My 4 Year old Daughter Coughs when she Sleeps until she Vomits for last 3 Years

[Mumtotwogirls]

Hi there,
I am getting increasingly worried about my four year old daughter who suffers from Asthma. She was born 8 weeks early and had respiratory help for the first week of her life but after that she seemed ok until she was around 10 months. She did suffer from severe reflux which didn't rectify itself until she was 3 and half. She developed a persistent cough at the age of 10 months and the cough progressively got worse whenever she feel asleep particularly in the winter months (whether it was day or night). She will cough and cough until she vomits which can take a couple of hours of coughing. She has clear fluid dribbling out of her mouth which is what she swallows and I believe this is what is making her be sick. I worry that all this coughing is damaging her lungs and although she uses a corticosteroids inhaler for her astma everyday and has ventolin regularly it does not seem to help and makes her cough worse when she is alseep. We prop her up and have tried many different things over the years (even when she sleeps propped up in her car seat she would cough and dribble etc until she was sick). After many doctors visits and seeing various GPs (it took 5 GPS and a year to diagnose her with asthma) I do not feel I am being taken seriously. I do believe she has athma as she can get very wheezy especially with colds, bad weather and exercise but I think there may be more to this. The coughing at night is affecting my daughter in the day because she gets so tired because once she has vomited she has to be showered and bed linen changed etc and it really disturbs her sleep (the sad thing is she can become quite delirous as she doesn't seem to know/ understand what is going on as she is so tired and when we shower her she falls back asleep). Once she has vomited she settles down for night. We have anti dust mite bedding and an air purifier in her bedroom and her room is free of teddies etc. The doctors thought she might suffer with hayfever but that obviously wouldn't cause her to have the coughing/vomiting in the winter which is when it is at its worse. She is above average in height and is quite slim. She has a pale complexion and has a poor immune system and will catch any virus going around which makes her worse but she is a very good eater and drinks plenty of water and takes regular vitamins. Does anyone else have a child who coughs at night until they vomit? Or does anyone know what she could be suffering from?

[kh4otickitt3n]

I  have had a cough since I was young. I am still struggling with my cough, however I never had a ear infection. My throat and lungs are always clear every time I go to the doctor. I have never smoked, I take an inhaler that I swear doesn't do anything but makes it easier at my peak attacks aka after I vomit... I struggle with asthma.
My daughter is starting to developing something related to asthma  she is coughing for weeks after a common cold or flu, and this just started at age 10.

There are a few things to consider:

Prior to an asthma attack.
1) animals (especially cats) in the home are bad and actually increase the asthma attacks. It's not their hair but their skin and shedding skin follicles.
2) cold air exchange, encourages cough attacks. Changes in weather.
3) anxiety or dealing with anger or excitement (an increase in emotions/heart-rate)
4) feathered comforters and teddy bears that might contain old dust or mold.
5) paper bonded in books that is usually very dry can dry up the the throat.

During
1) Try to sit with their head laying against something comforting or between their knees.
2) close eyes and let yourself/ child cough and remove yourself/child out of a room or environment that is distracting or loud.
3)pat chest at a slow rate repeatedly until heart rate slows down to a normal rate
4)DO NOT TALK to child who is having an asthma attack. Allow them to focus. Try rubbing/stroking their head while their head is between their knees with their eyes closed.

PLEASE keep in mind that these are all just ideas. What works for one may not work for the other. Children probably wont grow out of asthma but lets hope they will. Medicine is meant to HELP not prevent or eliminate asthma.

[parkerphotography]

I feel for all of you parents too!! My daughter is 7 and we have delt with this since she was a baby. Same story DR after DR specialist test adnoids taken out meds inhalers allergies acid reflux been through it all. NOTHING has made any difference in her attacks. We recently had DFS division of family services called on us bc she is missing so much school. They came to my house and were agrivated bc I havent taken her to the DR and they dont understand why I am not trying to find a long term preventer for her symptoms. SERIOUSLY how insulting!!! My husband and I have done everything possible to try and help her. They have no idea what she goes through as parents we would do anything if there was hope of it helping. We have noticed less attacks the older she gets and our hope is she will grow out of it. They are insisting we continue to take her to DRs which we both think is ridiculous considering all of the test and meds shes been through in the last 7 yrs. I am not allowing them to put her on more meds and more test she goes through enough the way it is. Once the cough starts it will last 4 days and treatments do not help she might not cough for 5 minutes but she will start right back up after that, not to mention the effects it has on her mentally and physically her heart will race and she will get very aggitated. She will be up all night and its hard to send her to school with 2 hours sleep. Then if I send her to school they call me to come get her bc she cant stop coughing. And then they hotline DFS bc shes missed so much. I just dont understand
The only thing I can say to all parents is have patients I know its hard sometimes hopefully one day there will be an answer besides allergies, asthma, acid reflux, or I love this one she just has a common virus go home and continue albuterol treatments every three hours..... Good Luck to you all you arent alone and dont let anyone make you feel like you arent doing enough to help your children bc I have searched for yrs for an answer and what I have found out is this is a common problem found in alot of children that seem the only thing that helps is time. By age 14 most have out grown all of there symptoms, and the colder months are going to be the worst. Any suggestions from anyone would be much appreciated

[greatdayinkentucky]

Our daughter is 7 and has been coughing until she vomits in the winter months since she was just a few weeks old. She was not born early. We have taken her to countless doctors of all kinds and had her tested for everything we can think of. She was diagnosed with reflux, milk allergy, seasonal allergy, asthma, etc. She has been prescribed well over a dozen meds at different times, and nothing seems to work. She coughs all night long with only seconds in between coughs and she vomits many of those nights. We have had to change her sheets up to 4 times in a night from the cough-induced vomiting. I know she is so exhausted the next day, poor thing...we all are. It seems that no one around here knows what is wrong with her or what to do about it. If someone has some great advice, I'd love to hear it.

[shirley948]

Hi Tracy about 3 years ago I had the same symptoms as you, I was 43 at the time, and never suffered with asthma in my life. I did not sleep for 9 months, waking constantly coughing and vomiting clear stringy liquid. My doctor gave the usual steroid treatments, which did not work. I was exhausted, and they did not seem to know what to do, other than the regular inhalers. I researched the internet in desperation for a cure so I could sleep, and found "Lobelia". I took it once, and it makes you vomit, quite violently, it was not pleasant, but I was willing to try anything, and the suffering was worth it. I slept through the night and continued to do so. You have to ensure you take the recommended dosage, it is a licensed product and is sold in homeopathic shops as well as the internet. It is definitely worth a try and I really hope it works for you, as I know how you feel at the moment. Best wishes

[tracymic]

well I am 48 and am having this exact same problem!  Why??? It has been going on for about 6 months and I am longing for a good nights sleep.  As with these kids, I only start coughing when I lay down to go to sleep and then it starts!  I cough until i throw up.  Any other adults having this issue?

[drm2673]

My almost 2 year old has the same problem. She was born almost 6 weeks early and her right lung collapsed. She had a machine breath for her her first week of life. Since then we have battled with a cough and runny nose! I take her to the doctor and get sent home with the same thing everytime! some sort of anti-biotic and saying its broncholitis! For the past month her coughing has just gotten worse, she now coughs uncontrollable at night until she vomits! At first I thought she was making herself do it to get to stay up a little while longer (we recently switched from a crib to a toddler bed and she doesn't like it very much) but she does it every night, sometimes 2 or 3 times a night. I'm at my end with it and called the doctor and told her that we needed to do something about this now. She said she would call me back! I am so tired of them not listening to me and looking at me like i'm making it all up! I've tried to give her claratin, benadryl, and every OTC cough medicine there is for small children and nothing helps her!! There is really something wrong and I wish someone would just help me!!