Ugh, Help Mom with Bad Cough....

Hi D.:

You should try Guifenesin(Sp.) It used to only be available by prescription, but you can now get it over the counter. It's what my dr. always prescribed me for the cough when I'd get any upper respiratory infection. Hope this helps and you're feeling better soon.

Is it the itchy kind of cough that keeps you up at night? When I get that I use my kids Delysum, simply a cough medicine, doesn;t work on any other symptoms. It works pretty good. Good Luck!

My sister-in-law use vicks on her feet and then puts on thick socks. She does it everytime she gets sick and it works for her.

I share your frustration. One of my daughters and I have the same issue. What helped was a humidifier (warm), The air is really dry in the house, especially with the heat on. It has minimized the coughing for both of us. Since you work from home, try boiling a large pot of water and let the steam (moisture) fill the air. Hope this helps.

Vicks on the feet does not work. I did it with all 3 of my kids. It didn't help any of them. I think they just say to put it on the feet and cover it with socks so that the kids don't get there hands in it. You should try menthal throat losenges or dissolving strips during the day. Nothing to conk you out, but it should give a little relief. Hope you are better soon!

I feel for you! I had the same thing about a month ago, it seemed to come out of no where and I sounded much worse then I actually felt. I called the Doctor who told me to not bother coming in just to drink lots of liquids, try to get some warm stuff in me like tea and to take the little known wonder drug called Muscinex D which is over the counter but it has the good stuff so it is actually behind the counter. I had been buying the Muscinex that I could get right on the shelf and the Doctor told me that that stuff worked but was not as good as the D one. I took that for a week and it kicked it right out of me! Good luck!

Get some rest! Drink LOTS of clear liquids... Cranberry juice is an awesome thing!!! Drink Cranberry juice hot like tea of cold.. Its got something in it that helps your body fight off nasty stuff... Not just urinary crud. I had similar symptoms and my lungs had swelling from my coughing... I coughed one too many times and cracked a few ribs at the brest bone (cartlidge seporated). If you not better in a day or so please invest in a doctor or clinic visit... Look into your local county health clinics they have no or low cost doctor visit.

HI D., I've read all the responses and it seems you've tried them all with no luck. Seems like every year my daughter gets croup and she barks (coughs) all night long what we do to help her is a home remedy my great grandmother taught me. Onion Syrup. Dice up a small to medium white or yellow onion, I always use yellow, and put it all except for the outer dry skin, into a sauce pan and put on medium heat then add a cup of sugar and stir frequently if not constantly. The sugar will make the onion release its juices and then get thick. Remove from heat after the liquid is clear to transparant yellow and is a nice syrup texture. Let cool, you can pour it into a bowl or jar then drink a spoonful of it as needed, maybe every 2-4 hours. Seems to work pretty good for us and it actually tastes pretty good. But if her coughing is just out of control we use the Delsym cough syrup and I've compared the active ingredient in it to other syrups and the Delsym seems to be the best and the most potent and works really well too. Since you have alot of drainage I would also take sudafed, the original stuff that you have to ask for behind the counter now, pseudophedrine (spelling?). THat is the only thing that helps my congestion, the new stuff they use just doesn't work for me. Well I hope I've helped you good luck with this.

C.

Hi, I feel your misery, having been a professional bronchitis patient. I hope you will feel better soon. It is so awful and so hard to get rid of in the cold air.

I have not had any coughing since using the following products. I now have a home based business, and have a few bottles on hand. If you are interested, and live close by, I could bring you some. If not, you can find it on eBay (under Nature For Life) or my website, as listed below. It is called REDOXX, rhymes with Detox. The Vicks Vapor Rub can help you rest at night...you should try that as another option.

DEGLYCYRRHIZED LICORICE
Shown clinically to fight inflammation including viral, bacterial and parasitic infections. Also stimulates production of interferon and may help with ulcers by increasing the mucus secreting cells in the digestive track. Reported to be beneficial for allergies, asthma, chronic fatigue, depression, PMS, menopausal symptoms and upper respiratory problems as well.

N-acetyl-L-cystein
(NAC) is used by the liver and blood cells to detoxify chemicals and poisons. It is a powerful detoxifier of alcohol, tobacco smoke, and environmental pollutants, all of which suppress the immune system. Supplementation with NAC may also decrease both the frequency and duration of infections and has been used to treat aids and Chronic Bronchitis.

For more info
http://www.thenaturalpetvet.net/cgi-bin/genesis.exe/Redox...

Have a Merry Christmas,
Blessings,
C.

Don't know if this works but I got an email once that said to slather Vicks Vapor Rub on the bottoms of your feet and wear socks all night. It's supposed to stop your cough all night. It's probably just silly nonsense but it couldn't hurt!!!

OTC meds don't work as well for children or adults. GO see the doctor. You might need a culture test to check for strep, or maybe a nebulizer breathing treatment for bronchitis. Either way, lots of fluids, for sinus..try Tylenol Sinus works really good but everyone takes in meds differently..my husband can't handle certain meds.

This is going to sound odd...but we did it with my 2 kids and I and it works...there's an e-mail going around about it, I can send to you...

You put Vicks Vapor Rub on your feet at night, before you go to bed and then socks over them and it surpresses your cough. Try it-- it totally works!

IF you have some time and are interested... there is an excellent single mom's group at LifeBridge Christian Church, off of Hwy 66 and Main, in Longmont, not far from the Wal Mart (west on Hwy 66). I've heard great things about it and know a few of the women who work with that group: ###-###-####. You need to take care of yourself, so you can care for your beautiful children.

Take care,
A.
____@____.com

Hi D.,

You might have a little bronchitis. I don't know if you smoke or not but that can contribute to it. If you did have a 24 hour virus, the cough could still last a couple of weeks. Try a humidifier, keep drinking hot tea, keep taking the cough medicines at night and try to prop yourself up some while you are sleeping. Pop some cough drops too during the day. Also look at WebMD, it can be helpful to know when you might need to go to the Dr.

Delsym has always worked for me - it says twelve hours, and I've never had it really last that long, but I've taken it before the twelve hours were up with no negative side effects. I find it will last around eight or nine hours and I take it at ten or eleven hours. Zicam also makes a great throat spray, and as cheesy as their commercials may be, Ricola throat drops are still the best. I've never done Vick's on the feet, but on my chest and in a humidifier works great. Good luck!!!

try the vapor things that you put in the shower with you. The steam and the menthol work wonders

My sister swears by this remedy at night...

When you go to bed at night, rub Vick's Vapo Rub on the bottom of your feet. I don't know why, but it works to keep you from coughing all night. I hope it gives you a good night's rest!

Check out www.del-immune.com, see if it feels right to you. If you're interested, let me know because I am one of a few people (practioners) who distribute it. The reason I distribute it is because it isn't in stores yet and my family and I are all the testimonial I needed to feel the results. It staves off ALL the bugs floating around out there because it helps your own immune system support you. I'm at ###-###-#### if you want some.
Feel better, J.

so here are a few home remedies that might work. doesnt sound bacterial because its a dry cough it may be from mucuous irritating your through and at night when yo sleep it oozes down yor throat and makes you cough during the day. benadryl at night to dry up the mucus. lots and i mean lots of water. yea youll have to pee a lot but it thins out the mucus. mix up 2 parts honey with one part lemon juice and have that througout the day. hot tea with honey, throat lozenges during the day. dayquil works wonders. mucinex is mainly used if you have a wet cough to help bring it up. scietifically i dont know if the vicks really works but my granny used to put it on our chests and backs and bottom of the feet. maybe it was a comfort thing but maybe it does work. i jsut hate the stickiness of it so i only do it as a last resort. dust everythig a do a good cleaning of the house. check for mold or ther allergens. the last time i had what you have , i didnt feel bad just sounded awful. eventually i lost my voice for a couple of days then i got better dont know one specific thing i did but if it doesnt last too long i wouldnt worry about it just treat the symptoms. if you are low income you can try a clinic that charges on a sliding scale. here in southern az we have what is called a rural clinic. iknow some people dont pay anything and others pay about 5 dollars plus they get samples of the meds. oh and being out in the cold really has nothing to do with the diesease process either does bathing so you might try a hot bubble bath at night before you go to bed. disease is caused by viruses and bacteria.

Go see your doctor. Here's a story for you... my 30 yr old brother had a sore throat and assumed it was strep or something minor. He didn't want to go to the doctor because of the cost. My other brother gave him some antibiotics that he had for strep (he's not a doctor). So here's the price my brother is paying now. He has been in intensive care for two weeks, lost part of the muscle in his leg and has several holes in his femur bone due to a rare bacteria. The first symptom with this bacteria is a sore throat. My family learned huge lessons from this experience. It makes the cost of an office visit and a few tests seem inexpensive. Hope you feel better soon.

Put Vick's Vapo rub on the bottom of your feet and then put on socks. Should stop (or at least slow) cough. This is not a myth. It has worked for my best friend and her neice. It obviously does not work on everyone. You can also try garlic on your feet. Works for a few maladies. This was on the today show . Feet absorb better than the affected area as they suck up oils.

Have you tried Dayquil and cough drops at the same time

Hi D.,
I was on a conference call for work today and someone was coughing and someone spoke up and said eat a teaspoon of honey and it works right away. You might want to try it. Good luck, A.

I feel for you, it's an awful condition. I don't normally get sick but a few times a year I have experienced persistent coughing VERY SIMILAR to yours -- except I usually lose my voice too. No meds have been effective to cure it (even mucinex and a prescription-grade cough syrup). For me, without fail, what CURES a brutal cough caused by persistent sinus drainage is:
SINUS RINSING aka SALINE RINSING aka NASAL RINSING.

It's not fun, but it doesn't hurt and (for me) it's been 100% effective. I learned about it from Family Practice Assoc at Avista Hospital, you can search the web and find plenty of info on this, but it's very simple to do. You can make your own warm saltwater solution at home and get a snubbed nose bulb (from Walgreen's). Frankly it's easier to just buy a bottle of saline nose spray at any grocery or drugstore.

1. First I usually gargle warm salty water (add enough table salt so that it tastes salty without burning). While gargling, vocalize Ahhh-Eeee-Ooooo to make it more effective. You can feel the saltwater dissolve the gunk in your throat. Spit and try to get the gunk out.

2. Next, squirt the saline up each side of your nose til you can feel it working (you'll know). If you really want maximum effectiveness, inhale when you squirt -- since I don't like how that feels, I usually don't. After each good spray, I usually blow my nose.

3. Repeat 2-5 times. Your goal is to have clear sinuses and a clear throat.

This procedure isn't glamourous, it isn't fun, but it is not painful -- although it feels very funny the first few times.

Do this 3-6 times a day until your cough is gone. If this hasn't cured your cough in 3 days (and you've actually been doing it 3-6 times a day) ask a doctor to check you for sinusitis.

Be well.
..J.

p.s. for me, rinsing is very effective during the day. But until you are cured, I recommend Tylenol Nighttime Cough & Sore Throat (blue liquid). Just remember to brush your teeth after taking it, since cough syrup can damage your enamel.

Hi D.,
I'm a big believer in essential oils and there are several that can help with respiratory issues. I love eucalyptus and a blend I can get to you called Exchange that really has helped me clear my chest. A difusser for essential oils is great for the airborn viruses and bacteria especially around kiddos. If you can't get ahold of a fancy onre go to the healthy food store and there are candle lit ones.
The oils I have are the highest quality on the market and I am very picky about what I put on or in my body as a health and wellness coach.
Blessings...M.

D.
I had the same thing for 5 months, including Easter and my daughter's wedding. I was miserable, mainly through lack of sleep. I was on medication for other ailments - come to find that one of the meds (can't remember the name but it ended in "pril") was the cause. My doctor said that coughing was a common side effect of most medications that end in "pril". This may not be the case here, but if you're prone to coughing, avoid these meds in the future.

Good luck, hon!

M..

Hey, so sorry to hear you're sick! I feel your pain, I'm right there with ya. Anyway, I had a roommate in college that told me when I had a bad cough one time how her doctor recommended Delsym cough syrup, but taking double the amount it says to. I tried it, and it totally helped me a ton. I use it every time I have a cough now. You might wanna give it a shot! Good luck.