Conference moira::parenting

    David (3) and I have both had a bug with these symptoms -- sore
    throat, some headache, minimal fever,  wheezing almost like
    bronchitis, and a truly awful cough.  It lasts about two weeks. 
    Before that David's babysitter and her daughter had it; she went
    to the doctor with it and found out it was just a virus.  If she
    hadn't just had it, I think I would have had us both at our
    doctor's.  Weird feeling, being able to hear the air wheezing past
    the congestion in your own chest. . . 
    
    Might be worth a call to your doctor's office to see if they think
    he needs to be seen, though.
    
    --bonnie

    
    
    Joyce,
    
    	I would call the doctor, I had croup alot when I was a kid and 
    can remember sitting in a steamy bathroom so I could breath.  
    
    Even if it's not croup, better off to see the doctor.
    
    	Lisa

    
    I would also call the doctor.  My son woke up with croup one night
    (we didn't know what it was at the time).  We called the doctor
    and he could tell from the symptoms it was croup - difficulty
    breathing, and suggested we take him outside ..I did and it seemed
    to take care of it.  Croup is not in the lungs ..it's an inflamation
    of the throat.  Very scary ...but I don't think there is anything
    you can take for it, either.
    
    Best to call the doctor if you're not sure ..
    
    Nancy

    I just got off the phone with the Dr.  He says it is a classic case of
    croup.  Treatment ... cool mist vaporizer, if he gets real congested or
    coughing uncontrollably, either run shower with hot water (steamy
    room) or put him in the car (night) and ride around with the windows
    open.  Tylenol should ease discomfort. No antibotics or cough syrup. 
    It is a virus.  He is also contagious and should remain home from school
    as long as the symptoms remain.  He said that they can seem perfectly
    fine during the day (my son is at home begging to go outside) and have
    recurring symptoms at night for up to two weeks!
    
    Thanks for all your responses.  I better make sure I get to bed early
    tonight ... it could be a long one!
    
    Joyce
    

    Its got my family real good...We started five weeks ago, with my
    Daughter.  I was on vacation in Canada with my kids (hubby stayed home
    in school), and during our second week my Daughter developed this
    horrible cough.  I thought it was due to sinus drainage, because we
    were that during ragweek and golden rod season and she does have minor
    allergies at home during the summer.  She had very little mucus or
    phlegm, and no fevers.  We would go through a coughing spell every nite
    just as she was falling asleep.  Gave her benadryl which helped
    tremdously.  Her coughing ended a few days after we got home, so I was
    convinced it was just an allergy.  Wrong...My son started coughing, and
    basically the same symtoms or lack thereof.  But during his second
    week, he started to get worse and after watching him turn blue in the
    face a few times decided to take him to the clinic.  He still had no
    fever or phlegm, just a lot of congestion.  They put him on antibiotics
    and said he had a little fluid in his left lung.  Its been three weeks
    with him and I was going to take him back this past monday, but He was
    much better.  I thought I was going to catch it as for the last week
    I've felt overly tired, with a sore throat and a lot of sinus drainage. 
    But today I feel fine, so I'm hoping that I just had a lighter version
    of the virus if thats possible.  If this is a virus, it sure is a weird
    one.  I still think its just allergies.  We've had a lot a rain the
    past few days which would explain why I'm not suffering as much, (not
    as much pollen in the air) and the kids have been outside a lot more
    than I have.  I'm going to just wait and see if my husband starts the
    same coughing.  The doctor sure didn't seem to concerned though.
    
    regards,
    
    lynne
    

    Well Jordan was worse on Thursday AM, Temp of 103, no appetite and
    generally just feeling miserable.  So I made another call to the Dr. 
    We went in ... he does have croup, but he also has strep throat!  Boy
    am I glad I took him in.  Even after the Dr. examined him he still felt
    it was only croup, but did a culture to be on the safe side and it was
    a very definite positive.  Not something that would necessarily be
    picked up when they have croup because they have a sore throat with
    that too.
    
    Hopefully he will be on the mend now that he is on antibiotics.
    
    Joyce
    

         We have had recurring problems with croup with both of our
    children. For our son, the younger of the 2, it usually turned out that
    croup was an early indication of an ear infection or strep. If the
    problem lasted for more than one night or if the symptoms were so bad
    that either steaming or a ride in the cold night air helped very
    little, we knew a call to the doctor was in order.
    
         As it turns out, both of our children also have asthma. My wife can
    tell the difference in our son's breathing between asthma and just an
    attack of croup, but I can't. Either one scares me. A simple rule of
    thumb: when in doubt, even just a slight doubt, call the doctor. We
    almost didn't make it to the hospital in time when our son had his
    first asthma attack. We didn't even know it was an asthma attack until
    we got to the hospital and were told by the doctor on duty. He has a
    croup-like cough when he has an asthma attack. Now he uses two inhalers
    at least twice a day.
    
    
                                                Mike
    

    
    	An earlier note said that croup was contagious for as long as
    	the symptoms last.  Can anyone else corroborate that ?  I
    	hope not... I'm home with Emily today after she had croup
    	symptoms last night (and Andrew sounds wheezy so he's here,too).
    
    	We've got a big family vacation planned for the weekend, but my
    	whole family (parents, 4 sisters, 8 nieces/nephews) is going.
    
    	I don't want to risk infecting anyone, but was very much looking
    	forward to this ski trip!  
    
    	Guess a call to the pedi is in order.
    
    	Karen :-(
    

    
    When I was a kid I got croup at least 1x per year for several years.  
    None of my 4 brothers and sisters ever caught it from me.  I always
    thought it was basically a cold or virus that for me turned into croup.  
    Others in my family would get colds but noone got croup and other childhood
    bronchial stuff I got. 
    
    Kathy  

    I thought that Croup was a virus .... some people it may show as a
    runny nose, some as pnuemonia, some as croup, some as nothing at all.
    
    I'd be interested to hear what your pedi has to say.  My boys have all
    had croup a few times each, and I haven't had it since I was a little
    kid.
    
    -Patty