1GirlTwinBoys Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 My DD has a bad cough right now but is not sick enough to miss school. When she gets a really bad coughing fit she will throw up a little. I've been sending her to school with cough drops but is there something that would be better to help her get through the school day? We use the Vick's Waterless Vapor Machine at bedtime and that works great. I've always heard cough medicine is not good but what else can I do... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2samlibby Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 I like Riccola cough drops. Some tea with honey would help too before she goes to school in the morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 I like slices of fresh ginger. If the sick person lets it rest in their mouth (as opposed to chewing on it at first) it is not too strong, although sensitivity to ginger varies. Ginger has both an antiseptic and analgesic effects. It is what works for me and mine. You can pack a bunch of slices in a snack sized zip lock. Some people can not abide fresh ginger. For those that can, it bring good cough relief without the side effects of cough medications. Bill 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamakelly Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 How long has she been coughing? Did she have a mild cold when or before the coughing started? Coughing so hard you throw up without being really "sick" is a symptoms of whooping cough. Two of my kids who were vaccinated got it. You might want to call and chat with a nurse or pediatrician. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 Is it from a post nasal allergy drip? If so, an allergy med would help. Maybe Nasacort? That would be my first try. Or, a bit of Vicks rub that she can use as needed at her desk? The smell might be distracting to the room though... I would watch the cough drops though. They can cause diarrhea...don't ask how I learned that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 Sorry, but that sounds bad enough to stay home. I would be less than thrilled if DS had a classmate in such a state. I agree with PPs; get her to a doctor and keep her home until she's well. Hopefully that's soon! Coughs are exhausting. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerileanne99 Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 I just went through pneumonia. It was awful, and dd5 developed a horrid cough that had me really worried. Both my doctor, the ER doc, and her pediatrician said their first line of defense was actually Mucinex because it does such an excellent job of breaking up the junk that causes the coughing effect. Her pediatrician actually had us try it with her for 3 days before we opted to go with antibiotics (she had walking pneumonia) I would also make sure she gets an X-ray! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1GirlTwinBoys Posted September 20, 2015 Author Share Posted September 20, 2015 I was unable to find this thread until today for some reason. Weird! Anyway, I took her to the Dr. and she had pneumonia. I would be less than thrilled if DS had a classmate in such a state. A cough can last for weeks. Doesn't mean they're contagious. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasperstone Posted September 20, 2015 Share Posted September 20, 2015 My dc respond amazingly with cod liver oil. If you try this, make sure it's a clean one like Nordic though. They have capsules or flavoured ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwik Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 I was unable to find this thread until today for some reason. Weird! Anyway, I took her to the Dr. and she had pneumonia. A cough can last for weeks. Doesn't mean they're contagious. Hope she feels better soon. I am asthmatic and I cough on and off all winter often until I am gasping for breath or retching. If I had a dollar for everyone who insisted I must have pneumonia, whooping cough or whatever I would be rich. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingiguana Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Water. It's the only thing that works for me. Just little sips to keep the cough reflex calmed down. I haven't had pneumonia, but water was pretty helpful when I had whooping cough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaKinVA Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 Pineapple juice...best if you have a good blender to make it yourself, and include the core. But, 5x better than cough syrup. It can also break up mucus, if you add a few more ingredients. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoPlaceLikeHome Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 How long has she been coughing? Did she have a mild cold when or before the coughing started? Coughing so hard you throw up without being really "sick" is a symptoms of whooping cough. Two of my kids who were vaccinated got it. You might want to call and chat with a nurse or pediatrician. Yes. This. Whooping cough is the first thing that came to mind since it is a classic symptom of whooping cough and this does not happen with normal cold or bronchitis from what I know. Even kids who have been vaxed could theoretically get it. I would see doctor asap for diagnosis and treatment. Your whole family and other exposed may need treatment as well. This is also why it is important for even adults to get booster shots for this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara in AZ Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 We just went through whooping cough in my family. Three of us got it. For my son, who got it first, it was just an annoying cough that lasted a long time. We didn't realize until my daughter and I got it that it was something worse. We both had several weeks of coughing to the point of vomiting multiple times a day. I would definitely check it out. And yes, vaxed kids definitely get it. My son is fully vaxed and our fully vaxed neighbor kids got it as well. The CDC rep told me the the new formulation of the shot is safer, but slightly less effective. And nothing helped the cough. 👎 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 I realize you've got the immediate problem solved, but for the general non-whooping cough, non-pneumonia, need-to-soothe-the-throat kind of cough, we like Hall's vitamin C drops. I have one dd who doesn't like mentholated cough drops, but a vitamin C drop is still soothing and I figure the extra C won't hurt and has a chance of helping the immune system fight the underlying illness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 I have asthma that does this. I sip cool (not ice cold) water and use Ricola cough drops, and they work pretty well. I also aggressively treat congestion with sudafed, and also use standard cough medicine as a regimen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted September 22, 2015 Share Posted September 22, 2015 My dd, who has major sinus drainage and a persistent cough said that if she had to control her cough in school she would 1) drink a ton of water, and 2) take GIN GINS with her! They are a hard ginger candy and the company makes crystallized ginger products, among other forms, that REALLY help. REAL ginger is the key, obviously. http://gingerpeople.com/gin-gin-candies/gin-gins-hard-candy.html 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted September 24, 2015 Share Posted September 24, 2015 I'm glad you got it figured out. And yes a 'post viral cough' can last a loooong time, sound pretty bad, and not be a danger to others. I took ds1 to the doctor for a lingering cough and the dr called it the '100 day cough' and said there was nothing to treat, but offered a plan to make my son more comfortable. Doctor suggested sudafed during the day combined with Delsyn OTC cough syrup. The Delsyn lasts for 12 hours so take it right before school. That did help keep the cough quiet during school. When the cough was still around in JUNE I took him to an acupuncturist and the cough was gone after two treatments, so one week. But, in the OP's case it was pneumonia, and that is a different situation. I hope your daughter is feeling better soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted September 24, 2015 Share Posted September 24, 2015 Yes, rule out whooping cough. One of the arguments against the vaccine is that people still pass it around, but their symptoms don't seem that bad so they do things like go to school and pass it around more. It's better for the sick person, but it's worse for those with infant siblings. ETA: never mind, just saw the pneumonia update. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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