Whooping Cough Outbreak in California

[mama1803]

http://www.presstelegram.com/ci_1536...rce=rss_viewed

[incorrigible]

ya...it's going around like crazy. the drs are telling people "it's just a cold" the first few weeks...then after a month, or if it develops into a more dangerous condition, they will say it "looks like whooping cough". my son has it too, though in the early stages.

i'm looking for tips and tricks for managing and treating this. he has digestive issues and will barely be able to digest anything for a good 6 months if he takes antibiotics. we only go that route in severe cases and a couple months of a bad cough just doesn't qualify.

so far, i'm treating it like i do any upper respiratory infection. I'll share what i come up with since there will likely be plenty of other parents looking for ideas too.

1) he's sleeping with olive oil and garlic on his feet. this alone is usually enough to clear out an upper respiratory infection within 48 hours. it doesn't seem to be working as well as usual, but the phlegm he's coughing up in the mornings is distinctively lighter in color and less each day. we've only been going a couple days now.

2) eucalyptus oil on his chest. anytime we have anything respiratory, that's a standard. he has been putting his shirt over his nose to inhale it a lot and it seems to be helping break up the phlegm.

3) before bed and upon waking, he spends time in a bathroom full of hot steam. (we're just timing showers to match. it's easier than making him stand over the sink). this is also helping break up the phlegm.

4) I've read a lot of anecdotal evidence and a couple studies that claim large doses of vitamin c have a notable impact on whooping cough. both in detoxifying the toxins the bacteria create, and on regressing and killing the bacteria itself. the trick is to figure out how much vitamin c the infected person can handle without negative side effects. i'm getting some input from my son's nutritionist, and will start him on this tonight.

[pianojazzgirl]

Originally Posted by incorrigible

the trick is to figure out how much vitamin c the infected person can handle without negative side effects.

Can you give it to bowel tolerance? Once stools start to loosen then bring back the dose just a bit. That should mean they are getting as much as they can handle. Also (I thought I'd mention just to have the info floating around this thread, though you probably already know) it's important to give small amounts very often throughout the day (and night).

[BarnMomma]

Can you tell me more about the garlic/olive oil feet thing!?

[incorrigible]

ok...with much experimenting, i've found a highly successful regime. =D updatage. ds is MUCH improved. he started symptoms Tuesday. i experimented until settling on this routine friday. i'll let you know when the symptoms are gone and we're not treating anymore.

1) vitamin C like MAD! my son has some issues with absorption so absolutely DO NOT use the dosages we're using. figure out what works with your system. I have ds taking 1000mg 5x per day, plus he already eats a diet incredibly high in C. He's eating around another 1000mg per day. this is the most important treatment. when we started this, his symptoms started dissipating immediately. after 2 days, there's barely a trace left.
2) a hot bath w 1-2 cups each of epsom salt and baking soda. Crash always likes this. he finds it relaxing. it's also good for drawing toxins out of the body, whether they're from infections or just daily life. i don't know if it helped, but it couldn't hurt...and it's inexpensive enough that "why not".
3) steam. he's hanging out in the bathroom whenever anyone's taking a shower now. it is so good at breaking up the phlegm he's steaming himself up a few times per day because it's so nice to breath clear.

on the other hand, our standard "go to" treatments have mostly proven not to be worth the effort. we're not bothering at all with garlic or eucalyptus.

pianojazzgirl - good info. i was researching so much i was getting overloaded with info and overlooking the details. thanks. =)

BarnMomma-
garlic is antibacterial. olive oil is anti inflamitory...and simply makes a good carrier for the oils from the garlic.
for ear infections,
1)i slice a little garlic and let it soak in olive oil for a few minutes.
2)then, heat the oil to just comfy warm (test on the inside of your wrist), and put a couple drops in the ear. it feels better INSTANTLY (as it does with any warm oil. it's soothing)
3)i repeat as the pain comes back until it doesn't anymore. usually takes a day or so.
for respiratory infections,
1)i mash the garlic and mix it with olive oil till i have a kind of thin paste.
2)slather it on the bottom of the feet,
3)put a rag over it for comfort and to reduce the mess,
4)put socks on over,
5)make the patient sleep like that. the pores in your feet are some of the largest in your body. it gets where it needs to be with exceptional efficiency.
It didn't seem to have much effect at all on whooping cough, though...

[WC_hapamama]

Have you considered probiotics for the digestive issues? My DH and DD have very, very sensitive GI tracts, and we've found probiotics to be very helpful. DH uses yogurt with live cultures or kefir, and DD uses coconut yogurt or coconut milk kefir (she's milk allergic).

[incorrigible]

I just realized I never updated this! So sorry. It took about 4 days of vitamin C to completely wipe whooping cough from his system. Simplest, most effective thing on earth!