When My Son Is Sick, His Father Discourages Medicine.

Hi C., I don't know too much about herbal remedies but, that being said, if you have a Vitamin World near you (they are in malls), they have a computer where you can type in any condition and it will give you herbal supplements to help. They also let you print out the info, free of charge, so you have it to reference later. Best wishes! T.

C.:
There is an all natural syrup that is called "Sambucol" it is sold at Whole Foods...it boosts the Immune System.

An Herbal Expectorant will dry up the mucus.

Echinacea & Golden Seal helps during illnesses.

Regular Vitamin C is a big plus...oranges, kiwis, tomatoes or a supplement is fine.

Too much refined sugar shuts down the Immune System...1 glass of Coke a Cola shuts the Immune System for an entire day.

Lentils are great for the Immune System.

Bacteria can not live in salt, so to gargle with sea salt water will help a sore throat.

Sipping fresh squeezed lemon and honey mixed to soothe it. Frequently.

You may also buy a natural hand sanitizer and teach him to use it frequently at school.

A tepid or cool bath will help a fever.

Cleaning the nose out with saline will help with the bacteria, draining and soothing.

Sleep helps heal, so a vaporizer and eucalyptus oil will help with night time breathing...also head elevation.

It is better to do preventative medicine that just treating the symptoms. Your son, at 12 years old, has so many new things happening with his body and his hormones. He will need a very health organized diet now whether his father is solely alternative or not.

All of these ideas can be incorporated into a lifestyle. I recommend making yourself some kind of chart with remedies and food nutrition...this will change your life and the life of your son now and for the future. Education is the most important component in our lives...starting young is crucial. I wish I would have known then what I know now.

Great Luck,
L.

OTC medicines really just make you comfortable and don't make illnesses go away (like an antibiotic kills bacteria, for example), so I think at age 12 he should be able to make his own decision if he wants to take something like Tylenol. You have to pick your battles so I would wait until he has a prescription medicine for an illness and deal with it then. He can do research on the internet and/or speak with the doctor when you have to cross that bridge. For now, I really do think he should do some research on herbal remedies and decide for himself what he is willing to take.

Go to your local health food store.
Also, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar will help to build his immune system. You can mix a teaspoon of it with an 8 oz glass of water one or two times a day, everyday (or with some apple juice if he can't drink it with water).
Anti-V works well if he is viral.
Coloidal Silver is good for common stuff like colds, coughs, etc...
Delsym (Otc) is a cough med, but is natural.

I prefer the herbel remedies myself and I have found one that works wonders for colds, allergies & sinus.

1 tsp organic apple cider vinigar with mother (find at health food store)
1 tsp honey
2 tsp warm water
mix these together and give twice a day. My girls 17 & 12 prefer this over store bought medicine. It does not taste good however it tastes better than all of the store bought medicines. I have used it myself with a chest cold and it got rid of it.

I hope this helps!

It sounds like his immune system is down. So I would start giving him some Echinacea and since he is also sick right now give him Echinacea with Goldenseal/goldenroot. That will build up his immune system and help him fight off any existing illness as well. Herbs for Kids makes this that the kids love and I love them and have used them for years. I also totally use otc meds when my kids are sick so I would imagine it would be pretty frustrating if my husband or son wouldn't let me use that stuff. Hope this helps.

I swear by Source natural's "Wellness Formula" Tell your husband about this
However, please talk with your family doctor about your sons' constant distress. Sometimes we need to take an antibiotic, or in my case, had my tonsils removed, as I was so sick and worn down...

Unless you get a lot of hebal responses, I'd take my son to the hospital and let him see what waiting for medication can do to a child and then have him have a talk with the doctor/peditrician about the needs of medicine to prevent and treat problems, so that they don't become worse! What does he do about dental? ( your ex) God provided man with the power of learning & knowledge so that we His children don't have to suffer! I'd make reality a lot more clearer to my child. Which ever your decsion-I do wish you & your son the very best of luck! May God bless you's and guide you in this matter! You's are in my family prayers!
Truly,
Kathy N.

Try black elderberry: http://www.blackelderberry.info/

Children can use it and it comes in a syrup -- easy to give a 12 year old. You should check with the ex to see if he is giving him vitamins -- this will also help with recovery and prevention.

Black elderberry can also be found on WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20031222/elderberr...

Also try some zinc for sore throats. I use Zicam for my colds and I think I have only gotten 2 full-fledge colds. This is homeopathic and you can get it at any store. I prefer the nasal one as I haven't found results with the other products they have. I see online that some report loss of smell as a side affect... I have not had that problem.

I'll let you decide on that one: http://www.snopes.com/medical/drugs/zicam.asp

Good luck and HTH!

1) If he is only using herbal remedies and finds himself sick often he needs an immune booster - "Emergen C" is wonderful and it comes in many flavors. You simply add it to water and drink it like Lemonade or Fruit Punch.

2) Seek out a Health and Wellness store in your area. The owners are normally the best at recommending herbal suppliments based on symptoms and age. If you don't have one in Titusville contact Diane's Natural Food in St. Augustine (FL) and I'm sure they would be willing to help. Their phone # is ###-###-#### - They have multiple locations.

3) I would recommend turning this into a learning experience that you could enjoy with your son. If he's into Natural remedies you might want to start brushing up on the research that is out and available. He should start growing some plants that are good to keep around the house (like our grandparents did) such as Aloe plants. It's always good to take something and turn it into a lesson and make it fun. It's something both of you could end up doing together. Since he is frequently sick you may want to find out what herbs, veggies, & fruits (such as oranges) are natural immune boosters and get him into eating them. Education can be power and you might find that if he knows these things and starts teaching them to your Ex that you won't have to worry as much when he's with his dad that he's not getting proper nutrition.

Hi there,

While I am not against the entire conventional medical community, I do believe that your husband is trying to do what is best for your son, but probably needs to better understand the body and use an integrated approach.

The body has an innate ability to heal itself if given the proper nutrients, rest, and the chance to fight without drugs. For example, a fever is the body’s mechanism for killing the virus. When we suppress the fever with over the counter meds, we stop the body’s natural ability to fight, and suppress the immune system even further.

The key is to keep the immune system strong so you don’t get sick as often. The only way to do this is through proper nutrition. Large amounts of fruits and vegetables need to be eaten on a daily basis as they have the antioxidants, phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals needed to fight illness and disease… while sugar, white flour, HFCS, hydrogenated oils, soda, and processed foods need to be avoided as these weaken the immune system.
I do use a few herbal remedies as well as some homeopathic remedies when my children come down with something, but mostly I focus on building strong immune systems through diet, exercise and rest. I also give my family an omega 3 supplement (I use Carlson’s fish oil) and a whole food fruit and vegetable supplement (www.wejuiceplus.com ) and they are rarely sick.

If you want to contact me personally feel free. I study holistic nutrition and as of this weekend I will be a certified nutritional coach for Dr. Sears. He wrote The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood. I will be teaching parents how to raise healthier children through nutrition based on his book. Since you are not in my area I would be happy to send you out some basic info that you can share with your ex husband on how to start the process of building your child’s immune system so he is sick less often.

In Health,
C.

If your son is continually getting sick I would really look at his diet and make sure he is getting plenty of fruits and veggies. I know it might be hard to get a 12 year old to eat that, but it's extremely important for his immune system. I highly recommend Juice plus if he's not taking a quality vitamin. In fact they have a children's research study going and for every adult on the product a child between the ages of 6 and 13 can be on it for free. I think your ex would like it too.

C.,
Do you have custody of your son or does your husband? IF you do, then why can't you give your son something and why does your ex-husband have to be informed what you've given him? Not all medicine is bad. Tylenol (acetaminophen) and Motrin (ibuprofen) are good medications for reducing fevers. When a child has a fever, we must do the responsible thing by not only making the child more comfortable, but to prevent further complications that high fevers can bring on, we must manage fevers responsibly. Now, most children can get by with coughs and colds without any medication at all BUT again, it's about making the child comfortable. It's not abusing medicines when the child is truly sick. You could use Vick's at night by rubbing a little on his chest and using a cool mist humidifier for stuffy noses and night-time coughing. Children and adults alike will pass germs around. You could instruct Logan how to wash his hands before lunch time and any mid day school snacking. You could teach him how to use a paper towel to open/close the bathroom door after he's washed his hands before eating lunch. You could teach him that anytime he places his fingers in his eyes, nose, and/or mouth when they are dirty, that he is introducing germs into his body. That is how we get sick. There are herbal remedies. However, I have not tried any but I've seen them at my local health food store. Some people swear by them, while others say they don't work. I'd have to say that your son is getting sick often because he's not keeping his hands clean. Those hand sanitizers do not work nearly as well as good old fashioned soap and water. And for hand washing to be effective, you need to wash for at LEAST the amount of time it takes to sing happy birthday to yourself twice and briskly rubbing the hands together to rinse all the germs away. My household is hardly sick and I really do believe it has everything to do with the hand washing that I've taught each of my family members.

C.,

Sounds like you're between a rock and a hard place in this situation. I'm sorry you're having to go through this but I think I can help you and show you how to get what you need at wholesale prices without even having to leave your home.

At my house we have totally switched our home to non-toxic, safer and healthier products AND take naturally derived supplements which are THE BEST of nature and science. By doing this we have totally boosted our immune system and haven't been sick, sick in a very long time. My son is in Kindergarten and brings home the runny nose, cough and congestion from time to time but his body is able to fight that naturally with help from these supplements and we don't see the weeks of struggling to get better.

Let me just say . . . I do not sell, stock or deliver ANYTHING so I'm not trying to "catch" you in a sales game. If you are truly interested in learning more you can contact me directly or visit my website listed below. After reading the helpful information there, if you want to learn more please fill out the "Learn More Now" and I will personally contact you. I simply train others and make referrals. It's YOUR decision!!

Best to you,
K. Woodlief
www.LiveTotalWellnessToday.com

I'm no expert on the herbal remedies, you can goggle that stuff and gets lots of ideas. I will however encourage you to boost his immune system.Give him vitamins AND minerals. I'm not talking about the ones in the kids vitamins at Walmart. I mean order online or go to a local health food store. Liquid minerals are best and easily absorbed.We should get these things from our food but our soil is so depleted we don't.
I obviously don't know your husband, but we DO live a medication driven society . I went to nursing school so I understand both ends of this. But we really have to be careful we are not sending our kids the message that a pill or meds will "make it all better". Every time you give your son meds his body has to work overtime to clear out the toxins that come with it. Yes, sometimes they are truly needed but VERY often there is something else you can do to help. Usually you can do this in your diet by boosting your system so it doesn't get sick as often.
My "credentials" are that I'm a mom of 4 healthy boys who only get meds when REALLY, REALLY necessary.:>)

Hi C.,

Just some quick ideas here: Tylenol is natural, it is derived from a plant and one of the safest medications in the world. Try teaching your son some history, before medicine thousands of people died each year from things as simple as the flu or strep. Not all medication is bad, overusing it is bad, taking a pill for every little thing can be bad, but modern "medicine" saves lives. In the meantime, hot tea will help unblock the congestion, with a little lemon and honey will help with the sore throat. Even modern medicine has acknowledged the benifits of chicken noodle soup. Good luck.

This might be difficult as your son is 12 but sugar weakens the immune system. So if you can eliminate al sugar from his diet (watch for ingredients in everything-cereal, bread, snacks, drinks, etc). he will be stronger and better able to fight off the nasties around him. I do agree with herbal as well. The best thing is to keep him strong so he doesn't get sick as often. The other thing is, it's ok to get sick too, it's our body's way of ridding itself of toxins, etc.
That's wonderful that you are trying to get along so well with your ex and work for the best options for your son. Good for you!

Hi C.,

This isn't medicine, but runs more along the lines of Vicks Vaporub. I don't know if they are opposed to that or not, but if so, it's a nice alternative. California Baby(www.californiababy.com) has a line of essential oils that can be used with a diffuser (kind of like Glade plug-ins). They also have a massage oil designed for Colds and Flu. I've used them with my kids. I really like using the Colds and Flu essential oil in the diffuser at night. All of that being said, I also use over the counter medicines, so I don't know how this would work all on its own. Best of luck!

Hi C.,
I hope your son is doing better. I just logged on for the first time today. I am a mother of 3 and we also do not use medication except with rare exception. If your son is sick all of the time you generally have only two reasons. His external environment or his internal environment.

His external environment is affected if he is exposed to too many allergens or toxins such as simple things like dust and dust mites in the house to more complex issues like landfill run off if you live close to a land fill. You have to clean up the environment to prevent the overload to his system. If it is as simple as allergies, I would try a nasal wash (they come in sprays and nasal pots to rinse out the sinuses.

His internal environment is affected by what he eats and how healthy his nervous system is. For the eating consider Nutrition vs Junk Food vs Allergic foods. There are 10 top allergens in most processed foods to help make you and your kids addicted to them. Some of the top ones are Milk, wheat, soy and probably the worst for a kid is corn (ie high fructose corn syrup). Try eliminating these for a week (one at a time if you want to see which is the offender/s).

The other part of his internal environment is his nervous system. I am a Chiropractor and I know that children have misalignments in their spines that affect their health directly. These are usually a result of falls while growing. I also know that children who get adjusted by a Chiropractor have a healthier immune response than children who don't. The Brain-body connection is increased when nerves are allowed to transmit information freely. Good Luck!

Hey C.,

We give our son Respiractin when ever he has any kind of cold. You can get it at your local health food store. We also up the Vitamin C to boost his immune system, and cut out ALL dairy and sugar while he is sick. We actually don't give him sugar at all because sugar really is a poison and breaks down the immune system and dairy will increase his mucas build up. Respiractin is all natural, can be taken every day, and works on children and adults. This has always helped our son.

I personally use to catch everything that went around and stayed sick a lot. However, I now take a product called cellwise that has really boosted my immune system and I have not been sick since I started taking it. I take it every day and am amazed at how it has kept me well!! Any sickness at all whether it is a cold or cancer, is all because there are sick cells. Keeping your cells healthy will prevent you from getting sick!

All the best to you! Hope this info. has helped you!
T.

Hi C..

Your husband is on point. Some of the leading cause of kids illness are what people use in their home and the products used in the schools (SEE USA Today article, "Deirdre Imus helps schools go green") IT’S THE TOXIN PRODUCTS.

The following is a CBC Marketplace investigation about the harms and dangerous products used by families around the world inside their homes!

Please watch these videos below!!!!!!Please!! If you care about your family, friends and yourself, you will watch this report. After watching it, then do something about it. . THIS IS SERIOUS!!! Make a switch; we did, to alternative products with an International wellness company. The products have truly been a blessing to our family.

Watch the videos and if you are ready to make a switch to an alternative product, I would be glad to share it with you.

Stop Poisoning Our Children Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOPDRpwZ8hc

Stop Poisoning Our Children Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYiCfKIXv-4

"Our people Perish, because of the lack of knowledge"

Hi C.,

I once trusted doctors implicitly and now I'm where your ex-husband is because of MANY things that have occurred over the years. I believe that there is something natural for everything and most of the natural stuff has little or no side effects, immediate or long term, like prescription and OTC meds do. But saying that, your husband also needs to encourage you to get your son's immune system up so that he won't catch everything that goes around. I counsel on nutrition and environmental toxins and would be glad to give you some one-on-one advice if you'd like to go that route.

For your problem at hand, not knowing specifics, Elderberry extract or Beta Glucan is good for anything as it is an extra boost to the immune system so that his body can fight off the illness by itself. Garlic is a natural antibiotic if there is a bacterial infection. Collodial silver is also but this can not be used regularly. I can explain in depth if we talk.

If you go to a pharmaceutical grade health store (not GNC, they're Wal-Mart quality)they can also give you advise with specific problems as they arise.

C., I was diagnosed at age 11 with a debilitating condition and I was drugged, poked and prodded for 30 years. The doctors even wanted to remove body parts. Thank God my mother said no. What I discovered, over time and through a series of other issues, is that a little bit of fiber in my diet would have CURED it. You might say that that was a long time ago but they are still treating the same condition the same way within the medical community.

Let me know if you want to talk. God bless,

M.
www.squidoo.com/ifyourbabycouldtalk

Hi C., my name is debbie i have two daughters, 27 & 17 and work at a daycare for the past twenty years, just to give you a little information about where this advice is coming from.. ok do you have sole custody? If you do i would explain to both your son and his father that your decision are the final ones even though you are taking in to consideration how the dad feels it is your job and primary concern to keep your son healthy well and feeling his best. when you can use herbal say you will, but there times when other medicines may be better and more effective.

Debbie