Shane has croup. Whenever people say you cannot mistake the sound of the croup cough, I always wondered, but this sure is unmistakable. I know he's on the older end of be age spectrum for it, but my brother had it repeatedly from 4-6, so I guess it's not unheard of. What do you do for it? He woke up early this morning with the cough and stridor, I laid him in bed with me, he drank a few sips of tea, and got a little bit of sleep. He hasn't really had an attack since getting up, but his voice is raspy and every once in a while he "barks". All the articles mention steam treatments, and not using medications for colds. I have an albuterol inhaler, but not a spacer for children. Do you use one for croup? Does he need to stay out of school tomorrow? How long should he stay out? TIA

By Annie2 on Sunday, September 9, 2007 - 03:33 pm:

Anything that has to do with breathing and airways warrants a dr's visit in my opinion. You do not want it to turn into bronchitis or pneaumonia (sp).

The only "experience" I have with croup is watching the movie "Terms Of Endearment" when Debra Winger took her baby into a steamy bathroom.

I know when my ds's sinuses are bothering him, he can take a hot, steamy shower/bath and he feels much better.

Hope Shane feels better soon.

By Yjja123 on Sunday, September 9, 2007 - 03:43 pm:

I used to sit in the bathroom with a hot shower running (steam). It helped a lot.
It is worth trying but I would still take him to the doctor on Monday.
Hope he is feeling better soon!

By Dawnk777 on Sunday, September 9, 2007 - 04:11 pm:

I hardly ever took my kids to the doctor for croup. It usually cropped up in the middle of the night and a hot steamy bathroom always took care of it. I think once I did take a kid in and the doctor didn't do much. After a night, where they woke up barking, the steamy bathroom eased their breathing and they were usually better in the morning. Both of mine, had it a few times.

By Pamt on Sunday, September 9, 2007 - 04:35 pm:

Crystal, my 10 y/o DS still gets croup a couple of times a year and they are "supposed" to outgrow it by about age 5. I'm a pro at handling it. Turn the shower on HOT water and sit in the bathroom for about 5 minutes before he goes to bed. Croup is almost always worse at night. If he is still croupy in the morning take him to the doctor. Croup should be gone by the morning. The one time my DS was still croupy in the a.m., the ped. put him in the hospital in an oxygen tent. Before those such drastic measures, they can try oral steroids and/or albuterol through the nebulizer. We still have a nebulizer on hand to deal with the croup issues that crop up.

If he has an occasional bark in the morning that's okay. I would judge him going to school by how he feels, how much sleep he got, etc. However, if he still has stridor and constant croup then definitely a visit to the MD is warranted.

By Crystal915 on Sunday, September 9, 2007 - 05:41 pm:

Thanks everyone!! I should mention he hasn't had a consistent "bark" or any wheezing since early this morning, which is why we haven't gone to urgent care or called the doctor. I don't think he'll need to see the doc, he's behaving normally today other than a slight fever. I think I threw away his oral Prednisone when we moved, so if anything I'll take him in to see if he needs more breathing treatments. I think we'll do the hot steam, and I'll sleep in his bed tonight, since I'm a heavy sleeper and I want to wake up if he has another attack. He had asthmatic issues as a baby/toddler (no full DX, just an couple "episodes" when sick), so my mommy senses freak out when he's struggling!!

By Enchens on Sunday, September 9, 2007 - 05:44 pm:

My 2 year old gets croup. He got it three times in 6 weeks this past winter. Like Pamt said, steamy shower, it's worse at night. I would just add one thing. At night, put a cold air humidifier in the room with your son. For some reason, the cold air helps.

As far as the steroids, the doctors would probably only do it once. Steroids have so many side effects, they really shouldn't give them too often. Not all places will do an oxygen tent because they may be a fire hazard. (Our hospital won't do them anymore for that reason.) I wouldn't recommend giving albuterol because the strider is not a lower repiratory problem, it's an upper respiratory problem. The albuterol also has a side effect of making the heart beat faster leading to agitation leading to increased strider. It's a cycle. A nebulizer with just saline is ok.

If I remember anything else I'll post.

By Amecmom on Sunday, September 9, 2007 - 06:27 pm:

Poor Shane! My doc advised that if the hot air does not help, then open the door of the freezer and let him breathe in the cold air. When heat does not work, then cold ususally does.
Hope he feels better soon!
Ame

By Trina~moderator on Sunday, September 9, 2007 - 06:44 pm:

My DS used to get what our ped. thought was recurrent croup. Turned out it was allergy induced asthma. He wasn't formally dxed until an ambulance ride to the ER, followed by a 3 day hospital stay. After that scarey experience, I recommend taking Shane to an Asthma/Allergy specialist.

Hot steamy air works well, and as Ame mentioned above, so does cold, brisk air.