Steph C. (Missouri) on 03/07/2017

My children both have an absolute aversion to cough medicine (natural or otherwise). After a horrible incident with my 4-year-old, I desperately searched the webs for a non-ingested remedy, but never quite had all the ingredients, so I crafted a remedy of my own, as inspired by a multitude of sources.

This remedy is a poultice, to be placed on the upper chest above the heart.

Ingredients: 1 clove garlic, crushed and finely minced; 1 tsp fresh ginger, crushed and finely minced; 1/4 tsp turmeric; 1 tsp raw honey; 1 tsp olive oil; 1 tsp flour; gauze or paper towel (or anything to place mixture on); surgical tape. Combine garlic, ginger, turmeric, and honey. Dust with a bit of the flour and roll it a bit. Drizzle with a bit of the oil and then dust with a bit more flour. Continue alternating with flour and oil until a paste forms. You don't want the mixture to be runny, but you also don't want it to be dried and doughy. Once the desired consistency is reached, smear mixture on gauze and apply to upper chest and secure with tape.

Notes: I've used this successfully on a 4 year old and a 7 year old. One had a wet, mucous-filled cough; and the other had a dry, hacking cough. This remedy worked equally well, as in ZERO coughs all night for either child. I thought, at first, it was a fluke. But, I have now used this remedy multiple times, and the results have been consistent. Adding this one to my toolbox.

Mama To Many (Tennessee) on 08/27/2016

There is a cough/cold going around. My daughter had it and I thought it was allergy and treated it as such and it really hung on for a while. Then my 5 year old son started to cough and I realized that it was probably a virus - I was hearing of others in the neighborhood with it. The cough was the most irritating at night. I found that 1/2 onion cut up and placed by the pillow usually kept the coughing at bay all night. Then I remembered coconut oil works for viruses. I mixed up a fudge for my son and fed it to him 3-4 times a day. It was easy to get him to take and I could tell a big difference in 24 hours. I am taking the fudge too since it has blackstrap molasses and coconut oil in it. I try to take those things often and this is a delicious way to take it. I notice that it seems to have completely eliminated sugar cravings for me.

Antiviral Fudge Recipe

• 1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil (soft)
• 1/2 cup blackstrap molasses
• 1/4 cup peanut butter (I am sure almond butter would be excellent)
• 2 T. raw cacao powder

Mix together. Lightly sprinkle the top with Celtic sea salt (or Himalayan pink.)

Pour/Spread into an 8x8 pan lined with wax paper.

Refrigerate for an hour. Cut into 24 squares. Each square has about 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in it, which is the amount I want in one dose for my child.

Enjoy!

~Mama to Many~

REPLY   18      

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Hydrogen Peroxide and ACV Remedies Helped Pink Eye and Cough in Child

Bb (Illinois) on 05/30/2016

Had family in town for Memorial Day and one of the cousins brought along a head cold with tickling repetitive night cough and pink eye that my 3.5 year-old got :( Before bed I wiped his eyes out with 50/50 hydrogen peroxide and warm water a few times (he didn't complain of stinging or anything), and also dribbled some HP into each ear (3%).

Then at 3am with the persistent dry-cough keeping us both up, I made a concoction of 1 Tspn raw apple cider vinegar with 1 teaspoon of raw honey and a bit of warm water to melt honey-- equaled 10mls of syrup. I also wiped his eyes out again with the 50/50 hydrogen solution. In the morning his eyes weren't even crusty, and showed no signs of gunk (maybe a tiny corner later in the day) and he was in perfect spirits with no runny nose, just a little stuffiness remained.

His cough was still present when reclined, so I gave him another 10ml Apple cider vinegar/honey concoction after a warm bath, and gave him 0.5mls of sublingual melatonin at bed (1ml tablet broken in half), and he slept deeply without coughing all night. I don't generally use melatonin for my kids, but the pediatrician had recommended a natural cough syrup that was basically made up of 'dark honeys', a minimal amount of vitamin C and zinc, and 0.5 mg of Melatonin, so I mimicked the ingredients but with a healthier version, IMO. And now we have our happy healthy boy back! I would say all thanks to the HP and ACV :)

REPLY   20      

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Frankincense for Cough

Mama To Many (Tennessee, Usa) on 12/09/2015

My four year old is getting over a cold. Last night he was coughing in his sleep. I got out of bed and went to get him something for his cough. But it was dark and cold. I had just put castor oil in my eyes and couldn't see well, even when I turned on the bathroom light. I was not finding my cough "go-to's" (a homemade vapor rub, garlic oil, eucalyptus oil, etc.) But I did find, through my blurry eyes, my bottle of frankincense essential oil. I put a drop on a cotton ball and placed it near his head. He coughed a couple of more times in the next 60 seconds and didn't cough again the rest of the night. I was so happy to climb back into my warm bed!

Frankincense is kind of expensive and not in everyone's natural medicine cabinet. But I mention it in case you find yourself bleary eyed in the cold looking for a cough remedy and happen upon some frankincense essential oil!

We had actually discovered this helped once on vacation when I didn't have every last remedy with me, but must have had frankincense with me for some reason. I thought, who knows, maybe it will help, and it helped then too, to stop an irritating cough. Just one drop on a cottonball, near the head!

~Mama to Many~

REPLY   8      

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Re: Flaxseed Tea Helping Cough

Cher (Virginia, US) on 04/12/2015

Flaxseed tea worked wonders for my eight year son who had kept us up 3 nights in a row. We tried everything with only temporary results. We gave him the tea right before bed. He coughed for about 20 minutes and then slept all through the night. God Bless the person who discovered this and thank you!

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EC: Recipe from Grannyguru, AZ:

"You put about a tablespoon or so of whole dark brown flaxseeds (for some reason golden seeds do not work anywhere near as well) into 2 cups of water and boil it until it just begins to thicken. It will seem to take forever, then suddenly it thickens quickly, so the minute you notice it thickening, remove it from the heat.

Add lemon juice or vitamin c and sweetener, like grade b maple syrup, or even just sugar. Drink. I found I did not like it when it was thickened, but I could put it in a thermos and keep it by my bed, and it would break down into just a soothing liquid, but would work just as good as the thick syrup I didn't like.

And of course if you add honey and vitamin c it tastes like apple juice."

REPLY   6      

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Apple Cider Vinegar for Toddler's Cold and Cough

Andrei (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) on 01/06/2015

I just want to thank Earth Clinic and the contributors who advised me to mix ACV with fruit juice so I can make my son take it to cure his cough and cold. It did mask the taste. I have also used ACV as dip for roasted fish and meat and my son really liked it! It has now become my favorite dressing/dip for steamed veggies and fresh fruits.

There's no daily intake limit for ACV right? I am planning to mix it with fruit juices as refreshment even if we have no ailments. Is that okay? Thanks again!

REPLY   7      

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Apple Cider vinegar for Cough

Linterest (Brisbane, Australia) on 11/05/2013

My son has had a cough for several weeks. He has had a diagnosis of mild pneumonia and 2 course of anti-biotics. The cough has remained. I tried another apple cider vinegar remedy on another site. I decided to check what works for most earth clinic peoples and found that generally apple cider vinegar and honey in warm water seemed successful. I made him drink 2 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and 1 teas of honey (I am a mean mum and I am strict on sugar). It honestly worked a treat and his cough seemed to have cleared up in a day!

REPLY   8      

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Faith (Kerikeri, New Zealand) on 11/19/2012

My 5 year old daughter has had a very persistent cough, for over 2 weeks, the last few nights have been very long, as she coughs all night, to the point of gagging, all other remedies were not helping, have today given her 3 doses of 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon of honey and a dash of hot water to dissolve honey, she drinks it rather happily, and it has made a huge difference today, her coughing has been cut by more than half, I would fully advise everyone to at least give it a try. Am hoping for a quiet night of sleep, so far so good!!

REPLY   7      

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Apple Cider Vinegar Working for Lingering Cough

Brenda (Charlotte, Nc) on 11/11/2012

2 Tablespoons water, 1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar, 1 Tablespoon honey. It worked! My daughter has the flu, and has been coughing non stop for days (a dry, non-prductive cough. ) I tried vapor rub, plain honey, cough medicine, and finally her nebulizer. Nothing worked. I saw a recipe for the acv and honey and was thrilled to see the success rate. I am SO relieved, plus I now have a bit of silence now and then ;)

REPLY   6      

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Melissa (Alberta, Canada) on 03/26/2012

I never write in to these things, but the red onion recipe is great.

I have a 4 year old who has been battling a nasty cough at night. It was horrible, she would cough so hard that she would throw up. I made the red onion recipe (sliced the RED onion and put a little honey on top of each slice and then stacked them neatly in a bowl. Within a few hours the mixture was quite runny... So don't overdo it, with the honey! ). She woke up at 11:00pm, hacking and coughing, so I gave her 1 teaspoon (even though it hadn't been the 15 hours a previous poster had recommended... More like 8-10ish). She went straight back to sleep without coughing, but woke up again about an hour later coughing up a storm. I gave her 1 tsp. Again and she went straight back to sleep. She woke up this morning (after sleeping until 9:30!!! Without a cough) claiming that she feels much better.

It does taste onion-y though, but the honey disguises it nicely.

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EC: Remember, no honey for babies 12 months and under.

REPLY   6      

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Kels (Philly, Pa) on 10/17/2011

My poor 4 year-old had the worst cough he has ever had. I tried treating it with honey, chest rub (on chest and feet), diluted apple juice, bananas (he got tired of those after only one) and cough drops. Well let me tell you, after reading your remedy of 1/2 teaspoon honey, 1/2 teaspoon vinegar and 1/4 cup of water, and trying it - he was 50% better after the first dosage.

I used Manuka Honey and unfiltered ACV with warmed water from the stove, he said it was strong, but he actually drank it. I was so pleased with the results that I had to reply and tell you and EC - THANKS!!! It was really worth the research and has solidified my faith in natural products.

REPLY   9      

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Vicks

Victoria (San Diego, Ca) on 02/12/2011

My 5 year old son has a cough that really flared up today. There were constant hacks the whole day through. I looked here on earth clinic and saw the Vicks remedy, went to the store a couple hours ago and applied it to the bottom of his feet in the car. I put his socks and shoes on and at my young daughters request we stopped at the park where they played for an hour. There was only 2 coughs in the last couple of hours.

Tonight will be the true test when I put him to bed, but so far I must admit it seems to have made a difference for the better.

REPLY   4      

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Angie (Mount Juliet, Tn, Usa) on 09/17/2010

This is the second night I've put Vick's on my 6 month old's feet for her cough. Works like a charm. I was skeptical, but she's sleeping like a baby, literally.

REPLY   3      

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Essential Oil Therapy for a Nighttime Cough

Jackie (Belfast, Northern Ireland) on 07/10/2010

My daughter gets occasional asthma and on some of these occasions the coughing is quite troublesome at night. It not only disrupts her sleep but mine too. However, I have found that mixing 2 or 3 drops of each of the following essential oils (frankincense, cypress and lavender) has soothed the cough, allowing everyone to get a good night's sleep. I have used this for years and I can truthfully say that in her case it has worked everytime.

I would "not" recommend using an oil burner with a candle for night time use. It is safer to use an electric oil burner. Or if you do not have one, just try putting the oils on the pyjamas/pillow/tissue etc. Or maybe even in a bowl of water or place on a damp cloth over a low heat radiator. Just so long as the oils are being inhaled.

REPLY   5      

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Heather's Cough Formula

Heather (Ortonville, Michigan, Usa) on 03/04/2010

Hi recently out of frustration i mixed this up for my 5yr old because he was coughing constantly for a week and nothing was coming out. I knew he was at risk for infection because I had the same thing and got myself over it in less then 4 days, however it is not so easy to get a little one to take things. should have treated him sooner.

I took freshly squeezed juice of a half of an organic orange, half of an organic lemon, 1 tsp organic non pasteurized etc. apple cider vinegar, 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/8 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp cinnamon, splash of Tabasco sauce, few drops of organic garlic juice, few drops of juice from freshly chopped onion (after sprinkling sugar on chopped onion and setting in fridge for 20 min or longer till juice comes out) and finally a large spoon of raw organic honey. mix all together in pan on stove till warm not boiling. Drink with plenty of water after. Will be spicy but sweet and tangy. Does not taste near as bad as it sounds! My 5yr old son started pouring out snot after one dose and stopped coughing right away! I gave him one more dose that night and he slept through the night. I gave him one more the next day and he went back to school the following day!!

When I was using these ingredients on myself. I increased the amounts, 1 tsp instead of 1/2 etc. use common sense. Thank you earth clinic for helping me through trial and error figure out a magic potion to heal myself and my baby! Medicine in your cupboard, I tell everyone. Thanks again and God bless!!!

REPLY   5      

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Re: Eczema Remedies for Children

Jae (Baltimore, Md) on 11/17/2009

My son had a bad cough and wheezing and we used elderberry syrup and it went away quickly.

REPLY   4      

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