Supplement for cough?

[Honey]

schweppes:

Maybe can try Tussils cough drops? Can get from any pharmacy (Guardian/ Watson). Whenever someone in the family is down with cough, we take Tussils. Somehow it seems to work.


Also, avoid air-conditioned environment as much as possible since the dry air may irritate our throats further.

Hey, the pharmacist recommended Tussils Cough Drops as well. I am so glad to read that it works cos haven't tried before & not sure of it's effectiveness

[schweppes]

Hi, Tussils is not bad. Give it a try!


What I like about it is that it soothes the throat and for school going kids and adults, it is easy to carry around (as it comes in lozenges form), without worrying about the mess that comes with bottles. Another good thing is that it does not make one drowsy. So for DD1 and DD2, I get them to take it just before school and just after recess. Then, it will help to soothe their throat and minimise their coughing in class.

However, do note that the cough drop is a bit big, so do be careful if you want to give to the younger kids. Don't want them to choke on it.

Cheers

[maisy]

hi

just out of curiosity
parents who give their kids cod liver oil - do u think it really works? I have been giving my son Scott’s Emulsion Cod Liver Oil since he turned 1 … he is 3 now. i still feel he is always coughing and always runny nose! Not very good immunity …

But i still give as i worry how it would be like if i stop it… am i just giving it to him blindly (since he falls sick once every 2-3months) ? Shall I stop it since it seems to be not quite effective in my son’s case… Any parents who gave up on cod liver oil without much visible drop in their kids’ immunity ?

[sashimi]

Hi maisy, can you provide more details? Do you have any prime suspects as to why he keeps falling sick (eg. exposure to other sick children)?


Without more details, I can suggest you consider these general points:

1. Change to another brand of cod liver oil, or specifically a DHA supplement (not necessarily cod liver oil).

2. You’re not using the Scott’s orange-flavoured cod liver oil are you? Cos orange (any citrous fruit) is very bad for the throat.

3. Any issues with his environment? (dust, etc)

4. Does he hang around other kids who constantly fall sick?

5. Does he take any of the following regularly? Cold drinks, sweets, fried foods? Maybe even chicken?

6. Lastly, it may simply be a case of his immune system is still growing, still in the process of building up (since he’s just 3). IT is quite common for kids this age to be constantly falling sick. But by 5 or so, it should become less. If this is the case, you should simply continue to help build his immunity.

Oh, and try some honey as well.

[autumnbronze]

Hi Maisy,


I agree with Sashimi, esp on pt no 3. My son used to have runny nose and watery eyes frequently. To prevent repetition of info, you may want to read my post on this thread \"any chinese physician to recommend\" under this thread.

I also ensure that he washes his hands when necessary eg aft Gym class, aft playgrp etc..

You may want to consider not stopping the cod liver oil if you can help it. Personally I really believe in its' merits if taken on a long term basis.

[Funz]

Hi Maisy,


Falling sick every 2-3mths is actually pretty mild. On average according to PDs, children this age fall sick 8-12 times a year. Basically, common cough & cold and the usual stomach flu thing, especially so for kids who are attending preschool or childcare.

And if his falling sick does not lead to more serious issues like bronchitis, etc, these boughts of illness will gradually strengthen his immunity.

[maisy]

Hi Sashimi

Thanks for responding.

When you say \"switch brand of cod liver oil\" - do u have any in mind to share w me? And where can i get it?

I give my son the original flavour not the orange flavour. He eats chicken but not everyday ... maybe 3 times a week (alternate between chicken, fish & pork). No he doesn't take cold drinks - he has occasional treats of ice-cream (maybe once every month..and that once is \"limited to 3-4 teaspoon\" of ice-cream only. The only other \"cold\" stuff is Apple which we take out from Crisper compartment of the fridge & cut into pieces ... by the time he eats it, it is not entirely cold anymore He only recently started on \"playgroup\" - the idea is to get him \"ready\" for school cos next year he will be N2 and going to kindy but he hasn't attended any \"formal school\" prior so i thought better start him somewhere so next year i won't have a huge headache ....

Can he take honey at 3? cos my colleague told me honey not good for asthmatics...my son has bronchitis...so i not sure if i can give honey.

Hi Autumnbronze
Thanks ... will take your advice not to stop Cod Liver Oil !

Hi Funz ...
Oh really ? Falling sick every 2-3 months is \"acceptable\"? ... phew...then ok ...cos my fren told me her child whole year falls sick only once or twice ...so i start to wonder whats wrong w my son ....
unfortunately my son has bronchitis ... there was few occasions it got so bad, he has to go clinic to be put on neubilizer ...PD even suggested she might need to put him on Ventolin inhaler if he continues to cough & wheeze ..but i told PD to \"wait & see\" ... i really hate to give him so much drugs...so i try to \"intervene\" via \"natural means\" if i can help it so far so good ... i just can't stand it when he cough for weeks ... stop a while...and before i know it, he is coughing again....sigh..

Thanks again everyone for your input - guess i'll stick w Cod Liver Oil for now

[sashimi]

Ah you are like me, or will slowly become like me. I'm intensely skeptical and suspicious of western medicine and their trigger-happy ways of dispensing medicine like candy. Which is why I too sought the natural means.


I don't have any particular brand in mind actually, to me what's important is to get enough DHA. Maybe you can get a DHA supplement rather than cod liver oil and see if it makes a difference. There are a lot in the market, just hav ea look inside Guardian or Watsons. In addition to Scott's cod liver oil capsules, my DD also takes Nature's Way Kids Smart dha burstlets (atm; we've also gone through a number of other brands).

To be frank with you I go by feeling when it comes to brands. I weigh the price with my DD's tastes (cos many of them are flavoured) and the apparent quality of the supplement. I tend to buy whatever's on sale usually.

About chicken - lemme share with you two points, but bear in mind they are not scientifically proven (but then again, western medicine claims to be scientific). One is that chicken aggravates cough (Chinese belief), the other is that chicken is bad for Type B Blood (the D'Adamo Blood Type Diet). Because of this (my family is all B), we've cut down on chicken quite dramatically as well. by any chance is your son a B? (If not, then we can forget about this).


I do not know the relationship between honey and asthma, but look what I got when I googled it:

http://www.google.com/search?q=honey+asthma

As for honey for young kids, I think the literature cautions it only for kids below 2. 3 should be ok?

Falling sick every 2-3 months is pretty good I'll say. I know of adults who fall sick every month. My DD and wife used to take turns falling sick every OTHER month, and it frustrated me to no end. There were times when both would be sick for months. This was the time when I completely and utterly lost faith in the hogwash and crap that western medicine/GPs dispense, and started researching and experimenting with natural remedies and supplements on my own.

Basically, every little thing that I've implemented in my family *seems* to have made improvements. So while nothing I say comes with scientific guarantees, I know it works for my family.

[shuting28]

meeyah:

...She SPECIFICALLY told us - don't buy birds nest for cough. No use at all (thebusybee - hope this helps! ;p).....

For Kids with sensitive airways, asthma or prone to coughing, BIRD NEST is a NO NO! I was told by my PD that it induces asthma attacks, especially if they are not clean properly.

If the kids need to drink milk before sleeping, try to dilute the milk by half (make sure they had dinner or might be hungry in e nite)

[schellen]

I’m asthmatic and so is my sis. I take honey daily and so does she. I have not had any attacks since 2006 but for my sis, I can’t say the same thing. I doubt it’s the honey cos my sis cannot be disciplined enough to control her diet, even when sick, whereas I can eat completely bland and mild food if I am sick or think that I will be falling sick. In this way, I cut down drastically on the frequency I fall sick and if I do fall sick, my recovery is quick.