Mom Looking for Home Remedy for Coughs

I am a great gramma so have a litle experience. Gave my kids a spoonful of honey. It works. For older people add some lemon juice and touch of whiskey. Hope this helps you.
J.

Dear B.

I used to do a syrup of lemon juice with ginger and honey. It worked very well. Its an Indian cure for cold. Boil ginger with water (1 cup). Then add lemon juice and honey. No proportion according to taste. You can make once and keep it in freeze for the whole day. Warm and give.I guess the 2 month cannot have as it has honey.

Mrs sengupta

If he's got a rattle in his chest ... take him to the doctor ... it could be moving into bronchitis, which I've seen a lot of this year.

the cough medicine my grandmother used was a hot toddy - honey, lemon and whiskey in hot seven-up - only she made us take it without the seven-up!

hi B.!
hope the colds/coughs clear up soon. here are some great remedies from my doctor:

sage: salvia officinalis
+ antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties
+ a strong tea (infusion) soothes sore throats and can be used as a gargle. sage tea is also a proven remedy for fever, colds, and cough. cover 1/4 cup of the leaf w/ i pint of boiling water, steep for 5-10 min. sip in 4oz doses or use as a gargle 3-4 times daily
+ safe in pregnancy in amounts found in food; not resommended with epilepsy; may decrease milk supply for lactating mothers.
+ tolerated well with other herbs and drugs.

thyme: thymus vulgaris
+ expectorant and antiseptic properties. a strong tea (infusion) is used to support respiratory health and treat chest infections. cover 1/4 cup (1-2grams) of the aerial parts of the plant (what you generally have in your spice cupboard) w/ 1 pint of noiling water, steep for 10 min. sip in half cup doses several times a day. use thyme and sage together for a powerful respiratory tonic.
+ a gargle is made using 1/2 cup of the leaf per 4 ounces of boiling water, steep for 10 min. gargle at least 3 times daily.
+ safe in pregnancy in amounts found in food; safe for lactating mothers
+ tolerated well with other herbs and drugs

garlic: allium sativum
+ antibiotic, antiviral, and antifungal properties
+ use at least 1-2 cloves daily in your food to prevent infections
+ medicinally, garlic is used crushed and raw. to treat illnes, take 3-6 fresh cloves daily. since garlic can irritatet the stomach, take with food. many children dislike the taste, you can tape crushed garlic to the bottom of a foot, but you must remove before 1 hour because it can burn the skin.
+ garlic can cause breath odor. to help eliminate this, chew some fresh parsley after taking the garlic
+ safe in pregnancy and lactation
+ tolerated well with most herbs and drugs

rosemary: rosmarinus officinalis
+ considered an excellent tonic and all-round stimulant. it is used for colds, influenza, and rheumatic pains.
+ antibacterial and antifungal properties
+ a strong tea (infusion) is used for cold and flu symptoms. cover 1/2 cup of the leaf with 1 cup boiling water, steep 5-10 min. use three times daily with acute illnesses
+ safe in pregnancy and lactation in amounts typically found in foods
+ tolerated well with other herbs and drugs

all of the above teas are safe for children to use. you may need to alter the taste slightly and add some honey (for children over 1 year only). children can also take herb baths. simply add the herbal infusion to the bath water.

elderberry or elder flower is another immune supporter and a delicious juice or tea. echinacea works well in preventing illness and infection by helping to build up the immune system, however, do not take for more than 2 weeks at a time. completely safe for children in light doses. i prefer a tincture made especially for children in vegetable glycerin (it's sweet and mixes well with juice or water). licorice tea or extract is also used for coughs and immune strengthening, but use in light doses for children because it is similar to the hormone aldosterone and too much can cause pseudoaldosteronism. a breastfeeding mother can drink mullein tea (another great one for colds, etc)

my husband and i like to make a tea for ourselves: fresh ginger slices, a pinch of cayenne pepper, fresh lemon juice, 1 garlic clove (i do, he doesn't) steeped in boiling water for 10 minutes and honey added.
i am breastfeeding and the baby is fine with me drinking any of these teas.

oh, and steam with eucalyptus oil. i took the baby into the bathroom and ran the shower with the door closed to make a steam room. added 2 drops of eucalyptus oil to the tub while the shower was running and the steam did wonders for her cough/congestion and rattling in the chest. a vaoprizer would also work (we don't have one), or boiling water in a pot, add 1-2 drops of the oil, and put in in the bedroom. one time i had my husband hold our daughter while standing, and i opened the pot underneath her and let the steam surround her. use caution as the steam can burn if too close. the steaming in combination with thyme baths and me drinking mullein tea and eating garlic cleared up her cough/cold in 2 days.

in health,
julie

B., Hello, A cough is not bad it is trying to clear the congestion from your childs body, Some simple remedies to help clear the congestion, in a pot of boiling water, (steam is great) put a couple of tablespoons of peppermint oil, or eucaliptis oil, I prefer the peppermint. The peppermint also helps settle the stomach, and I think smells better. For a child older than 1, a teaspoon of honey before sleeping helps the cough. As long as the mucus is Not green or deep yellow, the cough is fine, if the color turns, then see a doctor.
Remember to teach your children to cough or sneeze into their sleeve, not their hands, it spreads less germs! It is easier to change a shirt then sanatize everything. K.

Dear B. R.,

I received an email about this remedy and two people I know have used it and it helped tremendously. My husband and I compared the ingredients of Vicks VapoRub and the Walmart brand and the Walmart brand had the identical amounts of all the active ingredients, but you decide which you want to buy.
At bedtime rub Vicks VapoRub on the bottom of each foot and put socks on each foot to be kept on all night. Both people I talked to said they had no coughing and got a good night's sleep. It's amazing how it works because the feet are connected to every part of the body.
You could also rub a little sparingly on the chest and make sure the child stays covered with p.j.'s or something. My mom used this approach on us as children and I remember breathing better in the morning, too.

Good Morning B.,

I have always used the old stand byes from my Nana, to break up the congestion, sit in the bathroom with them in the steam and warm vernors for the presist cough and sore throat. I have even used decaf tea with honey. I know these sound silly but it was what worked for me. I also always ran vaporizor in their room at night when they were sleeping in the winter because the house gets so dry from being closed up.

Hope this help, C.

I have heard about,and tried, rubbing Vicks Vapo Rub liberally on the soles of the feet just before bed and putting them to bed with socks on. I tried it on myself a few months ago for a chronic cough - and it worked! Not sure why or if I just convinced myself it would work - but it's worth a shot!

A vaporizer is a great help when little ones have a cough/runny nose/congestion. I also use vaporub and for children older than 1, I use honey to soothe the throat. Try to clean out the nose as much as possible, obviously, to help with breathing. The biggest cause of coughs is drainage from the sinus cavity so if you treat the sinus problem then it should help relieve the cough. My daughter, 4, just got over a 4-day cold and she started with runny nose and coughing. I just kept on her about blowing her nose and gave her some honey and some cold/cough/flu medicine when she really needed it. Before we knew it, she was better. Also, I have found that if you elevate them while sleeping, it tends to help with the breathing. Good luck!

This might sound crazy, but after bath at night put vicks vapor rub on his feet. Then put socks on. This is an old remedy that my grandma told me about. Also, a friend who is a nurse recommended it too. I did it for about a week...it works!

As silly as it sound, put a little vicks on the bottom of his feet; it will help the coughing. Also scallons also a natural immune system builder and decognestant. If they eat one or two a day, it will help heal them faster.

I see you have lots of things to try... :) Here are my three suggestions. The vicks on the bottom of the feet really does work. Right before bed smear it on, put the socks over and put them to bed. Another thing that we just tried a few weeks ago when my kids had colds/coughs, was the honey with an addition. We added one drop of eucalyptus oil (really is okay for consumption) to 2 T of honey. Then give them a teaspoon before bed. The night previous to trying this, my 4 year old was up for hours coughing and coughing. The next night when we did this, she slept right on through from the beginning. It was amazing. We also used the eucalyptus oil in a foot soak. We put warm/hottish water in a bathroom sink and added quite a few drops of the oil. They both (2 and 4 years) sat on the edge with their feet in. Did it right before bed. It's soothing and also helps breathing. Treating the feet helps to stimulate circulation and helps the body heal itself. That's what has worked for us this winter! Hope you find what works for you!

I just read in my parenting magazine that a 1/2 teaspoon of honey soothes a cough for kids 1-6. Since you can no longer get cold medicine. Also I have found that vicks vapor rub, and little noses saline nose drops work really well, I actually swear by the saline nose drops and a humidifier in the bedrooms.

Hope this works!

Good Morning,

I use Vicks Vapor Rub for my daughter at night and place a warm dry towel (either straight from the dryer or placed into microwave) on her chest. This eases her cough. Remember to wash chest before venturing outside in the air.

I hope this works.

You may want to try a teaspoon of honey before bed for your 3-year-old's cough. Honey is definitely not recommended for children under the age of 1 since it can contain slight traces of a weak botulism strain. Don't worry, older children and adults have strong enough immune systems to fight off any traces honey may have, so don't think you have to run away from honey now since I mentioned botulism. I even asked my pediatrician his thoughts on honey for coughs in case my 13-month-old catches anything from her older siblings, and he assured me that he thought honey was a safer alternative to the recently recalled pediatric cold & cough medicines. Check it out for yourself. I have honey on hand here for coughs in addition to sweetening my tea!

We just went through the same thing wit our boys. Our ped. doctor said a teaspoon of brown honey works best. It totally coats evertything and helps the couch. They said there have been a lot of studies done on it and it works a lot better than couch medicine. Good luck!

M. Bussies
www.my.tupperware.com/melissabussies

B.

I have always tried to avoid meds in our family...especially in my children. I take a lot of holistic supplements and do give them to my children when necessary. When my daughter had a persistent cough 2 years ago at age 4, the most effective thing I did for her to actually get rid of the cough (not just temporarily suppress it) was......eliminate all dairy. It took a full month and a half of her suffering until I finally took her off the dairy. And once I did, her cough went away. It was not an easy task since dairy is her favorite, but it was worth it. Once the cough was long gone, I let her have it again (even though it's not great for her). Removing the dairy has helped my kids every time they have a cold or cough. Good luck.

When our girls were little and had a cold, our pediatrician recommended a teaspoon of karo syrup. It seemed to work as good as any cough medicine we've tried. For night time, we would rub a little Vick's Vapor Rub on their chests and backs. Nothing takes the cough away completely, but we felt better doing something for them. :)

Try rubbing Vicks (adult strength) on the bottom of his feet before bed and then putting socks over it. It sounds crazy, but it works for both my girls. I try this before any medicine and almost all of the time, they don't even need the medicine. (I'm sure you could try this during the day, but I haven't done that yet). It also helps to soothe for a good nights sleep. I love it!!

i know a tsp of honey can work. and this is going to sound weird but i swear it works; before putting him to bed put vicks vapor rub on his feet and put socks on him. i KNOW how weird it sounds but it does work.

Hi B., my name is Barbara. in responde to your request try warm vernors ginger ale with fresh squeeze lemon.
Breaks up cold and clears congistaion out.

Try running a vaporizor in the room and also you can use a nasal saline spray (non-medicated) if you can get them to let you. It won't solve the problem but it will help to eliviate the symptoms. The saline helps with all the mucos and the drainage which may be part of the reason for the cough. The vaporizor is basically doing the same thing. I don't use the cold medicines at all, there are too many on the re-call list and the side effects are often worse than the cold.

B.
One of the best home remedy’s for getting over a cold or flu is plenty of water, rest and to visit your chiropractor. Chiropractors are not neck and back pain doctors, we are nervous system doctors. Our bodies are self healing and self organizing. The central nervous system (our brain and spinal cord) and the peripheral nervous system (the nerves that branch out of the spinal cord and go to the cells, tissues, and organs in our bodies) control how our bodies heal and organize itself. If there is any interference in the communication of our nervous system with the body, then there will either be increased activity or decreased activity, either way the body is no longer functioning at it’s highest potential. Chiropractors call this interference a subluxation (sub-lux-a-tion). This interference/subluxation is caused by three major life stresses- Physical stress (trauma, repetitive motions, poor posture); Biochemical stress (preservatives in food, drugs- prescription and over the counter, alcohol, smoking); and Mental or Emotional stress.
If your body has been run down from any of these three life stressors, then the body will run down. The best way to boost the immune system is to make sure that there are no interferences/subluxations that prevent or slow the immune system from doing it’s job. Water (not juice) will help with the elimination of mucus build up because it will keep the mucus moist and fluid so that it can be eliminated easier by blowing the nose and coughing. Rest will allow the body to focus on healing itself. Allow the body to naturally eliminate the toxins, if the body is prevented from eliminating the toxins and germs by suppressing the cough, then it will take longer to get over the cold completely. The body might feel better but the germs will still be there and the slightest fatigue on the system will produce another cold episode.
I am a Chiropractor at Khalil Family Chiropractic Wellness and Intervention in Eastpointe, MI. Please feel free to contact our office for more information. Our number is ###-###-####, our email is www.khalilwellness.com

Yours in health and wellness
Dr B.

Buy a clove of garlic, peel it down, chop it up, put in their food. Put tea tree oil on there chest for 3 nights.

Cost $.39 for garlic.
Bottle of te tree oil...$5.00.

Quick and easy.

Make sure they are not on any meds that would interfere.

I've heard a spoonful of honey will do more for a cough than any over the counter medicine. I've recently started trying it with my two year old daughter.

You can try putting Vick's Vapor Rub on the bottom's of their feet and cover with socks. It's supposed to be more effective than putting it on their chest and neck. Good luck - S.

With Phenylpropanalymine (ppa) off the market for causing strokes in children, there is no safe and effective over-the-counter cough remedy available. That would be why it's not making any difference. Coedeine is an effective cough suppressant (not necessarily a good idea, depending on what's being coughed up, and highly addictive in addition to being a common allergen and an ineffective pain reliever), but so is alcohol (until recently difficult to avoid in cough remedies, even formulated for children), but both have good reasons to avoid.

The rattle should certainly be examined by a physician.

One home remedy that I found worked fairly well was this recipe I found online:
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tbsp finely-grated fresh ginger
1/4 cup honey
3 cups water
1/2 a lemon, sliced (not peeled)

Boil all for about 10 minutes. Strain it before drinking small amounts over the course of the day. Cool if you like, it's alright hot, lukewarm or old.

According to traditional chinese medicine, honey is good for lungs, and both ginger and garlic are good for treating viruses of all kinds. The lemon is just for flavour and extra vitamin C.

I have a 1 1/2 year old daughter, who ever since started going to day care 8 months ago is constantly sick with a runny nose or a cough. I have done a lot of research and the BEST THING EVER is so simple, it's a teaspoon of HONEY. The child DOES HAVE TO BE OVER 1 YEAR OLD, because of allergies and issues with honey. I don't know what it is about it, but it works! Also, this sounds weird too, but when you put the kids to bed, rub Vicks Vapo Baby rub on their FEET and put socks on them. Don't know why, but this calms the cough at night.

When my children have a cough, I noticed that...a half onion next to their beds helps a lot to relieve them ! Try it ! Sure, the bedroom smells awful in the morning but the children sleep much better ...

About vicks on the feet or torso, don't forget some essential oils it contains are toxic for children under 3 (especially eucalyptus globulus), so better avoid it for very little ones....

I usually put vicks on the bottom of their feet and then put socks on. This has helped with all my boys, although I'm not sure how! I have even used it on my 4 month old when he was only a few weeks and it helped him then. The cough was gone within 2 days. HTH! :)

I use the Vicks Vaporizer with the Menthol Steam Activation Inhalant. Now and again I will use the "Rawleigh" medicated ointment for relief of colds discomfort and congestion. I just rub it on his throat and sometimes his chest if he has a bad cold. The nurse at our Dr. office told me flat out that over the counter cough medicine doesn't work.

Have you tried putting VICK VAPOR RUB (GENERIC IS CHEAPER AND WORKS THE SAME) on the bottom of the feet, and then putting the socks back on? I've been told about it several times, and I've tried it with my 2 year old and it worked great 2 out of 3 times.

I heard honey works also, but my sister told me local honey works best. Try looking at a health food store for it. Also heard putting vicks on the bottom of their feet at night with socks on also works.

I had the worst caugh ever about a month ago and the only thing that helped(by the way I am pregnant so I can't take caugh medicine) was this tea from the health food store "Good Earth" Tea for Colds. Ask your doc if you can use it on your littlest, I am sure it is perfectly safe, I hope it works as well for you as it did for me!

Hi B.,

I haven't gotten the chance to try this yet but I heard rub Vicks on the bottom of their feet just before bedtime and then put socks on. Worth a try.

Good luck, L.

warm water and honey. Preferably a good quality honey and purified water.
I know it'll sound weird, but if there's chest congestion, try some castor oil on the chest at bedtime. It does help.

Winter is a really dry time of the year. Try giving warm baths in store bought bubble bath solutions of lavender, chamomille and menthol. ALso, put a humidifier in their bedrooms at night. That should help clear the congestion. Do this every night until it disappears. This cleared it up for my 4 year old and 2 year old.

Also, chicken soup broth every night.

This will sound strange but I boil water on my stove with Halls in it. Its not a great coughing solution, but it can help. My house gets very dry this time of year and we've had a cough that won't go away. The steam (of course from afar for the kids) and halls help alot. I do have to comment that if the kids get a rattle in their chest you need to go to the doctor. Good luck and I hope you all feel better soon.

Well, this may sound weird, but Vick's vapo-rub on the bottom of their feet at night helps at night. So I have heard. Ask around on that.

Try to put Vicks on the bottom of their feet before they go to bed. I am not sure why it works, but it does. You can check it out on snopes.com.

Elderberry syrup works great!

B.,

Go to Harvest Health foods and buy something called Sovereign Silver silver hydrolsol. Colloidal silver is called a natural antibiotic, it's pure from nature and it works very very well. I give it to my 1 yr old daughter every time she starts to get sick. It cured her pink eye when I put drops in her eyes and it's helped cure her sicknesses, coughs and colds.

I would really give it a try, it's a little costly but well worth it, I have never had to give my daughter any antibiotics.

The best remedy I can give you would be to give the child a teaspoon of honey, and possibly put a couple drops of lemon juice in it but it is not necessary. The honey works as a cough suppresent. Hope it works for you. I am a mother of kids ranging from 22 down to 8.

Read a study which said honey worked just as effectively for coughs as cough medicines. I would be careful if he has allergies though~honey is controversial for allergy symptoms. Also, I know there is a certain age which you aren't supposed to let little ones have honey. I am not sure if your 1 year old is old enough yet.

Good luck!
J.

Vicks on the bottom of feet at bedtime, naptime, etc. is the remedy...you will be amazed!!! They even have a Baby Vicks that is milder and it still works like magic.

Try rubbing their feet down with vicks and cover them with socks. It works. And Vicks is not a drug. Also, Shaklee makes a pure garlic tablet that if powdered is easy to put in their socs and is absorbed through their feet. It is a great antiboiotic. I sell the stuff because it works. And Shaklee's alfalfa tablets crushed and made up into a warm tea gets rid of congestion. Also honey really works, it coats the throat. Just don't use the unfiltered type with babies until they are about two.

Have you tried a cold air vaporizer. I am a 61 year old mother of three and grandmother of 8. I used it for my 3 and I know of at least 2 of my daughters who have used it. Be careful with honey unless you are sure it is pasturized.

put vicks on their feet and cover their feet at night workks for you to LOL

Brendan,

FYI, the AMA recommends against giving any cold meds. I use a vaporizer, lots of fluids, saline nasal spray and vick vapor rub. Rub some on their chest and back and feet and then cover with socks at night. I don't know why it works, but it does.

Good luck.

Vicks vapo rub is an excellent remedy. Rub the bottom of feet with vicks vapo rub and then put socks on. Will sleep peaceful all night.

Try VICKS on their feet!! my mom always used vicks on our chests and covered it with a turtle neck or cloth diaper.. but recently i saw a blurb on an email about a husband who's wife had pneumonia.. 'grandma ' told him to use vicks on her feet and cover with socks.. worked great.. i'm an RN, but when you have little ones that can't have over the counter meds.. i'll take all the advice i can get! I've used it frequently over this winter season..have an 8mo. and 3 yr old. Do their baths, then slather their feet with vicks, and some on the chest.. stops coughing better than the meds! no idea how or why? just glad the kids get the sleep they need..me too!!

B., I believe in home remedies wholeheartedly. For coughs let them sit in a bathroom with a hot shower running and the door closed. The steam helps loosen up what is producing the cough. The steam from chicken noodle soup or broth is also very helpful. My mom use to give us a mixture of lemon juice(quiets the cough)and syrup or honey (coats the sore throat from coughing) on a teaspoon at night to help us sleep. Of course there is a warm humidifier that you could run in their room. I have ran them during the day in our livingroom when my kids and self have had a bad cold and cough. Make sure that still eat well and get as much rest as possible. Experts say that even just sitting still refreshes our bodies enery somewhat. Good Luck and I hope everyone feels better real soon. You are in my prayers. P.

I just read that a tsp of honey was found to work better than cough med in a recent study. Of course the child has to be over the age of 1 to have honey. It's worth giving it a try!

Homeopathic Remedies are great, inexpensive and usually work. Although they do not work like an OTC medication, they do take time...

Try any of these:
Antimonium Tartaricum; Drosera; Ipecac; Rumex or Spongia. (these are strictly for coughs)
Aconite is the best for colds coming on fast or just starting.

But research the others to see what you need!

I use Mercurius; Phosphorus; Aconite; Kali Bi and implement Reflexology with my essential oil blends for my son when he has an infection...

Good luck!

find a new pediatrician, a rattle in the chest could be pneumonia and is serious. Sorry no home remedy.

I never liked giving my son a lot of OTC medicines either, but I found that a warm air humidifier that had a holder for Vicks Vapo Steam was a good way to calm those night- time coughs. When he was old enough (age 2 and up), I also put Vicks Vapo Rub on his chest and back before he went to bed (with a light T-shirt on top), which I still use to this day and he's now 12. Hope this helps!

The vicks vapo rub is such a blessing. I never heard about on the feet though... My mom always put it on our chest. We HATED it.. But now that my sisters and I are mothers guess what we do? lol mom knows best I guess. Also Mint tea sweetened with honey. OR Hot water, Lemon, and Honey. Just remember... If your used to having 8hour affects from meds. You will be disappointed. One thing to try out is prop the 3 year old while he sleeps. I've noticed that if they have a runny nose/ sniffles the coughing can be aggitated at night by a post nasal drip.
(try different kinds of tea. Peppermint works also. I think he'd be too young to like Echinacia tea, its got a bit of a strong taste. But man it works!! I usually use celestial seasons sleepy time tea.)

One of the nice things about these is they can be used together with no worries of over dosing, they keep you hydrated, and you smell all fresh and Minty. :-)

hi i have read that honey will help a cough why it works iam not sure. but they don't reccomed giving it to kids under one. maybe its just a viral cold and if it is nothing will help it, it will have to run its course. good luck B.

B. I have found that a warm air humidifier in their bedroom at night helps. Sorry I don't have more advice, I know its hard when they get sick.

My 3 children went thru this when they were little as well. The best advice I recieved from my pediatrician was to use steam in the bathroom. It opened up and "wet down" their nasal passages. Also as a Medical Assistant and Pharmacy Tech, I advise moms/dads to use vicks steam to help open them up as well. You could use the chest rub but that may cause discomfort from the cool of it.

Have you tried a dehymidfier? Or, a hymidifier. The only thing I have found to work that is over the counter, for my kids is a 12 hour cough medicine called delsym, but you would have to check the age limit on it. I think it starts at age 2years and up. If your three year old will keep hard candy in his mouth with out chewing it up lemon drops work really good for the throat and cough, I was told this by a doctor and it does work. Also, my kids like vitamin C drops, they are like cough drops but they are fruit flavored and not strong tasting. Vicks vapor also has these patchs that you put on your kids clothing so nothing is actually touching there skin and they work really good.

I know it's so frustrating, especially now that you can't even buy the OTC cough medicine for the really little ones! I've tried the honey thing myself and it really worked. I also gave a tablespoon or two to my 3 year old in a mug of luke warm tea (naturally decaf of course!) and it seemed to help a lot. I also have taken her into the bathroom with me and turned the shower on to create a steam room--that helped to loosen up the gunky chest a little bit.

Put vicks vapor rub on the bottom of feet and cover with socks. It really does help stop the coughing.

cherry bark is helpful for a cough. its not a suppressant, but it helps to make the cooughs more effective. you have to remember that when your body coughs it is to get rid of something harmful, if you suppress the cough it stays in then you get sick. can the 3yr old gargel? if so warm salt water gargel is the best treatment. for the baby if you dont feel its allergies ( or if you do ) get homeopathic infant remedies for sniffels or coughs, homeopathics are FDA regulated drugs that are alot safer than allopathic drugs.

also if you have tried feeding the baby honey, not when too young though, under a certain age it can cause botchalism(?), honey and fresh lemon juice is excellent to sooth the throat.

good luck, i feel your pain, my 3 girls are always sick together.

I heard of putting vicks on the bottom of their feet with socks right before bed and it seems to help, not sure why. Also, read an article that honey works the same as any cough medicine. So, now we just give honey and water and wait it out. Although this last cough we bought some pectin jelly beans at Meijer because my 3 year old won't take any cough drops. Hope this helps. K. (although if under 1 yr can't have honey yet)

I'm not sure about home remedies, but you can go to www.hylands.com for some homeopathic products that can help you. Hylands has been around for over 100 years, bringing us a homeopathic alternative to drugs.
Also, My son had a cough with a rattle and runny nose so I took him to the Dr. Turns out he had pneumonia plus a double ear infection. It was him complaining about his ears that made me take him in. I'm glad that I did. If your son had a rattle in his chest, you may want to consider taking him to the Dr.

I don't think processed honey would be good. It is pure sugar which would feed the cold. But I have read that pure, unheated, raw, honey is different and kills bacteria. The best kind is from New Zealand (forgot the name) but I found it at the health food store. You can't miss it, as it costs $20.00 for a little jar. Maybe not a bad price if you are using it just as a medicine. But one time my boys had a bad cough. I heard that fresh raw organic spinach blended in pineapple juice (a green smoothie) is a lung cleanser. Probably better to put fresh pineapple in the blender with a little water. But we just used the frozen pineapple concentrate and it still worked. So I tried it. The boy that drank it stopped coughing after drinking several cups through out the day. And the one that wouldn't try it (because it was green) coughed for a few more days. Make it sweet enough with the pineapple and put it in a bottle and the baby should like it. May be safer for a baby than honey. I have also heard elderberry syrup is great. Might want to think ahead of the colds this summer and find some elderberries. www.learningherbs.com They are a young family that teach people and I saw the recipe for elderberry syrup here. Also I have found that if you are eating right the body can fight off what it needs too by itself. It just takes time.

A cold air vaporizer works really well for coughs. When the air is dry it tends to increase the coughing.

What is their diet like? Do they eat fruits and vegetables every day? Do they drink water? If they drink a lot of milk you may want to reduce that. It creates flem and prompts the coughing.

Also, have you tried any supplements? I have found with my children that by giving them whole food organic supplements has helped them tremendously. They haven't been on an antibiotic since they were toddlers.

Hope this helps.

M.

Wow! Vicks on the feet, eh? We always did the chest.
Anyways, the baby vapor bath would be good for loosening the stuff - sometimes I sit my son in the tub (no water) or on the floor in the bathroom and use a vapor tablet in my shower (are they called Shower Soothers?) and get it really hot so he can breath in the steamy vapors.
I've also heard honey was good too...and they make child's teas too (the one I had showed a cow on the box) that soothes their throats and loosens congestion. Elevating with a towel under the head of their mattress also helps them drain.

I just read in a newspaper's "Ask Dr. column" that good old fashioned honey works just as good as over the counter cough syrup for kids. Not sure if it was just a spoonful or honey mixed with water. Try searching online for the correct dosage.

A friend recommended putting Vicks VapoRub on their feet under socks at bed time. It helped my 5 year old some, and probably varies by the virus. It sounds strange, but people tell me it works, and I'm with you, I'd rather do the easier home remedies first. Also, make sure you keep your home moist, and especially their room at night. Hope it helps!

Here is something a friend wrote to me:
Honey is a great recommendation!
Here another article about the dangers of cough medicine and making a cough syrup using lemon and raw honey.
http://tinyurl. com/yon8gl
It's important to use unheated/untreated raw honey since the supermarket honey has lost all its medical properties. You can find it at Whole Foods or Wild Oats. This is not a solution for kids under 12 months though.
For babies we have found that very few drops of lavender or eucalyptus essential oil on their PJs helps them breathing.

I also heard Vics on the feet works well.

Good luck!

Hi,

Definitely use a saline rinse, I have one that's made for infants so it won't hurt the inside of the nose. That really helps shorten the duration of the cold. For the cough try mixing some honey (about a Tablespoon) into a cup of warm milk. Hope everyone is feeling better soon.

I have read articles in our local paper about rubing Vicks on the bottom the your childs feet...My grand-daughter just turned 2 and always seems to have a nasty cough when she gets a cold...My daughter decided to give it shot as there would be nothing to lose, it does help and our little Emilie loves it...Now she brings Mom the Vicks jar when it's time to get her pj's on..Who wouldn't enjoy a nice foot massage?

There is Vicks especially for the little ones.....

Try a teaspoon of honey. I read and article that suggested honey instead of over the counter medicine for kids under the age of two.

M. M.