Tips to soothe severe coughs?

[SinicalSanta]

Both dc have rotten horrible coughs, and DS 2.7 has an inflamed throat and ear as well. They are not sleeping well - keep waking themselves up with coughing. I've been to the GP who says it's a nasty bug going round and could last for weeks! DS2 is only 4 months as well.
What tips have you got for making them more comfortable? I have propped them up in bed and boiled kettles in their room, but they are bloody miserable.

Hi, mine are propped up in bed with a plug-in vaporiser in the room plus karvol on the pillow - they had a spoonful of honey before bed (I think they had to be over 1yr before they were allowed honey) to help stop the coughing and as they have a temperature too they have had calpol. So far they are sleeping soundly. Hope you all manage to get some sleep.

DD has this at the moment too with a temperature - its miserable isnt it? We've done calpol, put some Karvol on her pillow and got the humidifier going in her room. Hope you get some sleep tonight

No advice other than what's been given but I know what its like. Dd (16m) has been coughing really badly and has a temp, ds has been ok but cough has been gaining on him steadily despite 6 puffs of his steroid inhaler + ventolin :( he's coughing away now. I have a tummy bug and ds leaves for work at 7am.

Its fucking awful.

Thanks all for your responses. Here's hoping they'll all shake it soon