What's the most effective thing I can give a 4 year old with a bad cough?

[NotYouNaanBread]

She's not wheezing, no difficulty breathing, her temperature was high on Thursday, but has been going down steadily since & responding to Capol/Calprofen (normal now), but she has a really bad cough and it's AWFUL at night. Benylin says 6+ but I believe in the US you can give its equivalent at 4?

I'd be grateful for any suggestiongs - Tixylix just isn't cutting it.

(I did a board search but this didn't come up, or I was searching badly - sorry!)

this!!

nancyvienneau.com/blog/articles/home-remedy/

also vicks on feet at night. Dont know why it works. Shouldnt do, But does.

I was told let them cough. Because coughing should be bringing the gunk up out of their lungs.

it doesnt always though. If the cough is productive then of course let them cough, but often a cough is like an itch that the continued coughing, is actually just exacerbating it and damaging the throat.

The home remedy i posted is actually an expectorant as well as being soothing and healing. Its amazing stuff.

Thank you very much! Will try both!

Honey. When I have a really bad cough, I get one of those squirty bottles of honey and every time I need to cough, I squirt a small amount onto my tongue and suck it down. Seems to soothe the throat, stops the worst of the coughing (or eases it if you are trying to cough something up) and calms everything down. If you don't have a squirty honey bottle then use a teaspoon to take about a third to a half of teaspoon of honey each time. And then either wash them up or get through loads of teaspoons.

Also hot drinks with honey in - hot as she is able to bear, just to sip. Even once it has cooled down somewhat, with the honey in (and lemon if she can) it's great and still soothing. Whiskey or brandy also works well but probably not if you're a 4 year old

I also have some manuka 15+ honey that I take medicinally, spoonful or two in the morning and if I'm really bad - in the evening too. But it's too expensive to use lots of as ^^ !

It's not just me that thinks this - there have been studies done that show honey's as effective at soothing coughs as most cough mixtures.

hot lemon and honey drink.

inhaling - either over a bowl of steaming water or water with a karvol capsule or vicks in. a steamy bath helps too.

Another manuka honey fan here. I dole it out in teaspoons to the dcs when they start sounding chesty. Also, dissolve a teaspoon in a little boiling water and top up with apple juice. Apple is great for coughs/upper respiratory.

Cough medicine is a waste of time ime. Plenty of sips of plain water when having a coughing burst is best.

Does it bother her? Sounds daft, but my DC seem to sleep through bad coughs. They sound awful, but often she is asleep, or at least very sleepy and not distressed.

Vicks/snufflebabe on chest and back. And then a good layer on the soles of the feet, covered by socks.