4 1/2 Yr Old Still Has Chronic Cough

Hi,

I am sorry you and your daughter have been through all of this! I don't know much about chronic coughs, but your story reminded me a little of me. I was congested and kept being told that I had allergies. I took a blood test and it came back negative. Didn't make any sense to me although allergy meds didn't help me at all. I had terrible post nasal drip. I ended up seeing an ENT who did the scratch test for allergies. I am not allergic to anything. However, I was diagnosed with Non-Allergic Rhinitis or Vaso Motor Rhinitus.....anyway, what it means is that irritants cause allergic reactions in me. It looks like allergies and when the pollen count is high, I have more trouble. There are other triggers though. Chemicals, pollutants, hormonal shifts, changes in barametric pressure. I am sure to be one of those old ladies that knows when it will rain! I do sleep with an air purifier in my room. It helps especially in Spring and Fall. May and September are my bad months. I the winter dry air is irritating, in the summer, it's the humidity. My ENT explained that any time you have nerves and blood vessles together you can have trouble. In the head, it's headaches, in the nose it's VMR in the gut, it is Irritable Bowel. There are meds that help, it is very individual and I do not know what is approved for kids. I take Astelin (now called Astepro) and Singulair. I hope this helps, feel free to send me a message if I confused you or you have a question. I am sorry about the spelling, my 3 year old is calling me so I am trying to rush!! Best of luck, I hope you figure this out soon so you and your daughter can rest.

Wow. That is tough. Seems like you have done pretty much everything possible medically. Did you notice over the summer if you or she were doing anything differently than the winter months? Does the AC seem to help more than having the windows open? Do you use a humidifier more in the winter than the summer? Is she drinking more fluids in the heat than she does now?
I am just throwing some non-medical things out there that maybe the docs haven't asked (if that's possible??)since I am not a doctor!! I feel for you though, I do not envy you right now!
Some people get the worst allergies during this time of the year, maybe she is allergic to something that was not on the test scope. Also, maybe ask her what she feels right before she starts coughing. Again, someone has probably already asked this but may be worth a shot. Is it a tickle in her throat? a feeling that there is something lodged there? mucus? Ask her so you know whether some of it has become a habit after all this time. I know it is too simple to be true, but still maybe worth a shot.
Good luck! I hope someone replies that has had some experience with this!

I know they tested for allergies and came up negative, but the way you describe the cough as going away over the summer and coming back now does sound a bit like allergies. Mine have been quite bad the past two weeks. Did you change anything before she started coughing again? Like putting her back on any of the meds? I know it sounds obvious but cough can be a side effect of some medications.
I don't know which children's hospital you have taken your daughter to, but I would strongly suggest CHOP in Philly or AI DuPont in Wilmington, DE if you haven't already done so. They are the 2 of the best children's hospitals in the country. Best of luck to you and your daughter!

Have you tried zyrtec? Have you placed a cool mist humidifier in her room? The heat could be drying her out. it sounds like she has post nasal drip and that is why she is coughing.it sounds like she has seasonal allergies. she could also be allergic to animals at home. rub some vicks vapo rub on her feet and put socks on her feet and rub a little on her chest. i do that when my son has a cough. the other night that is what finally stopped him from coughing.right now he has a runny nose and is coughing. he is only two so i am limited to what i can give him. one of my romanian friends told me to take a onion cut it four ways without cutting it all the way and put honey in it. cover it with some plastic wrap and let it bleed the onion juice by sitting for an hour or so. give her the concoction with a medicine syringe. I hope any of this may be new info and may help. good luck.

My son had achronic barky cough with no signs of illness and it would not go away. My doctor prescribed Advair twice a day (morning and night). It took a few weeks but the cough cleared up. My child still takes Advair but I can take him off it from time to time. He will go months without it but if he gets a cold he gets the cough forever again until he restarts the advair and sometime the cough just starts and we start the Advair again. When we do start the Advair again it is usually for at least 3 months each time, but we can be off it for 3 or 4 months at a time as well.

Hope this helps.

We started the Advair about age 5 and he is 10 now.