Comments on: Recalled Children’s Cold Medicine and Old Fashioned Child Cold Remedies

By: Dad In Kentucky

Dad In Kentucky — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 08:24:08 +0000

I have to agree and disagree with the natural remedies. If your child has allergies, and you use honey, you could potentially make them worse instead of better. Since honey is made from the pollen of plants, you should only get honey that is made locally, and be sure of your childs allergies to the pollens close to home. Also, I saw you mention Vapo-Rub. If your child is congested, that remedy could possibly make them WORSE rather than better. The menthol in the rub opens the lungs, which makes breathing easier, but, it also makes it easier for the congestion to be pulled further into the lungs. Which could result in Pneumonia. I give my children Tylenol for the aches and pains, because frankly, no matter how much sleep I have gotten, I would rather my children be pain free, and able to rest, rather than tossing and turning crying from the pain. You have to remember that children have a lower pain tolerance than adults, and just because you can handle a sinus headache, doesn’t mean that your child can. As far as congestion, and coughing go, I can suggest the Mucinex Children’s Melt Aways, and a Warm wash cloth, or heating pad. Just make sure that the heating pad is on LOW, and shouldn’t be used in children with fever, or under with children under 2. The heat will break up the congestion, and the Mucinex, while controlling the cough, makes them more productive, therefore making it easier for them to get the congestion out. As for the sore throat, maybe a pop cicle would help to ease the pain, if not temporarily enough for them to get some rest. The best advice is this. Take your child to the doctor, discuss different avenues of treatment with them. They are the ones that have had training in the field of medicine, and know which treatments will work better for your little one.

By: mother of 4

mother of 4 — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 05:26:30 +0000

wowsers. I cannot believe some of the things said on here first of all do you have children? Do you even know what it is like to hear your child cough for 4 hours straight!!!!!!!!!!!! yes 4 hours straight with no help but neb treatments that don’t do anything. Oh and please do not call all Americans morons I have 4 children and my youngest one is the only one I have had to let suffer because some parents cannot read a label or call a doctor to get dosing advice also do not say drug your children what are you talking about if you use it properly it helps to relieve symptoms not cure the cold I think that most smart parents know this. I wish they would put it back on the shelves maybe they should put it behind the pharm counter so you have to ask for and give information about your child before you can purchase and use it. Just a thought.

By: LAURIE

LAURIE — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 11:45:48 +0000

I PERSONALLY THINK THAT THEY SHOULD GO BACK TO THE OLDFASHION WAY WITH HOMEMADE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP , KEEP THE HOUSE NICE AND CURL YOUR KIDS UP ON THE COUCH WITH A BIG BLACKET AND LOTS OF LOVE TELL YOUR HUSBAND HE LOST THE REMOTE UNTIL YOUR BABIES ARE BETTER. I DON’T NO EVERYTHING I AM ONLY 35 BUT YOU GET THE FEED BACK FROM MOTHERS AND DON’T FORGET THE MOTHER IN LAWS, I HONESTLY DON’T LIKE SOME OF THE MEDICINE IF YOU CAN DO WITH OUT AND GET EVERYONE BETTER THEN DO IT.

By: Nebby

Nebby — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 02:19:29 +0000

Alright, I succombed to the name calling myself, must be contagious And no, not drugging my youngest unnecessarily, actually only gave her 2 smaller than recommended doses, each 24h apart, and she got enough rest each time to be cheerful most of the next day.

By: Nebby

Nebby — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 01:39:15 +0000

Wow, bunch of name calling idiots come here or what? Almost every death associated with otc medicine is because of improper dosage by the parents.

This page is for otc medicine recall for kids under the age of 2 so how useful are you with your Homeopathic or herbal remedies meant for older kids? My youngest is 4 months old with a bad cold right now, doctors can’t do anything for her unless it gets worse…We don’t want it to get worse of course so she needs care and crying all night cuz she’s suffering certainly doesn’t help to soothe her throat or get rest and everyone should know that rest is one of the best remedy when you are sick. If we drug her, as you say, it’s not for OUR peace but for HERS! We spend all night watching over her while she sleeps because having a sick baby is so scary so I definitely do not get more rest because my baby has taken pain medicine. But at least she gets needed rest and wakes up happy and feeling stronger!

I’m glad to live in Canada where this otc medicine is still available unlike for you american morons.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 04:40:00 +0000

with ALL the name calling I never heard one person tell me what will work BEST for my little persons terrible cold cough and congestion symptoms.
Will anyone leave some comments posting things that work.
Theres no real good info sites on the web anymore because of trolls who come to fight and the people who feed them so that in blogs like these so little info really gets shared that is helpful. thanks

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 04:46:00 +0000

This article is great.

It recommends Homeopathic and herbal remedies while discounting established OTC medicines.

Homeopathic and herbal remedies, by law, are not required to be proven safe and effective.

Sound familiar?

The herbalists are eager to lynch the OTC people while they themselves also cannot and do not have to prove their medicines safe and effective.

OTCs are proven and effective in adults and safe when the directions are followed.

Even herbs and Homeopathic remedies come with directions, so directions apparently are a good thing.

All that remains is some manner of testing for children.

My kids take this stuff, so they can sleep, so they can clear out and/ or cough out the gunk inside, or so they don't have to ..., etc.

They experience symptom relief.

Thank you trial lawyers, for protecting those who do not use OTC meds as directed no matter how much rest of us might suffer.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 20:08:00 +0000

we give our children the medicine to give them some relief, not for any other reason, it is horrible to watch a child suffer in pain, its the idiot moron parents who dont give a damn about their kids who dosed them wrong.I would rather die than watch my child suffer, it is the worst thing in the world, and we all know it is not a CURE, it is releif, for these poor little babies who are sick, so all of you idiots, your probalythe morons who dont know how to measure out meds and live on welfare with 5 kids from 8 different dads, and could care less if your kid suffers cause you only have kids to trap a man or get more welfare and could care less about the children, all you women with 4-5-6 kids from different men, STOP YOUR THE ONES WHO DONT CARE AND PROBALY KILLED KIDS FROM MISS DOSING.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 18:15:00 +0000

I agree with anonymous and feel sorry for the children of that angry namecalling abusive parent Grey. Adults can get so much nasal pain, headaches or severe symptoms from colds that they need medication to relieve it. Kids cannot describe their symptoms or cold hearted parents like Grey dont believe them and let them suffer. Medications can provide relief of symptoms that make life tolerable for all of us and to deny them to children is abusive.

By: An Experienced Mom

An Experienced Mom — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 07:24:00 +0000

Something to consider… Vicks vaporub should not be used on infants, or any child with a breathing disorder(i.e. asthma)
It causes chest congestion to become worse, and makes pneumonia more likely.
There is a product called Vicks babyrub that can safely be used. It does not contain the menthol or eucalyptus, but it does seem to help.

By: realistic

realistic — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 15:02:00 +0000

Do any of you people use OTC medicine to make yourself FEEL better when you’re sick? This isn’t about curing your child or making them sleep all day and night. It’s about giving them something so they don’t feel so terrible. This is the 21’st century not the Dark ages.

By: TEB

TEB — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 03:02:00 +0000

This is irresponsible for mentioning honey as a possible remedy for kids under two. No child one year old or younger should have honey, because it can cause rare yet deadly botulism poisoning. Boiling doesn’t eliminate this risk. The vague yet all-encompassing disclaimer doesn’t quite cut it.

By: Kyriana

Kyriana — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 17:16:00 +0000

I agree that this is dumb because a few (considering the population of the world) people cannot properly dose their child.
Don’t get me wrong, I have been using homeopathic remedies for awhile now. Right now my daughter has a cold with a nasty cough that keeps her awake at night. I treat with herbs and essential oils during the day and right before school, but at night I give her a cough suppressant so she can sleep and go to school the next day.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 00:54:00 +0000

You are all name calling and treating this person as if they have committed a crime. A child needs their sleep in order to maintain a healthy immune system. I am not saying that drugging your child so they will sleep for hours on end is the answer, but I was told by my doctor that they would not do anything for my child until she gets worse! How bad does she have to get? I think a dose of cold medicine would be better than waiting until she gets Pneumonia, but what do I know, I am just her mother. I have rubbed Vicks on her every night, humidified her room, everything I can think of with no help. And like many others I will follow my doctors advice and do nothing but that!

I do not want to “drug”(as you all are refering to it as) her to stop her from complaining but I do want her to feel better. I know what it is like to feel like you can’t breath and I can rock her all night long but that is not going to take that feeling away. If parents can’t follow the dosage directions, then those are the parents that shouldn’t be allowed to give the medication to their child. Not those of us that use it sparingly and only when necessary to make our children(not ourselves) feel better! BTW~ I take the honey and lemon remedy myself but when your child can’t have honey then what are we to do? Gargling with salt water also helps, but she can’t gargle yet either.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 03:36:00 +0000

Anonymous you should be ashamed of yourself! Children are a wonderful gift and must be handled with care. Sometimes medical attention is necessary but to give a drug so that you can have peace is a sad shame on your part. There is always an alternative to an OTC. YOU, just have to look for it. Here’s one that is so simple. For a nasty cough that won’t let your little one sleep. Mix honey, salt, and lemon juice together. Warm it and give them some a couple of times a night to relive the cough. CHILDREN UNDER 2 SHOULD NOT HAVE HONEY. CALL A HOMEPATHIC DOCTOR FOR A REMEDY. Actually try to help your little one versus harming them!!!!!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 12:29:00 +0000

Grey you said it all. Colds are caused by over 100 different viruses. Therefore, nothing is going to work except measures to boost the immune response. With the exception of Motrin to break a fever and pediatrician prescribed antibiotics, I have never given my child those cold are strictly for parents who aren’t equipped to take care of their child with patience. They’re products of convenience. Tropicana used to market an orange juice rich in immune boosting vitamins and minerals such as vitamin E, Selenium, etc. I swore by that stuff. It’s a shame they don’t make it anymore. Newsflash: Did it ever occur to you ‘nuclear moms’ that old fashioned remedies are the reason why people are able to get…I don’t know…OLD!!
-fellow parent and clinical scientist

By: Grey

Grey — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 06:32:00 +0000

Anonymous you’re an idiot. When your child gets sick you drug them until they stop complaining and keep them drugged until their body has fought off the sickness. If you think ANY of the OTC cold medicines actually help them get better you are just plain STUPID. They mask the symptoms. That is all. Sure, they help your child sleep better, but is that really for your child? Or is it for you? The point is, these otc drugs for children TWO YEARS YOUNG or under are not safe and are made worse by the fact that they have different dosage mechanisms. Some use droppers, some use caps, some use teaspoons… The lack of standards and oversights have resulted in DEATH. That’s right, DEATH. So if you think this is all just a big over reaction then go ahead drugging your poor little boy so YOU (you’re not fooling anyone here. We’re all parents) can get a better night’s sleep then go ahead. But don’t say that using old-fashioned remedies is “stupid” just because they aren’t as easy as shoving a drop full of Robotussen down a kids’ throat.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 02:54:00 +0000

This is the stupidest idea, I’ve ever heard of. When my little boy gets sick, a dose of Tylenol Cold would help him sleep through the night. Sleep is the best thing for a cold. Now he’ll scream for 5 days, while the cold takes it’s course, because “kids get sick that’s just a fact of life”. Well people who eat too much fastfood will have a heart attack. Should we stop treating them.