Coughing

Updated on February 07, 2008
T.T. asks from Ward, AR
44 answers

what do you do or give to a 2 year old for coughing when she lays down she coughs more to where it is hard for her to sleep thank you. Mrs. Treadway

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A.B.

answers from Birmingham on

Before she goes to bed,I would rub a little Vick's baby vapor rub on the bottom of her feet and put socks on. I have heard that this helps. I have a friend that swears by it.

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C.L.

answers from Nashville on

Try two things... Use a cool air vaporizer keeping the room more humid, plus raise the head of her bed slightly to assist in drainage. I used a brick under each foot of the end of my boy's beds, but you could try folded blankets or beach towels under the mattress until it raises the head 1-1/2 to 2 inches. Keep the humidifier CLEAN because it can cause alergy problems if she is breathing in water with mold growing in it! C.

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J.S.

answers from Johnson City on

Hi, It sounds like post nasal drip. You should try a salene nasal spray and the humidifier at bed time. Also try to prop her up on a pillow. Hope this helps, J.

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T.M.

answers from Alexandria on

Oh My Gosh you are not going to believe this but put Vicks Vapor Rub on the bottom of her feet when she lays down. Honey don't know why but it works EVERYTIME. I had received an email about it and when my 10 year and 2 year have a cough and are trying to sleep I do it everytime. My 10 year old will even say can you rub some of that stuff on my feet. Try it....works like a charm.

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B.P.

answers from Hattiesburg on

tyl. cough only 1 tsp is what my dr. said for my 2 yr. boy
or even the $ store brand on 1 tsp. they say 1/2 the does or a 6 yr (mine is about 35lbs)

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A.E.

answers from Memphis on

I give my little girl Delsym cough suppressant at night and Children's Mucinex during the day. And the cool-mist humidifier and the Sudafed vapor plug and the Vicks vapor rub and the Little Noses decongestant nose drops.

Good luck!

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M.T.

answers from Nashville on

I got an email about vicks. It said to put it on the bottom of the childs feet and put socks on them and it would prevent coughing. I haven't had a need for it yet but if you will send me your email address I will forward you the email that I got and you can read it.

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J.W.

answers from Huntsville on

i just came from the emergency room with my 2 yr old daughter, who was coughing to the point where she was vomiting. The doctor said just let her cough and make sure to keep her hands washed at all times. she said that babies have died from taking cough medicine, so most doctors dont recommend it to be on the safe side.

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L.B.

answers from Knoxville on

T.:
You may want to check with your pediatrician. The same thing happened with my oldest (now almost 9) when he was 2. We tried all kinds of remedies (including prescription cough medicine) that didn't even touch his cough. He wasn't sick and had no other symptoms; we finally switched pediatricians and our new one IMMEDIATELY diagnosed him with asthma. Not exercise induced, but viral-induced. He now takes an asthma medicine and an allergy pill and is fine, with an occasional cough when he gets a cold.
Hope that helps!

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A.P.

answers from Indianapolis on

Hey T.

Is it a cold or a reflux issue? My daughter had a reflux cough that was diagnosed by an ent and we started prevacid and it helped. As far as cold type cough push fluids and keep it productive. It it is really disrupting her sleep ask your pediatrician for a prescription suppressive for evenings. We had to do this with my son and it made a huge difference. Good luck!
A

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C.D.

answers from Mobile on

If this is a persistent cough or one that occurs frequently it may be due to indoor air pollution. Little ones can be very sensitive to dust and dust mites that live and breed in our bedding. This can be why the cough occurs more during the times when she is lying down. I would not treat her for the cough, I would treat your air. You can read about the benefits of protecting your family from unwanted illness by visiting my website at www.freshairliving.com/cherdraper The password to enter the site is: guest Have a blessed evening

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L.S.

answers from Little Rock on

Our two year old daughter uses Delsum 12 hour. We use half of the lowest dose. Even though it says 12 hours...it may only work for about six.
Also, Our doctor has her on Zyrtec to help dry up the drainage. Zyrtec just became sold over the counter at walmart.

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L.M.

answers from Nashville on

try giving her some honey, a spoonfull of honey or honey and warm water
best of luck

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G.H.

answers from Little Rock on

My daughter (now 6) and my son (19 months) have done the same thing their whole lives. It's worse when they're sick but they always have coughed in their sleep. They are both asthmatic and are both on flovent to prevent asthma attacks and on albuterol as a rescue inhaler. The baby is also on an oral decongestant. If this issue is recurrent it really is important to talk to your doctor, especially if it is disturbing her sleep.

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C.L.

answers from Lake Charles on

I give my daughters a teaspoon full of local, organic honey. It coats their throats and is soothing to help stop the coughing. Local honey can also help with allergies because it is made from pollen that grows locally. Regular, store-bought honey (like the kind that comes in the bear) often contains refined sugars that can irritate the throat and make coughing worse, so I wouldn't use those. Honey should not be given to children under the age of one year because it can contain traces of botulism, but after one a child without immune disorders should be fine.

I cough at night sometimes, and many times the only remedy is to sleep propped up, so that my chest is higher than the rest of my body. Lots of times i sleep on the couch or our arm chair. If you have a reclining chair you might try letting her sleep in that, too. You can also see if getting her to sleep on her stomach helps, if she isn't already.

I hope you find something that helps. It can be so miserable to be young and have trouble going to sleep.

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L.K.

answers from Montgomery on

my son did the same thing and i took him to get checked out. He had asthma so he does treatments everyday and also sleeps with a humidifier. and i found that keeping the room cool helped him as well. plus we had to get rid of all carpet in the house and air freshners.
Hope your child gets better.

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D.F.

answers from Fort Smith on

If you live where it is dry right now now you probale
need a humdifier in your house or a little one in her room. In Oklahoma it is real dry in houses that I cough and my pets do if the house is too dry inside..
D.

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M.

answers from Baton Rouge on

Hi, my daughter has suffered with chronic nasal congestion and post nasal drip for years. Her cough is worse when she lays down because all of the mucous from her nose drips into her throat and irritates it. If your daughter has a lot of chest congestion or nasal congestion that is yellow or green she probably needs to see the doctor. Mine never did, just coughed a lot! My doctor recommended Delsym for children to quiet the cough and an antihistimine like zyrtec, which is now available over the counter, to help dry up the nasal drip that was causing all the irritation and coughing. Good luck!

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M.F.

answers from Fayetteville on

These days I rub Vicks Vapo on the chest and I put a humdifier in the room. That is all you can really do. With all the cold and cough medicines being eliminated as options home remedies are all you can do.

I wish you the best of luck.

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K.S.

answers from Fayetteville on

It sounds strange, but put Vick's on her feet, then cover them with socks. Also, be sure she is staying very hydrated.

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A.B.

answers from Johnson City on

i usually give my daughter who is 2 a half teaspoon of the nightime triaminic, and rub her down on her chest and neck with baby vapor rub...it doesn't always get her all the way thru the night but it does help...

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S.S.

answers from Memphis on

Try a warm bath to loosen up the "gunk" in his chest. Then, get a cool mist humidifier that takes the vicks vapo liquid and put it beside his bed. You can also put a small amount of the vicks on his chest. Make sure he is not too hot at night. If a child is too hot they do not breathe as well. If the cough does not clear call your pediatrician for medication.

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R.M.

answers from Memphis on

Be sure milk is not the last thing she had to drink. It can cause the natural saliva to "thicken". Also, try elevating the head of her bed -- if a crib you can use blocks of wood.

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A.L.

answers from Little Rock on

Lay her on her tummy and gently pat her back-Make your touch firm enough to help break up her congestion-Sometimes this helps-in any case be sure to talk to her doctor.

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L.F.

answers from Shreveport on

One good thing i always do is to put a pillow under the matress so the child is kind of propped up and also baby vicks vapor rub.

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M.C.

answers from Johnson City on

First, check for an allergy to her bedding. If it a seasonal problem (Winter), add more moisture to the air by using a vaporizor or humidifier. The dry winter air dries out the mucus membranes, causing coughing and making it easier to catch a cold. A cheap way to add moisture is to to put pans of water on you furnace floor vents, if you have them. We used 3-lb coffee cans until they switched to plastic. If there are any smokers in the family, they must move to an outside area. Every time they smoke inside, your daughter smokes also. (I smoked for 22 years and quit when my son was nine. His allergies disappeared when I quit.) I would stay away from internal medicines unless suggested by a pediatrician you trust. There are several salves which open breathing passageways, and drops you can put in your vaporizor (Vicks Vapo-rub, Sayman Salve, Blair, etc). Good luck.

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C.M.

answers from Lafayette on

How long has she been coughing??? #1 you should take her in to her DR. to see if she has a upper respirtory infection or bronchitis or even or any other respirtory issues. you can try over the counter meds but ask your DR. or the pharmacict for proper dosing you would want something with a cough suppressant and maybe and exporant in it.the exporant in it will help loosen any phlem but thats only if its present so you need to make that desision. also due a cool mist humidifer at her bedside this will help to coat the throat as she sleeps. and I have also read the vicks trick on the botom of the feet with socks I have never tried it. But you really should take with your DR before giving her any medicines because they just masks the systoms. and if you do take her to the DR and still haven't seen any benefit you should try a allegery asthma DR. but do start with the humiderfier. hope this helps. Cant stress enough to start with the DR. SAHM of 5

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C.V.

answers from Chattanooga on

Sounds like the child needs a doctor's visit--bronchitis (sp?) or something. When my children coughed like that, the doctor prescribed a cough medicine that had a narcotic in it and it did the trick; in only a few days, the cough was gone! Also, at one time when my two-year old did that coughing, we discovered he had asthma which was a total shock to us--but you see, the child needs a visit to doc since you can't always tell why they're coughing and what to do give them. Good luck!

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J.S.

answers from Memphis on

This is going to sound bazaar but when my two children cough at night, I put Vicks vapor rub on their feet..It stops the cough shortly thereafter..What is put on your feet end up in your mouth(the taste).. Try putting garlic on your feet; 20 min later you can taste the garlic.. Its been tested and proven so I didn't just make it up on my own..ha.. good luck..

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S.S.

answers from Lake Charles on

For the past three years, the entire month of January, I cough. And I can agree with the Mom who said to limit the sugar intake. The first year this started was while I was pregnant for my Son, and they hospitalized me. A friend of mine thought she was doing me a favor bringing me a Cherry-Limeade from Sonic. After she left, I had an attack and the nurse threw away my Cherry-Limeade and told me that sugar thickens mucus which was causing bronchio spasms. So, since then, any time I have a cold...I cut out sugary beverages and food and it helps a lot. Also, I was told last night by my aunt that putting vicks vapor rub in your feet and the putting socks on helped. I haven't tried it yet...but, thought I would share it with you anyway.

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C.V.

answers from Knoxville on

Try Vick's Vapor rub applied generously to the bottom of the feet and covered with socks for much more restful sleep.

C.

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K.H.

answers from Birmingham on

My daughter has problems with seasonal allergies that will turn into some serious congestion, at our last doctors visit for the serious congestion (I swear when she coughed her toes were going to come flying out). Our doctor recommend a teaspoon of honey, it helps to quiten a cough, and it worked (once we got it down her throat)... The doctor says that the honey will not hurt them and will help to soothe the cough, and it worked great without having bad breath.

I noticed alot of ladies recommended the vapor rub on the feet with socks. We did this before going to the doctor with my daughter and it worked for a bit. But let me tell you, after about a week her breath was awful, and I mean AWFUL!!! It was like she ate moth balls...

I love vapor rub, however I have such sensitive skin I have to put it on my clothes instead of my skin or I will rash...

Hope this helps.

K.

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R.L.

answers from Lafayette on

maybe talk to a pharmicist about a cough med. She needs something to stop the drip that is making her cough.

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M.E.

answers from New Orleans on

Hi Mrs. Treadway,

I try not to give my children anything if I do not have too. However, I have a 5 year old who has more than 30 food allergies of major catagories such as corn, wheat, melons, eggs, etc so we have issues too. Some of the things that I have found that work are Vicks baby vapor rub under her nose and on her neck before bedtime. A humidfier (wonderful!) and sitting in the bathroom with her in a steam bath before bedtime. If you purchase over the counter cough meds, be sure to check the age allowance carefully and check with your pediatrician. One product that works well with my girls is Dimetapp, it thins out mucas and helps to drain it out. Triaminic does not work well on my girls because it "stops them up" causing them to get ear infections because they have small Eustacin tubes; however my sister's kids do well with it! Anyway I am not trying to advocate any one product, again check with your doctor. Also, if you can find the cause ofwhat is triggering the drainage when she lays down and get rid of the problem, the better your results. Try some of the allergy web sites and check under bedrooms foe tip. Good luck.

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J.F.

answers from Lafayette on

Hi T., I have a now 7 year old daughter who did that for a long time. It seemed as if nothing I tried worked. She has sinus issues which cause mucus to drain into her throat at night which causes her to cough. It always concerned me, especially when my uncle, who is a doctor, told me that over time all that coughing at night would cause permanent lung damage. After trying every allergy/sinus medicine out there, I decided to go see someone in the natural herb/vitamin field. Getting her on a few different things and watching her sugar intake immediately stopped the couching at night, and she has been fine ever since. I do notice when we get off track and eat lots of quick un-healthy foods, it starts up again. Hope that helps, the lady I went see was actually with the company Nature's Sunshine. They have reps all over.

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S.D.

answers from Chattanooga on

Hi there. My dd had a nasty cold and cough when she layed down. We got the advice to put vicks on her feet and put socks on. That seemed to help her sleep better at night. Hope that helps!

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A.T.

answers from Monroe on

Check with your doctor before giving her anything, but I've always used Benadryl (or similar antihistamine. It dries up the sinus 'drippies' and 'drainies' that make her cough when she lies down. It works on my husband and my daughter-it's almost quiet enough in the house now for ME to sleep!

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R.P.

answers from Fort Smith on

I was told that my mom put vicks salve on the bottom of our feet and put socks on at night or when we lay down to sleep.
My sister done it to her grandson with pheumonia and it worked, It's worth a try.

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N.A.

answers from Montgomery on

I have tried this with my two kids, and it seems to work...
rub some Vick's Vapor Rub on the bottoms of both of her feet, and then put socks on her. Don't ask me why it works, but it does, at least for my kids.

I also slightly elevate their heads by putting another, smaller pillow up under their regular pillows, and also rub a bit of the Vick's on their chests.

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L.A.

answers from Knoxville on

Try a teaspoonful of honey. After kids are a year old it is safe, and it really seems to soothe coughing and sore throats in my kids. Also, Vicks makes a really great chest rub (Baby Vicks) with rosemary and lavender that helps out a lot. I even use it on myself!

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M.M.

answers from Little Rock on

When my children have colds or have coughs, I use the saline solution up there nose, it helps so much but you have to do it often the first day and then after that just do it when you feel like you need to. But my son had the whooping cough when he was little and thats what they did in the childrens hospital plus gave him antibotics so ever since then I have a daughter now and I use salt water in her nose almost everytime she gets a cold and it helps soo much. My pediatrician told me that it was very good to do that too.

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M.G.

answers from Biloxi on

T.,

Have you tried elevating the head of her bed? Try putting pillows under the matress to elevate it. Also, try a cool mist humidifier. And of course if it gets worse or persists for more than a couple of days, I would call the doctor to see what they suggest. Hope that helps.

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K.C.

answers from Clarksville on

Hi T.!! Try putting vicks vapor rub on her feet and cover in socks. Don't ask me how, but it works!!
HTH,
K.

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J.C.

answers from Baton Rouge on

I'm sure you have heard this before, but elevate the head of her bed (put pillows under her mattress), and put a humidifier or vaporizer in her room. That's all I can tell you. Good luck!

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