To ask for emergency cough remedies

[whitedoor]

My husband has had what can only be described as a highly annoying, tickly style cough for around 2 weeks. He sounds like Walter White. Nothing productive just noisy and dramatic (especially at night). Luckily for him it seems to be on the wane.

Unfortunately over the last 24 hrs I have developed a tickly throat and this evening seem to be coughing rather a bit. We are taking DS to Disneyland Paris next week and I will have to kill DH if I end up having this on holiday. I don't want to feel rough but more importantly we will all be not sleeping in the same room. He has been off in the spare room coughing his guts up .

Traditionally I am the one who seems to get all DS's bugs and viruses while DH manages to float above them in his little immune bubble. So it is possible the "TB" could hit me worse.

Has anyone used any of the rip off cold/cough prevention medication with a good result, or any herbal remedies, or really anything I could try to NOT get this, just this once?!

[Princesspond]

Vicks rubbed on the soles of your feet?

Honey and lemon drink ??

[PomBearWithAnOFRS]

My Nanna used to swear by "raspberry vinegar" - I'm not even entirely sure what it is, afaik it is literally what it says though, and comes from either a health food shop or a fancy deli type shop.
She used to dose herself with a teaspoon of it 3 times a day, to ward off coughs and colds, and when Mam wasn't looking she got chance, when we were small, she would mix it in hot water and give it to us as a drink as it's quite strong tasting undiluted.

[NurseyWursey]

Co-codamol, especially the stronger type. Work a treat.

Vicks on feet apparently works too

[Forgettable]

A big tot of whiskey or brandy. About three fingers.

[ScarlettInSpace]

Can't help with preventative remedy but I just wanted to say I feel your pain - I am currently on the sofa drinking chamomile tea,with honey in it as my tickly cough is driving us both nuts not least because we both have to get up at 5 am tomorrow...

I thought I would at least give OH a fighting chance of some sleep, thanks to nurseys post I've just taken 2 cocodamol so fx I get some sleep too as I've got a bloody 200 mile drive in the morning

[Pipbin]

I get this too. I get a drowsy cough mixture and it knocks me out.

[badtime]

There is no real way to avoid colds.

However, if you have a dry cough, go to the pharmacy and ask for a cough suppressant such as pholcodine, which is usually very effective (it affects the same pathways as the codeine in co-codamol without the drowsiness/off your faceness).

Don't take it with a productive cough, though.

[Nocomet]

Hot real sugary Ribena.
Seriously if you have a hotel room with tea and coffee making facilities it's worth packing a bottle.

I have spent a horrific night with no hot drink facilities of any sort coughing myself stupid in Germany. I was sharing a tiny family room with DH and two small DDs so I had to hide in the loo and try not to wake them.

It was no fun, wasn't much fun trying to function having had no sleep either.

[whitedoor]

Should I try all of these at the same time for maximum effect?

Scarlett hope it does the trick for you. I spent a miserable few nights on the sofa with a chest infection while pregnant and couldn't take anything proper, I found that it is possible to fall asleep propped up with a half sucked locket in situ without choking.

Nocomet that sounds horrendous. I will add Ribena to my packing list.

Badtime thank you I will make a note of pholcodine.

Whiskey makes me heave but needs must. I have vicks, and vinegar, and some strawberries I think... wonder if that would work.

[hellokittymania]

Hot orange juice or hot lemon and honey

I've had a nasty cough for 2 weeks now. :(

[iggymama]

This is good...


www.mypharmacist.co.uk/pulmo-bailly-cough-mixture~546

[Freckletoes]

Echinacea! It really does work (and if it wasn't so late I would find some scientific papers supporting it's stimulation of production of T cells in your immune system!). If you are just at the I-can-feel-the-bug-coming-at-the-back-of-my-throat phase it works wonders! You must take it regularly throughout the day. Depends what product you get but I have a liquid form, take recommended amount in a splash of water 4 to 6 times a day. You must keep it up for a few days too-if you stop too soon you'll succumb to the cold/cough. Even my sceptical OH will take it as he has experienced the effects!

[Gramgram]

Chocolate sucked slowly, you may need several bars. It coats the back of the throat and then the tickle goes.

Enjoy Disneyland.

[specialsubject]

if I get a cough it drives the whole neighbourhood mad. Codeine linctus is the only thing that ever worked, but you can't get that now. So try the co-codamol, read the instructions carefully.

with the possible exception of pholcodeine, no linctus on sale now works, although they may soothe for a few minutes.

[ProlificPenguin]

Humidifier in bedroom at night, the Vicks one is good and you can put the sachet things in for extra vapour

[LangenFlugelHappleHoff]

Sambuca! Numb's the throat!

Seriously was given this as a late teen when working behind a bar and boss got pissed off with my cough.

[NCISaddict]

Gin in boiling water, it tastes disgusting and I love G&T! It's a bit like inhaling hairspray but does seem to work on tickly coughs.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Pholocodiene is the dogs.

It's about £2 for a bottle, it's basically liquid codeine.

[squeakytoy]

manuka honey with hot water

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

For a thickly cough, I use Chloraseptic anaesthetic throat spray - it numbs the tickle, and stops the cough.

[Afritutu]

Codeine linctus is for a dry cough (where you don't have phelgm). You can buy it behind the counter at a pharmacy - I bought some about 3 months ago. It is a cough suppressant and helps with a self perpetuating cough cycle.

[fishybits]

Try and sleep not quite sitting up but more upright IYSWIM.

And yes, yes to anything that coats the throat.

[LaGuardia]

Some of the cold remedies include a cough suppressant. I am thinking of Beechams capsules or supermarkets do their own brand. Just buy any one which includes coughs in the symptoms. They are what used to get me through the commute to work with a bad cough.