Whooping Cough?

[newmomlearning]

My kids are 100% non-vaxxed.

My 5-year old had a loud & persistent cough in April.  Throughout, she was energized, running & happy... but, coughing.  Her sister started the same symptoms the week prior to vacation... and they spend the vacation week resting together and taking it easy at home.

Two weeks ago, the 5 year-old threw-up one night in bed. Then her cough began to get less frequent.  She now coughs & I can hear the phlegm... but she coughs once or twice per day.  She seems well on her way to recovery.

The 10 year-old, who started her symptoms later, is still coughing frequently.  She is definitely more effected by this.  Last Saturday, she vomited after coughing and has spent the last week resting at home, having coughing spells & gagging on phlegm.  Periodically, she will lose the contents of her stomach after coughing.  Her coughing is not violent, it seems as though the phlegm is making her gag and triggering the vomiting.

We saw our Dr. (homeopath) last Monday.  I described the symptoms, but she never said it could be "Whooping Cough." She seemed to dismiss it because the kids are sleeping fine at night.

So, I'm puzzled.  I now have a cough... like the one they had a month ago.  It seems like the symptoms of Pertussis with symptoms, the long incubation period & the long time-frame. 

Anyone know what this could be?  If this is WC, what guidelines should I follow for keeping the kids away from others?

Thanks!

[HRJ]

If it is whooping cough, and you don't do antibiotics, you are contagious for 21 days.  If your children have it, they should not be around others for 21 days.  We just had whooping cough at my son's school, and the children were allowed back at school after 5 days on antibiotics.  If the parents refused abx, 21 days.  

[newmomlearning]

Thanks.  I don't know if it is WC.  The Dr. seemed to think not because the girls are OK at night.  Has anyone had WC without severe nighttime coughing fits?

I had read that if you're past the first 2 weeks, antibiotics wouldn't help.

It is well over 21 days since the onset of both girl's coughing. 

Did you mean 21 days from start of symptoms or 21 days from last symptoms?

If the kids are still coughing, are they contagious?
 

[Mami_Feliz]

Hi - I posted in another thread about whooping cough a couple of days ago. Maybe in Health & Healing? My child had very similar symptoms to yours, but the doctor said it wasn't severe enough to be whooping cough. He would have several nighttime coughing fits when it was at its most severe, but that phase didn't last that long. DS is not vaxed. A number of kids at preschool (mostly not vaxed) also had the same symptoms and one was diagnosed with a very mild form of whooping cough. From what I've read up, it is very often misdiagnosed these days and there are also milder forms of it. It took my DS about 6 weeks to get over it. Now he's fine and I feel pretty sure that it was whooping cough, albeit a mild form.

Regarding antibiotics - they don't really help the child, but as HRJ said, they reduce the time that the child is contagious.

[newmomlearning]

Hi Mami_Feliz,

Thanks.  I think I did read your post.  I'm glad your children are well again! 

In regard to antibiotics, when do they need to be taken to reduce contagion?  I'd read the 5 days for antibiotics and 21 days if you don't have them... but when does the 21 days start?  What phase of WC is considered the contagions part?

I think you're right about there being perhaps a milder-form of WC...  this seems to have all the earmarks except the kids are fine & sleep through the night.

Thanks.
 

[newmomlearning]

Hi,

Posting an update.  My 10 year-old is much better now, but it was a long process to wellness.  She still coughs periodically, but not with the frequency and severity of what she experienced in the Spring. 

My six year-old coughs as well.  She never experienced the severest symptoms, but cycled through the illness quickly.

I never came-down with any severe symptoms, a cold, a cough.  Now, I'm not coughing at all.

Despite the fact that we all had different reactions, I think this was pertussis or para-pertussis. 

We are taking nutritional measures to heal our lungs (cilia).  Also, having recently scouted for a new home rental...  we were very mindful to select a home with good air quality.  We avoided older homes that were in obvious decay and houses in dark (forested, no sunlight = molds) locations).
 

[es1967]

Ds too has a similar type of cough.  He had a virus a few weeks ago and then this lingering cough.  He coughs a few times a day and one or two times at night. The cough makes his eyes water and coughs up mucus some times.   His face gets red.  There is no whooping sound.  I did not take him to the Dr because I read the same thing that antibiotics are ineffective most times unless it is caught early.  Last year the pedi said that coughs can take 6-8 weeks to clear.  The preschool we went to was a breeding ground for coughs.  But this cough is different and I'm not sure if I should take him.  He is fine most of the day and runs and plays but then the cough is bad for a minute then he is fine.  I've been giving him SA, cells salts,elderberry and even some collodial silver.  I'm just not sure what the Dr can do at this time. 

[newmomlearning]

We went to our Naturopath and tried some herbal remedies.  DD did not like fennel seed & reacted strongly to it (couching/gagging).  She could not take supplements in pill form/gel cap form.

What made a difference for us was 1 garlic clove taken with a spoonful of local honey, 5xs the first day... then 3xs per day after that.  It did noticeably lessen the severity of the cough.
 

[es1967]

Thanks for the info.  I've never taken raw garlic w honey.  Can you taste it that way and does it cause stomach upset at all.  What other supplements were suggested?  DS is 5 so the cap form

would not work either.   It seems his cough is less dry today and a little better but he picked up the flu/sore throat I had last week.  Can't win.

[es1967]

Just found this site and it is really helpful in diagnosing whooping cough without the whoop.  I am sure DS has had it for the past 3-4 weeks and he has caught another viral illness.  Now I understand why he has had such thick mucus.  This site by a retired Dr really gives great info.

http://www.whoopingcough.net/symptoms.htm

[Asiago]

Ascorbic Acid is the old  (1930's-1950's) and very effective treatment for whooping cough. You can google some of the old medical studies in the journals. Within days the severity of symptoms was greatly reduced or resolved all together..

Edited by Asiago - 7/15/12 at 5:17am

[es1967]

Originally Posted by Asiago 

Ascorbic Acid is the old  (1930's-1950's) and very effective treatment for whooping cough. You can google some of the old medical studies in the journals. Within days the severity of symptoms was greatly reduced or resolved all together..

Thanks for the info.  I found this site which was a great find to add to my list of resources.  I've increased the SA I am giving DS now.  Wish I would have know this earlier.

http://www.vaccinationcouncil.org/2011/12/20/special-report-the-vitamin-c-treatment-of-whooping-cough-suzanne-humphries-md/

[valeria_vi]

Originally Posted by es1967 

Thanks for the info.  I found this site which was a great find to add to my list of resources.  I've increased the SA I am giving DS now.  Wish I would have know this earlier.

http://www.vaccinationcouncil.org/2011/12/20/special-report-the-vitamin-c-treatment-of-whooping-cough-suzanne-humphries-md/

Very interesting link. thank you.i

if a person goes on the SA regimen, are they still contagious for 21 days since the oneset?