Is Mucinex bad? - Page 2

[TabbyK]

When DS had bronchitis we had good luck with otc cough syrup. However the NP did recommend Mucinex as well. If his coughing sounds like a seal's bark, then it might be bronchitis and you may want to get him into the dr for it.

K.

[Jane]

I do think that mucinex is a better therapy than the "drying" medications often found in "combo" cold and flu products. Drying the snot up into concrete in the broncial tubes and sinuses is not helpful to those prone to infections or those with asthma that already have trouble getting the bronchials to clear out.

[USAmma]

Originally Posted by Apricot

I do think that mucinex is a better therapy than the "drying" medications often found in "combo" cold and flu products. Drying the snot up into concrete in the broncial tubes and sinuses is not helpful to those prone to infections or those with asthma that already have trouble getting the bronchials to clear out.

Yep. We all stay away from Benedryl etc. when we are sick or it's a sure thing that someone is going to come down with bronchitis or an ear infection. Gotta keep those fluids and gunk loose and get them out. The drying meds turn them into glue-like stuff that is a breeding ground for bacteria.

I've had some relief with a cherry bark tincture. It works really well for dry coughs or scratchy throats.

[Jane]

Oh yeah, lots of fluids. I read a really cool website from a sinus doc a while ago. He talks about how sinuses and other hollow places in the body, like the vagina, don't get any blood flow to the interior space. The only way to get good things like white blood cells or antibiotics from the blood stream to the space is through secretions, so drinking lots and lots of water is actually an inportant part of the therapy - even if you're to the point of taking antibiotics.
My coworker and friend had such bad headaches he had to leave work and couldn't come back for days. His docs though he might have a brain tumor, but no, he just had a walled off infection in his sinuses. He had to have invasive therapy to get it to heal. He's become an evangelical for drinking water.

[ColoradoMama]

TigerTail - seriously, try the Loquat syrup. My ds used to have (I'm being optimistic - he's getting so much stronger) serious issues with coughing - he was hospitalized once for bad pneumonia. I haven't found anything better than the Loquat syrup. It has all these herbal - natural ingredients. It doesn't make the cough stop, but it helps tremendously and instead of masking symptoms for a while - it helps the body heal from them. That stuff is awesome. I had to go downtown to buy some, and I was expecting to pay an outrageous amount for it. I couldn't believe it - it was cheap, too.

[Jane]

ColoradoMoma, talking about syrup reminded me of another remedy - sugar cubes. Sugar, real sugar, can stop coughs. Butterscotch drops, or a sucker, or sugar cubes are proven to offer some cough relief. For most kids, that wouldn't have many side effects, and it's cheap. You could even have fun making candy today.

[patty_g]

A recently discovered remedy in our household for my son's cough. (He will cough nonstop for an hour )

Take some leaves from a Guava tree and boil it in some water with grated ginger (to taste). Strain, add honey to water, and drink. It's yummy and it REALLY worked when nothing else had. It usually lasts for about 8 hours.

http://www.rain-tree.com/guava.htm

http://www.drugs.com/npp/guava.html

http://www.stuartxchange.org/Bayabas.html

http://www.jpsfc.com/kaisi-jsfc/PDF/8/8-1-2.pdf

[TigerTail]

I don't have a Chinese herbalist nearby (I might be able to find it at the Int mkt, I'll see if my dd will look for it); but what's the list of stuff in it? I mean, is it the loquat fruit itself that's the magic ingredient? Or some other herbs & the loquat is just the tasty syrup? (In case we can find a tea with whatever herbs & not the syrup.)

I miss my loquat trees.

[Meiri]

Since my coughs tend to be of the "get the gunk out of the tubes" variety, I've found Musinex (which is plain guaifenisin in adult dosages) to be very useful. You must must must drink plenty of water and other fluids for it to really work though. If I've got a dry cough, I don't bother with it. And no, just drinking lots of water does not do the same job as the Musinex and water. I wish it did.

Guaifenesin is not a cough suppressent. If one of us needs to cough, the last thing we want is to suppress said cough. OTOH, when a cough is keeping Mom or anyone from sleeping at all, I can see the wisdom of a suppressant med in the evening.

Other ways I've treated a coughing child: run the shower with just hot water (the pure humidity has a loosening effect on the gunk, and a moistening effect on dry passages); sitting outside in cold weather wrapped well in coats and blankets(the cold air has a loosening effect on the excess mucous). Lots of fluids helps too.

[TigerTail]

Doh! It's an expectorant of course, that's what I meant (exhaustion & illness).

[Meiri]

[ColoradoMama]

Originally Posted by TigerTail

I don't have a Chinese herbalist nearby (I might be able to find it at the Int mkt, I'll see if my dd will look for it); but what's the list of stuff in it? I mean, is it the loquat fruit itself that's the magic ingredient? Or some other herbs & the loquat is just the tasty syrup? (In case we can find a tea with whatever herbs & not the syrup.)

I miss my loquat trees.

Here's what it says on the bottle: Active: Elm Bark 650 mg per teaspoon. In a Sucrose Syrup and Honey base of herbal extracts consisiting of: loquat leaf, fritillary, balloon flower root, snakegourd seed, sand root, senega root, tuckahoe, licorice root, ginger root, five flavored seed and peppermint.

Sorry, I forgot to check back on this thread.

[TigerTail]

Cool! Thank you.

Yeah, the slippery elm tea from Trad Meds is really helpful on a raw throat. (What would that be, a demulcent? I'm talking out of my butt, it just sounds vaguely familiar.)