XP: Raspy, weezy breathing...help/advice!!

laurenbug

XP'd from 12-24 in hopes I can get a late-night answer from someone, somewhere!!!

Ugh.  I've already talked to the on-call pedi (sounded like he was dead asleep, lol), but anyway, W has had a bit of a runny nose for about a day and a half now.  No biggie, I didn't think.  He's been otherwise 100% normal.  He started coughing just a tiny bit late this afternoon, a yucky barking cough, but probably only 1 cough an hour..so again, I wasn't too concerned.  I had a decongestant prescribed from a doc-in-a-box a bit back when he had a bad cold and ear infection, and started giving him that during the day in hopes that this runny nose wouldn't lead to an ear infection (he's got tubes...prone to EIs).  I've also been using saline spray and the nasal aspirator.  Put him to bed as normal at about 8:30.  At 1:30 I woke up to him screaming crying, sounding really hoarse, and with a terrible raspy, weezy breathing.  I tried to calm him down, and brought him into our bed.  Even after he'd calmed down and fallen back asleep, he was still breathing somewhat fast and very rattle-ly/noisily.  This is when I called the on-call pedi.  He said it sounded a bit "suspicious" and that I needed to: 1) have him sleep with a humidifier (already had been doing that tonight) or even take him into a steamy bathroom; 2) elevate the head of his crib; 3) make sure he's drinking a bunch when awake; and 4) if none of these seem to be helping, take him to the Children's Hospital for a breathing treatment.

So, I've got him back to sleep, in his room, humidifier going full-blast, head of the mattress raised.  I'm going to go check on him in about 20 minutes, but at what point would you say it's time to go to the hospital??  I know I'm not going to sleep at all tonight, but I also don't want to over-react if he's just got a nasty cold.  Ugh.

Thanks if anyone is awake and made it this far...

Mrs Lou

Has he done this before? Did you try the bathroom? My DD  has asthma, and hates her treatments, so when she was smaller like 6months or so she wouldsit in her bouncy seat while the shower ran HOT as possible....I thinkI would try this and see if it works....

SarahBukisi

my son gets like this with every cold. we now have a nebulizer at home and he gets albuterol treatments every 3 hours or as needed when he has trouble breathing. Often ds gets a cough but not from a cold, a cough that says he is having trouble breathing. If he still sounds raspy i would bring him to the ER for a treatment and you will be amazed at the difference. and then talk to your pedi about getting a neb for your home so that you dont have to go out to the ER every time he gets bad.

DS did not start up with this until he was um...15 months. 

iowagirl73

If it were me, with the barking cough and the wheezing (trouble breathing) I'd take my child to the ER.  You just don't know if it is serious or not.  DS2 was seen a couple of months ago for wheezing and he ended up with a breathing treatment (the "procedure" is not a big deal) and albuterol.  He had had a horrible cold (I think it was allergy related) and even lost his voice for 3wk, and runny nose.  Even after the initial visit to the doc, he had a follow up and had another breathing treatment.  He ended up on the albuteral and something else I cannot remember at the moment for a week.  He ended up being sick for a month.