Natural Cough relief please?

Veronica - posted on 06/09/2009

Isotonix OPC3 is wonderful with helping allergies too!

Andrea - posted on 06/09/2009

Cool mist humidifier at night, sometimes steaming up the bathroom and sitting in there for 15 minutes or so really helps. If you can, put a folded blanket between the boxspring and mattress to keep her head slightly elevated and that can help with post nasal drip.

We also had an ongoing cough that lasted most of the winter. An allergist helped immensely in our case, and unfortunately she was allergic to our cats.

Hope your little one is feeling better soon.

Veronica - posted on 06/09/2009

Quoting Jennifer:

Honey works wonders but you have to be careful using it in children under the age of two because there have been cases of botulism caused by the honey. The cough is most likely coming from the throat and post nasal drip. It is true that a cough is the bodies way of getting rid of germs, but alot of times it can be excessive enough to cause a mild bronchospasm. Honey coats the throat because it is really thick. My 1 yr old has suffered from many cases of bronchiolitis since he was born.I used the humidifier and took him in the shower with me. I got the shower ready with hot water to make steam. Then I turned the water to an acceptable temp for him. It worked great. I will tell you from experience that if you notice your child is coughing excessively at night and it is lasting for several months or you notice it more during a certain season your child may need to be evaluated for asthma. My 8 yr old started having persistent coughing without wheezing when she was 4. Every night she coughed. At first, I assumed she had a little cold that was lingering. She ended up with bronchitis that turned into pneumonia. It was then that they determined she had asthma. She gets worse during the cold months, but does take Singulair and a steroid inhaler. She has had no side effects from the medications at all. I do not like using medication on my children either and there aren't alot of studies on children and herbal remedies so with this one I did decide to go with the meds and she has been fine. Her doctor did say not to give her cough medicine when she is sick. She gets her rescue inhaler for that. Even being a nurse that has worked with children I was a bit shocked at her symptoms. You can't hear a wheeze unless you listen with the stethoscope and even then she sometimes has no wheeze at all. She just coughs which is atypical for an asthma attack. If you notice that your child is breathing and it looks like they are blowing out a candle (pursed lip breathing) or they lift their shoulders when taking in a breath they may have a problem. Excessive coughing for a long period of time needs to be investigated further. My doctor gave me Rondec syrup for my son even though there are studies out there saying that it is not safe to give cough syrup to babies. I had to give it to him a couple of times but I cut the dose down to 1/4 to 1/2 of what it said to give him. It was just enough to quiet the cough but not enough to give him any side effects. I only used it if his cough was really bad. I have been dealing with this since a month after he was born and he turned one in May. My doctor did tell me that he will probably have asthma but they don't normally diagnose it until after the child is one.

Hello Jennifer, have you thought of natural supplements? Being that you are in the medical profession, I will send you this link to look through -- if you have any questions or interest give me a shout. You are going to want to look into OPC3 for her asthma (my husband has asthma too- and smokes (god forbid!) but since he's been using this product, he doesnt have to run for his inhalers as often anymore - in fact he still hasnt gotten a refill since february ) When you get to this site, click on Health and Nutrition on the left hand side, and scroll down to find Isotonix OPC3  -- www.nutrametrix.com

Take care,

Veronica

Jennifer - posted on 06/09/2009

Honey works wonders but you have to be careful using it in children under the age of two because there have been cases of botulism caused by the honey. The cough is most likely coming from the throat and post nasal drip. It is true that a cough is the bodies way of getting rid of germs, but alot of times it can be excessive enough to cause a mild bronchospasm. Honey coats the throat because it is really thick. My 1 yr old has suffered from many cases of bronchiolitis since he was born.I used the humidifier and took him in the shower with me. I got the shower ready with hot water to make steam. Then I turned the water to an acceptable temp for him. It worked great. I will tell you from experience that if you notice your child is coughing excessively at night and it is lasting for several months or you notice it more during a certain season your child may need to be evaluated for asthma. My 8 yr old started having persistent coughing without wheezing when she was 4. Every night she coughed. At first, I assumed she had a little cold that was lingering. She ended up with bronchitis that turned into pneumonia. It was then that they determined she had asthma. She gets worse during the cold months, but does take Singulair and a steroid inhaler. She has had no side effects from the medications at all. I do not like using medication on my children either and there aren't alot of studies on children and herbal remedies so with this one I did decide to go with the meds and she has been fine. Her doctor did say not to give her cough medicine when she is sick. She gets her rescue inhaler for that. Even being a nurse that has worked with children I was a bit shocked at her symptoms. You can't hear a wheeze unless you listen with the stethoscope and even then she sometimes has no wheeze at all. She just coughs which is atypical for an asthma attack. If you notice that your child is breathing and it looks like they are blowing out a candle (pursed lip breathing) or they lift their shoulders when taking in a breath they may have a problem. Excessive coughing for a long period of time needs to be investigated further. My doctor gave me Rondec syrup for my son even though there are studies out there saying that it is not safe to give cough syrup to babies. I had to give it to him a couple of times but I cut the dose down to 1/4 to 1/2 of what it said to give him. It was just enough to quiet the cough but not enough to give him any side effects. I only used it if his cough was really bad. I have been dealing with this since a month after he was born and he turned one in May. My doctor did tell me that he will probably have asthma but they don't normally diagnose it until after the child is one.

Megan - posted on 06/08/2009

I was totally against using any meds on my daughter, but after a MONTH of her coughing all night and tears and exhaustion, I tried one of the Highland's brand natural cough meds. It made such a huge difference in her comfort, it was easily portable and in 3 days she was sleeping through the night again, (and therefore able to get the rest her body needed to start taking care of itself). lf you are tempted to try anything over the counter, start there. Nothing else helped her this time (including home remedies that have worked before).

Gretchen - posted on 06/08/2009

i would try the honey, it didn't really work for my son but i hope it works for you guys. . .that and freash air, theres really nothing you can do, and i know it sucks =( but it will get better

Deborah - posted on 06/08/2009

Warm honey and lemon juice works well. We've used it several times with my son. Humidifiers also work well as does steam from a hot shower.

Sairah - posted on 06/08/2009

Honey and black pepper powder. Take a half tea-spoon of honey, sprinkle a pinch of black pepper powder on it, and give it to her. It won't make the cough disappear, but helps sooth the throat naturally.

I hope she feels better soon!

Veronica - posted on 06/08/2009

Ultimate Aloe Juice -- it will help soothe the throat and it helps repair collagen in the organs,etc. My mom has a chronic cough (pollups in the throat) and this helps ease her cough! Think about it, if aloe can heal our skin, just think what it can do for the inside. And this stuff is 150% - meaning 100% aloe, with all the minerals and vitamins in aloe. This product is also certified by the International Aloe Science Council. If you'd like some, let me know.

Chris - posted on 06/08/2009

a cough is the bodies natural way of getting rid of disease, to supress it would just make the cough take longer to go. fresh air and a good diet with plenty of flluids!