Coughing fear

DD3 seems to have a real fear of coughing now, as soon as she coughs she panics and can't catch her breathe with makes her freak and try to breathe which she can't so then she coughs more. It is really scary to watch, she goes a little dusky from it.
She is not bringing up flem, I think it is more a psychological thing from when she had the pneumonia and couldn't breathe while coughing up her flem...I think it scared her so much that she has left her a bit cough phobic.
I have no idea what to do...I have tried soothing her through it, being firm, rubbing her back but she still gets so frightened every time she coughs. She is asthmatic so it doesn't take a lot for her to cough.
I am at a loss.
has anyone been through the Same?

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Poor darlin' :(

I have no real advice but have you tried taking her to the doctors, see if by them talking to her and reassuring shes ok and what happened before wont happen again? is there anything she can take to help with her cough?

Can you get her to rehearse coughing? Maybe talk about coughing and how it's just your body doing a normal thing, and then you coigh and get her to cough too. Tell her it's safe to cough and everyone does it. Then maybe teach her how to breathe deeply. My dd started deep breaths at 20 months and it's a great skill to calm her down during tantrums etc. Then when she coughs you could stay calm and tell her it's just her cough and to breathe deeply...

Good luck!

LMS I have an appt with our GP next week so I might talk to him then see if he can suggest anything. She is on flux tide and bento in for the asthma which helps the cough a little but this weather it is still there.

Arcadia thank you for your suggestions, I will try rehearsing coughing with her. I have tried talking her through it but it doesn't always help. When she looks at me with that fear in her eyes it breaks my heart :(
It is hard to get her to understand though and because she doesn't talk she can't tell me how she feels.


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