astrid Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 One that does not contain Red 40 dye, please (I'm highly allergic.) Please. I am begging. I've tried my usual honey/lemon/hot water remedy to no avail. I'm desperate to kick this thing. Astrid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in CA Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 Mucinex has worked well for me in the past. I don't know about the dyes, but it's white tablets or capsules, I think, so that may not be an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 Try slathering the bottoms of your feet w/ vicks vap-rub, and then don a pair of socks. I haven't tried it, but I have a friend that swears by it! Hope you feel some relief soon!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTMindy Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 Honestly? I have had times where the only thing that works is a shot of tequilla. I've tried the Vics on my feet and it didn't help. I've tried cough medicine with codeine and it didn't help. One night in the middle of the night in desperation I swallowed a shot (right out of the bottle) of tequilla. :-) It worked and I went right to sleep. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty Social Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 OTC cough syrups are pretty worthless, imo. I usually try a decongestant/expectorant like sudafed, mucinex, or delcum(sp?). I don't know what they have in them for dyes. If that doesn't help and I've got a really bad cough....and it's night....and the kids are in bed....Some warm whiskey with honey works WONDERS! I know, sounds like an old wives tale. It's been the only thing that eased my cough a couple times this past year. Hope you feel better soon! Oh - the other thing that usually helps in regular, knock you out Nyquil. But I'm pretty sure that has red dye in it, seeing as how it's red in color:tongue_smilie:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 Straight whiskey. Yep ! When I was in college, renting a room in a house, I contracted horrible bronchitis. The married couple in the adjacent upstairs apartment insisted that the remedy would work. (Wife was a nurse, so I decided to believe her -- ha !) I was a non-drinker, and thought that I had removed every last throat and esophageal cell ! . . . but the cough was gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMA Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 What kind of cough? How long have you had it? Depending on how long you have had it, I would see the doctor. It could be a sign of an infection. When I cough very hard for a long time, I usually have something like bronchitis or pneumonia and an antibiotic takes care of everything including the cough. Louise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melhouse Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 It's not OTC, but Tessalon Perles help me tremendously. They are pills that dull the cough reflex. I'm allergic to codeine; so my dr. tried this for me years ago. I try to keep some on hand. Hope you find some relief soon, Melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 I second the whiskey. That was the only cough syrup we had most of the time as a kid....whiskey and sugar..lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carla36301 Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 Delsym has worked for me, and it doesn't taste awful like so many others do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon H in IL Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 Can you find Delsym without any dyes? Can a compounding pharmacy make some for you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 My doc recommends hard liquor as well. OTC cough medicines have been proven ineffective. Prescription cough medicines are usually made up of the active ingredient in Mucinex and some narcotic. They are actually stronger than most pain meds and are one of the few forms of prescription narcotic that is not mixed tylenol. This allows you to take a more of the narcotic which it what stops the cough. It depresses the cough center of your brain. Alcohol works the same way. And you can take more than one dose if need be and you can handle it. :tongue_smilie: This is also why Nyquil works better than regular cough medicine, it contains alcohol. Old cough medicines used to contain alcohol as well. Both my mother and grandmother used this method as did I before my doc recommended it. I have even had it unofficially recommended for children although the dosage is much smaller and you have to check the laws in your state. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 I haven't had much luck with cough syrups, most of the time; honey works better for me. Try steaming yourself -- go in the bathroom and run hot water, or put some in a bowl and tent a towel over your head, and breathe. Mucinex pills are light green, I think, and Delsym is orange; most of them are red. (Why is that?) If it's been going on for more than 2 weeks, I'd go to the doctor, or at least call a nurse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 I haven't had much luck with cough syrups, most of the time; honey works better for me. Try steaming yourself -- go in the bathroom and run hot water, or put some in a bowl and tent a towel over your head, and breathe. Mucinex pills are light green, I think, and Delsym is orange; most of them are red. (Why is that?) If it's been going on for more than 2 weeks, I'd go to the doctor, or at least call a nurse. Honey here too. That's what they're recommending for kids now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aggie Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 It depends on why you are coughing. My dh told me there are 2 or 3 reasons for a cough. One is obstruction, I can't remember the other(s)! One of the nurses may chime in here. If it's an infection as a pp mentioned, you may need to see a dr. I can't imagine a case of whiskey curing any bronchitis I've ever had. If it's allergies, try a netti pot and stay in a/c. You can get a drug to stop the allergies, then the cough should stop. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marylou Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 (edited) Coughing can also be due to allergies/asthama--just a thought The whiskey definitely works. Just know that it tastes like poison if you're not used to it. I almost choked to death when I chugged it for a cough the first time. I had no idea it was so strong and my dh didn't warn me! (Just laughed afterwards). Edited June 4, 2009 by dmmosher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiddenJewel Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 We use ClearLung when the cough heads for the chest. It kicks in after a few doses (every 4 hours) then you need to stay on it until you don't relapse. Has worked great here 2 different years. Last year I was afraid dh had bronchitis but the ClearLung kicked whatever it was. Licorice root is also supposed to be very good for coughs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cricket Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 You could also try some hot water steeped with fresh ginger, honey and lemon. I've also heard whiskey is the best but I've never tried it. What do us gluten-free people use since we can't have whiskey? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 You could also try some hot water steeped with fresh ginger, honey and lemon. I've also heard whiskey is the best but I've never tried it. What do us gluten-free people use since we can't have whiskey? Oh there are lots of choices: tequila, vodka, rum, various schnapps, gin (bleh!), wine (you have to drink more) . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannie in NJ Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 my mom used to give us kids a spoonful of sugar covered with whiskey, that along with the mustard and onion plaster was just wonderful - not. It worked but to this day, I absolutely hate any hard alcohol. I now take Nyquil cough with 10% alcohol but it is red in color. It does put me right to sleep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2GirlsTX Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 Oh there are lots of choices: tequila, vodka, rum, various schnapps, gin (bleh!), wine (you have to drink more) . . . :lol::lol::lol::lol: love your choices.... now if I only had a cough:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 Try slathering the bottoms of your feet w/ vicks vap-rub, and then don a pair of socks. I haven't tried it, but I have a friend that swears by it! Hope you feel some relief soon!! Vicks on the chest, neck and back helps too. What about Robatussin (I have no idea how to spell that), they make green, I would guess that wouldn't contain red dye. Of course, check the label first :) Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 Theobromine has been shown to be more effective than Codeine for coughs. So try eating good quality chocolate with the highest percentage cacao you can find. (There are bars available in up to the 99% range, though they can be a little tough to find.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 my suggestion? Green Death Nyquil. My girlfriend suggested a hot toddy with whiskey or rum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Virginia Dawn Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 forget the feet and socks, rub it on your chest and neck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBM Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 For decades, I used to get at least one cold annually which would morph into a horrible, long-lasting cough. I tried everything -- every cough syrup under the sun, homeopathy, special herbal teas, chocolate, acupressure, acupuncture, hypnosis, even a salt pipe! Nothing helped. My new doctor suspected I was getting sick because my levels of vitamin D were low, so she tested me, and sure enough, I was very low. This year I began supplementing and haven't had even a sniffle. I even tried to infect myself on plane rides and by sitting with my son and husband while they were sick, but it didn't work. I also didn't wash my hands all that much. So... that's one idea to help prevent getting a cough. In the meantime, my vote would be for a cough syrup with codeine at night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiddenJewel Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 forget the feet and socks, rub it on your chest and neck. Have you tried it on the feet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catalinakel Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 Wine does not cure cough. Ask me how I know. My dad swore by whiskey, but we have used a homeopathic honey based syrup called Chestal by Boiron, and I believe that it works. It just takes a few days. Oh there are lots of choices: tequila, vodka, rum, various schnapps, gin (bleh!), wine (you have to drink more) . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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