My daughter has a cough, but I can't give her cough medicine because she hates it. What else can I give her?

Question

My 12 yr. old daughter hates cough medicine so much she throws it up when she tries to take it. What else can I give her to help with her cough?

Any tips are appreciated thanks.

Note:
Those of you who tell me to toughen up have no idea what you're talking about, I am a tough, loving mother, and not afraid of my own children.

How would you like to eat shjt and have some one tell you eat it anyway? There are just some things ppl can't eat, and for my daughter it's cough medicine. It makes her barf. So get a life before you flap your lips.

oh, and thank you Chrystal, you are very nice lol

And HeptaDragon,
your answer is extremely interesting and informative. I have been saying for years that we over medicate with antibiotics and cough medicins etc for years now, to the point that our bodies don't know how to heal themselves, thank you.

Answer 1

There is no proven benefit from over the counter cough suppressants and this is why the American Academy of Pediatrics does NOT recommend the use of any of these preparations; actually certain preparation have been proven to be associated with side effects with could be very serious especially in infants and young children. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recently published a report on this (http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5601a1.htm). Cough is not a disease; it is actually a reflex mechanism which is very beneficial since it helps removing secretions and foreign objects from the respiratory tract. Children with diminished cough reflexes are predisposed to repeated episodes of pneumonia and so on...
There have been multiple clinical studies evaluating the effects of such medications on the course of common viral infections; all of the studies uniformly failed to show any benefit...

Answer 2

My son is 5 and just recently had a bad cough. I got some children's homeopathic cough syrup. It was gone in a day. Homeopathics is the best medicine to use for children and adults. There are no side affects. Good luck with what you do. I hope her cough goes away because as a parent I know how horrible it is when your kids are sick and you can't take it away in an instant.

Answer 3

They have cough strips now that's what i give my daughter,they r like the breath strips,but they have cough suppressant in them they dissolve on your tongue within about 10 seconds,your not going to find anything as good as a liquid cough medicine but the cough strips r a good alternative for kids who won't take the good stuff...lol...oh yeah they also have Popsicles for cough but my daughter is not crazy about them she says they taste bad,so you could try them if u want but i would suggest the strips...good luck!
I added a link so u will know what they look like,i use the grape triaminic brand for my daughter,they r the 3rd ones on the page i believe.

Answer 4

Have you tried the strips? They are like the listerine pocket packs, but they are cough medicine. They dissolve almost instantly. Im sure all manufacturers make a variation now.

If this is not an option, I have used Werthers Originals (carmel flavored hard candy) to soothe a sore throat and minor cough.

Hope this helps

Answer 5

depending on what's causing the cough, I love giving my kids vick's vapor rub and putting it on their chests. It doesn't really help the cough (unless it's caused by the sinus' draining into the lungs) but it makes the coughs much more productive. I swear by the stuff. It doesn't matter whether you get an off brand or not either. Also, they are making child strength rubs in case your daughter is fairly young.

Answer 6

Does Theraflu make a kids version? Also, try the pill form of cough medicine and try cough drops to soothe and coat.

Answer 7

Try Luden's Cough Drops. They taste like cherry hard candy. Otherwise, anything that soothes the throat - popsicles, suckers, tea.
Can your daughter swallow pills? If so, Day and Ny Quill are in pill form. They are big pills though.

Answer 8

hydrocodone is the best tablet for cough, basically anything with codiene but she is 12 so, i am not sure how you feel about that. There are also rx cough suppressents such as tessalon pearles but they can be expensive. Otherwise, she's gonna have to suck it up and take the cough syrup.

Answer 9

The only thing that has ever worked for myself, my children and my parents is this: Take a washcloth and run it under cold water, wring out excess water, place on child's neck. Keep replacing the wash cloth with fresh cold water as it becomes warmed by your child's body heat. I swear this works!

Answer 10

She's 12, can she take pills? I take comtrex daytime when I have any kind of cold. Just look for something with a cough supressent, pain reliever, and decongestant in it. Everything comes in pills now.

If she can't do it, have her practice with m&m's first.