Suggestions for easing a cough?

[hmw]

Emily's CF dr recommends sinus rinses up to 4x/day when sick, and these help Emily when she is coughing this hard too sometimes... because it will help at least with clearing out congestion that can be contributing to the cough (due to heavy postnasal drip.) It's amazing how much more this clears out than just blowing! Emily is prone to sinus infections and bouts of heavy coughing leading to bringing up very thick mucus that sometimes improves with doing the rinses.

We usually do this just prior to her nebs/vest to be better able to tell the difference between what she's coughing up from her lungs and what she might be coughing up due to sinus congestion.

I agree with calling the dr though when the coughing is so bad that she can't catch her breath between bouts and/or it's making her throw up. She might have bronchitis, inflammation issues making it impossible to bring stuff up, or some other problem needing help right away.

 

[hmw]

Emily's CF dr recommends sinus rinses up to 4x/day when sick, and these help Emily when she is coughing this hard too sometimes... because it will help at least with clearing out congestion that can be contributing to the cough (due to heavy postnasal drip.) It's amazing how much more this clears out than just blowing! Emily is prone to sinus infections and bouts of heavy coughing leading to bringing up very thick mucus that sometimes improves with doing the rinses.

We usually do this just prior to her nebs/vest to be better able to tell the difference between what she's coughing up from her lungs and what she might be coughing up due to sinus congestion.

I agree with calling the dr though when the coughing is so bad that she can't catch her breath between bouts and/or it's making her throw up. She might have bronchitis, inflammation issues making it impossible to bring stuff up, or some other problem needing help right away.

 

[hmw]

Emily's CF dr recommends sinus rinses up to 4x/day when sick, and these help Emily when she is coughing this hard too sometimes... because it will help at least with clearing out congestion that can be contributing to the cough (due to heavy postnasal drip.) It's amazing how much more this clears out than just blowing! Emily is prone to sinus infections and bouts of heavy coughing leading to bringing up very thick mucus that sometimes improves with doing the rinses.

We usually do this just prior to her nebs/vest to be better able to tell the difference between what she's coughing up from her lungs and what she might be coughing up due to sinus congestion.

I agree with calling the dr though when the coughing is so bad that she can't catch her breath between bouts and/or it's making her throw up. She might have bronchitis, inflammation issues making it impossible to bring stuff up, or some other problem needing help right away.

 

[hmw]

Emily's CF dr recommends sinus rinses up to 4x/day when sick, and these help Emily when she is coughing this hard too sometimes... because it will help at least with clearing out congestion that can be contributing to the cough (due to heavy postnasal drip.) It's amazing how much more this clears out than just blowing! Emily is prone to sinus infections and bouts of heavy coughing leading to bringing up very thick mucus that sometimes improves with doing the rinses.

We usually do this just prior to her nebs/vest to be better able to tell the difference between what she's coughing up from her lungs and what she might be coughing up due to sinus congestion.

I agree with calling the dr though when the coughing is so bad that she can't catch her breath between bouts and/or it's making her throw up. She might have bronchitis, inflammation issues making it impossible to bring stuff up, or some other problem needing help right away.

 

[hmw]

Emily's CF dr recommends sinus rinses up to 4x/day when sick, and these help Emily when she is coughing this hard too sometimes... because it will help at least with clearing out congestion that can be contributing to the cough (due to heavy postnasal drip.) It's amazing how much more this clears out than just blowing! Emily is prone to sinus infections and bouts of heavy coughing leading to bringing up very thick mucus that sometimes improves with doing the rinses.
<br />
<br />We usually do this just prior to her nebs/vest to be better able to tell the difference between what she's coughing up from her lungs and what she might be coughing up due to sinus congestion.
<br />
<br />I agree with calling the dr though when the coughing is so bad that she can't catch her breath between bouts and/or it's making her throw up. She might have bronchitis, inflammation issues making it impossible to bring stuff up, or some other problem needing help right away.

 

[Marie2]

We always do her treatments in the am and pm before bed. What is a sinsus rinse? And what does IMO mean? Her culture was negative. I do have her propped on some pillows, but she doesn't stay there. She is one of those sleepers that crawls around the bed all night. Often I find her upside down with her feet on the pilow! Thanks - Marie

 

[Marie2]

We always do her treatments in the am and pm before bed. What is a sinsus rinse? And what does IMO mean? Her culture was negative. I do have her propped on some pillows, but she doesn't stay there. She is one of those sleepers that crawls around the bed all night. Often I find her upside down with her feet on the pilow! Thanks - Marie

 

[Marie2]

We always do her treatments in the am and pm before bed. What is a sinsus rinse? And what does IMO mean? Her culture was negative. I do have her propped on some pillows, but she doesn't stay there. She is one of those sleepers that crawls around the bed all night. Often I find her upside down with her feet on the pilow! Thanks - Marie

 

[Marie2]

We always do her treatments in the am and pm before bed. What is a sinsus rinse? And what does IMO mean? Her culture was negative. I do have her propped on some pillows, but she doesn't stay there. She is one of those sleepers that crawls around the bed all night. Often I find her upside down with her feet on the pilow! Thanks - Marie

 

[Marie2]

We always do her treatments in the am and pm before bed. What is a sinsus rinse? And what does IMO mean? Her culture was negative. I do have her propped on some pillows, but she doesn't stay there. She is one of those sleepers that crawls around the bed all night. Often I find her upside down with her feet on the pilow! Thanks - Marie

 

[hmw]

IMO: webspeak for In My Opinion

Many CF doctors will recommend, as a first-line treatment when they develop a cough or congestion, for us to increase their airway clearance & whatever meds they use with them. This will often help a great deal in being able to bring up junk that is making the cough worse.

In Emily's case for example, she has her normal 'well' routine (vest twice a day for 20min, and she takes Ventolin and Flovent inhalers at those times) as well as a 'sick plan' that is reviewed and updated at each clinic appointment. Every child is different, but as an example, this is what hers looks like... With mild congestion or cough we add one more treatment. With a full-blown cough or illness, we increase treatments to four times a day, with an increased albuteral dose each time and Pulmacort via nebulizer each time instead of the Flovent inhaler, and do sinus rinses up to 4x/day to help relieve congestion and reduce chances of developing a sinus infection. If they've never been clear on what to do when she's sick, asking them specifically 'what should we do differently when she is sick vs. the regular daily treatments she has when she is well' is a good idea.

This is what a sinus rinse is: <a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.neilmed.com/usa/products.php">Neilmed Sinus Rinse kit</a> (there are a few different products, but this one is commonly used for kids.)
More information about them: <a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ColdFlu/Story?id=4166759&page=1">Saline Rinse May Cut Cold Symptoms</a>

 

[hmw]

IMO: webspeak for In My Opinion

Many CF doctors will recommend, as a first-line treatment when they develop a cough or congestion, for us to increase their airway clearance & whatever meds they use with them. This will often help a great deal in being able to bring up junk that is making the cough worse.

In Emily's case for example, she has her normal 'well' routine (vest twice a day for 20min, and she takes Ventolin and Flovent inhalers at those times) as well as a 'sick plan' that is reviewed and updated at each clinic appointment. Every child is different, but as an example, this is what hers looks like... With mild congestion or cough we add one more treatment. With a full-blown cough or illness, we increase treatments to four times a day, with an increased albuteral dose each time and Pulmacort via nebulizer each time instead of the Flovent inhaler, and do sinus rinses up to 4x/day to help relieve congestion and reduce chances of developing a sinus infection. If they've never been clear on what to do when she's sick, asking them specifically 'what should we do differently when she is sick vs. the regular daily treatments she has when she is well' is a good idea.

This is what a sinus rinse is: <a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.neilmed.com/usa/products.php">Neilmed Sinus Rinse kit</a> (there are a few different products, but this one is commonly used for kids.)
More information about them: <a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ColdFlu/Story?id=4166759&page=1">Saline Rinse May Cut Cold Symptoms</a>

 

[hmw]

IMO: webspeak for In My Opinion

Many CF doctors will recommend, as a first-line treatment when they develop a cough or congestion, for us to increase their airway clearance & whatever meds they use with them. This will often help a great deal in being able to bring up junk that is making the cough worse.

In Emily's case for example, she has her normal 'well' routine (vest twice a day for 20min, and she takes Ventolin and Flovent inhalers at those times) as well as a 'sick plan' that is reviewed and updated at each clinic appointment. Every child is different, but as an example, this is what hers looks like... With mild congestion or cough we add one more treatment. With a full-blown cough or illness, we increase treatments to four times a day, with an increased albuteral dose each time and Pulmacort via nebulizer each time instead of the Flovent inhaler, and do sinus rinses up to 4x/day to help relieve congestion and reduce chances of developing a sinus infection. If they've never been clear on what to do when she's sick, asking them specifically 'what should we do differently when she is sick vs. the regular daily treatments she has when she is well' is a good idea.

This is what a sinus rinse is: <a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.neilmed.com/usa/products.php">Neilmed Sinus Rinse kit</a> (there are a few different products, but this one is commonly used for kids.)
More information about them: <a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ColdFlu/Story?id=4166759&page=1">Saline Rinse May Cut Cold Symptoms</a>

 

[hmw]

IMO: webspeak for In My Opinion

Many CF doctors will recommend, as a first-line treatment when they develop a cough or congestion, for us to increase their airway clearance & whatever meds they use with them. This will often help a great deal in being able to bring up junk that is making the cough worse.

In Emily's case for example, she has her normal 'well' routine (vest twice a day for 20min, and she takes Ventolin and Flovent inhalers at those times) as well as a 'sick plan' that is reviewed and updated at each clinic appointment. Every child is different, but as an example, this is what hers looks like... With mild congestion or cough we add one more treatment. With a full-blown cough or illness, we increase treatments to four times a day, with an increased albuteral dose each time and Pulmacort via nebulizer each time instead of the Flovent inhaler, and do sinus rinses up to 4x/day to help relieve congestion and reduce chances of developing a sinus infection. If they've never been clear on what to do when she's sick, asking them specifically 'what should we do differently when she is sick vs. the regular daily treatments she has when she is well' is a good idea.

This is what a sinus rinse is: <a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.neilmed.com/usa/products.php">Neilmed Sinus Rinse kit</a> (there are a few different products, but this one is commonly used for kids.)
More information about them: <a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ColdFlu/Story?id=4166759&page=1">Saline Rinse May Cut Cold Symptoms</a>

 

[hmw]

IMO: webspeak for In My Opinion
<br />
<br />Many CF doctors will recommend, as a first-line treatment when they develop a cough or congestion, for us to increase their airway clearance & whatever meds they use with them. This will often help a great deal in being able to bring up junk that is making the cough worse.
<br />
<br />In Emily's case for example, she has her normal 'well' routine (vest twice a day for 20min, and she takes Ventolin and Flovent inhalers at those times) as well as a 'sick plan' that is reviewed and updated at each clinic appointment. Every child is different, but as an example, this is what hers looks like... With mild congestion or cough we add one more treatment. With a full-blown cough or illness, we increase treatments to four times a day, with an increased albuteral dose each time and Pulmacort via nebulizer each time instead of the Flovent inhaler, and do sinus rinses up to 4x/day to help relieve congestion and reduce chances of developing a sinus infection. If they've never been clear on what to do when she's sick, asking them specifically 'what should we do differently when she is sick vs. the regular daily treatments she has when she is well' is a good idea.
<br />
<br />This is what a sinus rinse is: <a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.neilmed.com/usa/products.php">Neilmed Sinus Rinse kit</a> (there are a few different products, but this one is commonly used for kids.)
<br />More information about them: <a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ColdFlu/Story?id=4166759&page=1">Saline Rinse May Cut Cold Symptoms</a>

 

[Ratatosk]

Is she still coughing? IMO, I would contact your cf clinic if you haven't already done so AND increase treatments -- not on ly number of times per day, but if you're only doing it for 15-20 minutes, bump the amount of time up, too.

I've found that regular doctors don't necessarily know what to look for when DS is coughing -- telling me he sounds clear, that "it's just a virus" and it turns out he has something else. Also, what kind of culture did they do at the ER? Sometimes, we've had confusion and the lab hasn't run a cf culture, so things are missed.

 

[Ratatosk]

Is she still coughing? IMO, I would contact your cf clinic if you haven't already done so AND increase treatments -- not on ly number of times per day, but if you're only doing it for 15-20 minutes, bump the amount of time up, too.

I've found that regular doctors don't necessarily know what to look for when DS is coughing -- telling me he sounds clear, that "it's just a virus" and it turns out he has something else. Also, what kind of culture did they do at the ER? Sometimes, we've had confusion and the lab hasn't run a cf culture, so things are missed.

 

[Ratatosk]

Is she still coughing? IMO, I would contact your cf clinic if you haven't already done so AND increase treatments -- not on ly number of times per day, but if you're only doing it for 15-20 minutes, bump the amount of time up, too.

I've found that regular doctors don't necessarily know what to look for when DS is coughing -- telling me he sounds clear, that "it's just a virus" and it turns out he has something else. Also, what kind of culture did they do at the ER? Sometimes, we've had confusion and the lab hasn't run a cf culture, so things are missed.

 

[Ratatosk]

Is she still coughing? IMO, I would contact your cf clinic if you haven't already done so AND increase treatments -- not on ly number of times per day, but if you're only doing it for 15-20 minutes, bump the amount of time up, too.

I've found that regular doctors don't necessarily know what to look for when DS is coughing -- telling me he sounds clear, that "it's just a virus" and it turns out he has something else. Also, what kind of culture did they do at the ER? Sometimes, we've had confusion and the lab hasn't run a cf culture, so things are missed.

 

[Ratatosk]

Is she still coughing? IMO, I would contact your cf clinic if you haven't already done so AND increase treatments -- not on ly number of times per day, but if you're only doing it for 15-20 minutes, bump the amount of time up, too.
<br />
<br />I've found that regular doctors don't necessarily know what to look for when DS is coughing -- telling me he sounds clear, that "it's just a virus" and it turns out he has something else. Also, what kind of culture did they do at the ER? Sometimes, we've had confusion and the lab hasn't run a cf culture, so things are missed.