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Children's health

Are cough medicines really a total waste of money? And so, what *do* you do for a coughing child?

8 replies

SolidGoldBrass · 11/08/2009 22:40

DS is 4 and has had a cough for a week or so.He doesn't seem to be ill in any other way, or particularly bothered by it, but apparently cough medicines are completely useless and I shouldn't bother buying them - anyone got any other suggestions?

OP posts:
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wannaBe · 11/08/2009 22:43

give him honey.

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Sidge · 11/08/2009 22:45

Try an antihistamine such as Piriton - it could be a pollen-induced cough.

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Tommy · 11/08/2009 22:51

I use Medised at night but I also think that cough medicines are not useless as I think the glycerin helps to soothe a sore throat.

If your Ds is not bothered by it though, I would worry about it!

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stealthsquiggle · 11/08/2009 22:57

If he's OK I would leave it. If he is not sleeping well then a deconcestant can help them relax enough to get to sleep.

My doctor friend, after spending years telling patients that cough medicines are a waste of money, ended up borrowing some from me when we were on holiday and it worked like a dream on her DD

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andiem · 11/08/2009 22:59

sgb I would let him cough it has a purpose
my only question is the cough at night or in the day?

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plonker · 11/08/2009 23:05

I don't like cough medicines at all, and agree with andiem. If they're coughing - they're coughing for a reason.

I'm paranoid about them though because the first and only time that I ever used a cough medicine was on dd1. She developed a chest infection 3 days later (the first one she'd ever had) and the gp said it was prob because I'd given her the medicine and it had surpressed the cough - she said she needed to cough to clear her chest and that's how she ended up with the infection

How shit did I feel?!

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shigella92 · 13/08/2009 14:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Sidge · 13/08/2009 20:01

Persistent night time coughs can be an early indicator of asthma as well.

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