Cold with a bad cough

[RonniB]

I've been militant about germs since my 13 year old son was diagnosed in April last year. We had escaped the flu that was rampant in his school for the past month. So of course, last weekend he came down with a bad cold. His cough sounds just awful. I'm taking him into the pediatrician tomorrow just to have them listen to his lungs. I know they are going to think me crazy as he's not running a fever, so the likelihood is that he's not developing pneumonia, but with him now being immunocompromised due to treatment for his IBD, I'm in a constant state of stress.

Please tell me I'm not the only one who is like this. My husband keeps telling me I need to relax, and my son looks at me every time he coughs and says, he's fine. Oy...

 

[my little penguin]

Breathe
They are normal kids
What meds is he taking ?
My kiddo is 14
Dx at age 7
Been on biolgics since age 8 and methotrexate
Currently takes two biolgics (another disease in addition to Crohns )
Plus methotrexate
And has asthma since age 2

So yes he is immunocompromised and yes Ds gets colds and coughs

Immunocompromised typically makes you more susceptible to opportunistic infections
Like you said pneumonia
But pneumonia usually only tags along woth the flu
Not the common cold

Any fever /wheezing /severe fatigue //chills. Etc...

Or just a plain hand cough
Is it similar to colds he has had in the past ??

Remember ibd kiddos have an over active immune system
So meds reduce it to about what the normal kids have
My ibd kiddo gets far less illness than my non ibd kiddo

Please talk over your concerns woth your child’s pediatrician and GI
They can give you a good gauge on what to be concerned about

The first year or two is rough

Let us know what the pediatrician says

 

[RonniB]

He's on Remicade and Methotrexate. It's taken a long time to figure out the dosage and frequency of the Remicade, but fortunately, I think we are finally there.

No fever, chills, wheezing or severe fatigue, so I highly doubt it's anything other than a cold with a very nasty cough. I just feel like the cough sounds worse to me, but of course that could just be worry.

Thanks for reminding me to just look at him as a normal kid. It's hard enough for him with learning to deal with IBD, he doesn't need me overreacting anytime he gets sick.

 

[Maya142]

If he has a nasty cough, no harm in getting it checked. But I agree - my daughters have been on biologics and immunomodulators for 8+ years and they usually only get one or two colds per year, if that. They actually get sick a lot less than their classmates.

It has been like this all through middle school, high school and now college.

They are both prone to sinus infections though, so if symptoms haven't gone away after 10 days, we do go to the pediatrician. And with painful sore throats we often go in to check for strep. But generally with a cold, we just wait it out and they bounce back.

But this year, considering the flu season has been so bad and so scary, I have also been extra worried. So you're not alone!!

The first few years were the toughest for us too. Once you figure out and get comfortable with your "new normal" it gets a lot easier.

 

[pdx]

It's been a terrible year for colds and coughs here in Portland. Both of my kids (one with Crohn's and one without) have had coughs for months. We've been in to the pediatrician several times with both to check for pneumonia, but so far they've both been clear. We're pretty sure that the daughter with Crohn's had pertussis back in December--it was going around her school and she had all the classic symptoms. The cough from that can last 3 months or even longer, so we have lots of coughing still in our future, I think.

Anyway, I think it's a good idea that you're taking your son into the doctor. It will probably be nothing, but I think it's always worth checking. My daughter is also on remicade and mtx, and due to immunosuppression, she doesn't always have a fever when she has an infection. So that makes it more important to have a doctor check for other symptoms of infection.

 

[my little penguin]

^^^yeah that
It’s easier for us
Since despite Stelara and mtx
(He was on humira and mtx prior )
I know Ds does run a fever with infection-
Something good to know

Definitely get the doc to listen and check
At the same time give you guidelines from the GI when they want to be notified
It’s a good idea to have the “call” for these things list from GI

 

[Maya142]

My kiddo sometimes runs a fever with infections and sometimes doesn't. She has had a staph infection in her throat, CDiff twice and many sinus infections with only a low grade or no fever.

Generally, above 100.4 is considered a real fever.

 

[Lisa]

Definitely not a bad idea to get checked! I just got over a bad chest cold myself, and may have a lingering sinus infection..... Don't feel bad but my last bloodwork (last week) showed signs of infection somewhere.......

I've had a few chest colds, sinus infections and a bout of pneumonia over the years, but all in all I'm generally healthier than my daughter and husband!

 

[RonniB]

Saw the ped today - lungs are clear. His nasal passages are completely blocked, so he's on Flonase to help with that. And he's to remain on cough med to keep any junk coming up. So far, non-productive.

Spoke to the on call Ped GI doc and felt better about their response not to worry about him being prescribed antibiotics if they were needed. And of course, he gave me the same reassurance that things would level off in terms of my worry. As he said, 'you will adjust to the new normal for your son.'

 

[pdx]

Saw the ped today - lungs are clear. His nasal passages are completely blocked, so he's on Flonase to help with that. And he's to remain on cough med to keep any junk coming up. So far, non-productive.

Spoke to the on call Ped GI doc and felt better about their response not to worry about him being prescribed antibiotics if they were needed. And of course, he gave me the same reassurance that things would level off in terms of my worry. As he said, 'you will adjust to the new normal for your son.'

Glad to hear his lungs were clear.

My daughter needed antibiotics for strep throat about 6 months into her Crohn's treatment, and I can still remember how freaked out I felt. It all turned out fine. She's needed antibiotics a few times a year since then, and we haven't had a problem yet.