I'm not a big believer in OTC cold meds generally - I just don't think they do any good

This was totally the case for Ellie - seemed so worthless. I used to give her decongestant (not sure if that is still available or not) when she got colds after about 6 months because my MD SIL said it would help avoid ear infections. I don't know if it did although Ellie has only had one since her first one at 5 months.

Speaking of sick kids, Ellie has a runny nose. No big deal, really, except that we are getting on a plane and it's currently -2 at our destination and I just know that the minute we land, it will turn into a sinus infection/ear infection/something.

Thanks Jessica - and I hope you all can get some rest tonight -

The trouble is, as Cashmere pointed out, some things work for some kids and not for others. This 'fix' is one-size-fits-all. I'm so glad for you that you were able to get the medicine for the earache fast.

The rest is white fonted for rant-factor For us, not having any way to ease her pain and allow her to breathe through the mucus, coughing (secondary because she was swallowing so much mucus), ear infection (which really pings me because my sister lost part of her hearing to childhood ear infections - and a delay in meds is even more concerning), and more mucus, plus fever, was absolutely a horrible couple of nights earlier this year.

As many are doing, we tried to follow the new guidelines. We want to be good parents, according to whatever the standard is this year. We tried honey, steam, all of it. When we finally got through to someone on the 24-hour pediatrics hotline hours later, and told her what was happening, they were wonderfully supportive in the fact that there are lots of different experiences out there and that we should in fact give her the tylenol cold if we had it - which we did, we just weren't feeling like it was safe to use it given all of the media coverage. they were amazed that we hadn't used it.

People can get after me for not continuing with the natural cures. She's got allergies, a penchant for massive colds, and sinus issues. When she gets sick, it is a huge event. I'm going to try to continue to give her what works for her.

I swear, the combination of "sick" with "my kid" makes it just so horrible.

Sox, you totally have to go with what works when you have a miserably sick kid. And the guidelines really are just that -- guidelines. The OTC meds aren't harmful UNLESS they're given in the wrong dosage, and that's true of any medication.

I try never to give the kids anything unless they're really miserable, or definitely infected, including antibiotics. But when you've got a kid who can't breathe and can't sleep, I'm willing to make sure I dose her properly so she's more comfortable.

That said, natural cures are awesome! We've simply never used many of them because ... well, my mom never did, so I didn't know what they were. And with Jake, now 16, baby- and toddlerhood was pre-Internet for us.

Sox, you totally have to go with what works when you have a miserably sick kid. And the guidelines really are just that -- guidelines. The OTC meds aren't harmful UNLESS they're given in the wrong dosage, and that's true of any medication.

Absolutely. And I really hope my comment above didn't come across as judgy - I think everyone knows their own kid best and should do what works for them.

Personally, I think the most important thing is for people to be educated about what individual cold meds actually do, so you can treat the symptoms that are actually bothering you. (Since most combination-type meds -- Tylenol Cold, Nyquil -- don't have enough of any one thing in them to be effective unless you dangerously exceed the recommended dosages. And that's without taking into account the fact that they've got ingredients working at cross-purposes which cancel each other out until the only really active ingredient is the alcohol or stimulant, in which case you may as well just self-medicate with whiskey. Or coffee, depending on what time of day it is.) For me, it's not a natural-vs-synthetic argument, it's a what-works-vs-what's-a-waste-of-money argument. And that's going to vary tremendously from person to person.

Major 11am permanent job ~ma going out to Vortex. May the gig be just what you want and may you be just what THEY want!

Not judgy at all, Jess.

My doctor gave me prescription guaifenesin at one point for a sinus infection, and I like it much better than the combo OTC that has some of that, and some of something else, plus acetominophen, blah blah.

Totally (partly?) off-topic, but sometimes I miss St. Joseph's baby aspirin. Just the smell of them used to make me feel better, and now they're totally off-limits for kids. Which still seems weird to me -- I never read what the actual stats on Reye's syndrome were, but every kid I know took it when I was young.

Fuck 'em. Mal gets Children's Sudafed, because Tylenol Cold, now that it doesn't contain pseudoephidrine, is useless. If I knew a meth lab, I would go there to buy pseudoephedrine, but as it is, I hoard the stuff.

When he was Dylan's age, only the syringe worked. Now he drinks the medicine from the little cup cap. This is where I worry - if he got access to the meds, he'd overdose himself. So I am OCD about having them up and away.

(touch wood) I think we've weathered the brunt of the new-country, new-daycare germ festival. He's congested now, but not worth medicating.

And really, since he's convinced that sharks get into the house while he's asleep, he doesn't need drugs.

There was a study recently that showed that honey was as effective a cough remedy as any OTC cough syrup out there.

Sponsored by the Honey Board, though. However, as a lifetime self-medicator with honey and lemon (and once when desperate, whiskey), it does work.

My admittedly horrible father's solution for my childhood cough was a Wild Turkey and Nyquil cocktail...until I passed out. Thank god for whatever regenerative powers kept me from succumbing to that combo.

I'm intrigued by the honey for coughs finding because during my recent mono phase, I found Robutussin's Honey Cough to be the ONLY medication OTC or narcotic that actually worked. Extra added bonus that it did not make me feel worse than the actual cough, which most medicines do.

Thankfully, the current ick has featured only ook with very little coughing.

And really, since he's convinced that sharks get into the house while he's asleep, he doesn't need drugs.

squudges Mal and Raq.

my mom did the homeopathic remedies with us as kids. I was amazed at how well sudafed worked, when I was old enough to have a job and buy some for myself.

You didn't sound judgemental - it is something that throws me into a mild panic. Because of the advisory, all the meds were pulled from the shelves. So we're hoarders.

I don't give her anything unless she's really sick. I would love for that never to happen.