Cough - Westland,MI

You don't say how old she is. If she is still having problems coughing up stuff I'd take her back into the dr. something could have changed or developed in the last 3 days. This has happended to me before. Went to dr on Wed they said it was just a cold take her home. Took her back on Sat. they said that they could now her something in the lungs here was some medicine. When I asked why the first dr. hadn't found it they said that it just hadn't gotten bad enough to hear at that time. Things like that happen.

At night try to have her sleep at incline not flat on her back. Also try a humidifier to keep the air slightly moist.

M.

Yellow and green stuff doesn't always mean infection. Her fever MAY have been a symptom of infection. Fever is the body's way to fight infection. Since her fever is gone, she probably fought off whatever it was on her own and now has the leftover "clean-up" of her cough. Antibiotics don't work on a virus and could cause more problems than you want if given without an infection. If it IS strep, your doc will give anantibiotic, as strep can be very dangerous. Call the doc again and remember the doc IS the doc...not you. Sounds to me like she is on the mend since her fever is gone.

They do say viruses such as a cold can last up to 7 to 10 days. Usually if the fever has gone then the worst is over. But I agree with the other posters, that age is important and also that things can change rapidly. Your doctor should be willing to see your child if you think something has gotten worse. Watch for signs of trouble breathing too - like her stomach sucking in when she's breathing or if during a coughing fit she really seems to struggle. My youngest had a cold at 3 months and couldn't really handle the coughing and had to have nebulizer treatments. He had them again at about 8 months with another cold.
Good luck!

How old is she?

Next: since her symptoms are progressing/changing/worsening... TELL the Doctor...

Coughs.... for your reference, are due to:
1) chest maladies, or
2) Post-nasal drip from the sinuses.
3) or both.
Post-nasal drip... can also in some cases... cause a lung infection. I had that... from a head-cold. It developed into BAD Bronchitis and almost Pneumonia.... my mucus that was coming out was super thick, despite decongestants.... and a dark color.... by then. But it all started off, with a head cold. The Doc told me... that post-nasal drips... can affect the lungs too....

Her fever is not bad. But keep an eye on it.... taking her temp throughout the day/night....

They SHOULD have the Strep test back, already. It does not take that long.
I would wonder about them....

Also, coughs can be due to many things... chest or sinus problems... and it can get worse or become an infection, or not. They say a "cold" takes about 7-10 days to run its course.
But if her cough is bad... and getting worse... they Doctor SHOULD look into that... take her back to the Doctor, for a follow-up. That is what our Pediatrician... does.

all the best,
Susan

Be patient. Just because she's coughing up yellow/green stuff is not a fool proof indication that she has a bacterial infection (what you'd need an antibiotic for). Many doctors give out antibiotics for viral infiections when they do NO GOOD. Many people are developing resistance to antibiotics because of their overuse and then when they REALLY need it, oops, they don't work anymore. Be patient, they're on top of it. Keep encouraging your child to cough up what's in her lungs, run a humidifier in her room at night, and even during the day. Have her drink as much water and orange juice as you possibly can.

Best wishes. I know its hard to see your kid suffer, just hang in there!

Croup is going around here in arizona and california. can be serious. read up on it and see if your child has the other symptoms besides cough and fever. Good luck:)

Does she cough and cough and not seem to stop? Pneumonia!! Worst cough my daughter ever had, so bad she threw up.

Ask them to listen to her chest agin, it could have even developed since her first visit. I suppose even bronchitis, but either way, get her lungs listened to and perhaps they will want a chest x-ray.

By the way, how old is she? IF she is under 3, I might take her to urgent care. Coughs can get dangerous quickly in little ones. Listen particularly for wheezing or barking sounds.

Hi N.---If the fever is gone she is likely improving, although with that drainage and a cough, it can take some time for the body to expell all of that junk that has built up fighting the virus.

Strep doesn't usually have all that coughing and mucous. You want to make sure that the cough med is an expectorant, something that makes the body get that stuff out! Keep her well hydrated, sleep elevated, give her warm baths with lots of steam in the room. Chicken soup with a bit of hot pepper is a great medicine. Hot foods make the mucous runny. I also like to make veggie soups with V8. Little ones may not like chunks of veggies so I would take the soup and puree it for the little ones.

Try to leave antibiotics as a last resort. It is really best to let the body do what it knows to do. Support her body with her diet...LOTS of fresh fruits and veggies are essential for a strong and balanced immune system. I have a great chart that shows what kids of different ages should be eating in terms of servings every day. I also have some other great strategies for getting more fruit and veggies into kids. I would be happy to share these and other great tips if you'd like.

I will be at a Vendor and Craft show tomorrow in Bloomfield Hills, at the Wing Lake School, 6490 Wing Lake Rd, nw corner of Maple and Wing Lake (just west of Telegraph). It is a fundraiser for their PTO. Come and do some Christmas shopping and we can talk about how to help your precious little one. Be patient and keep your daughter comfy. Watch for changes in breathing. Most likely, she will be just fine very soon. Good luck, D.

They'd have had the strep test back by now. She's probably negative for strep. The symptoms don't even sound strep related... To me anyway. I've had strep so many times, I couldn't even tell you how many.

With both of my kids, if they have a high fever (greater than 102*), they are inconsolable (only has happened once per kid), or an illness is lasting longer than 10days, will I take them in. That's the only time I go in for myself too. If she can't breathe and coughing uncontrolably, there's something going on! I know the only times myself or my kids had issues with uncontrolable coughing or the inability to breathe, it was bronchitis. Really quite common this time of year. I'd be calling again and trying to get the Doc to call me back in the very least.

Hi N. :-)

There is a rapid strep test they can perform to see if your child has strep.. I"m guessing the doctor didn't do that? The fact that her fever went away could be pointing to something other than strep, but they should still have the results back.

Is your daughter still coughing up the yellow/green? Are you keeping her WELL hydrated? If she gets dehydrated, it will cause the mucous to be thicker. What did the doctor recommend for her cough?

I agree with S.H., how old is your child? Is she taking dairy products? Sometimes they can cause mucous production.

Hoping thing are improving for your daughter.. if not, phone the doctor back again and tell them you need further guidance!

hugs,
A. R.N., Energy Medicine Practitioner

I would go to different dr and get a 2nd opinion.