Up in the night with coughs? Don't reach for the children's cough syrups.

A study published in Pediatrics proves they have no effect on children's coughs, their sleep, or the quality of parents' sleep.

One of the ingredients of typical cough syrups, dextromethorphan (DM), caused insomnia, and the other ingredient, dyphenhydramine (DPH), caused drowsiness in the children enrolled in this study. Other studies have shown similar results, and this one should put the lid on these suppressive and toxic drugs.

Although these drugs can be purchased over-the-counter they are not benign. According to citations quoted in this study DM can cause dependence, psychosis, mania, hallucinations, diabetes, and death. DPH can cause dependence, nervousness, psychosis, seizures, and death.

Here are some simple, safe cough treatments:

Chinese herbal formulas containing fritillary, perilla, and loquat work gently and effectively.

Homeopathic medicines for cough can be found in any good home prescribing book. They include:

• Bryonia for dry coughs with thirst, cough worse from motion.
• Kali-bichromicum for coughs caused by postnasal drainage into the throat, with thick green nasal discharge or expectoration from the throat.
• Kali-carbonicum for coughs worse at 2 or 3 AM, better sitting up
• Rumex crispus paroxysms of coughing, difficult to stop, worse from lying down, cold air, deep breathing, and laughing
• Coccus cacti for coughs worse in a warm room and in the morning
• Ipecac coughs are loose, with phlegm in the chest, accompanied by nausea
• Antimonium tartaricum coughs are serious chest colds with accumulation of fluids in the chest and the onset of pneumonia

Whooping cough will require the prescribing abilities of a trained homeopath.

Reference:

Paul, IA, et al. Effect of dextromethorphan, diphenhydramine, and placebo on nocturnal cough and sleep quality for coughing children and their parents. Pediatrics 2004; 114 (July):e85-e90.