thowell Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Ok, I have tried everything. Both my little girls are sick and the cough is driving us crazy. None of the over the counter med is working. I have a prescription cough med but it is a narcotic and all it does is knock them out for a couple hours then the cough starts again. Also with this med I can only give it every 8 hours so the last 5-6 hours they are miserable. We have tried Vicks on the chest, hot steam baths...... any other ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Honey. Keep up the steam, too; they don't need to be in the bath, just in the room. I've even done it at 2 in the morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 I don't know if you've tried Mucinex DM, but it works wonders here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachaheart Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Honey and drinking warm water Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thowell Posted October 7, 2009 Author Share Posted October 7, 2009 ok, I have honey, how much and how often do you give it? Do you mix it in tea or something or just take it straight? And yes we were up at 3 a.m. sitting in the bathroom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 I think 1/2 - 1 tsp for youngish kids. I just give it straight. I think I've read dosage suggestions of being every 4-6 hours, but it's not like you can overdose if you give it every 2 hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thowell Posted October 7, 2009 Author Share Posted October 7, 2009 ok, off to try the honey now. You girls are the best. Wish me luck and sleep!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Ok, I have tried everything. Both my little girls are sick and the cough is driving us crazy. None of the over the counter med is working. I have a prescription cough med but it is a narcotic and all it does is knock them out for a couple hours then the cough starts again. Also with this med I can only give it every 8 hours so the last 5-6 hours they are miserable. We have tried Vicks on the chest, hot steam baths...... any other ideas? Try half-doses of the narcotic syrup more frequently. Sometimes I can get away with sucking on N'ICE lozenges non-stop. Are they wheezing? Do they need treatment for that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 ok, I have honey, how much and how often do you give it? Do you mix it in tea or something or just take it straight? And yes we were up at 3 a.m. sitting in the bathroom. Ok, well, in order to avoid another 3 a.m., here's my advice for your honey (and your honies) Cut up an onion and put it in a small saucepan. Cover it with honey, turn on the burner and simmer it, with the lid cracked, for about 30 minutes. Let it cool before giving it to them. You can store it, onions and all, in a jar in the fridge. Don't worry, it tastes like honey, not like onions, but there are compounds in the onions that will help quell the cough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pongo Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Ok, I have tried everything. Both my little girls are sick and the cough is driving us crazy. None of the over the counter med is working. I have a prescription cough med but it is a narcotic and all it does is knock them out for a couple hours then the cough starts again. Also with this med I can only give it every 8 hours so the last 5-6 hours they are miserable. We have tried Vicks on the chest, hot steam baths...... any other ideas? Vicks on the bottom of the feet. Yes, I am serious, slather it on, in between the toes and on the bottom of their feet then put on some warm socks. It works, honestly:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cera Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 We use my grandmother's recipe, 50/50 honey and lemon juice warmed a bit and taken by the teaspoonful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted October 7, 2009 Share Posted October 7, 2009 Ok, I have tried everything. Both my little girls are sick and the cough is driving us crazy. None of the over the counter med is working. I have a prescription cough med but it is a narcotic and all it does is knock them out for a couple hours then the cough starts again. Also with this med I can only give it every 8 hours so the last 5-6 hours they are miserable. We have tried Vicks on the chest, hot steam baths...... any other ideas? Try a good decongestant nose spray. Seems counter intuitive, but it works for us when nothing else will. I think the decongestant allows the sinuses to clear and drain properly rather than just trickling down the back of the throat and triggering the cough. Barb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 Saline nose drops (only saline, not other medicines) may help too, if they're sick of steaming... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
East Coast Sue Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 I'll second Vicks on the bottom of the feet and then socks on top of it. I also am a believer in very few cold medicines, but Mucinex works wonders! You can pick it up under a generic name from any drug store for half-price- just look for the ingredient Guaifenesin. Its best if its the only ingredient so you're not overmedicating. Hope the kids are better soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1GirlTwinBoys Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 We have one of those Vicks Vapor Machines that you can get at a drug store etc... They work GREAT! You put the little patch in and the machine warms it when you plug it in. I don't hear another peep out of mine for the entire night. I keep their bedroom door cracked so most of the scent stays in the room. I also get BABY Vicks rub or something similar and rub on their pajama shirt if it's a really bad cough. I don't usually have to do this because the machine works so good. :001_smile: I NEVER give them cough medicine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunty Social Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 Honey and lemon. I'd give them a spoonful of honey, then "lemon tea" which is just a lemon cut up, a quarter to half squeezed into a mug then dropped in, hot water, and more honey to taste. I also have (somewhere) a recipe for a homemade wild cherry bark/marshmallow root cough syrup that you can take as needed (even every hour) and seems to work pretty well. I'd go with the honey and lemon first though - it's easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarana Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 (edited) Try CVS brand "Assorted Citrus Vitamin C Supplement drops" My kids begin to throw up when they get a cough. This has worked great for us. The Vicks cough drops gives you a sore throat if used too often. The Vit C drops helps with the back drain & helps reducing Cold symptoms. Also try Fresh & Easy brand organic Peppermint Herbal tea with a spoon or two of honey in 16Oz water. Ask them to drink it when the tea is warm (warmer the better) Edited October 8, 2009 by tarana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sthompson Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 Ooooooweeee! I am going through this right now with my DD(10 days to be exact). Everytime she gets a cold she coughs nonstop!!! So Honey and lemon warmed up like pps said works. For me about 2 to 3 hours. I also have a vaporizer running in her room...I hear you can put some essential oils in it....maybe one that would help??? I am also putting vicks on her feet with socks and vicks on her chest and throat. I got tired of her coughing and so did she. So I called the Ped. and my SIL who is a PA. Both suggested Singulair for the cold season. For my DD it seems to be an asmatic attack. Not asthma just a closing up of sorts during a cold. It works wonders! A 10 day cough down to a 2 or 3 day cold with significantly less coughing! Of course I was trying to wait a while before starting her on it this fall and she got a cold. I started her on it immediatly and for the rest of the cold season (thru April) she will be on the Singulair. I am no longer buying any cough meds for my kids...what a complete waste of money! Good luck!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth Conley Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 If your kid has a persistent cough for more than 5 days, it's time to ask your doctor to check for pneumonia. That being said, make sure coughing is "productive". If they're not coughing up something, dose them with an expectorant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 I've had a great deal of disinterest from my kids' pediatricians about coughing. At one point 2 weeks of coughing where the entire family couldn't sleep was considered acceptable. (After another week or so, we finally took my son to a friend of the family, who was disgusted.) Most recently, they seemed interested that the coughing interrupted sleep because of the possibility of an ear infection. That being said, most coughs do seem to go away within 2 weeks. Sigh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TX Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 I'd take them to the doctor to check for pneumonia, and our doctor has sometimes prescribed a steroid medication for coughing that helped when nothing else did. Susan in TX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 (edited) Every time my son and I have a cough that goes on and on it's actually a cough varient asthma flair. It happens to me every time. Mucinex and honey and the like that work for others don't help much. Albuterol does help. Singulair does too but it's preventative and needs two weeks to kick in. It took me a long time to figure this out especially for myself. I don't have asthma outside of viral induced flairs. So I didn't realize it was asthma for a while. Albuterol makes a huge difference, stops the cough, and I can sleep. Also, I agree on checking for pneumonia. Also I'd check for pertussis but there isn't a treatment for that anyway unfortunately. Edited October 8, 2009 by sbgrace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teamturner Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 Could it be pertussis (whooping cough)? You would hear a distint whooping sound usually at the end of the coughing when the child is catching their breath. When mine had it they coughed to a vomit often. Even with children who are vaccinated against pertussis, there are cases of it. The person who called me from my county to verify the illness and document it said that they often see cases in whole 3rd grade classes since the vaccine doesn't last long enough in between shots. They need to be repeated sooner than is suggested on the vaccine schedules. Just FYI. When my dc had pertussis, we resorted to honey, lemon, with a splash of whiskey. My friend who's dad is a doctor had suggested it to her. We just did it at bedtime since that was when the coughing was worse. I also second the suggestion for guafenisen to thin the mucos in the throat. And I used Mucinex DM myself recently when I had a bad cough. I hope they feel better soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katiebug_1976 Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 Euycalyptus essential oil works great! Put a couple drops on a tissue and breathe in the scent, or put 6-8 drops in a hot steamy bath and sit in the room and breathe, or get in the bath. Also, have you asked at your local health food store? I find that the homeopathic things work better than the Tylenol, Robitussin etc. They are generally better for you, too in my opinion. If it is a cough that stems from conjestion, I would look for an expectorant over a suppressant. The expectorant will work to get rid of the conjestion/mucus that is causing a cough. Hope you find something that works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnetteB Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 I'm terribly allergic to eucalyptus! No Vicks or Mentholatum rubs around here. Narcotic cough syrups are lovely, BUT they can suppress breathing efforts and this is not lovely. Saline nose drops/washes, hot tea, lemon, honey, cherry bark cough syrups, and steam are all safer and somewhat effective. If asthma is involved (I have asthma) albuterol and Rx are quite helpful. I get a lot of relief with hot coffee...something about the caffeine that soothes the lungs. Expectorants make more sense than supressants since you want to get crud out not let it sit there and cling. We have a cold in the house now and this is not just theory....oh yes, NO dairy (it seems to feed mucus production). Who says chicken soup isn't for breakfast? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thowell Posted October 8, 2009 Author Share Posted October 8, 2009 Ok, just to update you ladies. Last night was somewhat better but we were still up around 3 a.m. just for a short period. DH got Mucinex will try that today if needed. I did try the honey maybe it worked a little cant really be sure. Today they are sipping on hot tea with lemon juice and honey. Works as long as they are sipping it but no lasting affect. The Dr. said it is the flu and they need to battle it out. As long as no infections start but at this point all symptoms are normal. I will try the vicks on the feet tonight a friend of mine just mentioned this. Thank you all so much for your advice I love this forum!!! Of course right now I would love a good nights sleep better. How much whiskey can I give them? Just Kidding!!:blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmgirlinwv Posted October 8, 2009 Share Posted October 8, 2009 I didn't read all the responses, but tessalon pearls work wonders. They are rx. Call your PCP and ask for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thowell Posted October 9, 2009 Author Share Posted October 9, 2009 Yeah!!!! We all slept through the night!! Mucinex seems to have worked great, of course combined with the honey. Not sure what really worked but at least we finally slept!!:lol::lol: Thanks to you all!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teamturner Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 How much whiskey can I give them? Just Kidding!!:blink: Actually, the whiskey isn't for getting them to sleep, but it relaxes the throat and the urge to cough. We put honey, lemon juice, and a splash of whiskey all together on a spoon! So it wasn't very much at all. When we are sick (the parents) we often make ourselves a hot toddy (sp?). It really does help. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy in Ky Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 I've not read all this thread, and these may have been mentioned, but here are two things to try, both always work: 1. Ice-cold Sprite with full fizz (lots of ice cubes). Sip as needed. 2. Homemade cough syrup: whiskey, honey, lemon, (equal parts) warmed a little (be careful, the honey can get hotter than you think.) Take small tastes until cough stops. Mr dr. told me that this works better than any cough syrup he could perscribe me. He is right. Both of these always work for us. Also, if you have a cool-air humidifier, turn it on and put mouth very close to where the humid air comes out and breathe through your mouth deeply. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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