Does anyone have experience with Croup?

butterbeansmama

I think P has it :-( I'm taking him into the Urgent Care today (as soon as they open), but for the past two nights he has woken up at least 5 times with a barking cough.

Is Croup contagious? Is there prescribed medication for it? If so, does it help right away? How long does the cough usually last?

Poor boy has had the Seasonal Flu shot and the H1N1 Flu shot all within the last week. Now this. UGH!

tia

KrisBriMcBunny

yes croup is contagious like a cold.  One thing to watch for is his breathing....is he having to work hard to breath like his chest is sucking in and his nostrils flaring.  If he is then go to the ER NOW!

Another sign of croup is the voice...is very hoarse sounding.  Thats because croup is actually an infection & inflamation in the voice box.

They will probably give him some steriods...predisone to help with the inflamation and albuterol (inhaler) for his breathing if he needs it.

Heidisean

Yes, we do unfortunately. My dd was even hospitalized for it last September. She gets it most of the time when she gets sick because once you get it you are more suseptable to get it. It is contagious because it is caused by a viral infection. With croup the voice box is smaller than usual and the viral infection makes the voice box swell and causes the sound. The cough lingers for awhile 1-2 weeks after she is actually feeling better. What you have to watch for is the airway getting blocked due to the swelling of the voicebox. That is why they tell you to put them in a steamy bathroom or go walk outside (the cold air helps to open the airway). They put dd on steroids each time to decrease the swelling in the airway. We unfortunately have an appt today at 10:30 because of this. Tis the season;( I hope P is better soon! Also run a cool mist humidifier all the time that seems to help a little.

butterbeansmama

KrisBriMcBunny:

yes croup is contagious like a cold.  One thing to watch for is his breathing....is he having to work hard to breath like his chest is sucking in and his nostrils flaring.  If he is then go to the ER NOW!

Another sign of croup is the voice...is very hoarse sounding.  Thats because croup is actually an infection & inflamation in the voice box.

They will probably give him some steriods...predisone to help with the inflamation and albuterol (inhaler) for his breathing if he needs it.

Thanks Krisitie. If it is croup, it's a very mild case (so far). His voice is fine and I haven't noticed any weasing or anything like that. I feel so bad though. He needs his sleep.

butterbeansmama

Heidisean:

I hope P is better soon! Also run a cool mist humidifier all the time that seems to help a little.

I hear you on that one. I love this time of year, but hate the sickness associated with it.

I've been meaning to buy a new cool mist humidfier. Maybe today is the day :-)

KrisBriMcBunny

Michelle's was very mild too it was mostly her voice....omg it was soooo awful and so pathetic sounding.  She had the cough but it really didnt keep her up at night....it was mostly first thing in the morning & when she first goes to bed.

 

femmegem

If he's not struggling to breathe there really isn't much good urgent care can do for croup, IMO. The best thing to do is take him outside in the cold to let him breathe in the cold air and also run a HOT shower and have him hang out in the steamy bathroom.

If he's struggling to breathe, take him to the ER for steroids and a breathing treatment. If not, do what I suggested above.

goodheartedmommy

Just popping in to say that croup is not always contagious. My kids all get it every time they have allergies, a cold, etc. If their nose is running, they're typically barking at night.

PearlieGirl'sMom

We deal with Croup all the time. Seriously, the best thing we find is to run a very hot shower (hottest setting) and just sit in the bathroom with P. Have him sit on the floor of the bathroom for about 20mns with the shower running (it is the steam that you want... you do not want him in the shower). Then, immediately, take him outside in the chilly air. Either walk him up and down he street or go for a ride with the windows open.

This is done best during the night when he wakes up like this.

For Pearl, we have a standing prescription of a steriod liquid (predinosal ?) that the pedi said at the first sign to give her and then wait until morning to take her to the pedi instead of always running to the ER.

Croup is contagious. The barking and symptoms sound much worse than they are and is worse in the evening/early morning.

As the previous poster said, if P's breathing is labored than you want to call the Dr immediately. Most times, when we've rushed Pearl to the ER, the symptoms were much better because we had the windows open and the air helped.

Another thing, try to have as much humidity in your home as possible during these winter months.

Good Luck! Hope P is OK!

butterbeansmama

Thanks girls! I will try the steamy shower and then cool walks outside. He did stand outside for long periods of time yesterday (waiting in line for H1N1 and then trick or treating in town), but it didn't seem to help his sleep last night. The only reason why I would take him to Urgent Care, is because my mom works there, so we know the doctor's and it's close.