Anybody have any good suggestions on what I can take to help with this darn cold and cough I have? I have had it for over 3 weeks now and my youngest has had it for over 5 weeks now. I am positive its not an infection just a virus. I seem to cough constantly! Sometimes it is just a dry cough and other times it is a cough that you can hear rattle in my chest. My head is back to being plugged up again yesterday and today! I have taken Mucinex DM which has helped some, but it isn't getting rid of the junk.

Does Zicam or anything like that work? Or is it too late to take Zicam since I already have the junk?

Please send me any suggestions. I really want to get rid of this expecially before Christmas.

Too late for Zicam I'm afraid. First of all, be sure you get at least 8 hours of sleep each and every night. Maybe try using those Breathe Right strips while sleeping to open up your nasal passages: if you're breathing better, you'll be getting better quality sleep and allow your body a chance to fight off this bug. Take a long hot shower before sleep to loosen up all that junk in your chest. Maybe put a vaporizer in your bedroom, too.

I'm also a big believer in probiotics (like Florastor) to restore the "good" bacteria into your digestive tract (where a large portion of your immune system resides). Buy a box over the counter at a pharmacy chain store (Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, etc.) and follow the directions on the package. Usually you take 2 capsules per day with food.

If it's not better late this week, I'd go see a doctor and get a chest x-ray and/or throat culture. Even a virus can go into pneumonia if left untreated. Good luck! Hope you're soon feeling better.

Also, your cough might be irritation from post-nasal drip... you could consider trying sudafed over the counter to clear up your sinuses and see if your cough disappears.

I saw this on the internet. Sounds like honey and cinnamon together are the answer for the common cold.

COLDS: Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon lukewarm honey with 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder daily for 3 days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold and clear the sinuses.

Have you been to the doctor? A woman I work with was dealing with the same thing. She suffered for a month before she went in and it turns out she had a sinus infection. The symptoms sound the same as yours.

Bingo we have a winner.

Same issue 2 weeks ago.

My kids and I have been like this for about 3 weeks. I think we keep sharing it with one another. My son was put on an antibiotic because he develop an ear infection. He has a bit of a lingering cough left. My daughter did not get infection but still is coughing. mostly at night. For me: was diagnosed with impacted sinuses. Not an infection, as of when I went to the doctor. But I was given a steroid, antibotics, Mucinex D, and to use Afrin Nasal Spray (only 3 days). It's been 5 days since I went to the doctors, still have clogged ears but not as bad. It doesn't to want to get OUT.

You may want to go to the doctors to make sure no infection has set in.

This may sound awful - but my mother SWEARS by Vicks Salve. She says it opens her right up while she sleeps.

Thanks for all the tips. I am going to have to try some of them. If I am not better by Monday then I am going to break down and take my son and I both to the dr.

hope y'all feel better Manders!

I haven't tried it yet, but got this in an email recently:

To stop night time coughing in a child (or adult as we found
out personally), put Vicks VapoRub generously on the soles of your feet, cover with socks, and the heavy, deep coughing will stop in about 5 minutes and stay stopped for many, many hours of relief.



I haven't tried it, but it'd be worth a shot, I think! Hope you and Jesse feel better soon.. Spending Christmas sick is awful.


Also, any time I'm sick, I swear by sudaphedrine & ibuprofen.

A humidifier also helps - especially in the winter when the air is so dry in the house.

hugs and empathy from here, too - the better half has been suffering, and I'm not sleeping as a result of his coughs. Now he's on the mend, so maybe, maybe I'll avoid this pest -

I just got up from 2 weeks of pneumonia....Rest, antibiotics, expectorant, soup, heat, nasal spray, bourbon, antihistimines and cussing on occasion........Good Luck!

My grandparents and parents were/are all big believers in the power of Vicks VapoRub. Here was the drill when I was a kid: Heat a pot of water until almost boiling (you want steam). Put about a tablespoon of Vicks in the water. Get a bath towel. Then sit at a table with the towel draped over your head, which is bent over the steaming Vicks water. Stay under, breathing this steam until you can't take it anymore, or the water has cooled.

This "Vicks tent" is not pleasant but is effective, and I have done it occasionally in my adulthood.

ugh - brings back bad memories of my childhood. My mother would rub the Vicks on my chest at night, and then my flannel pj's would stick to the Vicks and get all icky. I don't know if it worked ot not - I was too traumatized.

As an adult, I stay far away from Vicks and flannel pj's.

definitely use a humidifier (warm). I add liquid vicks to the water and it helps a lot. Also you may want to talk to your doctor about a decongestant. I get congested a lot and the "allergy" medicines really don't help. You don't need the antihistamines - just the decongestant. The only really work if you drink a lot of fluids. If you just take them with a sip of water they won't work to "flush" you out.

Well, I feel some what better today. Last night I took an Advil Cold and Sinus, used Afrin Menthol Nasal spray, took a hot shower and used one of those steam vapor things in the shower, then I put a breath right on and rubbed the bottoms of my feet with vicks. Believe me My Hubby thought I looked sexy last night! LOL! But at least I got some relief...

Vicks on the bottom of your feet works pretty darn good, especially on kids.

My daughter uses Vicks on her kids' feet all the time and it seems to work for whatever reason ezpecially for her older son who has asthma. Can't figure our why is works but it does.

Does anyone no how to unclog ears? I already have been on steroids and I'm still on anti-biotics for a couple more days. I've done mucinex D and the neti-pot and have tried to pop my ears several times. Nothing is working. I know it's eventually going to go away....it's just annoying.

I have to chime in here. I tried fighting my cold for 3 1/2 weeks with all of the above suggestions before I finally gave in and went to the dr. The last straw was the plugged ears and my teeth hurting. Was given the zpack that lasts 5 days an inhaler and cough med w/codeine. I am now on day three of another round of antibiotics. Ears are still plugged sinuses still killing me and half the time I can't breathe and get light headed from the coughing. I think I have to call the doc again but they told me the next step is probably IV antibiotics. Don't really want that! This really really stinks!!!

PS my DR said my ears were not really plugged but that my sinuses were so inflammed they are pushing on the euchstation (sp?) tube and that is why they hurt and are plugged no relief until sinuses go down

Hope you feel better, soon, JustMe.

Let me give a word of warning about Vicks. Do not give a small child a hot bath and then rub Vicks on his chest. It burns like crazy. My mother did that to me 50 years ago, and I'm just starting now to forgive her.

Try the NeilMed sinus rinse...similar to neti pot but actually forces the solution through your sinuses rather than just relying on gravity. that's helped me when I'm sick and healthy...keepign your sinuses rinsed otu and clear helps cut down on the gunk draining and collecting in your chest.

I was afraid to shoot anythign up my nose, but I foudn this to be actually pleasant. I just do it in the shower since the warm water also helps loosen the stuff before I rinse it out.

I didn't read all these before posting...thsi is my thought too, which is where the Sinus rinse comes in handy. The REAL sudafed from behind the counter also helps, btu if you take it for a few days in a row, it can actually lapse, so don't rely on it...use is sparingly.

For those of you that know you have plugged sinuses, try a chiropractor. I have taken my son to one quite a bit over the last year for sinus issues. It has helped him a lot. Not all chiropractors know or treat issues like this, but if you can find one, they can help a lot.