Another Pediatrician vent

[Radosti]

Most of the time I love that my ped is so conservative with the use of meds. But we haven't slept in a month. DS has been in daycare for a month and the kids are all passing around a low grade cold with a runny nose. The junk drips down DS's throat and makes him cough like crazy. I went to the ped and begged for him to tell me what kind of decongestant works. We tried PediaSure, but that stuff makes DS throw up the entire contents of his stomach, so not a good thing. The ped's answer was, "Our practice is against the use of decongestants. They don't work on infants and are a waste of money."

So, we put up with the stuffy nose and coughing for a while more. Then, last night I was at Rite Aid and saw the new Triaminic Infant Decongestant Plus Cough Thin Strips. I had nothing to lose, so I thought I'd try it. DS either wakes up from not being able to breathe or from coughing so hard it almost makes him throw up. EVERY NIGHT!!! So, last night, after his bath, I stuck one tiny thin strip in his mouth. He made a face, but didn't gag, so that was a great start.

He went to bed and slept and slept and slept... like a baby that sleeps. He woke up twice to nurse, but otherwise slept peacefully. It was that easy. This morning, he started coughing again from the stuffy nose and I gave him another strip. He dried up in 5 minutes. This stuff is a miracle. Why couldn't the ped tell me to use something like this??? Why did we have to suffer for an entire sleepless month?

[lovin2shop]

I can empathize, our Ped is a lot like that too. But, like you, I generally like the approach, it just can be really difficult at times. I haven't tried the thin strips, but I have used Triaminic in the past with varying results. A chronic night time cough is often an indicator of asthma and/or allergies even without other symptoms like wheezing. Therefore, our ped doesn't like to treat the symptom, but would rather find the underlying problem. So, if it is just a cold and the triaminic makes everyone sleep better, then that is a great short term solution. I've been there with the chronic coughing and sleeping nights, so I really hope that your poor baby gets through this quickly. If not, I'd get him evaluated for asthma. Drew takes allergy medicine year round, and during peak seasons, we sometimes have to resort to asthma treatments as well. He's never had an actual asthma attack, but the coughing can get really bad. Good luck, mama!

[Radosti]

Thanks!!! This started when he went to daycare and I see the kids there with the exact same symptoms and they sound the same when they cough. So, it's just a simple cold... still, we need sleep.

[dules]

I hope he feels better soon! My pediatrician "does" Benadryl and Dimetapp but prefers no Pediacare as he says it's too strong/easy to misdose. Also sounds like it makes kids vomit?!

Anyway, just wanted to throw in $.02, take it FWIW. I give DD medicine to help her sleep, or in the day if she's clearly tired, needs to sleep but can't because she's congested. But other than that I try to let the symptoms run so that the congestion and germs actually get out of her system. KWIM?

Oh, and can you check out what the daycare is doing to prevent the spread of this further? Sounds like you may have a loooong winter ahead of you if they don't nip it soon.

Good luck!

Mary

[Radosti]

I don't give him medicine often, but the kiddo has been congested for a month... so he needs a break.

The daycare workers are constantly wiping everything down with a bleach solution. I see them doing that every time I am there. However, all the kids are brand new in that infant room, so until they develop an immune response to everything going around, they will just keep passing the germs to each other. As unfortunate as that may be.