What can I use to help with coughing?

Hello All,

I am looking to find something that will help my mom with her cough, she seems to have some additional issues such as strep throught that causes her to cough even more and it is driving her crazy and making her more depressed. She is on Antibiotics but it is not helping yet.

Can anyone suggest anything other than Tesslon pearls, phenegren cough syrrup and hycodan (tussigan) pills to help with caoughing?

I heard that there are medications that have just a little bit of morphine that can help with coughing but not know anything else. ANy information anyone?

As always your help is greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

FOM

Since part of your mom's cough is caused by the strep have you tried cough drops. My husband would suck on vicks cough drops they didn't stop the cough but they did help alot.

kzfamily

HI,
We have, but it is not helpful, on top of the coughing she now has mouth sores which make it really difficult to suck on lozengines (did I spell that right?!!).

Thanks for your suggestions, please keep them coming.

Best of luck to you and your family

FOM

 

Does she have a nebulizer?  I use that to help break up the crud in my chest and I can cough it up.  You might ask her doctor about a nebulizer.  For the mouth sores, make sure she uses the thrush medication 4 times a day.  I had a terrible thrush infection in my throat but though I was just supposed to use the medicine twice a day.  I went for a month without eating anything solid because it hurt too much.  Then I read the bottle and discovered I was supposed to take it 4 times a day.  I started doing that and it was gone in a week.  So I not only have cancer, but I'm stupid.

 

Get your mom started taking some zinc to boost her immune system against the strept.  50mg/day is standard, but she could take as much as 100mg a day for the first two weeks to get her jump started.  Make sure she takes it with food (or a bit of pudding or apple sauce or cottage cheese) - it will give her a very sour stomach if she takes it without food. 

Try an herbal cough drop, like Riccola.  If her mouth is too sore to suck on them, you can put them in a cup with some hot water so they will dissolve, and she can sip the solution occaisionally thru-out the day.

Tre

Try using the herb Jie Geng. It suppresses the cough reflex. I use it in my practice for that. It is also known as radix platycodon. I would tell you how to get it but that gets me flagged here.

This is a great idea. I will try ricola in hot water.

Her mouth is very sore and bleeds a little early in the morning,. it actually doesn't look like its the mouth sores but more likely the sores in the back of her throat.

Again, thanks for all the info,

Karin.

Hi,

I have had that really perisitent bad coungh and my Oncologist put me on Panadeine Forte, I have to have 2 x 3 times a day but the cough has vanished and I am feeling great without it.  Tell your Mum to give it a go.