Battling a cold: Should I give a decongestant to 2 yo?

[n8thegr8]

My son, 23 months old, is currently battling what seems to be a cold. It may or may not be related to teething (2 year molars).

I noticed the symptoms beginning Thursday. It started with what sounded like post nasal drip (he was swallowing hard). Then his cough increased and he developed a small temp (99.8). His eyes appeared glassy and he has occasionally sneezed.

Last night he did not sleep well, cryed out in his sleep on and off. I can hear the mucous is his sinuses as he sleeps. I'm thinking a decongestant or antihistamine would help dry it up so he can sleep but would that be undoing what the hypertonic saline is meant to do (rehydrate the airways)?

 

[n8thegr8]

My son, 23 months old, is currently battling what seems to be a cold. It may or may not be related to teething (2 year molars).

I noticed the symptoms beginning Thursday. It started with what sounded like post nasal drip (he was swallowing hard). Then his cough increased and he developed a small temp (99.8). His eyes appeared glassy and he has occasionally sneezed.

Last night he did not sleep well, cryed out in his sleep on and off. I can hear the mucous is his sinuses as he sleeps. I'm thinking a decongestant or antihistamine would help dry it up so he can sleep but would that be undoing what the hypertonic saline is meant to do (rehydrate the airways)?

 

[n8thegr8]

My son, 23 months old, is currently battling what seems to be a cold. It may or may not be related to teething (2 year molars).
<br />
<br />I noticed the symptoms beginning Thursday. It started with what sounded like post nasal drip (he was swallowing hard). Then his cough increased and he developed a small temp (99.8). His eyes appeared glassy and he has occasionally sneezed.
<br />
<br />Last night he did not sleep well, cryed out in his sleep on and off. I can hear the mucous is his sinuses as he sleeps. I'm thinking a decongestant or antihistamine would help dry it up so he can sleep but would that be undoing what the hypertonic saline is meant to do (rehydrate the airways)?

 

[Rebjane]

Our CF team tells us no antihistamines/cough suppressants for cold/cough symptoms. What I usually do when my daughter has a cold/cough is increase her Chest pt/or Vest time and frequency. Throw in an extra albuterol neb as well. Warm steamy bath helps. Push fluids as much as he or she will drink to hydrate. you could even throw a pillow under his mattress at night to lift the head of bed, prop it up to avoid post nasal drip cough. Another thing is to use Simply saline nasal spray to help the boogers flow.

If the cough is not getting better, he develops a high fever or you feel like something is not right course give a call to the clinic for their input.

So, the only time I would use something like Benadryl(antihistamine) is for an allergic reaction(had to use it short term for my daughter) but I would NOT use it to dry them out, it is the opposite of what we want for our CFer's.

HTH

 

[Rebjane]

Our CF team tells us no antihistamines/cough suppressants for cold/cough symptoms. What I usually do when my daughter has a cold/cough is increase her Chest pt/or Vest time and frequency. Throw in an extra albuterol neb as well. Warm steamy bath helps. Push fluids as much as he or she will drink to hydrate. you could even throw a pillow under his mattress at night to lift the head of bed, prop it up to avoid post nasal drip cough. Another thing is to use Simply saline nasal spray to help the boogers flow.

If the cough is not getting better, he develops a high fever or you feel like something is not right course give a call to the clinic for their input.

So, the only time I would use something like Benadryl(antihistamine) is for an allergic reaction(had to use it short term for my daughter) but I would NOT use it to dry them out, it is the opposite of what we want for our CFer's.

HTH

 

[Rebjane]

Our CF team tells us no antihistamines/cough suppressants for cold/cough symptoms. What I usually do when my daughter has a cold/cough is increase her Chest pt/or Vest time and frequency. Throw in an extra albuterol neb as well. Warm steamy bath helps. Push fluids as much as he or she will drink to hydrate. you could even throw a pillow under his mattress at night to lift the head of bed, prop it up to avoid post nasal drip cough. Another thing is to use Simply saline nasal spray to help the boogers flow.
<br />
<br />If the cough is not getting better, he develops a high fever or you feel like something is not right course give a call to the clinic for their input.
<br />
<br />So, the only time I would use something like Benadryl(antihistamine) is for an allergic reaction(had to use it short term for my daughter) but I would NOT use it to dry them out, it is the opposite of what we want for our CFer's.
<br />
<br />HTH

 

[Ratatosk]

Ditto in terms of what Rebjane is saying. DS had nasty nasal boogies when he was a baby and we'd use simply saline and the dreaded booger sucker. I'd steam up the bathroom in the morning and give him a bath and would do so again before bed to get things moving.

We also increased CPT and nebs from 3 to 4 times a day, sometimes every 4 hours if he was really congested and coughings.

We knew about the drying issue with antihistimanes, but asked the doctor about a decongestant to help get that extra mucus moving and he told us absolutely not. Something having to do with the sensitive nasal tissues...

We'd also push fluids - juice and water to keep him hydrated and to get those secretions moving and to prevent dehydration with the lowgrade fever. Being that there is a fever you probably want to touch base with the clinic.

 

[Ratatosk]

Ditto in terms of what Rebjane is saying. DS had nasty nasal boogies when he was a baby and we'd use simply saline and the dreaded booger sucker. I'd steam up the bathroom in the morning and give him a bath and would do so again before bed to get things moving.

We also increased CPT and nebs from 3 to 4 times a day, sometimes every 4 hours if he was really congested and coughings.

We knew about the drying issue with antihistimanes, but asked the doctor about a decongestant to help get that extra mucus moving and he told us absolutely not. Something having to do with the sensitive nasal tissues...

We'd also push fluids - juice and water to keep him hydrated and to get those secretions moving and to prevent dehydration with the lowgrade fever. Being that there is a fever you probably want to touch base with the clinic.

 

[Ratatosk]

Ditto in terms of what Rebjane is saying. DS had nasty nasal boogies when he was a baby and we'd use simply saline and the dreaded booger sucker. I'd steam up the bathroom in the morning and give him a bath and would do so again before bed to get things moving.
<br />
<br />We also increased CPT and nebs from 3 to 4 times a day, sometimes every 4 hours if he was really congested and coughings.
<br />
<br />We knew about the drying issue with antihistimanes, but asked the doctor about a decongestant to help get that extra mucus moving and he told us absolutely not. Something having to do with the sensitive nasal tissues...
<br />
<br />We'd also push fluids - juice and water to keep him hydrated and to get those secretions moving and to prevent dehydration with the lowgrade fever. Being that there is a fever you probably want to touch base with the clinic.

 

[n8thegr8]

Thanks for the response. I ended up giving a call to the doctor just in case. He recommended increasing vest and neb like you said and if he really cannot sleep I can give Dimetap Cold and Allergy before bed. I don't think I will need to though if I prop him up. Thank you again.

 

[n8thegr8]

Thanks for the response. I ended up giving a call to the doctor just in case. He recommended increasing vest and neb like you said and if he really cannot sleep I can give Dimetap Cold and Allergy before bed. I don't think I will need to though if I prop him up. Thank you again.

 

[n8thegr8]

Thanks for the response. I ended up giving a call to the doctor just in case. He recommended increasing vest and neb like you said and if he really cannot sleep I can give Dimetap Cold and Allergy before bed. I don't think I will need to though if I prop him up. Thank you again.