Maddy
The little girl developed a cough, which eventually became or which was eventually followed by a cold. The poor thing had runny nose and phlegm at the back of her throat, which we think was irritating her to no end. She couldn't really sleep properly, because the cough would wake her up or she'd end up gagging and throwing up her milk because of the coughing! Her vomited milk would be mucusy and sticky.
At first, we tried to let it run its course, as the pedia said there was no liquid in the lungs, and mucus was clear, so it was probably some allergies.
I bought a Euky Bear vaporizer which came with a eucalytus inhalant liquid that I can pour into the water in the vaporizer.
(here she is, I'm making her breath in the vapors)
I felt that it worked at least to loosen the phlegm or mucus. But not enough.
Eventually the pedia recommended we give Maddy mucolytic syrup to loosen up the phlegm. 1.5ml 3x a day. That and Muconase saline spray helped. But her nose kept running, and her throat was still sticky with the phlegm and she couldn't really spit it out or expel it.
Eventually, we had another check up. The pedia said that there's a bit of fluid in her lungs now. Probably what started as allergies gave way to an upper respiratory infection. It was nothing major, since the mucus was still clear. It was essentially the common cold, which we could choose to just let it run its course. However, since we're leaving out of town the week after, we decided to fast track the process by giving her antibiotics already.
So the trio of meds given to Maddy, all for 10 days, were:
(a) Klaz (Clarithromycin)
- shaken because it's granules in suspension
- pink, strawberry flavored, but essentially yucky and had a bitter aftertaste
- administered by using a syringe without the needle, 3ml 2x a day
(b) Meptin syrup (Procaterol Hydrochloride)
- quite yummy actually, no strong taste, much like clear sugar syrup
- administered by dropper, 1.5ml 2x a day
(c) Montiget (Montelukast Sodium) 4mg
- sachet of white powder
- administered by mixing it over a spoonful of or with her food, not with liquid, 1x a day before bedtime (or her last meal of the day)
So far, the meds have been working and her coughs and cold have disappeared, save for a cough or two or a rattling phlegmy sound at the back of her throat once in a while.
Mommy
Soon after Maddy started her cough and cold, I sent a message to the universe to pass on to me Maddy's sickness instead. WELL. Got passed on to me alright. But Maddy still had hers. Anyway, at least she's getting better.
I refused to take meds, since cold and decongestant meds like phenylephrine or phenylpropanolamine decreases milk supply. I was still breastfeeding so some meds were also off the table for me, because the harmful ingredients can make their way to Maddy through my milk.
I stuck to the vaporizer for a while. Drank a lot of hot water/lemon tea/ginger tea, took in Manuka Honey (pricey!), Echinacea and Vitamin C.
My nose remain clogged, I kept coughing, I sounded like a disease carrier around the office, I had to wear a mask at some point when we visited the pedia just so I don't infect the kids in the waiting area.
Eventually, I relented and started taking Himox antibiotics and alternated between Nasathera and Sinupret for the colds. I appear to have allergic rhinitis. Now, they've more or less eased up. I just still have mucus, but no runny nose anymore and no congestion.
Let's hope I'm totally cured by day 7. It's already day 3 or 4 of taking the antibiotics so far.
MAHAL MAGKASAKIT. Let me just put it out there.
Drink lots of water and Vitamin C people. And Echinacea to boost your immune system. Gah.
