Croup Question

[Trillian]

Croup is just a virus so there is no treatment for it, but you can be prescribed Predmix or Redipred for it, which is just a steroid that opens their airways. It could just have been a once off thing and tonight she will be fine, but sometimes they can be fine through the day and the cold air at night can bring it on again. It's up to you as to whether you think she needs the steroid or not but if she is happy enough and not distressed by it then she may be fine without it.

[[M]umma[M]ia]

Yeah there isnt a hell of alot they can do for croup. It will be worse at night as Trillian said, the night air can bring it on. Trust your mummy instincts, your the one that knows her best. If u think she needs a check up, no harm in getting her one. Hearing them cough like that just breaks your heart when there is nothing u can do.


PS. Update your sig missy!!

[kirsty_lee]

Thanks for the replies, took her to the doctor today. Checked her over and yep definately croup. She was quite distressed last night and was having trouble breathing for a bit so he's put her on a steriod for three days, once a day. She certainly does not like the taste lol but it has eased my mind tonight, hopefully she's better tonight. She's still got a little bit of a cough today but he said she should right after the three days. So hopefully tonight she'll be ok.

[Trillian]

It does pass very quickly - I'd be surprised if after having had the steroid now that she will have the stridor tomorrow, it is so effective at treating it. One tip though, it is possible that she will get it again - maybe not this year but next year you should be prepared for it. I could always pick when DS1 was likely to get it because often it could come after he'd had a minor sniffle/cold and the girls would just have it come on out of the blue - usually at 2am with no warning so I always make sure that I have some Redipred in the fridge so if they got it I could treat them immediately and not have to take them to the Dr. Now I just get a script to have on hand each year and our GP tells me how much to give each of them depending on their weight and he's happy for me to treat them at home.

[~me~]

I'm a bit late coming in..DS2 just had a bout of croup. He took the predimix for 3days once a day. The cough was better within hours of taking the first predimix. I mixed the predimix in a little bit of DH's gatorade to take away the taste. The expiry on my bottle is next year and the pharmacist said it will not go off after opening and the expiry on the bottle is the actual expiry even after opening. I keep it in the fridge. I also have repeats just in case, as Trillian said, it's a creeper and one minute they have just a plain old cold then all of sudden the seal cough!
The GP also suggested that vapourisers and moist air don't work for croup and if the cough gets really bad to take them outside into the night air if you are not taking them to hospital. I am not sure on that though, as in the outside night air?

[kirsty_lee]

Ahh that's a great idea Trill, thanks! Yeah it's a total creeper. One minute just a normal cough then next minute barking! She's still got a little bit of a cough but it's not a bark, so we'll see how we go tonight. I've read so many conflicting articles. Childrens Hospitals say no to moist air, some other websites say yes so I'm completely confused lol

[*Beema*]

You've already seen your GP and got the steroids DD had it three times last winter, and you can't miss that distinctive cough, but good thing was the subsequent times we were able to pick it up a lot quicker so the impact was a lot less. But the first dose she has was a ripper, she ended up losing her voice and it hung around for quite a while, the reoccurred exactly 2 weeks after the first case started but it wasn't as bad as the first time.

The steroids are really good for it and it is good that the treatment for croup is so much better now than it used to be, years ago bubs were admitted to hospital and placed in an isolette!

We had a vapourisor and TBH it didn't make any difference, with Croup or Brochiolitis and when DD was in hospital with Pneumonia (she actually had the parent for Pneumonitis) also on another occasion Brochiolitis no moist air was used then, just oxigen and steroids.

[~me~]

I've read so many conflicting articles. Childrens Hospitals say no to moist air, some other websites say yes so I'm completely confused lol

I would tend to go with Childrens Hospital advice on the moist air thing. My GP was pretty adamant about the no moist air and take them out to the night air.
HTH