Antibiotics advice? Updated from original thread!

[DoulaMama1]

Hey everyone,
I'm new here, so I'm not entirely sure where this goes, but I would like to seek the advice from some like-minded people. I have a 20 month old and a 1 month old, both with coughs. My oldest has a dry cough and often coughs 5-6 coughs in a row. My youngest has a very wet cough, and occasionally coughs 4-5 times in a row. Neither make a whoop noise but I've read that it is possible to have whooping cough even without it. Both have runny noses. Both are nursing. I took my youngest to see her doctor on Wednesday after two days of having cold like symptoms and he said due to no fever or distress symptoms he wanted to see if it gets better in a few days before testif for pertussis. My oldest developed a cough on Thursday.

My question, is what should I do from here? I hear the antibiotic treatment they put you on only make things worse, but what do I do for my 1 month old? Should I be giving her liquid vit. C? Is that sufficient?

Any suggestions would be wonderful.

Thank you!

[DoulaMama1]

P.S. We do not vaccinate.

[Subhuti]

There Is a PCR test, via throat scrape, that can test for whooping cough.

Whooping cough produces a cough where you literally asphyxiate until your body vomits to open your passages ... I had it when I was pregnant. The whoop sound is from the struggle to get air in the lungs between coughs.

If you really feel it is whooping cough, demand the test. It does take a few days for test results.

An infant with the cough often needs hospitalization. Any signs of struggling to breathe please get them to the ER. This is a terrible disease for little ones. This is why a vaccine was developed . It is severe but not life threatening with an adult.

Remember ... If you have it, you all are highly contagious and should wear masks in public and avoid infants and the elderly.

Pm me if you have more questions.

[tanyalynn]

I'd start with you on as much vitamin C as you can take, up to your bowel tolerance.  The sodium ascorbate form is easier on your stomach which, if this is WC, will be really helpful since you'll likely need a lot.  I'd watch and see how that affects your LO's cough.  For regular illnesses, me taking vitC to bowel tolerance when I was nursing (and DS wasn't getting anything else) did a great job at reducing the intensity of illnesses, but we didn't have WC when either kid was nursing so I can't say how we would've fared.  Other nutritional support for you wouldn't be a bad idea, things like extra D, and I'd increase the amount for your usual vit/min supps (a prenatal or whatever you take).

It's hard to say, so early, if this is WC or not.  There's an old thread in the archives, may be hard to find now with the re-organization/new platform, on physically helping infants so that, when they cough, the nasty phlegmy stuff is coughed out and doesn't stick around in their lungs.  May be useful even if this isn't WC. 

http://beyondvaccination.com/forumdisplay.php?44-Pertussis

This site also has the page I was thinking about. 

There's homeopathic stuff that can be helpful (for coughs in general and for WC in particular) but I'm not well-versed in it.  If you do a Search in this forum, you'll find more discussion.

[downvalleygirl]

i would beef up your system as much as possible since you are nursing.  i always freak when my older dd gets a cough.  and it usually is just that - a cough.

are there any reported cases in you area?  

[Peony]

While it is possible for an older child to have WC without the whoop, it would be very rare for a 1 month. I've had a 1 month with pertussis before, it is very obvious it is just not a regular cough in a child that young. 

[DoulaMama1]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I did decide to take her in and it is not believed to be whooping cough, but they did prescribe antibiotics because of congestion and dark green snot. Now I'm at even more of a moral crossroad. She still has no fever and although I filled the prescription, I have yet to give her any antibiotics. My gut is just yelling at me not to. When she nurses she is fine and when I use mist she is fine, and I've now upped my vit. C intake and started eating garlic to help fight things off through my breastmilk. Its just irking me so bad, I really feel wrong about giving my 1 month old antibiotics. At the same time, I also don't want it to turn into pneumonia. I need some serious advice.

[craft_media_hero]

Well, this is just me, but if I were in your shoes, I would not give my 1mo abx either. My baby had a cough/cold at about 6wks, and I was a little freaked out, but his immune system took care of it (with lots of me boosting up my milk w/ garlic, c, echinacea, etc.). How long are you comfortable waiting to see improvement? For myself, as long as I didn't see symptoms getting worse, I would feel just fine staying roomed up with the humidifier (eucalyptus essential oil, etc), rubbing mentholatum on chest, back and feet, and lots and lots of nursies and rest for at least a week (and by then there will most likely be improvement).

So that's JMO or what I would do in the same situation.

I think your mama gut instinct is there for a reason. Your baby is only used to breastmilk in her tummy, and the abx will totally wipe out the very beginnings of her natural gut health. I would be very wary of that, too, as you are.

 I hope you and your little crew feel better soon!

[DoulaMama1]

Originally Posted by craft_media_hero 

Well, this is just me, but if I were in your shoes, I would not give my 1mo abx either. My baby had a cough/cold at about 6wks, and I was a little freaked out, but his immune system took care of it (with lots of me boosting up my milk w/ garlic, c, echinacea, etc.). How long are you comfortable waiting to see improvement? For myself, as long as I didn't see symptoms getting worse, I would feel just fine staying roomed up with the humidifier (eucalyptus essential oil, etc), rubbing mentholatum on chest, back and feet, and lots and lots of nursies and rest for at least a week (and by then there will most likely be improvement).

So that's JMO or what I would do in the same situation.

I think your mama gut instinct is there for a reason. Your baby is only used to breastmilk in her tummy, and the abx will totally wipe out the very beginnings of her natural gut health. I would be very wary of that, too, as you are.

" rel="http://files.mothering.com/images/smilies/hug2.gif"> I hope you and your little crew feel better soon!

I followed my gut and didn't give the abx to her she woke up this morning, sneezed a good dozen times and I wiped the mucus from her nose each time so she didn't breathe it back up, then I put my oldest in the shower and took my youngest in the bathroom with us and let her nose run in there as well, and she has been sooo much better since. She now only has the occasional sniffles!

Thanks a lot for the advice