1 and 4 yr olds with cough lasting 3+ months despite 2 rounds of abx?

[DeChRi]

DD2 and DD3 are 18 months and just turned 4yr.  They have had a cough for 3+ months now.  At first, we had some seasonal allergies this fall, so they were snotty and a touch of coughing....they took Zyrtec but it didn't help much.  Then they each got a little bit sick, which we rode out for 3 weeks before a round of abx because then the night coughing was keeping them awake ALL NIGHT.  It was awful.  After abx the cough stayed.  2 more weeks in we resorted to whatever the prescription cough med is that has codine, which helped slightly.  Time went by, got a little better, but not great.  We did another round of abx ( they both have another health condition and we were prepping for a procedure that needed done and they really needed to be healthy for, so we were pretty desperate at that point).  ANyway, the nighttime cough eventually improved, with no help of the abx.  We are now 3+ month into this, they both cough some during the day but not bothersome, they both wake hacking something awful at night, and any running or stuff like that gets them coughing. 

Is this just some eternal virus?  Should we go back on Zyrtec or Allergra?   Could it be something in the home?  Asthma?  Both girls are walking around with dark circles under their eyes and I am a bit stumped.

[34me]

This is how one of my kiddos cough variant asthma presented itself when he was a tiny guy.  Do you have a hcp that would work with you to figure out if that's what it is?

[DeChRi]

Yep, she is awesome.  I feel a bit like we are there all the time at this point, so trying to make sure my mom sensor is right that we should look into this more.

[heatherdeg]

You should absolutely look into this more.  I'm not sure what the other condition they have is, so I can't even offer an idea of what's going on--but that is a really long time to be without relief for a respiratory problem.  My niece had a similar issue, but hers was an allergy that was somehow related to her daycare facility (mom was a teacher and niece's cough was gone every summer).

[DeChRi]

I made appts to take the girls in, and that morning they both woke up sick anyway. :)  Went in, both hacking, red throats, miserable.  The Dr cultured for various things and gave them both Zithromax.  They are so sick right now.  They both had good blood oxygen levels and such.  Tomorrow we will know if they find anything on the culture (strep or otherwise).  She is hoping the Zithromax kilss off whatever is there, if bacterial.

The girls were diagnosed with eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease...which basically is their immune system seeing food protein as pathogens and attacking the GI tract.  It is tough, because they both have been mid food trials, and the coughing can be a symptom of the irritation and damage in the GI tract.  BUT, our youngest at least just had another scope and her biopsies for her current foods are clear, so we know her symptoms are unrelated.  Out 4 your old I believe is failing her corn trial, but I think her cough is unrelated.  Her symptoms are usually severe stomach pain, vomiting, fatigue, and them internal damage we see on the scopes.   We have postponed out 4 yr old's scope.

So we will ride out the Zithromax, Ride out the food trials.  Restart their allergy meds. And DH called someone to come and do air quality testing and few other tests (that I don't know much about) to see how our house is measuring up.  It is 7 years old so not in bad shape, but who knows?  Hopefully we will get some answers. :)

[Peony]

My DD2 has cough variant asthma as well and that was how she presented. Months and months of night time coughing only. It got to a point where just a simple cold would cause it to flare up, she'd cough for weeks, any more congestion and then it would get worse, repeat all fall, winter, spring. She started doing this when she was 1 and she was 3 before we got a dx. 

[DeChRi]

Thanks for the heads up on the cough variant asthma.  We have suspected at times, so I am tucking this into a file in my brain to keep an eye on.