How to relieve chesty cough in 15 month old? Ideas please!

[mumfor1standfinaltime]

Ds has a horrid chesty cough, it is the rumbly type where you can hear the catarrah on his chest. Dh has given him some cough mixture this morning (I was at work). He has just woken from a 3 hour nap and he is very groggy, have bought some childrens 'vicks' for his chest (boots brand). Any more ideas for remedies?

He doesnt seem to have a temperature, just runny nose. I have a sore throat myself, so think I have given something to him!

[nailpolish]

the best thing is steam. imo cough meds are rubbish. put a hot shower on and sit in the bathroom. or sit in the kitchen with lots of pots of water boiling!

you can also get karvol to unblock noses that get blocked in the night

a little honey in hot milk might soothe a sore throat

prop up the mattress at the head-end with rolled up towels under the mattress at nightime to ease coughing when lying down in bed

put a wet flannel with a little of the vicks smeared on it on a radiator at night

[mumfor1standfinaltime]

Thanks nail polish, will try the wet flannel idea tonight, and the honey. Cough mixture does seem to be a waste of time. But bless dh he put the mixture in his bottle of milk this morning! He never has a bottle in the morning, but dh thought it would help!
I thought ds had woken from his nap, he is still asleep and has been since 10.45am, but I think he needs the rest!

[nailpolish]

hope he feels better soon x

[mumfor1standfinaltime]

Thanks, he is a little bruiser!

[Chapsmum]

Sanatogen vitamin syrup is basically glycerol (childrens cough medicine) with added vitamins, much better than just tixilix!
If you still have a steam strilisor fill it half full and leave it in a safe place in her room witht the lid off to make her room steamy, although beware this may strip your wall paper. Before she goes to bed lye her across your knee and firmly clapp her back to help losten the mucous, you may want to consider cutting down on dairy for a few days as this increases production of mucous.

HTH

[mumfor1standfinaltime]

Chapsmum good idea about the 'slapping back' never thought of that one.
I find their are so many childrens medicines, that I never know which one to go for. I bought boots own brand.

[Chapsmum]

Know what you mean, I read an article in a medicle journal which said that most cough medicines were no better than just sugared water, I think the added vitamin boost is probably probably the active ingredient.

[kipper22]

recently had similar problem with my ds - strangely enough all the lovely people who helped me are also on your thread! can say that vitamins (got boots own brand cos i'm tight!) and the wet flannel with karvol really seem to have done the trick. good luck! :)

[mumfor1standfinaltime]

Thanks for all the great ideas. Will have a closer look at the medicines from now on. Ds slept well last night, but still groggy this morning, and his little nose is bunged up!
He seems brighter though. Just be glad when we get rid of our 'bugs', we all seem to have been suffering with one thing or another since xmas!

[Clure]

Hi was just searching for info on cough medicines. My 14 month DD has a really nasty cough - sounds like a dog barking, bless her! Have been giving her tixylix but will have a go with the karvol. It just jogged my memory on last time DD had cough and GP really recommended the steamy room too. Thanks

[lazycow]

We have actually bought a hot steam vaporiser for ds's room for when he has a cold/cough. It makes the room steamy and you can also add a vicks type thing to it. You do get a lot of condensation though so we only use it if his cough/cold is quite bad and affecting his sleep. This seems to really loosen things up if you know what I mean.

Also we lift the mattress by putting a pillow underneath the mattress so his head is raised. You can also get plug in sudfed or karvol plugs that let out menthol type vapurs all night.