Miracle Cough Cures WANTED - or just something to soothe croupy 22mth dd throat :(

[ally90]

Tried raising the cot with the yellow pages.

2 teaspoons of honey melted into half a teacup of milk

Calpol tickly cough medicine (are all cough medicines rip offs? Do any work????!!!)

Had suggested vineger soaked into a teaspoon of sugar...not tried yet...sounds vile...?

Please, anyone? She was up majority of night coughing...and still coughing now she's up and about tho not as much...

TIA

Vick on soles of feet has been mentioned on here.

If it's croupy steaming helps. My sis swears by this a the moment for her 7 month old. SHe takes him into the bathroom and runs the hot water and closes the door.

I'll try that in a while...the steaming she's watching harry potter at the moment...its a good distraction!

Not got any vicks in but will ask dh to get some...

Thanks Buda!

ally - the steaming thing is worth a go. My DS3 used to cough in the night until he threw up I used to plug the kettle in his room and keep boiling it (obviously staying in the room cause of danger of a kettle) the room would get very foggy but it would ease his cough

My mum makes up her own cough medicine - she uses glycerine, honey and lemon juice I think! - recently went to docs with DS4 barking like an old dog. Doctor reckoned that cough medicines were mainly rubbish and to let him drink as much as he could of Mums medicine because it couldnt do him any harm.

If you want I will ring mum - give her a couple more hours in bed first! - and get an idea of the ingrediants and how much to put in etc

Thanks shabster! Could I get glycerine at the chemists? Or is it sugar in water? I would really appreciate the recipe, I'm happy to wait till your mum has had a lie in!

We did the coughing til sick last week...she's had a cough for the last 2 weeks, without a cold, now has snotty cold and cough...luckily I'm not feeling tired...yet, but dd is yawning away poor lamb.

Kettle in bedroom is useful, was wondering how to do it without a steamer thing...thanks!

i have a couple of things which help a lot - a humidifier (though i guess steaming would work as well) and some bed blocks to raise the cot on here

yes my mum (the witch doctor) buys glycerine from the chemists. According to DS4 who has just woke up 'gran mixes glycerine, lemon, honey and hot water then lets it cool till its just warm, and it is yummy and helps your throat from hurting so much' thats the story according to a 10 yr old!

Thanks amidawish

Going to try some more books, and have remembered that I have a clothes steamer! Goes for about 3/4 hour so that's really good.

Shabster...just what I was hoping for, a witch doctor! Love the quote from your ds!

Just tried her in bathroom when I had a shower, coughing was reduced I think...so going to steam up her room, get some more books for cot and pop her to bed for a nap...cross fingers! And then go to chemists for glycerine...

I'd ask your doctor if OK to use Phenargan or similar antihistimine. On the bottle it says from 2 years but I'm sure my GP recommended to me in similar desperate circs at about 18 months. Vicious cycle of lack of sleep prevents immune system fighting cough. Yes I think most cough syrups are a waste of time. In the longer run I swear by echinacea now for shaking off persistent viral infections. You can get kids strength versions - I recommend the tinctures rather than capsules and with a reasonable % of the root rather than the flower.

AAArrrggghhh - cant hunt my mother down! Anyone would think she had a life of her own

Bet if you asked the chemist they would know how much glycerine to use and then I would think its just down to taste.

I have used tixilixs (thats not how you spell it) and had good results. I used the one for coughs and colds with the added attraction of a mild sedative in it. Agree with the last post about lack of sleep and not being able to fight infection. As my DS4 didnt sleep right through the night till he was 5 YEARS I was often very tempted to give him the medicine when he was fit and well - but dont tell my HV

I have a humidifier (a cool mist ultrasonic one) from argos it only cose £20 or so and it is brill. It goes all night without disturbing dd. She has a nasty chest infection at the mo and it has helped loads.

I use Tixylix nighttime too and brufen seems to help.

I also do the vicks on the feet thing and it really does work!!!

Buzzybee - thanks for that, reluctant to use sedatives on her...yet! But good to know, last time she had an ongoing cough I was told to sit it out! Good to know root versus flower of echinaea, all look same to me, now I know what to look for.

Shabster - life of her own, when does that happen again? I'll have a look on google see if I can find it there, got the glycerine now

Pinkpeanut - thanks for all that info - very helpful to know what really works

Just realised I forgot the vicks...do have olbas oil on hanky in pillow at the moment tho...going to get dh to get vicks later...really curious to try that one...

Anyway, thanks to the steamer/raised one end of cot on more books she's asleep for the moment. Coughing noticably decreased with steamer on maybe we will all sleep tonight...

Thank you all for your help! MN is brilliant for advice!

My GP said all cough medicines are rubbish and the best thing to give is some sort of mild sedative like medised or calpol night as that at least helps them sleep and sleep is the best thing to help them get better.