# Runny, stuffy, draining nose for 2 months... need suggestions on what to do



## erinmattsmom88 (Oct 28, 2010)

My DS has had a runny and draining nose for two freakin months. At week 2.5, I took him to ped who said that he probably got 2 colds back-to-back and to just treat symptoms until it goes away or gets worse. Well, it hasn't gotten worse, or better, nor has it gone away. I am at my wit's end. Back at that appointment, she checked ears, lungs, throat, etc and determined no signs of infection. She told me what to look out for, and nothing what she described has happened. I guess that's good. It's just this annoying nose thing. We have gone through a bazillion tissues. I suction his nose all day long. He refuses to blow his nose or even wipe it, so he follows me around all day for me to wipe his nose. He doesn't act sick, eats and drinks normally. He plays and acts like himself so that is normal. The drainage is green, then yellow, then clear, then white, it's thick, it's thin... it's everything. I have tried Benadryl, sterile saline mist, humidifier, breathing in steam from hot shower, getting outside as much as possible, a few different types of mucinex, elderberry syrup... nothing works. Tomorrow I am going to go to CVS and to get the stuffy nose Mucinex, as I haven't tried that one yet. I really, really don't want to give him this type of stuff, but I don't know what else to do. Any suggestions? Do I trek back to the ped? Do I try and wait it out longer? Will springtime weather help? I live in the south so hopefully it's around the corner. A lot of people with kids my kids age have told me that they too have had their kids with long-term runny noses in the past, and that the nose thing eventually just went away on its own. Any advice? I was almost in tears earlier today. I feel so bad for him. In the back of my mind I worry that if I go to the ped she may send me to an ENT, which makes me think... tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy. Oh, my kid has not had any antibiotics for this, which is something else I'd like to avoid if possible.


----------



## sgvmom (Jul 6, 2013)

Allergies can change with age. Did the ped ask anything about your child's diet? Pets, feather blankets?
When my son was little and had a cold it didn't go away until we eliminated dairy. My dad, a very western med doc said that was impossible, but I know it was true. If he had a cold and drank milk the cold stayed, if he laid off for a few days away went the cold.
Sounds like the symptoms are being treated but not the cause.


----------



## erinmattsmom88 (Oct 28, 2010)

She did not ask about diet or possible allergens. My DH and I briefly mentioned that tonight as a possibility... allergies. My kids don't each much dairy, however. They drink water and some almond milk. I use regular milk when I make homemade mac and cheese, which is at least once a week. My kids rarely eat ice cream. They do, however, eat bread daily. Wheat allergy? You're right... we're just treating the symptoms right now. Need to look further into the cause. We don't have pets or smoke. No carpets, all hardwood floors. We do rent our house. I wonder about mold.


----------



## sgvmom (Jul 6, 2013)

Sometimes it's hard to figure out the cause. Although the ped might be right it's just colds back to back I know it always makes me feel like I'm doing more by trying to figure out what more could be going on. I think my son has also learned more about taking care of himself too. I hope he gets better soon. It's always less worrisome when their mood is good.


----------



## erinmattsmom88 (Oct 28, 2010)

If there has been any comfort with this, it's the fact that he is acting normally otherwise. He definitely needs to learn to blow his own nose, which he just flat out refuses to do. This is probably one of the major contributors to our situation presently. I have been reading all morning about this and ran across a pediatric ENT blog. She advocates for people to try eliminating dairy and sugar from the diet before running off to the doctor for other explanations. She refers to "milk and cookie disease" in the blog. So, starting immediately, if anything has a trace of dairy or sugar in it, it's gone. My kids eat very healthy and have treats here and there, but not daily. You just never know though, and I will read food labels with more scrutiny. I thought I was doing a decent job with this, but maybe not well enough. I will try this for at least a week and see what happens. I am just so over it and I know he is too.


----------

