After the Whooping Cough

[eonkear]

Sorry,i had this posted in the wrong place,
don't know is this the right place to post but could somebody help me,my gf had the whooping cough when she was younger at 16/17 i think,however now she is 21,every so often now she has a very severe cough which may last up to 2/3 weeks ,coughing uncontrollable at any time of the day ,she may not be able to sleep at night for an hour or 2 from it,she tells me its as a result of the whooping cough that she has a weakened chest,she's beginning to become more immune to the antibotics as a result of taking them so often,i was hoping to find out is there something that she could to help her,is there any form of herbal remedies available to help her or should she go to hosiptal or what sould she do,i don't know what to do,plz help

[mattemma04]

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[eonkear]

Pertussis

ok i found these on www.healthy.net will these help ease my friends cough or am i looking at the wrong thing


An acute, highly communicable bacterial disease, characterizedby a paroxysmal or spasmodic cough that usually ends in a prolonged, high-pitched, crowing inspiration (the whoop).
Bordetella pertussis, the bacteria that causes pertussis, is contacted by it breathing in after it has been coughed or sneezed out by an infected person, especially during the catarrhal and early paroxysmal stages. Individuals are not infectious after the third week of the paroxysmal coughing. The incubation period averages 7 to 14 days. B. pertussis invades the respiratory mucosa causing increased secretion of mucus, initially thin and later viscid and not easily moved. The disease lasts about 6 weeks and has 3 clear stages:

Catarrhal stage. Starts slowly with sneezing, free flowing tears and other signs of the common cold. Anorexia, listlessness and a troublesome, hacking nocturnal cough that gradually becomes diurnal. There is rarely a fever in this stage.

Paroxysmal stage. Develops after 10-14 days. There are 5 to 15 rapidly consecutive coughs followed by the characteristic whoop, a hurried, deep inspiration. After a few normal breaths another paroxysm may begin. Large quantities of thick viscid mucus may be expelled during the paroxysms. Vomiting following the paroxysms is characteristic.

Convalescent stage. Usually begins within 4 weeks with the paroxysms becoming less frequent, and the patient looking and feeling better.

System Support
Long term immune support is essential following such an infection. In addition will be support of the respiratory system and even the cardio-vascular system.

Specific Remedies:
The European herbal tradition proposes a number of herbs as possible specific remedies. However, they are not dramatically effective and do not replace the need for appropriate anti-biotic treatment, rather they support it. These herbs include both anti-microbial and anti-spasmodic remedies:
Drosera rotundifolia (Sundew)
Thymus vulgaris (Thyme)
Pinguicula vulgaris (Butterbur)
Prunus serotina (Wild Cherry Bark)
Eryngium planum (Sea Holly)

One possible prescription: For Pertussis or other paroxysmal coughs:
Thymus vulgaris
Drosera rotundifolia
Prunus serotina
Pimpinella anisum --- --- --- equal parts to 100.0g
1 teaspoonful to a cup of boiling water. Infuse for 20 minutes. 1 cup several times daily. Hot infusions are valuable in that they replace lost fluids and promote diaphoresis

[DesireeH]

If I were here I would stop taking antibiotics.........

Here is some info from Janet Zand's book about pertussis:

Dietary guidelines:
-Nutrition is very important in treating pertussis. GIve your child frequent small, but nutrient dense, meals to help maintain strength fring the course of the illness.

-Encourage fluids, spring water, herbal tea, soups and diluted fruit juices. Immune boosting astragalus and vegetable soup is an excellent choice (I will type the recipe at the end)

-Avoid dairy, it thickens mucous.

-Eliminate saturated fats as much as you can. They are difficult for many to digest under normal circumstances, and are even harder when the body is under stress. They inhibit healing by contributing to a toxic internal environment.

Supplements:
-Vit C (powder) and bioflavonoids. One dose 3 times daily for at least 2-3 weeks.
-Zinc, one dose, 2x day with food up to 2 weeks
-Carotenoids help heal mucous membranes, one dose of carotene complex 2 times a day for 2-3 weeks
-Pertussis can affect the bowel so lactobaccilus is helpful. 2x daily

Herbal Treatment:
-licorice tea (warm) one dose, 3x daily for 2-3 days (not to be given to a child with high blood pressure)
-Marshmellow root soothing for throat. One dose, 3x daily for 3 days.
-Osha root is a mild cough suppressant. One dose, 2-3 times a day until better
-Slippery Elm Bark, soothing lozenge or tea. One dose, 3x day for up to 4 days.

Homeopathy:
-During early stages of pertussis give aconite 30c every 2 hours for the first 6 hours
-Antimonium tartaricum is for a child with moist rattling cough is breathless and pale. One dose 12x or 6c, 3 times a day. Do not use this if there is a fever.
-Bella Donna is the child has a fever, one dose 30x or 9c, 3 times a day for the first 24 hours.
-Drosera is for the child with a cough that is dry and wheezy. 12x or 6c, 3x day up to 4 days.
-Spongia is good for a child with a crouplike cough that complains of chest pain. 12x or 6c, 3 xdaily for up to 3 days.

Accupressure:
Pericardium 6 helps to relax the chest. (This spot is below the wrist about 2-3 inches on the palm side of the hand/arm)

Conventional treatment:
If you decide to go the dr most likely antibiotics will be prescribed. Symptoms can still last for several weeks. An infant may be given respiratory support with a mechincal ventilator. Suctioning of excess mucous. Cough medicines are of little value and not reccomended.

Recipe for immune boosting Astragalus and Vegetable Soup:

1 astragalus root strip
1 burdock root
10 cups water
1/2 teas thyme
1/2 teas sage
6 cups of veggies, cut into bite size (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery, green peppers, parsley, potatoes, squash, zucchini, string beans)
1 cup barley

-In a stainless steel pot, simmer the astragalus and burdock root in the water with the thyme and sage for 20-30 mins. Strain out herbs and use the resulting tea as broth for the soup.

-Add veggies and barley to the broth and cook. Allow to slow simmer for an hour.

[eonkear]

thank ye very much,im not sure or could somebody educate me here on this point ,my gf had the whooping cough which i believe is called "Pertussis", that was 5 years ago,she is now 21 but suffers from a severe cough as i mentioned earlier maybe twice a year,she just came back from the US & when she came back to our cold climate here in ireland it brought on a dose of the coughs,she is home 3 weeks & its only got worse,so the remedies im looking for are they the same as if i were treating the whooping cough itself or am i looking for something different altogether,does she just have a very weakened immune system which means it takes her longer to get rid of her chesty cough,

[alegna]

Another vote to get away from the antibiotics. If she's been on them a lot she probably needs some probiotics to get back the good stuff. Vitamin C in the form of Sodium Ascorbate.

good luck

-Angela