help! Whooping cough exposure and unvaxed

**raifaerie** · #1 (**permalink**) 24-09-2008, 10:44 PM

hey, ive just posted this in the unvaxed thread, but then decided to repost with my own heading, in case it catches more eyes and answers!

DD is not vaxed, and i just had a call from my best friend 2nite to say her 2 girls have whooping cough (they r unvaxed as well). we were exposed to them on sunday, and looking it up - there is a 2 day incubation period b4 the cattarahal stage begins - coughing, sneezing and runny nose.... guess what DD has been doing today?!?!? arrgh!

currently trying to research homeopathics as well as alopathic treatments and herbals etc. someone has told me previosuly that hhomeopathics seem to work really well in actively preventing a disease - as in once there has been a known exposure. does anyone know anything about this? Also, ive found a bit of stuff saying that antibiotics given once the cough has developed are of minimal assistance, but if they are given in the early stages of infection and incubation (as in like where i imagine DD is now), that symptoms can be drastically reduced, if not totally prevented... has me thinking that after 2.4 yrs of never havign antibiotics, it might be a case for DD to have her first dose??
arrrrgh i dont know.

any thoughts/ suggestions much appreciated

~Luna~ · #2 (**permalink**) 24-09-2008, 11:05 PM

antibiotics are for infections, not viruses, so I wouldn't think that it would be prescribed for whooping cough.
I don't know which homeopathics would work, but if she has been exposed, it's too late to try and vax her.
If she gets a dose, lets hope it's a mild one.
With plenty of fluids and a close eye on her, I'm sure she will recover well

Marmee · #3 (**permalink**) 24-09-2008, 11:31 PM

Pertussin is the homeopathic you are after. Can be taken for a week after exposure, or as a "vaccination" (as we did)

keti · #4 (**permalink**) 25-09-2008, 12:32 AM

No suggestions, just sending sympathy. I hope your little one is ok

tamarab30 · #5 (**permalink**) 25-09-2008, 06:52 AM

Oh Rai - another thing for you to worry about! Hope little Layla gets better real quick and you are still staying strong xxx

coco · #6 (**permalink**) 25-09-2008, 01:22 PM

hello,

this is taken from "Vaccinations... a thoughtful parent's guide" by Aviva Jill Romm.... "pertussis.... is caused by Bordetella pertussis a small gram-negative bacillus."

she states that "there is evidence that giving antibiotics in the initial stages of the disease may prevent infection or reduce its severity..."

whereas it is ineffective in the second stage as the "paroxyms" are not caused by the bacteria but by a toxin released by the bacteria.

wishing you all the best

**raifaerie** · #7 (**permalink**) 25-09-2008, 05:32 PM

thanks Coco, that is really helpful. the dr was nice, but didnt really seem to know wether or not her arse was on fire

ta heaps

kristamumof3 · #8 (**permalink**) 25-09-2008, 08:50 PM

My Laila was exposed a month back and my doctor who is anti-vax said just to treat the symptoms if they came up. She got a cold and a nasty cough but only at night. I did give her a cough supressant but only at night so that she could get some sleep and she slept on my chest with me propped up on pillows. The cough only lasted 2 nights.

It is apparently only really bad for children under 1 year. My doc said that he would never give antibiotics for Whooping Cough because it was a virus but my sister's doc wanted to give preventative antibiotics because my nephew was exposed at pre-school! Luckily she said that she would wait to see if he got any symptoms. He didn't.

Anyway I hope that Layla stays well and strong and nothing comes of it.

strata · #9 (**permalink**) 25-09-2008, 10:35 PM

my heart goes out to you, this was one of my worst fears after deciding not to vaccinate my babies....though i'm "unqualified" all information, first hand and text i've read about whooping cough, this virus is usually only a big concern for very young babies, or those with pre-existing conditions, or weak immune systems. my brothers and i, five of us, had whooping cough as children , youngest was six weeks old (small boy born three weeks prem.) got very sick, and needed a stay in hospital, and brother two was two years old and was affected but not seriously, and the rest of us, 5ys, 8ys, and 10, were hardly sick at all. also the information given me by one passionate member of the vaccination awareness network, several years ago, was that children who contracted the virus, after being vaccinated were statistically more likely to get seriously ill and need hospitalisation..all said, i hope your baby is ok and recovers well.

Amanda.R · #10 (**permalink**) 18-10-2008, 12:59 PM

Hi I hope your baby is o.k.
I think my 3 1/2 year old might have whooping cough now, he seems o.k during the day a coughing a bit and a little unwell but still playing and eating but at night it gets much worse and makes that gasping kind of noise after a cough. Last night was the third night and it hasn't got worse if anything I think it is a little better. His nose is runny today it wasn't before and he has had a temp the last 3 nights about 38.5 but it seems to drop during the day.
I contacted my homeopath and am treating him with pertussin and drasora (or something like that) I think it is helping but am just wondering if anyone else has had success with this? I am trying to decide weather to take him to the doctor as well but don't think they will hear the cough i am talking about as it only happens at night, I am also told they can only tell by doing a blood test, is this true? I really don't want my son to be subject to a needle at this stage as i'm afraid it will make him scared of future doctor visits.