Teen coughing violently at night in bed and then vomiting mucus...Please help!
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Anonymous
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This has been occuring for over 3 weeks now. At first I thought she was just coughing during the night and I didn't get up, but just listened while she was in the bathroom and hearing what I though was just spit going into the toliet. One night she got up coughing and I heard the vomiting sounds. When I went to check on her, she was coughing, burping and vomiting everywhere. When I went to clean it up, I realized it was all mucus (there was hardly any food) but it smelled like vomit. She told me this had been going on for 1 week (at that time). I tried to make an appt with her Ped. She was on vaca and her front desk told us to go to ER. The next evening, I took her to the ER. ER doc dismissed the vomiting at first and sent her for a chest x-ray (all clear). I had to keep saying "But she is vomiting, only at night, while lying down. Something is wrong". She kept saying it was gag reflex, but I countered with "why only at night when lying down...she coughts throughout the day". She went ahead and wrote prescription for cough pills (Benzotonate and Zantac) and then on her discharge paper wrote dx: cough.
It didn't work. I finally got an appointment with Ped, who then said she possibly had "Cough induced asthma" and to try the meds to see if it helps. I googled that and it is suppose to have dry, hacking cough. Hers is a wet, productive cough. She didn't "treat" the vomiting, and instead prescribed her 2 inhalers (Flovent and albuterol, and some nose spray). I couldn't afford the Flovent ($200 after insurance covered it's part), but I got the Albuterol and Nose Spray. I figured I would give her the pills the ER doc prescribed and then take the Albuterol if start coughing during the night along with taking the Zantac. Nothing is working. I'm going to scrounge some money together and get the Flovent tonight and see if we have better results. Meanwhile my child is suffering, she is awaken in the middle of the night and still has to go to school. Does anyone have any ideas? Should I skip the Zantac this evening since it doesn't seem to be helping anyway. I'm at a lost. I think the vomiting at night is significant but the docs dismiss it. I'm confused. TIA! |
Anonymous
| I think you need to see an ENT specialist. Can you find one that works with your insurance? |
Anonymous
| Sounds like reflux or bulimia |
Anonymous
| Could it be GERD? It can make people cough. I'm not sure about the mucus vomit. |
Anonymous
OP here. It's not Bulimia, but I am concerned about some of the the same issue with esophagus and teeth enamal issues with the stomach acids. |
Anonymous
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The Flovent (my kid is on it) is stupidly expensive, but you can ask your prescription plan if there are any cheaper drugs that are covered that are similar. Then you can ask your doctor if you can use them and get those instead.
The Flovent takes a while to take effect, so it won't be an overnight cure. My sympathy: our kid (younger) was having this happen almost every time she gets sick and it's awful. |
Anonymous
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I can see why the doc pointed to asthma:
http://www.healthline.com/health/asthma-asthma-cough#Identification2 A productive cough is more rare, but seen in asthmatics. The night coughing seems to be an asthma thing. |
Anonymous
| Could be mold somewhere near her bed. |
Anonymous
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Did either of the Drs rule out whooping cough? That can cause you to spit up mucus. Also what about allergies. When I have allergies the snot drips down my throat at night. It makes be cough but not vomit.
Good luck |
Anonymous
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You need to see a specialist asap OP. Don't fool with this stuff.
I would go see a gastroenterologist, and maybe also an ENT. |
Anonymous
I would be too. Have her brush her teeth after each time she pukes. |
Anonymous
I get nauseous and do throw up from post nasal drip. But it's usually in the mornings. |
Anonymous
| For acid reflux, they generally recommend sleeping on an incline. Doe you have a wedge pillow she can use? or can you put something under the head of the mattress so that her head is higher? |
Anonymous
| That's how my DD's asthma presented. Whenever it was allergy season, she would have a cough for weeks and it would often trigger gagging and night time vomiting of mucus. At first we just thought it was just congestion from a cold and a sensitive gag reflex, but finally brought her in to the ped who listened to her lungs, immediately put her on a nebulizer for 10 minutes, and prescribed a week long course of prednisolone. The nebulizer treatment helped, and the prednisolone worked wonders. We also have an albuterol inhaler at home for flare-ups. |
Anonymous
| Make sure she is not vaping. Very popular with teens |