5 yo coughing for 4 months now

[mossimo12]

My 5 yo daughter, and to a lesser extent 2 yo daughter as well, have been couching now for 4 months. In July they were coughing terrible to the point of throwing up. Our Dr didn't even consider, until I brought it up that it might be pertussis, but once I did he gave us antibiotics for it. Low and behold another child at my daughters preschool was diagnosed with pertussis a week later (I advised the school of my suspicion that my daughter has whooping cough). The cough slowly got better for the next few weeks, and then her recovery stalled and now she is still coughing everyday. She coughs a lot when she gets excited or is running around, but she also coughs at night while she is sleeping most every night. I have brought her to the Dr (a new one, we moved) and they suggested that it was asthma and suggested first we get a chest x-ray to rule out any other possibilities and then if that comes back negative she should start her on an inhaler. I'm not comfortable with just jumping to an inhaler, especially since she didn't have any trouble breathing or coughing before the pertussis. And also my 2yo has had just about the exact same experience as my 5yo, just to a lesser extent, but she is still coughing too. We have an appointment with a naturopath in a couple weeks, but I wanted to see if anyone else had any experience with a cough, after whooping cough, that just didn't seem to go away.

[Arduinna]

I personally would get a second opinion from a specialist. I wouldn't trust a GP to dx asthma. I'd go straight to an allergist/immunologist. I've never had nor has my child had whooping cough so I'm not sure if the extended coughing is normal or not.

[Panserbjorne]

if it was in fact pertussis, that's normal. the cough can last for months and months. have you tried any natural methods of treatment?

Editing to be clear: I'd still have her looked at by an allergist if you aren't getting other answers. Homeopathic medicine clears the residual cough quite well if you get a good remedy. I also have used vitamin A and vitamin C to help.

[mossimo12]

I asked the Dr that we saw a few weeks ago if it could be from the pertussis that she was still coughing and she said that a cough going on this long is not pertussis (which is opposite of what I have read). I'm not sure what natural methods of treatment to use, which is why I have an appt with a naturopath in a another week.

Sounds like an allergist is the next step if the appt next week doesn't start to clear up the cough.

[mossimo12]

Well my 5yo got a chest xray that came back normal so the nurse that told me said the her chart said the next step was to get her on an inhaler and did we have any experience with an inhaler. I told her I was not interested in an inhaler today and would call back in another week to schedule another appointment if needed. Next week we have an appointment with a naturopath. We'll see what she say.