Maggie's Sick Question Please

[anonymous]

Well, Maggie woke up last night super stuffy nose, just so plugged up. Very boogery, color clear to light yellow. She's cranky, didn't sleep well. But drinking. Her face looked pretty flushed, so I checked her temp rectal only 100.1(I don't think that's too bad but it's still early) It's also very hot out today. She only coughed a few times didn't sound like her "sick Cough" Now I'm worried...How long do i give before calling the doc. I've already increased her vest/nebs, given her a bath all that good stuff. She's lying on the couch watching dragon tales. Help what ya'll think.

Rebecca(mom to sammy 7 no CF and Maggie 3 with CF)

 

[Emily65Roses]

If you're worried even the slightest bit, your doctor can take 5 minutes out of his/her day to offer some advice, help, whatever is necessary. It can't hurt to call. Don't worry about feeling like a bother. Doctors have to get used to that with something chronic. It's their job to be there to care for your child and answer any questions. So wait as long as you like, or call right now. Whichever you think is best.

 

[Augustmom0003]

My son (2 yowcf) has the exact same thing (but no fever) right now. I usually just email his nurse and keep her updated and let her know what I'm doing. He woke up 2 days ago from his nap with his nose totally stuffed w/ a dry cough. He woke up all night that night b/c he couldn't suck his thumb and breathe out of his nose...lol, but makes for a tired mommy <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-blush.gif" border="0">) Anyway, yesterday morning he woke up with the yellow junk. Cough seems to have gone away. Think it was just drainage.
I told his nurse I upped his vest to 2x a day (normally 1x a day) and upped his Xopenex to 3x a day (normally 2x a day). I'm also giving him Children's Motrin Cold (decong. and ibuprofen). Seems to be working now <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-blush.gif" border="0">)
If you don't have an email for clinic, I'd just call. I just like keeping them up to date and make sure I'm doing the right thing.

HTH

 

[anonymous]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>anonymous</b></i>

Well, Maggie woke up last night super stuffy nose, just so plugged up. Very boogery, color clear to light yellow. She's cranky, didn't sleep well. But drinking. Her face looked pretty flushed, so I checked her temp rectal only 100.1(I don't think that's too bad but it's still early) It's also very hot out today. She only coughed a few times didn't sound like her "sick Cough" Now I'm worried...How long do i give before calling the doc. I've already increased her vest/nebs, given her a bath all that good stuff. She's lying on the couch watching dragon tales. Help what ya'll think.



Rebecca(mom to sammy 7 no CF and Maggie 3 with CF)</end quote></div>

Hi Rebecca,

When our daughter is poorly, as soon as she gets a bit of a 'cough' we put her on her 'back-up- antibiotic. Also, phone the Community Paediatric Nurse to come to house and do a cough swab.

Charlotte<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif" border="0">

 

[anonymous]

Thank you for all your replies. I know what to do but I can't help but worry. I know what her primary ped would say.. he'ld want to see he if she has a temp cause he can't diagnose over the phone. Her pulmo doc would say increase vest/neb"can't do enough airway clearance". Maggie is already on an anitbiotic so unless she starts coughing he's not going to switch her to something else. We'll have to give her time to try to fight this off herself.

I did call the CF nurse for reassurance, pretty much do what I'm doing then if I feel I need to call if she's not better/worse.

Maggie fell asleep on the couch, not at all usual for her. This is when I wonder if hypertonic saline would help her get that gunk out of her sinuses(She's not on it)

thanks again
I'm sure I'll have more questions again
Rebecca

 

[Augustmom0003]

My son's been sleeping a little bit more too, but it might have something to do with the Motrin.

Hope she's better soon! Keep us posted <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[BRANDI]

Hi my 9yr old son just had that problem monday and we called the clinic and thaey started him on bactrim for 14 days for sinus infection so i would call and see what they say. My son was feeling very bad but now hes feeling much better so hopefully when he is finished with the bactrim he will stay that way.

 

[nikkig]

amanda,
I am not really sure but I can remembering my sister say the doctor told my sister not to give alexis(14 months w/cf) a decong. because they want her to cough and get the junk out...again not sure but I know she did say it...I would appriecate it if someone would let me know so I can relay to my sister and also for amanda.

Nicole 23w/o cf
Alexis 14 months w/cf

 

[Augustmom0003]

They've told me decongestants are fine, but NOTHING with a cough suppressant???????

Hmmmm?????? If someone can tell clarify? The CF nurses told me that decong. are fine?????<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-frown.gif" border="0">

 

[Ratatosk]

Our doctor told us we shouldn't give our son decongestants or antihistamines. A few weeks ago he developed a head cold that turned into a cough. Was running a low grade fever. So I increased his beatings to 4 a day, held him down and put saline spray up his nose, gave him two baths a day to try to steam the cold out of him. The cough wasn't frequent, but was different. Different from the post nasal drip coughs he's gotten before. Fortunately we had CF clinic appointment in the city the next day. If I'd called the local clinic, they'd have said -- CFers cough, nothing we can do about it.

At the CF clinic DS coughed once and the doctor compared it to a smokers cough. Prescribed an antibiotic and by the end of the weekend he was fine. We try to document symptoms -- does this sound like when he had a sinus infection, is it the kind of cough he gets when he gets upset or excited.... For your own piece of mind, give the clinic a call. L

 

[Emily65Roses]

I *might* be able to help... but first you'll have to remind me what a decongestant is? I understand the basic meaning, I'd like an example of one. Like "Tylenol" if that were the case. If you can give a name, I <i>may</i> be able to help.

 

[LouLou]

I took Sudafed or Bromfed (prescription) for nasal congestion growing up. I was always told these were the only one's I could use. I believe it's antihistimines that we CF'ers really have to stay away from...dry up the mucus and make it so we can't cough it up. Hope this helps!

 

[Emily65Roses]

Okay, Sudafed and stuff? To my knowledge, that stuff has cough suppressants IN it. If it does, it's out the window, from what I heard all my life. But that's just what I've been told. I've always roughed colds and flus natural-style. Haha. Makes us tougher! Rarrrrr.

 

[julie]

I remember Marks mom telling me when he was little they told the CFer parents no decongestants because back then, you didn't have the option of getting one WITHOUT a cough suppressant.

Maybe the advice they are giving (not to discredit your doctor) is slightly outdated.

Also, Mark's CF clinic has told us.... if his cough is really bad and he's going and going without much sleep BECAUSE of all the coughing, 1 dose of something with a suppressant in it won't harm him one bit. To give it continually defeats the purpose of nebulized meds such as pulmozyme because the suppressant doens't allow one to cough up anything and those CFers need to cough up that gunk.

A decongestant though.... never heard that one from our CF clinic, actually any of te 3 Mark's ever been to. You can get something without a cough suppressant in it, that is PURELY a decongestant and that will help loosen up some of that mucus in the nose (can't do chest PT on the nose <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">). Just ask the pharmacist for some assistance, they'll find one for you.

Sorry to hear about how your little one is feeling, hope she starts to feel better.

 

[anonymous]

regular Sudafed(the little red pills) DO NOT have a cough supressant in them! Its just Pseudoephedrine...a NASAL decongestant.

What you don't want is something with Dexamathorpan(can't spell)

Guafenesin is also fine.

Antihistamines are iffy....I can take Benedryl when needed and Allegra but not Zyrtec, Zyrtec is too drying and makes all that gunk thicker for me

 

[Augustmom0003]

The Children's Motrin Cold has NO suppressants in it. She told me what the name of the ingredient was to stay away from and this doesn't have it. This is only pseudoephedrine? (nasal decongestant) and ibuprofen.

He also has D-Allergy prescribed by the clinic but only uses it on a need to basis. I would ASSUME it is an antihistimine? I will definitely ask about that at clinic next week. Now that I think about it, lots of the kids at our clinic are on allergy meds?

Thank you all for the help <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[Augustmom0003]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>anonymous</b></i>

regular Sudafed(the little red pills) DO NOT have a cough supressant in them! Its just Pseudoephedrine...a NASAL decongestant.



What you don't want is something with Dexamathorpan(can't spell)



Guafenesin is also fine.



Antihistamines are iffy....I can take Benedryl when needed and Allegra but not Zyrtec, Zyrtec is too drying and makes all that gunk thicker for me</end quote></div>

Yes, that Dexowhatever was the name, I believe, that they told me NOT to get. Thank you <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[anonymous]

Maggie seems a little more herslf this morning. Ususually it takes her a good 10 days for a cold for her to go away(as long as it is in her nose only), if it travels then it's a different story.

Our pulmo told us to stay away from any cold med that will dry you out like Benadryl that sort of thing, it just makes the mucus thicker and more difficult to cough up and out. If our daughter is having difficulty sleeping and coughing so much she up at night, our pulmo ok'd a very occasional dose of Delsym(it's over the counter cough suppressant) won't dry you out. We only used it once, sometimes rest is just as important to get well.

Rebecca

 

[Ratatosk]

When DS was really boogery a couple years ago, I'd asked about decongestant spray to use in the short term -- just to make him more comfortable and to keep that stuff moving -- get it out. Or any decongestants. His doctor told us no -- something about the tissues his nasal passages. I know nasal sprays can be addictive, too!

 

[anonymous]

That Afrin nasal spray really is addictive. I had a friend in college who was addicted to it. She had to wean herself off of it. She didn't know that you should only use it for 3 days, then when she stopped using it she felt automatically stuffed up. At the time we thought it was funny, being addicted to nasal spray but I guess ya need to careful. Thought i'ld share.

Rebecca