Soothing a Cough

There is a homeopathic product called bronchial sooth you could try. Lozenges with zinc are good. Drinking tea with honey and lemon also helps.
Stephanie

My doctor told me after my son was a year old, I could give him a teaspoon of honey a couple times a day and it would soothe his cough. The raw unfiltered kind would be the best. Definately helped my son.

My son (20 mos.) also has had a nasty cough going on 3 weeks now. His drs. office said that it is typically lasting two to three weeks. All you can really do is use a humidifier at night, elevate the mattress, if they will drink something warm like herbal tea with honey or lemon water with honey give them that. I am also taking him in the shower with me every night to steam him. Unfortunately there isn't much else you can do. Good luck and hope this helps!
A. M

I have just read a article that says that a teaspoon of honey can help more than most over the counter cough syurps. Of course this applies only to children over 12 months which is your daughter. I tried it with my 2 year old and it did seem to help her and it was easier to get her to take it :)
Hope this helps.

A.

Our doctor always suggested letting them suck on lollipops...you can find some with little sugar if that is a concern of yours. It coats their throats so it can heal quicker.

My daughter is almost 3 and has suffered coughs all winter. We found that a spoonful of local honey (apparently honey from local pollens is better for your immune system) and rubbing Vick's Vapor Rub on the bottoms of her feet then putting on cotton socks always helped her go back to sleep - it sounds weird but the honey coats the throat and the numerous nerve centers in the bottoms of the feet react to the Vick's and relax the throat muscles. We never had to worry about over-medicating with this and for middle of the night treatments it was quick, easy, and she was back asleep in minutes.

S.,

We have had the same thing in our house this winter and the one thing that really seems to help a lot it an old remedy that my grandma gave my mom and I use today. It's really easy:
You will need 1 coffee cup
Fill coffee cup 3/4 full with HOT water
then add 4tbs of honey and 2tbs of really lemon juice and stir well. This of course will be really hot. The lemon soothes the cough while the honey coats the throat. Hope this helps...as we really rely on this for our coughs/colds.

S. C.

Hello S......my name is L....and after raising 4 sons and numerous grandsons , I can say the only method I use for coughs for anyone in my family...sounds silly ..but hey it has worked for years.....all I do...
at night (or first thing in the morning)I take a lot of VICKS..and slather up the bottom of the feet...and then put on a warm pair of (washable) socks.....there may be a little occasional cough....but the heavy awaking cough are not to be heard....I do this before I go to work so I don't cough all day....and I cough once in a while (which is needed to clear the passageway) but not the gut wrenching cough ....this is an old family rememdy and has worked for many years....good luck....beats meds and coughs......good luck....(my 7 year old niece calls this the slicky-foot medicine...)

hey there sara sorry about all the sickness but the vicks on the feet work and see if you can get those honey sticks kids like that alot its a fun way to stop the cough .. it does something in the throught to make the cough stop !!

I have heard recently to put Vicks vapor rub on their feet, then socks. I have not tried it yet, but it would be worth a try.

Our 22 month old son has a similar symptom, my husband has been running a humidifer at night with the liquid Vapo Steam by Vicks (it is a cough surpressant).
I know for us it helps tremendously. Also if the 20 month has it and sleeps with a bottle, we usually dilute the milk with 50 water, 50 milk to reduce the flim in her throat.

Someone else might have another idea to help you out.
Good luck
P.S. nothing like a cough at night to wake up the family.

We have had a good response to Delsym cough syrup. It is only given 2 times a day and seems to be working.

This might sound weird but I heard putting vicks vapor rub on their feet and putting socks on. I have never tried it but I heard it really works.

Ok I know this might sound cooky but ALL my friends and family swear by it. You should rub Vicks suave on the bottom of their feet and put socks on them. Everyone says it is one of those miracle home remedies. It can't hurt!!!

I know it is a wife's tale, but it seems to work for most who try it - put Vicks Vapor rub on her feet before going to sleep. Rub it in, but pretty thick and cover with socks. It has really worked for my son when he has a cough.

I understand your frustration. My 8 month old just recently got over such a cold. I took him to the Pediatrician about 7 days in because it seemed his cough was getting worse. His chest sounded good..& she explained that his cough sounds worse because he is finally getting rid of the mucus and getting over the cold. I used a humidifier in his room at night..and Vicks Baby Rub on his chest. Although this didn't get rid of his cough altogether, he did cough less and didn't wake up as much during the night. One thing to watch..there is a nasty cold out there that could potentially turn in to pnuemonia. So if it seems like his cough is deep in his chest..I would take him in just to be safe.

Boiron makes a honey cough syrup that is rated better than Robitussin and it's natural. It can be found at Wild Oats or the Vitamin Cottage. A humidifier is also helpful since it's so dry here. I have also tried Triaminic's cough patches and they work very well, but I haven't seen them in the store lately. All my kids had trouble with coughs so we've tried everything! Warm milk and honey has also worked because the milk helps sleeping and the honey soothes the throat and prevents infection. Is the cough dry and hacky or is she coughing up mucus? You might want to talk to your pediatrician about albuterol too.

I've never used the technique myself, but as a preschool teacher we get a lot of "remedies" to pass along. They say that for a lingering cough, you can rub Vicks VapoRub on the bottoms of their (or your) feet and cover with cotton socks before going to bed. The cough will be gone by morning. Hope it helps, other mom's of children in my classroom swear by it. Good Luck!

Hi!
This is a great natural remedy. Works amazing for coughs because it coats mucus membranes with mucilage.
Get some slippery elm bark from wild oats (in bulk) powder.
Take a teaspoon of the stuff and wisk it in about three cups of cold chamomile and or peppermint tea or just plain cold water. Slowly bring up heat and take it off, let it cool off a bit and it will be a mucilaginous substance. It tastes pretty good. You can add a bit of honey or maple syrup if you like. But not white sugar, as that will agravate a cough. I give it to my seven month old boy for a cough whenever he started hacking away. His cough went away pretty fast. The awesome thing about slippery elm is it is also nutricious. Go ahead a google it and or check a herbal dictionary. The beauty about this stuff is it doesn't taste like medicine. I think my son thinks its a treat. The chamomile calms down the child as well.
Slippery elm is great for coughs, any broncial, lung ailment as well as irritable bowel. Hope this helps.
Shannon

I also have a 3-year-old who coughs until she gags and generally vomits so I sympathize...We LOVE Delsyum (sp?)!! It comes in an orange box and contains no fever reducer so it just helps the cough...It has gotten us through many nights...And as strange as it seems, bundle her up real well and take her out into the cool air. Just sit with her and have her take some good deep breathes. It seems to help also.

Hi S.: I know this is going to sound really strange but I have tried it myself and it works like a dream! Rub vicks on your daughters feet and put socks on. I had a terrible cold for over a week and did it and it helped my cough. Good Luck!

I agree with those that say cough medicine is more harmful than good for children & most of the time don't work anyway. I would do the vicks as everyone has said & humidifiers also work well. The only thing I have to add is that I LOVE my humidifier. It is an ultrasonic humidifier & is SO quiet that you hardly notice it. I have a Honeywell brand, but I have seen other brands that sell ultrasonic humidifiers. They are definitely worth it!

S., my 10 year old has developed a nasty, non-productive cough. Generally a cough is a natural reaction to eliminating something but sometimes it doesn't work. I tried a natural approach of steam, hot baths, warm/hot damp cloths on her neck and a great cough/respiratory homeopathic (from Whole Foods, Vitamin Cottage or other natural food store)called "Umcka." The natural approach, which I always try didn't work. We ended seeing our P.A.she nebulized her in the office and sent her home with an inhaler and even 3 days of prednisone-something I'm not entirely comfortable with but her lungs were so swollen. My advice is really try Umcka and watch her. Very nasty coughs are circulating in various regions of the country and sometimes it's time to try western medicine for your child's sake. Oh...she was better in 10-12 hours! But 48 hours of brd rest is required. Hope this helps a little...wishing your baby a quick recovery.
K.

Hi S.,
My 22month old is just getting over RSV and has had a horrible cough that also makes her gag and throw up. The best thing I have ALWAYS used, and my pediatrician agrees, is Vicks vapo rub on the chest, back, and especially the bottoms of the feet. I dont know why it works on the bottom of the feet but it does, there have been times when I have not put it any place else but the bottoms of her feet (and mine by the way) and it absolutely works!! Hope this helps!! Good luck!! P.S. I am a Respiratory Therapist

We have the same issue with my 3 year old- I have been using a teaspoon of honey before bed (recommended by the ped), a sippy cup of ice water (which has totally screwed up our night time potty training) and a humidifier in her room.

Also, I have been using Mucinex for kids - it is a powder that they eat and it is an expectorant - it helps break up the phlegm in her chest so she can cough more effectively.

This may sound a little strange, but generously apply Vicks Vaporub on the bottom of their feet and then put socks on. It will stop their cough better than any cough syrup.

I have the answer for you!!!! i know this will sound crazy, and I wish I hadn't deleted the email with the research info, but this REALLY, REALLY, REALLY works. At night rub VICKS vapor tub on the bottom of your childs feet, put on a pair of socks, and within about fifteen minutes no more coughs the rest of the night. There was a study done in Canada about this and they said 100% of the time the patients had sucess. Apparently the souls of the feet absorb oils the best and thats why you put the vicks on them. I have tried it with the baby vicks on my 8 month old. TOTALY WORKED. My sister did it for herself, my sister inlaw has used it on her children with total sucess also. Give it a try!! It totaly works.

Good Morning S.,
My 8 month old daughter went through the same thing. The doctors office suggested to me that I put some honey on a spoon and let her lick it off. The nice thing about that was you did not have to wait 4-6 hours like you would for medicine. It worked out really well. We also put a vaporizer near her 24 hours a day. I had read somewhere that if you put Vicks (baby) on the bottom of the feet it will stop the coughing. I am not sure if it really worked or it was a coincidence, but she stopped coughing. I hope that this helps. Good Luck, K. S

My 3-1/2 year old daughter has had the same awful cough 4 times now since she started school in September. She has actually vomited she coughed so much. What I found helped her is to stop milk and dairy products to prevent the mucous build up. I also put a humidifier/vaporizer in her room at night and have her stay close by it during the day if possible. I also give her an extra pillow at night to prop her head up which really helps her sleep. She's currently got the cough and it's been pretty easy now that I know what to do.

Try rubbing Vicks Vapo Rub on their feet, then putting socks on them. My aunt swears by it. I tried it and it did seem to help and no side effects.

One thing I have tried and worked for my family was rubbing vicks vapor rub on the bottom of our feet (put socks on so it won't rub off on everything) before going to bed. This is weird I know but it works. Good luck and be glad summer is on the way (YEA!)
B.

HI S.,

I have 4 children and all 4 have had this nasty cough this winter and it can and will linger for 2 to 3 weeks. It just takes time to go away. But what we did to get some peace was put a vaporizor or humidifior in the kids' rooms and made sure they were filled up at bedtime each night then we would give them an extra pillow to prop them up and make sure their shoulders are on the pillows too. For 24hr relief I made Onion Syrup and gave the kids a teaspoon full about every 2-3 hours as needed and that used regularly worked great and it really tastes good so the kids don't mind it. This is the recipe I use to make the syrup:

Dice 1 small to medium yellow onion (remove dry skins of course)
Put onion in a small sauce pan
add 1cup sugar
cook over medium low heat stirring frequently until syrup is transparent yellow to clear
pour into a container that can be sealed with a lid, allow to cool before using and putting the lid on

You can strain out the onions if you wish, you only need to give the syrup not the onion pieces for it to work. Keep it in the fridge for about a week before replacing. I know it sounds weird but I promise you it works.

Another thing we did when our kids started to cough so hard was have them do some deep breathing to have them relax. When the coughing gets really bad we just tell them to stop and breath, slowing in through the nose slowly out through the mouth and try to calm them down. they're still coughing but because they could relax some they're not going to throw up.
I hope I've helped you. Good luck!

C. C.

Hi S.,
If you are open to using herbal medicine, a simple tea of Elder berries, Elder flowers, Thyme and Licorice will calm the coughing, heal the lung tissue and increase immune function. You can add some Rose Hips as a Vitamin C boost and help sweeten the tea. It actually tastes really yummy and the licorice is soothing to sore throats. Have the girls drink 2-4 cups daily. 1 Tablespoon of herbs added to 1 cup boiled water. Let steep 20min. or longer, strain, and enjoy! This should clear it up.
You can also use Eucalyptus radiata essential oil as a chest rub or a few drops on the bottoms of their feet. This is the natural form of "Vicks vapo rub." and it doesn't contain any of the synthetic ingredients or petroleum.
L. Golub, Medical Herbalist ###-###-####

Hello S., my son also had a very bad cough this winter. I tryed everything and nothing worked. My sister told me about honey. It works great. I would give my son who is almost two one teaspoon of honey a day for four days and his cough went away. When I would give him the honey I did it right before nap time. So that way he could sleep with out coughing. I hope this works for you the same way it did for me. After the honey we all slept through the night. M.

I have no idea if this really works, but just read in an email that if you apply a generous amount of Vicks Vapor Rub to the soles of the feet, at bedtime, and cover with socks, that the cough should go away within 5 min. My email said it was based on Canadian research and that it works "100% of the time". If it really works, please let me know.

J. M

I totally understand. My 9 year old son had a cough that went on for months. He also had ezcema. I finally took him in to the doc and he said that a cough and ezcema are common symptoms of asthma. I went to a specialist and they put him on Singulair (not generic yet) and it worked. No more coughing. Ask your doc about phenagrin (sp?). It's a cough syrup with codiene that really helps at night. Good Luck. R.

Pure Lemom oil(I recommend young living oils)one or two drops with a spoonful of honey has really helped some of my young patients.

Dr. L.

Try Vickes Vaberbrub put it underneath her Foot and it will stop the Coughing That is what i would do if my Kids were Sick okay good Luck.or Try a warm Bath also

Just an idea, I'm a mother of a 6 yr old and also has done some pediatric nursing. A good thing I have tried is children's mucinex. Sometimes the persistent cough is due to the inability to get anything out. Just an idea and also steaming in the bathroom for about 15 minutes might help.

Honestly, we have had the nasty cough too. I think the thing that helped the most was running a humidifier. It really made it easier to sleep at night--it's so darn dry.

My 1 1/2 yr old son had a nasty cough just before Christmas that lasted about 4 weeks. He would gag (and sometimes vomit) from coughing so hard and he definately didn't get much sleep during this time. My friend suggested a teaspoon of honey or syrup to coat the throat, but the one time that I tried it he gagged it up. It might be worth the try since your daughter is older and can understand what she is about to take.

I would just get a humidifier. When my grandson got real sick his cough also went on forever but the humidifier helped soothe alot of that.

The only thing I can think of is vicks. My lo has had a cough and the vicks has really helped him a lot. He is only 8 months so we use the baby vicks on him (the regular vicks has menthol I think but the baby vicks doesn't) but I don't know what age to start using the regular vicks. During the day I put in on the bottoms of his feet then keep socks on him and I also put it on his back. Not his chest during the day because I don't want him getting it on his hands and onto his face. Hope that helps.

S., I have also heard of the Vicks on the feet so it is worth a try. I was also told that taking a spoon full of honey or aguave necter (because I can't stand honey) works just as well as cough medicines. I tried this on myself last week and I have to say I think it works. I took some right before I went to bed and it certainly helped me get to sleep as it stopped the coughing at least for a little while.

I also want to tell you that I have started my three year old on Juice Plus. It comes in gummies for the little ones and is packed full of 17 fruits and vegetables and no fake stuff. My 8 year old is asthmatic and usually would have ended up in the ER with this latest round of bronchitis/cough. This year she was off school for 1 day and managed to shake it off. My three year old got it too but his recovery was the quickest I have ever seen from him. Juice Plus is purely natural and full of antioxidents. Google Juice Plus and if you would like to know more I can be reached at ###-###-#### or e mail.

Hi S.,

I was a skeptic when my sister told me to try this...but it worked like a charm! My daughter had croup a few weeks ago and coughed like crazy during the night. Cold medicines (which I hate to give anyway) didn't touch it. So I was told to put Vicks vapor rub on the bottom of her feet and put socks on her before she went to bed. We didn't hear a single cough out of her that night! I've passed this on to co-workers who have tried it with their kids and themselves and everyone is just as amazed as I was! I couldn't tell you for sure how it works, but it has something to do with all the nerve endings in the bottom of your feet and it travels up through the body??? Anyway, it's definitely worth a try and you don't have to drug your child up to get the results!

Good luck, S.

My 20 month-old daughter had a lingering cough after a cold, just like your daughter. We would put honey on a large spoon and drizzle lemon juice on top. I was amazed that it really helped her cough and everyone (including Mama) got more sleep. We also put Baby Vick's Vaporub on her chest which seemed to help as well.

If she can have honey, thick honey, give it to her until the cough is gone. Gently rub her chest, while she sits up and keep it warm. Try to keep her propped up when she coughs. Gently rub her throat and use warm compresses, maybe soaked in chammomile or chammomile tea bags. Some people use vicks vapor rub to keep the area warm. Let her drink the calming tea. If you can find an herbalist that makes a throat syrup with elecampane give it to her until the cough is gone. With the herb elecampane, when it wears off, the cough will start again. Little ones benefit from daily doses of probiotics, acidolphillus, or friendly bacterias. The virus takes it's course but the addition of friendly bacteria will continue to strengthen her immune system, especially if you give her drugs or a medical doctors prescribes them.for her symptoms.

My niece had a bad cough one winter as well, with the same results. She had the croup.

I know that this sounds a little weird, but it has worked with my son who gets a hacking cough with his colds. I slather Vicks Vapor Rub on the bottoms of his feet before he goes to bed. I heard that tip from a friend and it really does work. Good luck!

S.,
I make my own cough syrup- a recipe from my mom that has always worked. It's honey and thyme. Mom says sometimes babies like the honey and onion one better, but I haven't tried it because it just sounds weird. She says we loved it though. I'll give you the recipes if you're interested. I haven't tried honey by itself but it may work just fine.
A.

I was recently told that you can rub Vicks Vaporub on the bottom of
childrens feet. Then put on a pair of socks. It is supposed to sooth
the cough. After a few hours, you might have to rub some more Vicks
on the bottom of your child's feet, but if it helps with the cough, it
is worth a try!! I think you can only do this when the child is in bed.
S.-Idaho

The best thing I have found is oddly enough putting vicks or baby vicks on the bottom of the feet. It is amazing and works for ALL ages... put socks on to avoid it getting all over, relief is almost instant.

I haven't tried it yet, but I am going to get some Vicks tonight. I have tried everything from cough syrups to lollipops and just about everything in between. My husband has even been on a prescription cough syrup for the last almost two weeks. It isn't working! But my husband and my 3 year old and even my 9 month old are making me crazy with their CONSTANT hacking coughs. My cousin-in-law & sister-in-law SWEAR by coating the feet with Vicks and covering with socks. It seems like a lot of the other ladies here say the same thing. I'm convinced enough to at least try it!

I haven't tried it on kids, and with the warnings lately you might ask the doctor first but for me Mucinex seems to break it up well. I usually get bronchitus a couple times a year and so far this is working for me, I just take it (even just once) when I start the cough and it breaks things up.

I just read an article that suggested dark honey. I don't remember what kind. It worked better in the study than cough syrup and had no side effects. We haven't tried it yet since we haven't had a cough. It did sound to me like the honey was something you'd get from the health food store. I'm sorry I don't remember who did the study or article and I can't seem to find it now. It was on the internet. GL Hope you all get better soon.

S.,

I have two suggestions. My mom used to give me tablespoons of peppermint schnapps. The alcohol in it suppresses the cough. Another option (which I recommend more) is cayenne pepper. For an adult, I put about 1/2 tsp in 4 oz. of water (any temperature). I would dilute it a little more for a little one. Swish it around and swallow. It warms your throat all the way down and you can feel it in your chest. The best thing is that the warm sensation lasts. Also, the cayenne pepper is natural!

My ped. suggests herbs (specifically horehound which is cough and lung support, there is cherry bark too which is cough and throat support.)Again you have to be careful if she is taking something else, especially dealing with herbs. My daughter had a cough and it was very short lived because I used horehound for three days. You can get these at Vitamin Cottage, and look for kid herbs. I hope it helps.

I had croup a lot as a child, and my mother used to use the following method to help me. I have also used it on my own boys, and it helps the cough like you wouldn't believe! Use a humidifier in the child's room at night, with 1 tablespoon of vodka, even the cheapest works, diluted in a large amount of water in the humidifier. Then, crack the bedroom window about an inch for the whole evening. The next day the cough will be either completely gone or greatly reduced. I hope it helps!

At night, and during the day, rub vicks vapor rub on the bottom of their feet along with the chest, back and neck areas.

Hello! I just heard that vicks vapor rub can help with her cough. Here's the email I received just a couple of days ago. I think it's worth a try. Good Luck!

During a lecture on Essential Oils, they told us how the foot soles
can absorb oils. Their example: Put garlic on your feet and within
20 minutes you can 'taste' it.

Some of us have used Vicks Vaporub for years for everything from
chapped lips to sore toes and many body parts in between. But I've
never heard of this. And don't laugh, it works 100% of the time,
although the scientists who discovered it aren't sure why. To stop
night time coughing in a child (or adult as we found out personally),
put Vicks Vaporub generously on the bottom of the feet at bedtime,
then cover with socks. Even persistent, heavy, deep coughing will
s top in about 5 minutes and stay stopped for many, many hours of
relief. Works 100% of the time and is more effective in children
than even very strong prescription cough medicines. In addition it
is extremely soothing and comforting and they will sleep soundly.

Just happened to tune in A.M. Radio and picked up this guy talking
about why cough medicines in kids often do more harm than good, due
to the chemical makeup of these strong drugs so, I listened. It was
a surprise finding and found to be more effective than prescribed
medicines for children at bedtime, in addition to have a soothing and
calming effect on sick children who then went on to sleep soundly.

My wife tried it on herself when she had a very deep constant and
persistent cough a few weeks ago and it worked 100%! She said that
it felt like a warm blanket had enveloped her, coughing stopped in a
few minutes and believe me, this was a deep, (incredibly annoying!)
every few seconds uncontrollable cough, and she slept cough-free for
hours every night that she used it.

If you have grandchildren, pass this on. If you end up sick, try it
yourself and you will be absolutely amazed at how it works.

My daughter has had a few coughes this year and I have given her a teaspoon or two of honey to help soothe her throat. There have been some stories in the news recently that suggest honey is more effective than over the counter medications which I try to avoid.
I also put a humidifier in her room to keep her passages moist. (I live in Denver where it's very dry.)

If she has a stuffy nose as well you can put a few saline drops in her nose to help break up the mucus.

Since my daugher is only 2 and a half I try to stay away from medications, these home remedies have worked for me.

If she doesn't get better or if her cough sounds like barking you should take her in as she might have croup.

Good Luck!