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Advice on coughs

(48 posts)

Started 7 months ago by NW whippet
Latest reply from gracie

NW whippet

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My partner's daughter has a whooping cough, and he is worried about it.. lol... he wanted to know if anyone has a more natural cure for the cough than just the usual cough drops. He has a good opinion of the advice from this site, so wanted me to ask... :) We picked her up from her mothers, where the mother and the grandmother was sick the week before with a chest cold.

Posted 7 months ago #
SmartsyArtsy

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Warm honey & lemon juice.

Posted 7 months ago #
SmartsyArtsy

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Warm honey & lemon juice.

Posted 7 months ago #
NW whippet

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We have Agave sauce, is that the same as honey? I'm thinking it's the oils in honey that make it so good for the coughs, and not sure if Agave has it.

Posted 7 months ago #
Cate

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How old a child are we talking about? If you are talking infant/toddler (two and under) Whooping Cough can be a serious illness requiring more then a natural cure. Don't waste time and get a baby to the doctors. Older kids, I always tried the honey and lemon first.

Posted 7 months ago #
NW whippet

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She's 6. Her mom already took her in to the doctor, and they wanted to give her just Tylenol and cough drops. I knew about the citrus and warm liquids, but he is worried and just wants to be sure we're not missing anything. :)

Posted 7 months ago #
treehugger

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Mist from a warm air humidifier - loosens any gunk so it can be coughed out better and soothes irritated airways.

Posted 7 months ago #
Pokerguy

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We use this Vicks plug in pad thingy you can get at Walgreens.

Posted 7 months ago #
wally

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Cate, I'm hoping she doesn't really mean whooping cough. The doctors would have been on it. If I am wrong, then the lol in the original
post was grossly inappropriate.

Posted 7 months ago #
angeline

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OK, if it is actual Whooping Cough it needs antibiotics to treat the disease. To treat the symptoms and make her more comfortable, any sort of syrup/sugar mixed with hot water and a little lemon will help. Agave or honey would be fine. That Throat Coat tea made by Traditional Medicinals works really well, too. Humidifiers are a good idea. That little thing that plugs into the wall and releases Vics-type scent is great for head congestion and you can certainly try it, but I'm not sure it will do much for this sort of cough.

Posted 7 months ago #
angeline

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Oh, and keep her isolated. Whooping Cough can be dangerous, especially to infants.

Posted 7 months ago #
phoo

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I find that the original Ricola drops are decent at suppressing a cough (maybe not one of this magnitude, but it should help a little). They aren't just sugar water, they have herbs in them too.

In addition to the honey/water/lemon (honey has some mild antibiotic properties btw, but you need a good quality honey), you could also add mucilagenous(sp) herbs. Stuff like powdered licorice (not licorice sticks which are anise) and powdered marshmallow (not marshmellow!) will help soothe the throat which could help with the impulse to cough. You can buy licorice tea in any store, but you can also get these down at the Dandelion store on Ballard Ave near Market.

Also, Buckley's works well to get crap up. However, you are going to have to bribe your kid to take it and have an immediate chaser. It works, but it tastes like Vick's vaporub. Seriously, it is nasty.

Posted 7 months ago #
great idea

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I don't think they use anti-biotics to treat pertussis unless it's early on.

usually they just let it run it's course (unless we're talking infants).

Posted 7 months ago #
phoo

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If you let it run its course, it could take months. My adult friend had pertussis. She had it for 2 months and it put her in the ER when her lungs got too tired to breathe.
However, I am guessing this is a "whooping cough" and not the "Whooping Cough," the OP was simply probably trying to describe it. I find it unlikely the doc would send her home with nothing but cough drops and tylenol and no instructions to isolate otherwise.

Posted 7 months ago #
Mondoman

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As we've all heard, Whooping Cough is pretty prevalent here in the Puget Sound area, and most of the time (especially among adults) it shows up more as a persistent cough rather than the dangerous whooping version in some young kids. If you want to let your body's own immune system deal with it, remember to get enough sleep (i.e. sleep until you can't sleep no more) because lack of sleep hurts the immune system. Also, don't eat if you're not hungry. Often, the body will try to keep nutrients away from the invading bacteria by making you lose your appetite.

Posted 7 months ago #
angeline

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The CDC says pertussis should be treated with antibiotics.

It may be that this child doesn't have pertussis and the OP meant the "whooping" as a description of something that is actually bronchitis, in which case the doctor would try letting it run its course.

Posted 7 months ago #
deepballard

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Just a small public health appeal to adults to please get your pertussis booster. All adults need one, and adults are often the carriers of this illness- healthy adults can have a this cough and unwittingly pass it along to more vulnerable folks. Vaccines are available at most pharmacies and at your doctors office. Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a serious illness, as mentioned above.

Posted 7 months ago #
Ernie

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Often, the body will try to keep nutrients away from the invading bacteria by making you lose your appetite.

Of course, only if it's a "legitimate" whooping cough......

Posted 7 months ago #
onederfullone

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My advice.

Do not suppress coughs.

The body expels nasty stuff naturally, as it does with a sneeze.

If coughs persist, seek a doctor.

Being six, and in school, she's likely already inoculated for whooping cough, and may even be suffering from said inoculation. fwiw.

Posted 7 months ago #
phoo

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Although I second deepballard about staying up to date on your TDaP, folks may want to schedule their shot for when they have a bit of time for the next few days, in case they get sick from it. Not everyone gets sick, but I had the shot just before I had a bunch of stuff to do and suffered the symptoms listed under "moderate" on the sheet they hand you. 102 fever (with tylenol), really ferocious body aches and very mild nausea. Of course, my immune system was poor at the time, so that probably put me at risk for a more severe reaction. All the same, don't schedule it just before an important meeting or whatnot, just in case.

Posted 7 months ago #
onederfullone

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I would suggest that most of us possess poor immune systems. Not that it's okay.

Posted 7 months ago #
NW whippet

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No... I was trying to say that she has a whooping type cough. The doctor said that it was likely just a type of chest cold because that is what the mother had. My grandmother was full Comanche Indian and taught me about Cherry bark, I was hoping to find something along those lines. A search of some of the suggestions here turned up a store that is absolutely wonderful called Super Supplements. I found the old natural herbal syrup that included the cherry bark called Old Indian Wild Cherry. We tried the lemon honey mix, but the child said ...eeewww.... and wouldn't drink it again. We also got the humidifier and Vicks, we also got a eucalyptus oil for the tub and basically soaked her to try to soften and get the mucus out.

fwiw my partner wants me to add that we picked up the old standby of Mrs. Grass chicken soup, and it still has the golden egg, and kids still love to drop it in the water and watch it melt.... :D

Posted 7 months ago #
pennygirl

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I second a humidifier. Hopefully she feels better soon :-)

Posted 7 months ago #
NW whippet

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the humidifier extremely popular right now. It does really help, and she is now running around our stool in our kitchen. Its like the humidifier is the family hookah now.. :) As my partner and I have been feeling the cough coming ourselves, and it is actually helping us as well. And we are now wondering which medicine was spiked with Red Bull... I'm getting dizzy from watching her run....

Posted 7 months ago #
Lou98107

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I remember feeling really amped after taking O.T.C cold remedies when I was younger. I think some warn "may cause excitability in children", but could be wrong about that.

Posted 7 months ago #
yourFriend

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ice cream ice cream and more ice cream makes her feel better without wwwwww

Posted 7 months ago #
clamster

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Be careful about the sodium content of certain soups, they are so high they can be dehydrating and you need to stay well hydrated in order to chase out the virus or bacteria and not allow them to concentrate in your system and cause secondary infections. Drink LOTS of warm fluids or just hot water (heated, but not from the tap) is good. Ricola seems to have the best cough drops. They are the only ones that have ever really helped me when i had a bad cough. Gargle 3x a day with warm water plus a quarter teaspoon salt and you can also add an equal amount of baking soda. Imagine brand puréed Butternut Squash soup is good and has a lot of Vit. A in it which is very good for colds as is vit C of course. Eat fresh oranges and apples. If you're on antibiotics make sure you eat a high quality yogurt everyday. Seems to soothe the throat also. And of course, some ice-cream, sorbet or gelato. There's a rather nasty cold or flu virus making the rounds this week. I was at a clinic that had seen 75 cases of it in just one day. So, be careful out there, wash your hands a lot, keep some Purell in the car, be healthy!

Posted 7 months ago #
julesage

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Also cover your coughs and please wash your hands!

Posted 7 months ago #
julesage

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This may be a little " too OCD" for you, but, using bleach wipes on all door knobs, carseats, etc.. Is a great way to kill germs. The first thing I have the kids do after school before anything else, is wash their hands with warm soap & water to wash the school day off. Don't reuse bath towels and change sheets often too. A new toothbrush after something nasty like this is a good idea too! Best of luck in feeling better very soon !

Posted 7 months ago #
gracie

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This crud I've had for over a week knocked me on my butt. Sometimes the coughing was so intense I couldn't take a breath,can't stop coughing, pulled some muscles and this is second week of cough. Wanted to get out of house & do something this weekend & go see Abraham Lincoln movie. If I had, that would have made a lot people in the theater mad listening to me honk away!
And poor Pickles - she has taken to sleeping on top of me & I was knocking her around sitting up to get a breath and tossing and turning. She would occasionally give me the "look" like knock it off!

Posted 7 months ago #
julesage

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Gracie: feel better soon!!

Posted 7 months ago #
ballardfam

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btw, the antibiotics given for whooping cough don't actually cure it, they just help prevent the spread. I'm afraid once you have it, you have it for a while. Antibiotics don't get rid of it.

Posted 7 months ago #
BARBIE

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Ok, this one is out there but I swear it works and will keep her sleeping through the night... Vicks vapor rub on the bottoms of her feet covered up with some nice fuzzy socks. (It dialates the blood vessels, which helps to calm the cough)

Posted 7 months ago #
gracie

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Julesage - thanks. I'm trying!
Barbie - my doctor has tried to get me to do the Vicks vapor rub thing but knows I won't. My mother did that to me every time I got sick - plastered that stuff all over my chest, put wool scarf on top. Then as an adult I was sick & my boyfriend literally held me down in bed & slathered that sh*t all over my chest. I put up such a protest didn't want to admit felt better next day! But I just can't go there. So doc compromised with me - said to use humidifier & put essential oil such as lavender in it. At least my temp is now down to a low grade one. Got another prescrip for cough syrup for night time & slept through the night - to which little Miss Pickles was very happy about it. Now bouncing around for her.

Posted 7 months ago #
BuffaloHawk

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This is the time of year I replace my hookah with a vicks vaporizer machine ;)

Posted 7 months ago #
Sunset9

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+ 1 Barbie. the Vicks on the soles of the feet does work at night. Be sure to put socks on to avoid your sheets getting yucky.

Posted 7 months ago #
gracie

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Hey Buff - maybe you should try Vicks vapor rub (barf, hate the stuff) in your hookah!

Posted 7 months ago #
julesage

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Turmeric also has amazing healing properties when mixed with warm milk. If you can gag it down that is.

Posted 7 months ago #
phoo

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gracie: you might try thyme or oregano oil instead of lavendar. it will smell more harsh, but those have some antibiotic properties. I don't know how well it would work in such a dilute form, but if you are doing essential oils anyways, why not?

Awhile back I got a humidifier when I was sick but I think I gave it away, because it did a horrible job of producing actual steam. I remember how the old humidifiers worked, and this one couldn't even get the bathroom steamy. Is there something special to look for to get a REAL humidifier? One that puts out a great load of steam? BTW, YES I did prime the water by putting adequate salt in it, etc.

Posted 7 months ago #
gracie

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According to my doc, he said the new humidifiers don't produce steam like the old ones. That it is more subtle. Maybe there's some older ones at like Value Village or Goodwill.
Jules - I have a really high gag reflex. Probably wouldn't work but thanks for idea.
Happy Thanksgiving to you guys!

Posted 7 months ago #
gracie

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I cannot stop coughing at work, taking tons of cough drops & nothing working. Couple coworkers saying take some cough syrup for God's sake! You sound horrible. So now aware of how much noise I'm making & trying to suppress coughs- and sure I'm going to blow my little brain out of head. Remembered drug store (sorta) in Columbia Center & I'm sure paid three times normal price for a day time cough suppressor that is supposedly non-drowsy. I forgot honey at home, remembered tea. And I'm sure it's this dry air in building that is driving me bonkers. When I was outside in the cold & windy air I was okay. I so feel for all of you out there who had this same thing - it sucks! Now I have to take a rest - that short walk seemed like a 5K run!!!
Oh bed, sweet warm bed, I'm coming home soon.

Posted 7 months ago #
Mondoman

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gracie, the more sleep you miss, the weaker your immune system gets, so it sounds like you've got the right idea regarding getting some sleep. Since the coughing is usually caused by mucus accumulating, was your doctor able to figure out what was causing that? (e.g. a bacterial infection or viral infection?) If it's bacterial, a full-length course of an antibiotic it's sensitive to might be able to kill it off.
I think I've got the same thing (including the coughing spasms that end up making my muscles hurt), but fortunately it doesn't seem quite as intense as yours. I did notice that the more I talk, the more I cough...

Posted 7 months ago #
gracie

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Mondoman - appears mine is virus. Know what you mean by sore muscles. My whole right side was sore last weekend from coughing. And yep, coughing aggravates it so trying to just "shut up".
Hope you feel better soon. Doc said cough will probably be around for awhile. Swell.

Posted 7 months ago #
Mondoman

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Have a good Thanksgiving, everyone, and may your coughs head for parts unknown!

Posted 7 months ago #
phoo

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gracie: try the original flavor of Ricola. I haven't found regular cough drops to be any more effective that hard candy, but the herbs they use in Ricola seem to make them effective. I haven't found cough syrup to be useful in suppressing coughs (though they do as an expectorant), other than the codeine cough syrup (less is more!).

You mentioned tea... try some licorice (root) tea. Not licorice sticks, which are made of anise. It's mucilagenous so it coats your throat. You might try that when you can't stop, then follow it up with a ricola cough drop.

One of the things you might look at is why you are coughing, other than having a nasty virus. Is it just a tickly throat or do you have stuff in your lungs that needs to come up? If it's the latter, suppressing your cough isn't in your best interest, but taking an expectorant will make the process more efficient and will lead to less coughing. You can now buy gufseisan(sp) in pill form (mucinex) instead of in a cough syrup. If you are especially mucousy, you can also take sudafed (get the good stuff - it's worth the stupid hoops).

Remember, when you start barking like a seal, it's time to see a doc!

Posted 7 months ago #
gracie

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phoo - thanks for info. Have seen doc twice, talked to him on phone once. He just prescribed the codine cough syrup. And he did give me Ricola cough drops while there - which I now have purchased 4 bags so far. The stuff I got this afternoon did work - for awhile but even though "non-drowsy" - I got drowsy. NEver had licorice tea but will look for it. Not big into herbal teas but if it works..
And as far as my cough it started out as a non-productive cough kind of tickling one and then couple days later turned into big time cough, and is now a productive cough. And I was barking like a seal initially and today - think that's what drove the coworkers nuts. I can tell I'm on the road to recovery - it's just this cough I have to live with for awhile. Doc said my lungs are clear so that's good. Just have to have patience - which isn't always my best thing!

Posted 7 months ago #
pennygirl

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Gracie - if you lie on your right side does it ease the pain at all? Serious question - not being snarky.

Posted 7 months ago #
gracie

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Pg - The "pain" I had was pulled muscles on the right side. Now I just have that very annoying cough that is apparently going to stick around for awhile & a low grade fever. And when this stuff was at its worst laying on either side seemed to help - lying on back not so good. Curious - why did you ask this?

Posted 6 months ago #