can perform air tests for mold. That could absolutely be the cause of his cough. 

Msdancnusa1

We have had a similar experience since late December. She only coughs when she sleeps. It started primarily after an episode of bronchiolitis and seems like the cough was worse after the illness. It also, cooresponded to the time we started WCM. But pedi doesnt think its related. There were times she was coughing every 3-5 minutes, gagging herself and falling back to sleep. Very miserable experience. Now she only coughs initially when she falls asleep and in the morning. I brought her into see the pedi and no signs of resp issues or other suggestive causes. She doesnt think its allergies at this point because of no other signs, like eye redness, drainage or runny nose. She had reflux as an infant and could be the cause but didnt tolerate zantac. My pedi thought once this long winter subsides she will probably grow out of it. This winter has been ungodly cold and dry in approaching 50 subzero days. We cant really increase our house humidity above 25% due to the temps. So we struggle on... Not going to get worried until Spring, hoping it just goes away. Good luck and keep us posted on what you find out!

momofmanyinthemitten

Try an allergist, says DH (who is a pedi and an allergist).

avalliere1128

Well it started again a week ago, like clock work. The pedi put him back on the rescue inhaler and pro air 2x per day. WE are seeing a different ENT next week but think that I am going to recommend we see allergist. We hvae been to the asthma doctor and nothing came of it.

happy_un-bride

i can't offer any advice, only to tell you that my DS seems to have the same issues.  He's been on and off his inhaler for a year now (mostly on).  Luckily, he manages to sleep through the coughing most of the time.  He has had a great amount of respiratory screening at a paediatric hospital since he had a rough go of it in the spring with 2 bouts of pneumonia.  The last time he saw the respirologist was in September and he says his lungs are clear and he's been stable for a few months.  I asked about asthma and he mentioned they don't really firmly diagnose at this age, but treat accordingly.  So we stick with the inhalers for now.  and fingers crossed that he grows out of it.  

Stones07

It took us from March to September to find out what my DD needed to control her Allergies and Asthma. After months of trying things (no humidifier, baths every night to get pollen washed off from when she played outside in the spring) we had her on Clairtin and Pulmicort both given in the morning and her symptoms were controlled during the day but the nights, those were the worst. I begged for months and finally they gave in and we added Singulair at dinner time and from the first night on it made a HUGE difference the coughing/wheezing finally stopped. My DD is 21m and on QVAR which is 2 puffs in the morning with a spacer and 1tsp of Clairtin and 1 chewable Singulair tablet and she is finally able to run and play and laugh without coughing fits and sleeps without coughing through the night. Pulmonary dr and Allergist was our next step if this didn’t work. I was even trakcing all her food to see if that caused the issue and stopped with ice water thinking the cold maybe bothered her. GL it is awful to see them go through it and not be able to know exactly what to do much less the sleepless nights for everyone.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />