Coughing Toddler

Have you tried honey? Or, there's a new cough "medicine" that is honey-based and completely safe. It's called Zarbees and is sold at Walgreens. It's really yummy--my kids beg to take it even when they aren't sick!

At this point he really should be seen by a doctor. At the very least you should call and talk to the nurse for advise.

I hope he feels better soon.

Yes - call the pedi and talk to a nurse. My understanding is that you can give cough medicine to a small child with doctors' directions. It is super easy to overdose, though - that's why you have to talk to a doc.

Also, for a quick but very temporary fix: if the cough gets really bad, go outside for a minute or two (assuming it's cold out), or hold him so that he is breathing in air from the freezer. The cold will help with the inflamation in his airways, but only for a little while. It might help the cough settle long enough for him to fall asleep, anyway.

Vicks vapo rub on his feet and under socks when he goes to sleep. Sounds wierd but it works it will work when you cough too.

you can give honey or you can give hylands natural honey based syrup. Also vicks on the botton of the feet with socks over them seems to help and when my youngest gets a real bad cough from a sinus infection I found letting him sleep in the recliner helps a lot he stays propped up better that way.

Try wedging something btwn the boxspring & mattress to keep the head of his mattress elevated. You can try Little Noses Multi Symtoms - it's for fever, cough, aches, everything - the stuff works like a dream - it's hard to find, but when you find it, I alway buy 2 or 3 of them and keep them on hand. It doesn't have anything in it that knocks them out but it has enough to calm the cough and between their head being raised and the coughing slowing down it helps my daughter sleep (not thru the night at first all the time, but it is safe enough to give her throught the day as well. Good luck! PS Our pediatrician said that this medicine was fine - she is now going to be 7 but she has had a cough (now diagnosed as asthmatic) for many year and this is what I always used - that and Delsym as she got older.

Hi,

If you take him in a small bathroom and let the shower run for a good 10 minutes or so it will get the bathroom all steamy. Then take him outside and let him breathe in the cold air. That helps a ton. Also mucinex has helped my kiddos, but I don't know if he's old enough yet. We have also done the honey, and that seems to help. You can also mix honey w/ fresh lemon juice. It seems to coat their throat and relieve the coughing.

Someone told me recently that if you are starting to feel a cold coming on, drink good OJ (not from concentrate ) w/ a good squeeze of lemon 3 x a day and you won't get sick, or the duration of the cold will be much shorter. You could try this with your son. Won't hurt right?

Good luck, I know how hard it is when your little one is sick!

M

Hi T.,

This what I call my "Feel Better Tea"

Keep in mind that both ginger and honey help to temper a sore throat, sniffles and cough. No promises, but worth a try and it tastes good!!!!!!!!

5 thin slices raw ginger
3 cups water
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1. Peel a small portion of the Ginger Root to expose its inner layer, with a knife or vegetable peeler.
2. Cut 5 very thin slices of ginger into a saucepan and add the water.
3. Boil the water for 15-20 minutes for maximum flavor and medicinal benefits.
4. Drain the water into a cup with a sieve and discard the ginger slices.
5. Mix the lemon juice and honey into the cup and serve.

HINT: To store the ginger root, you can wrap it in plastic wrap or seal it in a freezer-safe baggie and place it in the refrigerator or freezer for use at another time.

R.

I'd get him checked out by the doctor.

In the meantime, honey is a natural cough suppresant that I've used on my 2 girls (2 and 4) successfully. I let them cough during the day, but for the night I give them a good teaspoon of honey right before we brush their teeth. It definitely helps.

Hi T. - yup, going through the same thing right now.

If the wet cough lasts more than a week, have him evaluated by his doc for infection. At the same time, you can ask if a kids dose of Mucinex would be appropriate. btw - plain mucinex does not have any kind of cough suppressant, it is only a mucus thinner/expectorant

hope he feels better!!

take him to the dr. ask your self this question.. does the coughing get worse at night? if so it could be asthma! my daughter started out with a cold just like that and it lasted 2 months! her lungs were always clear but she had this nasty wet cough.. her dr diagnosed her with asthma! she has never wheezed either (not all asthmatics wheeze!) the dr can give you something for him. keep taking him back every week until he is better.

This will work REALLY WELL, you will be amazed. Rub Vicks vapor rub (children or adult formula) on his feet then put socks on him. Do this just before he goes to bed and his coughing will slow down substantially! Sounds a bit strange and hard to believe, but it works.
I'd take him to the dr., as well, just to make sure it's not serious. Good luck!

Take him to the Doctor... chest colds... can develop and worsen... or get secondary infections.

I had a head cold once, it turned into a Chest cold... a bad cough... and then I developed bad bronchitis and then Pneumonia. Just as an example.

Also, Pertussis is rampant in some States. Infants can die from it. In kids, it can get very bad, very fast. Just as another example.

Do not guess at coughs... over the counter things will just alleviate... but not "cure" the illness... and especially if it turns into an infection... or is a bad cough illness.

It is time... you take him to the Doctor.

all the best,
Susan

i would talk to his pediatrician...there are meds available, and the Dr. will know the correct dose.