Stinken Colds !

I give a little benedryl at nightime to cut down on the mucus. I also use ibuprofen, which you are using. I never use Soy milk because of all the controversy with Soy and little boys (hormone issues). So I think you are doing what you need to do. But I would take him to the doctor to see if he has an infection which can prolong a cold. When my son has a lasting cold like this it was usually because of an ear infection or sinus infection and antibiotics would clear it right up, within a day a two.

You can try Homoepathic Pulsatilla for this kind of cold. You can get it at Whole Foods or other natural store near you. It's always worked great for my kids colds with yucky green mucus.

I agree there may be an infection going on - green stuff often indicates that. You'll probably have to clear it up with antibiotics so doing it before the plane trip is key. Be sure your little one is actively drinking during take-off and landing to deal with the pressure changes in the ears. And oh, I know what you mean about that suction thing - kids hate it! You could try some plain saline spray to put up the nose. He's probably too little to sit still for a neti pot wash but those work great for older kids and adults.

I would start adding a fantastic children's supplement from Reliv - delicious vanilla or chocolate flavor, loaded with nutrients, plus DHA for brain function. (Yes, I know a few products are adding it now, but Reliv has been doing it for well over 10 years in the kids' product). All my friends and colleagues with young children have found that colds and flus are a thing of the past. There are no warning labels on Reliv products - unlike all those kids' vitamins that say "keep out of reach of children" - what's up with that? It's safe for all ages - it's given to preemies in feeding tubes, it's all food and no drugs. It's a powder that you mix in water, milk, juice, etc. - so it's absolutely fresh and activated only when it hits the liquid. So the ingredients are potent and there's no issues of breakdown over time as with other, pre-mixed liquid supplements. If you strengthen the immune system on an ongoing basis, you'll all be happier and healthier, and very likely be done with doctor visits and prescriptions, not to mention all that misery.

Good luck and I hope you enjoy the trip.

are you sure it's a cold and not allergies - going on for 3 weeks now i would suspect allergies. my son was 2 in july and i susepect he has both spring and fall allergies. we're going on week 2 now of constant runny nose, during the day it's just runny, but at night he gets more congeested b/c he's laying down.....

the only thing we're able to do is give him a nebulizer treatment. he had pneumonia last feb and they gave us a nebulizer for home treatment. now i use it when ever he has a runny nose/cough - he gets a treatment before he goes to bed and it seems to help his breathing at night. he's just a the point now where i can leave a tissue box in the corner of his crib and if he needs to he take a tissue to wipe his nose in the middle of the night - instead of me doing it. and he now has a sippy of water in there too - to take a sip in the night to "clear" his throat.

As soon as I or my daughter gets any symptom of illness I buy some ginger root and make my own "tea." Basically just chop off a piece of ginger the size of your thumbnail, peel and cut it up and put it in a tea strainer if you have one, or just put the pieces in the bottom of a mug. Cover w/hot or boiling water and let steep for several minutes. Remove the ginger and add some honey and a bit of fresh lemon juice (optional). I add an ice cube to cool it down a bit and serve it in a sippy while it's still warm but not hot. I usually make a big batch and save some for iced tea, but I think it's more effective as a warm beverage, and I give it to her a few times a day. I know people warn against giving honey to young kids but I've been using it raw and unfiltered in the tea since she was just under two. You can use Agave nectar or some other sweetener, I just think the honey has nice health benefits, that's why we use it. If your child likes it you can later add fresh thyme leaves to the brew (helps w/immunity).
The other thing we do is we don't give tylenol/motrin unless the fever is above 101 and she's uncomfortable. I let a low grade fever do it's job-it's one of the way the body fights infection. I remember reading a study about how giving tylenol after a child receives a vaccine makes the vaccine less effective because it weakens the immune response. that has always stayed with me and now I try to be more conservative w/the tylenol.
In addition I make sure to give probiotics and a multivitamin. We eat lunch outside (weather permitting) and just generally try to get lots of fresh air. I never have much luck with the saline/suction so I stopped using it. I taught her how to blow her nose (with my help) instead. It's never to soon to at least try to teach!
Make sure your humidifier is nice and clean-any mold in there will make the problem worse. Maybe focus on boosting immunity more and treating symptoms less as the symptoms are just part of the process of getting rid of the infection and dead immune system cells. I hope he kicks the cold in time for your trip! best of luck!

I am with you. My 2 daughters (4yr and 16mo) and I all have this "common cold" and it's been going on for far too long here too. Try rubbing the vics baby rub on the bottom of his feet and putting socks on right before bed. I heard this and tried it on my daughter the last time she had a rough cough and it seemed to alleviate it after a few days. That is really the only thing that I can think of that might help. I do keep washing my littlest one's face and nose with warm cloths to keep the yucky stuff from hardening up.
Good luck and enjoy your vacation!

Just read about Vicks vapor rub not being good for toddlers.. it actually creates more mucus.. weird huh! Read the following report.. I would try a rub that does not have menthol in it:) Not trying to sell you anything.. but Arbonne has an herbal vapor rub without the menthol in it.. check it out:

https://arbonne.com/shop_online/showitem.asp?ProductId=18...

Read the following report below:
Vicks VapoRub May Imperil Toddlers

By Michael Smith, North American Correspondent, MedPage Today Published: January 13, 2009 Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Jan. 13 -- A popular menthol-based salve used to ease symptoms of chest congestion may be dangerous for young children, researchers here said.

In an animal study, Vicks VapoRub stimulated mucus production and airway inflammation -- effects that might have a severe impact on breathing in an infant or toddler, according to Bruce Rubin, M.D., and colleagues at Wake Forest University. "The ingredients in Vicks can be irritants, causing the body to produce more mucus to protect the airway," Dr. Rubin said. "Infants and young children have airways that are much narrower than those of adults, so any increase in mucus or inflammation can narrow them more severely." The researchers found: * VapoRub increased mucin secretion in the normal airway by 14% and in the inflamed airway 7.8%, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. * On the other hand, the endotoxin itself increased mucin secretion by 67% (significant at P=0.007) compared with normal airways. * The salve significantly increased (P=0.027) mucociliary transport velocity compared with those treated with the water-based jelly, regardless of inflammation. * But for the inflamed airways, the significance of the increase was P=0.007.

The researchers said the perceived benefit of the salve is thought to be the result of the menthol binding to temperature sensors and causing a cooling sensation. The brain interprets the sensation as increased airflow although, in fact, studies have shown that the salve reduces airflow marginally even in adults.

You are a great mom and are doing all the right things... good luck and i hope your little one feels better so you may have your vacation..

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D. Hodell, Independent Consultant, Arbonne International ____@____.com Sponsor ID 18438935

If its been going on for three weeks he could have a sinus infection and need antibiotics. My son is prone to them we take him for any colds that don't go away within 10 days. He is actually on antibiotics right now (just got back from his ped) for a double ear infection and sinus infection. He just does not drain right and the it all stays in his sinuses and ears every time he gets a cold. My kids like some decaf tea when they are sick w/ colds especially the peppermint and also since he is over a year he can have honey to help w/ the cough. We also give the kids some benedryl to help dry them up if they are really bad.
edited: after your update I would say it might be time for a new doctor. With both of my boys if there is a cough that accompanies the cold the cough will linger but the runny nose and congestion does not and green=infection. You said ears and throat were fine but how did his nose look? With just a minor cold some doctors will still give vaccinations others will not you just cannot get them if they have a fever.

Elderberry extract. You can order it on Amazon.

Be sure he's drinking lots of fluids which will help his body 'clean' out the waste from his immune system. His diet will help a lot. Have him eating extra fruits and veggies, especially green veggies, and his immune system will respond postitively to that. Have him take warm baths or steamy showers before he goes to bed or when he gets up in the am to help clear the nose. Try not to give him too many iterventional meds. It will interfere with his body's ability to take care of the cold on it's own. All that snot has a purpose, and it's to clean out the junk the immune system leaves behind after killing the viruses. We stop that process, we lengthen the cold.

Organic soy is perfectly fine for boys. There are no hormone issues. All valid research shows that soy can be a part of any healthy diet. Note that I say part. Like anything else, consuming too much soy, particularly process soy, would not be good for optimal health. If you would like me to send you these articles and research summaries, I would be glad to do so. Just think of the extensive use of soy and tofu in the east. It is a staple of the asian diet and the men over there do not have health problems associated with consuming soy. Not really your question but thank you for letting me offer another opinion.

Good luck! Truly, the diet is the single biggest factor in how effective the immune system works in preventing and fighting colds. We have spent the last 6 years learning to optimize our diet and we've added a high quality whole food supplement, made from 15 different fruits and veg along with the bran of 2 grains and we hardly catch colds. When we do, we wonder if we really have one (fewer/weaker symptoms) and then they are gone in 2 or 3 days. I'm happy to answer any other questions you might have. Have fun in Florida. The kids always get sick when something big is on the horizon. LOL. Amazing. In health, D.

Green= Infections Call Doctor
Clear / White = OK