My daughter is almost 3. She began pre-school in August and loves it and is doing very well, except for the constant colds and congestion. We've already had one round of penicillin when one of these colds morphed into a nasty infection. I realize that is is all fairly inevitable and that she's developing antibodies that will only strengthen her immune system over time, but in the meantime, what do folks out there do for colds and congestion that works? I've thrown away too much money on Mucinex, kids Sudafed, kids Claritin, etc., and I know that the medical advice is not to use this stuff now.
Any other remedies that anyone has found work well?
Thanks,
J.
Thanks, everyone, for the many good suggestions about beating my daughter's colds. We are doing the saline thing and I agree that it works. She also takes showers with me and the steam really helps, too, though, mysteriously, the cool mist humidifier my pedi recommended really was awful - not only didn't work but I think made her worse. I give her a cough suppressent at night, which has no sedating or other effects, and it really helps her to get a complete night's sleep. Other than that, I'll experiment with some of the things you've all suggested. I should add that my daughter is a recent arrival to the U.S., from Southern China, where she spent her first two years, so she really is developing antibodies in an entirely new environment. Many thanks, again.
Humidity! Vicks. Fluids.
I am trying Berry Well and Grapeseed Extract this year. So, I can't recommend it on experience, but I am going to try it. You can get it at Beeyoutiful.com. They have the descriptions online.
Go get Robitussin CF, or the generic store brand. Adult yes
1/2 tsp. morn. afternoon and before bed. My son stays well thru the winter and Spring
I have 3 kids 15, 13 and 11. The 2 younger ones were premature and prone to bronchitis. We heard about putting vicks vaporub on the soles of the feet and putting socks on at bedtime to help ease coughing and congestion. I prefer to slather the arch area so that they don't slip if they get out of bed. My oldest will even tell you that it works.
Whole Foods, Echinacea, Golden Seal, Astralagus. Ask for advice from the gurus at the herbal medicine section at Whole Foods and get an herb book. Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Balch and Balch. This saved my kids. We don't do ear infections, flu, respiratory infections, UTIs, more than once. They don't even have a pediatrician, they have never been to one in 12 years. All with herbs and adjustments.
God Bless
Hi J.,
I have a holistic treatment for colds that worked like a charm for me. I know of no reason why you couldn't give it to your child since it is food.
The single most important thing to remember is not to let DD get chilled once she begins to sweat, but to change her damp clothes into dry ones.
This remedy will cause the body to "sweat out" the cold.
1 piece fresh ginger root (about 1")
1 green onion bulb with roots attached (cut off green ends)
1/4 teas salt
about 4 WHITE peppercorns, crushed
about 1/2 teas. BROWN or RAW sugar
Bring to boil in about 1 C. water, steep for about 10 mins. Strain. Drink warm as a tea. Should start sweating in 5-10 mins. I used this remedy 3 times the first day and only two times the second day, because I was then well.
It doesn't have a strong taste as you might think. It is not yummy, but neither is medicine. I was able to breathe freely after one dose of this tea. My nose ran like a faucet when I started sweating. Each time I drank it, I changed into dry pj's after about 10-15 mins of sweating which just stops on its own. I was relaxed and able to rest. I slept all night after the second day of tea.
My husband and I both had this same cold last spring. He took 3 rounds of antibiotics from the dr. and I drank 2 days of tea. We did not have the flu.
Caution: Do not get chilled during or after the sweating. No fan or cold cloth to stop sweating. Can make the cold worse.
The Chinese girl who gave me this recipe said her family never has to take it more than 3 days.
HTH you as much as it did me. C.
Actually for a 2 yr old you can use the cold medicine, the warning was to stop using it for children under 2. Have you spoken to your pediatrician? Perhaps you have one who likes to be extra conservative... But beyond that all you can do is wait for her immune system to catch up, emphasise hand washing and not sharing drinks etc, maybe that would help.
We have had good luck with the waterless vaporizor. You can get them at Target, Walgreens, Walmart, etc. I rotate it among our three children. Chicken Noodle Soup (homemade in my crockpot) and no sugar when they have a cold (it attacks the immune system).
Little Noses and the dreaded blue bulb (no more than 2-3 times a day). They hate it, but it works. We also use a humidifier in the room at night and baby Vicks on their chests. We make sure their diet has lots of fresh fruits and veggies and stay away from packaged junk so the body has lots of nutrients to draw on. We also wipe down the toys, doors, etc. after the kids have gone to bed at night and use Clorox hard surface spray where appropriate. Finally, if the nasal production is just too gross I will sneak in a 1/2 dose (based on age and weight) of Benadryl in the morning or at night to dry things up a bit.
Hi,
We use collostrum, you can get it in chewable and tastes great. It is an immune booster and use it at first hint of any illness, intestinal or colds. My kids used to ask for it all the time ( Mommy, I'm getting sick, I need collostrum). I got my last at Amazon.com. You will be amazed at how effective it is and with it being cherry flavor, your child will love it.
Blessings,
D.
J.,
My doctor recommended a quality children's multivitamin that is not over-the-counter called the Usanimals by USANA. You can order them on-line at their website: www.healthrep.usana.com and they will ship to your house every month if you use the autoship (cheaper that way). You will definitely notice that your child's immune system will be boosted and won't have to deal with cold after cold!
Take care!
M.
I friend of mine's son was on a medication that left him very prone to infections. The doctor advised he and his mother to take neosporin and wipe it on both nostrils and under his fingernails. He said that under the finger nails is where lots of germs like to hide out, and around the nose would help with air born bugs. Colds are a part of preschool unfortunately, but make sure that the kids are washing their hands. The teacher should have every child wash hands as they walk in, after bathroom, after outside time, before and after meals, and you as a parent should have her wash before she comes home. You should also make sure that the teachers are disinfecting toys. Ask the director to provide a check list for toy sanitation for each room. I know this seems like a lot, but that is actually part of the state minimum standards for preschool classrooms.
Make sure that she is getting a daily multi-vitamin and plenty of vitamin C. You are correct, she is building her immune system with each sniffle. It's inevitible, runny noses, coughs, and sneezes are going to spread. You just have to keep plugging away each day. She will get past it.
Hi J., I feel your frustration! My son's first year in preschool was awful. He was sick constantly and brought everything home to our newborn baby. It was really rough. It is frustrating because we aren't supposed to be giving them anything. Our doctor recommends Musinex during the day and Benedryl at night. The Musinex is not miracle because it just make them more snotty; however, I have learned that it losens everything up and they are getting fewer ear and sinus infections because things are moving in there. The Benedryl dries them up at night so it's not draining and keeps them up coughing. On top of these things, I use a humidifier, Vick's vapor rub and frequent saline sprays in the nose. It keeps things lose and sometimes makes them sneeze to get everything out. Good luck to you! just an fyi...my son is 4 this year and it's already so much better. He's still had a couple of colds since September but it was 4 or 5 by this time last year.
I have 2 grandkids (ages 3 & 1)that have done very well this past year. We haven't had to go to the doctor in over a year. We give them Xango juice, and I think it has played a big part in keeping them healthy. It tastes good and it's easy, no mixing or prep. They love it and it is very high in anti-oxidents. It is an immune booster and our whole family has had great benefits. Visit www.tryxjuice.com for more info. You can even request a free sample from the website. Blessings!!
well just FYI, it's "normal" to get 10 colds a year! and most colds last between 1-2 weeks. i think the main thing is just to keep her hydrated, get lots of sleep, and blow her nose instead of sniff. at night, use a little Vick's on her chest to help her breathe, and/or a humidifier. and make sure she washes her hands often, because touching mucous from her nose and then touching her eyes could give her pink eye (my 4 year old just got that last month...no fun at all!)
acidopholus. find it at your nearest health food store. needs to be refridgerated. 2 every morning before breakfast. and she may never get sick again. i live by this stuff. that or you can add more garlic to her diet and give her a tablespoon of honey everyday. good luck
Try the gummies...........they are great!
Real fruit juice w/ 100 vit C, soups with broths to eat for meals, lots of rest, early bedtime, naps. I give mine 2 sips a day out of my cup of Airbourne that I make up to keep the holiday illnesses away for all of us.
Hope this helps. As an adult I take Airborne if I feel like I'm coming down with something at the start 3 times a day and the sickness goes away. You have to drink a lot of water all day long with this though. The kids get the 2 sips each a day.
Our 8 month old is in daycare three days a week. Since he started in August we have experienced the same thing. We started using a cool mist humidifier every night. It won't prevent him from catching little colds but it sure has helped with the congestion. Don't forget to clean it out and disinfect it per the directions! Good luck.
My pedi said to use nasal saline. It'll help clean out the congestion. It's been somewhat of a difficult chore to get my almost 3yo son to let me do it :D but if you can get any mist up there it you'll probably be better off than not.
good luck!
Eat as little white flour, sugar, and dairy as possible. Milk especially really keeps the snot running. The more fresh fruits and veggies the less she will pick up every cold. I have a juicer and I juice spinach, sometimes parsley (very high in vitamin c) apples and carrots. I stick it in a bottle to make it super easy for my little girls to drink and they love it! It tastes like apple juice and it's a great way to get at least some fruits and veggies out of the way! Also acidofolis is a must, along with lots of vitamin c everyday. You can get chewable ones at the health food store. Cold medicine is of course useless and as you know dangerous.
I second the response for nasal saline if you can get it in there. Keeps things cleaned out and flowing. Little Noses also puts out decongestant drops as well. Use a humidifier at night. None of these are miracle cures, but at this age I think those are the best things to do along with some Tylenol for the aches!
