I have a terrible cough that has lingered for the past three weeks. For the first week, I tried the Walmart version of Delsym Cough Syrup, and it did absolutely nothing.
During the second week, I lived on Ricola Cough Drops, but my dentist husband reminded me that sucking on sugar all day is terrible for one’s teeth.
Then at the end of last week, I started taking Tussin DM every four hours, and as long as I keep up with it, my cough stays away! I’m not thrilled with the artificial ingredients that it contains, but I suppose it’s better than having constant coughing fits.
Have you ever had a persistent cough? Were you able to find a remedy that worked?
Anonymous
A spoonful of honey (preferably raw) works great for a cough or sore throat. I kn ow it's basically the same as eating sugar, as you mentioned, but at least one benefit is raw honey has beneficial active enzymes and vitamins
Anonymous
Yes, I totally agree with this!!!
nashvillewife@gmail.com
I tried that and it didn't seem to work, although I was not using raw honey, so maybe that makes a difference.
Ellie
x
The reason why honey seems to work to reduce a cough is because the sweetness and stickiness tends to "coat" the throat and reduce irritation. Of course, it doesn't always work since it's a pretty mild remedy, if you want to put it that way. But whether it works or not has absolutely nothing to do with whether it's raw or not…
Anonymous
Whether it's raw or not probably won't make much of a difference in how well it works for this application, HOWEVER…raw honey has so many more health benefits!
Anonymous
Actually I have found Mucinex DM seems to work the best for me (I buy the tablet form rather than the cough syrup). I like it because it breaks up the chest congestion. It may seem a little expensive but has been very effective so I felt it was worth it. I hope it might help you. Sorry you've been under the weather and I hope you're feeling better soon!
nashvillewife@gmail.com
I've seen many Mucinex advertisements (Mucinex in, mucus out…LOL). But I've never tried it. I might have to bite the bullet and pay the money if I get desperate. 🙂
Ellie
Anonymous
Mucinex DM has the same active ingredients as the Tussin DM pictured above, hence the DM. You should always check the active ingredients of whatever you're using. And store brands that have the same active ingredients work exactly the same as any other brand.
Unknown
BTW there are some Ricola Cough Drops that are sugar free.
nashvillewife@gmail.com
Thanks for letting me know. 🙂 I think most of those contain chemical sugar substitutes, which I'm not a fan of.
Ellie
Anonymous
What about drinking sugar free creamer in coffee? My dentist mentioned it to me to avoid more cavities or would you just drink coffee with sugar and brush your teeth right after?
nashvillewife@gmail.com
The research which says that chemical sugar substitutesare harmful is debated by some, but I try to be as natural as possible, which means choosing real cane sugar over other substitutes. It also tastes better. But of course, it's still not good to consume too much. I would say that if you don't eat a ton of sugar, using creamer with real sugar and then brushing your teeth would be the best option, but of course I'm not an expert.
Ellie
Unknown
What movies do you like? Do you watch Mavel?
nashvillewife@gmail.com
I'm not a huge fan of Superhero movies, Although my husband enjoys them. The two that I saw most recently and enjoyed are "miracles from heaven" and "god's not dead 2." what are your favorite movies?
Ellie
Anonymous
Are you taking Vitamins C & D daily? This will be a HUGE boost for your immune system, and is vital in regaining your health. I would recommend taking 1,000-2,400mg Vit. C daily until your cough goes away. Even though the Vitamin C can definitely cause an stomach and get things moving, it gives amazing results as far as getting rid of an annoying cough/cold/flu, and I usually decide that it's worth a few days of an upset stomach! Start with 10,000 IU Vit. D3 for about 3 days, then maintain a daily dose of 1,000-5,000 IU daily on a regular basis. Hope you're feeling better soon!
nashvillewife@gmail.com
Thanks for the suggestion! I take a small amount of vitamin D every morning (I was found to be vitamin D deficient a couple years ago), and I've been taking some vitamin C, but I should probably increase the dosages for right now.
Ellie
Anonymous
I take Vitamin D every morning too – usually 5,000 IU. And yes, I would recommend taking as much Vitamin C as your stomach can handle! 🙂 The results are truly incredible.
Anonymous
YES on the Vitamin C!!! It is so very helpful in getting rid of a nagging cough/flu. A couple years back I had a pretty bad case of the flu (102-degree fever, head and whole-body aches, congestion, a cough, and a raw throat)…I had been taking a full dose of ibuprofen & Tylenol around the clock for the past few days, which did help manage the symptoms, but I was still feeling pretty miserable. But one morning, I decided I just needed to get rid of this bug once and for all, so after taking my morning dose of ibuprofen & Tylenol, I also took about 15,000mg of Vitamin C, and by the time the medicines began to wear off about 6 hours later, I felt SO much better – WAY better than I had been feeling even with all the meds! I continued with a pretty high dose of Vitamin C for the next few days, and was completely better. So thankful for these amazing Vitamins God has provided to help heal and strengthen our immune systems!!!
nashvillewife@gmail.com
I've taken 3000mg of vitamin C so far today. Hoping that helps!
Ellie
x
Please, please talk to a doctor before ingesting vitamins in quantities larger than what is recommended on the package (which should be around 500-1,000mg of Vit C per day, even if your body could never absorb anywhere near that amount in a day…). 15,000mg is enormous and could definitely put a strain on your kidneys as they try to excrete virtually all of it because your body has no use for that much Vit C at once. Not to mention the upset stomach that this will likely create.
This "treatment" is not scientifically sound and is potentially dangerous. Once again, please consult a doctor.
Anonymous
I want to assure you that my doctor is the one who recommended this! Are your from any medical type of background?
Anonymous
I eat Airborne gummies pretty frequently (especially if there is a sick coworker or I'm around sick kids, etc). If I do get a cough I use the children's cough meds! CVS has a good selection of natural children's cough meds so I either use that or the day/night Dimetapp and it works for me. Plus it tastes better!!!
nashvillewife@gmail.com
My oldest sister-in-law does the same thing with airborne, although I've never tried it. Thanks for the idea. 🙂
Ellie
Anonymous
If your cough persists more than 3 weeks you may want to see your doctor. Allergies maybe?
nashvillewife@gmail.com
I'm really hoping it's not allergies. 🙁 I have never had allergies before, so I would be shocked, but I guess it's possible.
Ellie
Anonymous
They're allergies. Welcome to Tennessee 🙂
nashvillewife@gmail.com
It's funny because we moved here at the end of June of last year, so at least I know I probably won't have issues during the summer, if it is allergies. Hoping it's not though! 🙂
Ellie
Anonymous
Mine turned into an upper respiratory infection and I had to take perscription cough syrup! Tasted awful and still didn't work well, lol :/ but the cough eventually went away on its own after a few weeks.
nashvillewife@gmail.com
I hope mine doesn't get that bad. Glad it went away though!
Ellie
Anonymous
So do you see your husband when it's time for your check up with the dentist?
nashvillewife@gmail.com
I do. It's wonderful. 🙂 we always joke that our kids will never be afraid of the dentist because it will just be their that daddy!
Ellie
Esther Huddleston
I had a persistent cough for a while & a pharmacist recommended eating a lot of strawberries! I think it helped. So I always try that now. 🙂
nashvillewife@gmail.com
Thanks, Esther! I wonder if that's because strawberries have a lot of vitamin C in them?
Ellie
Anonymous
One drop of high quality (like DoTerra or Young Living) peppermint essential oil. Drop it on the back of you (clean) hand and lick it off. When I have a cough this is the only thing that seems to kill it for me. I do it once or twice a day until the cough goes away, which is usually in a couple days. I agree with the person who suggested seeing a doctor if it lasts too long. Also the Vitamin C&D suggestion. Those have always helped me too! Good luck!
nashvillewife@gmail.com
Thanks! So peppermint oil is safe to consume?
Ellie
Anonymous
Oh YES!!! Definitely safe to consume. 🙂 It is actually extremely helpful in calming an upset/nauseous stomach.
nashvillewife@gmail.com
I gave it a try! And it did provide some relief, although it tasted gross. LOL
Ellie
Anonymous
My husband had a cough last week and I made him some tea with lots of fresh grated ginger, orange peel, a little bit of cinnamon and clove. He drank it hot with honey and his cough was gone quickly. They say cayenne pepper or turmeric works as well but i didn't have any of those at hand. Bulkherbstore has a blog with many effective natural remedies. I have tried some and they work, and no I haven't use their products because I don't live in USA so I'm not trying to advertise products just sharing what has been helpful to me.
Beth
nashvillewife@gmail.com
Thank you for the suggestions, Beth!
Ellie
Anonymous
That tea sounds delicious. I want to drink it and I'm not even coughing!!!
Anonymous
Boericke & Tafel Cough and Bronchial Syrup is a great homeopathic cough syrup. My mom had a persistent cough about a month ago. After taking this for about a day and a half, her cough disappeared!
nashvillewife@gmail.com
Thank you! I'm going to check that out.
Ellie
Betsy
A home remedy I use is mixing honey and lemon juice together and eating throughout the day. It tastes delicious, and is great for you, too! 🙂
nashvillewife@gmail.com
Thanks, Betsy!
Ellie
Anonymous
My kid loves this whether or not he's sick
Anonymous
Try a hot cup of tea with lemon juice (or a few drops of lemon essential oils) with a tablespoon of honey. Drink this every morning and it works great!
nashvillewife@gmail.com
Thank you! I don't have lemon juice but I do have a lemon essential oils.
Ellie
Beth
What are lemon essential oils? Never heard of it. Where can you find it in the store.
Ayla
Regular Delsym is what we use. Yes, it's more expensive, but it works.
I can't use most cold medicines but I'm allergic to an ingredient that. In theory, isn't supposed to cause issues.
When I'm sick I just up my water intake a lot to flush it out and embrace naps. If it's real bad I'll take allergy medicine, since they don't have that ingredient I mentioned before.
Anonymous
Most coughs run their course after 3 to 4 weeks, so you should be getting better regardless of what you're taking at this point.
nashvillewife@gmail.com
It's been just over three weeks, so hopefully it will go away soon!
Ellie
Beth
For my cough I drink Hot Tea with Honey and I also put a sugar free cough drop that were Halls Defense with Vitamin C and it work for me. I was over my cough with in a week.