How long is 'too long' for a chesty cough?

WWYD? Mr Monkey (21 months) came down with a nasty cold 10 days ago and the cough is still hanging around. It's still petty thick and chunky sounding but generally, he's otherwise chirpy and past the illness - no fever, no runny nose etc. I'm kind of reluctant to take him to the GP as I'm anti ABs unless completely necessary... I'm just not sure at what point I decide that this has gone on too long and he needs help to clear it up.

Because he seems otherwise happy, my tendency is to just let him recover in his own time, but I'm just wondering whether anyone has any thoughts to the contrary? I have 'under-reacted' in the past and now don't quite trust myself to call it when it's important.

I think 10 days is too long for a cough. My general rule is 5-7 days then dr.

If the cough is not getting any better after 10 days I'd be taking your little guy to the doc just to check his lungs to make sure he doesn't have any infection. Fingers crossed he doesn't =)

Id be inclined to take him to the doc just in case. Ive been in this situation before with dd, and I say id like to avoid AB's as much as possible and generally they're happy with that too as my docs dont lile giving them out for colds/flus/etc. Where most people want them

Thanks ladies. Appointment made for late this morning. Just needed some encouragement / a kick in the bum!

Checking out is a good idea - our GP's seem quite anti AB which is good. Coughs are a funny thing - so far all coughs I have thought chesty have proved not to be and was told by GP that when young a cough can last for months!!! Especially if are mucousy children anyway. Some kids are so hard to tell if sick or not - is a good thing that resilience but hard before they can really communicate if something is wrong.

Both mine have had coughs linger for weeks. The longest was six weeks for DD. DS is better at spewing up the phlegm so his seem to clear faster.

Hope all is ok soon.

All clear. GP said it's very common in the virus that's going around ATM that the cough lasts for ages. Not much to be done but stay warm and wait for it to pass. Yay for no ABs but bboooooooooo for nasty viruses.

Thanks again ladies. :)

I would've had it checked too.. Thankfully our normal GP is very anti AB, and I often preface my visits with 'I am happy to be told its nothing, but...'

The last time I took DD, a fortnight ago, she had some stuff on her lungs, so glad I took her, even though I wasn't sure.. Best to get the checked..

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GP said it's very common in the virus that's going around ATM that the cough lasts for ages.

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I was going to mention this. I had a cough for over a month, but the sickness only lasted a week or so.

Feeling your pain. Both my girls have just gotten over their coughs - DD2 had it for 5 weeks (ended up with an ear infection at 4 weeks so was prescribed ABs) and DD1 had it for 7 weeks :o and also ended up with a really nasty ear infection last week (7 week mark) so was also put on ABs. Our GP said the infections were most definitely related to their coughs. Something to keep an eye out for if the cough really lingers like my girls coughs did.