our first cold

[Guest guest]

My daughter is almost 11 months and has just come down with her first

cold. Does anyone have any advice on how to make her more comfortable?

Also, how to keep it from going into her lungs? I know they say no

cough suppressants but are decongestants ok? She's pretty stuffy and is

having a hard time sleeping and nursing. I've thought about sitting in

a steamy bathroom with her but is that putting her at risk for PA? I'd

love to hear any ideas you all have.

Thanks!

Mom to Ellie 10mo wCF and Jack 3yrs noCF

[Guest guest]

We used to use that 's baby bath with the eucalyptus in a warm bath to

help clear up Patti's stuffiness. Teatree oil in the bath works well too. In

fact all of my kids like teatree oil baths when they are sick. They call them

breathing baths. ;-) We just put two drops in a warm bath and they soak and

sniff like crazy.

Since Ellie is so young, call center and ask them which decongestant they want

you to use. Everybody's doctors have them do different things in this area. I

would also ask them for an antibiotic just so that virus doesn't take a nasty

turn and give her a secondary baterial infection.

Dawn mom of 4, 7 and under, the youngest wcf

[Guest guest]

Thanks Dawn! I'll definitely try the tea tree oil and give them a call

on Monday. Appreciate the advice.

Mom to Ellie 10mo wCF and Jack 3yrs noCF

Re: our first cold

We used to use that 's baby bath with the eucalyptus in a warm

bath to help clear up Patti's stuffiness. Teatree oil in the bath works

well too. In fact all of my kids like teatree oil baths when they are

sick. They call them breathing baths. ;-) We just put two drops in a

warm bath and they soak and sniff like crazy.

Since Ellie is so young, call center and ask them which decongestant

they want you to use. Everybody's doctors have them do different things

in this area. I would also ask them for an antibiotic just so that

virus doesn't take a nasty turn and give her a secondary baterial

infection.

Dawn mom of 4, 7 and under, the youngest wcf

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 10/11/2003 1:31:42 PM Central Daylight Time,

losterloh2@... writes:

My daughter is almost 11 months and has just come down with her first

cold. Does anyone have any advice on how to make her more comfortable?

Also, how to keep it from going into her lungs? I know they say no

cough suppressants but are decongestants ok? She's pretty stuffy and is

having a hard time sleeping and nursing. I've thought about sitting in

a steamy bathroom with her but is that putting her at risk for PA? I'd

love to hear any ideas you all have.

Thanks!

, VITAMIN C, VITAMIN C, VITAMIN C I really think this helps also cold

EZZZ will help to I don't know if your daughter can take a cough drop at 11

months but they really help. I had a cold a couple of weeks ago and I took cold

EZZZ and increase my vitamin C, I put tea tree oil in my ears that help to get

rid of the stuffiness. It was gone in 3 days. I also got lots of rest for at

least 2 of the days and I think that helps too. I hope this helps

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 10/12/2003 11:18:20 AM Central Daylight Time,

kimpayne@... writes:

For little ones who are too young to suck zinc tablets, there are

fruit flavored teddy bear-shaped lollipops that contain zinc. My

(nearly 21-year old) daughter buys these when she gets a cold because

she likes them better than sucking zinc

Kim where do you get these suckers???? I have never heard of them before!! My

girls hate the cough drops. Do they taste better? Deb A

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 10/12/2003 1:09:30 PM Central Daylight Time,

kimpayne@... writes:

Kim

OK Thanks Kim!!! Deb A

[Guest guest]

I second what Deb wrote about colds.

NEVER underestimate the power of vitamin C for anything, and kids with

CF should be getting an abundance every day even if they don't have a

cold. It's such a necessary antioxidant and it comes in so many forms

that there is no excuse for the whole family no to take it.

At first sign of cold, we bump up our vitamin C. Our usual daily dose

is 2,000 mg. daily, so with colds we bump to about 5,000 mg in divided

doses throughout the day. Rule of thumb we follow is: every time you

pee, take another vitamin C (since C is shed from the body in urine).

You might have to play around to see which type works best for you.

Last February, I caught my first hard cold in years and it hung for

nearly three weeks. I rarely catch colds and when I do, I can kill

them in three days, so I was stunned that my usual regimen didn't

work.

In hindsight, I'd switched to Ester-C, time-released vitamin C. I

guess my body either didn't like the ester-C, or the time-release type

doesn't release when my body needs it. So I'm back to using my old

version: vitamin C with citrus bioflavonoids and rosehips.

Also, there's a nasal spray on the market called Zicam. It contains

zinc, which is crucial for fast-fighting colds. I haven't tried the

Zicam, but I know an adult with CF that has tried it and says it

worked fast for her. But sticking something up my nose when I have a

cold isn't my idea of fun, and then you have to worry about cleaning

the tip and preventing backwash into the bottle or you'll just keep

recontaminating yourself.

I prefer to suck zinc tablets. You need to suck, not swallow, the

tablets for at least 20 minutes to bathe the rhinovirus at the back of

the throat. Don't suck zinc on an empty stomach or you'll find find

new levels of nausea never before experienced. First time that

happened, I thought surely I had morning sickness. It felt like a

litter of squirrels running around in my tummy.

There are a variety of flavored zinc tabs on store shelves; some come

with vitamin C, some with echinacea, or both. Echinacea is good for

boosting immune system when you're down with a cold, and it's okay to

use echinacea short-term (three weeks) but not long term or you can

rebound, depressing the immune system.

For little ones who are too young to suck zinc tablets, there are

fruit flavored teddy bear-shaped lollipops that contain zinc. My

(nearly 21-year old) daughter buys these when she gets a cold because

she likes them better than sucking zinc.

Deb also mentioned using tea tree oil in the ear for colds. This does

work for colds, sinus infections, and stuffiness -- BUT I want to

clarify that you should NEVER put drops of the oil directly into the

ear! Quite a while ago, I read a medical abstract that showed dropping

oil *directly* into the ear canal caused short-term hearing loss, with

potential for long-term loss.

However, there is an approved safe way to use oil in the ears to help

ear and sinus problems.

And a little bit goes a long way, believe me. Just put a tiny drop

each on two cotton balls and place a cotton ball in each ear (the drop

of oil should be facing inside the ear, of course). The vapors will

help kill bacteria and fungus in the ears and sinuses, and relief

nasal stuffiness. You can also do this with eucalptus oil, not just

tea tree oil.

Also, I keep homemade chicken soup stocked in the freezer so it's on

hand at first sign of a cold. I put lots of garlic (a natural

antibiotic) and onion (for flavonoids and sulfur) in the soup and a

bit of tumeric (fights inflammation). Cayenne pepper is good for

opening up congested sinues and lungs and will help clear mucus.

Kim

--- gdattig5@a... wrote:

, VITAMIN C, VITAMIN C, VITAMIN C I really think this helps

also cold EZZZ will help to I don't know if your daughter can take a

cough drop at 11 months but they really help. I had a cold a couple of

weeks ago and I took cold EZZZ and increase my vitamin C, I put tea

tree oil in my ears that help to get rid of the stuffiness. It was

gone in 3 days. I also got lots of rest for at least 2 of the days and

I think that helps too. I hope this helps

[Guest guest]

Thank you all for your advice, this really helps! I think I'll try it

all...

Re: our first cold

I second what Deb wrote about colds.

NEVER underestimate the power of vitamin C for anything, and kids with

CF should be getting an abundance every day even if they don't have a

cold. It's such a necessary antioxidant and it comes in so many forms

that there is no excuse for the whole family no to take it.

At first sign of cold, we bump up our vitamin C. Our usual daily dose

is 2,000 mg. daily, so with colds we bump to about 5,000 mg in divided

doses throughout the day. Rule of thumb we follow is: every time you

pee, take another vitamin C (since C is shed from the body in urine).

You might have to play around to see which type works best for you.

Last February, I caught my first hard cold in years and it hung for

nearly three weeks. I rarely catch colds and when I do, I can kill

them in three days, so I was stunned that my usual regimen didn't

work.

In hindsight, I'd switched to Ester-C, time-released vitamin C. I

guess my body either didn't like the ester-C, or the time-release type

doesn't release when my body needs it. So I'm back to using my old

version: vitamin C with citrus bioflavonoids and rosehips.

Also, there's a nasal spray on the market called Zicam. It contains

zinc, which is crucial for fast-fighting colds. I haven't tried the

Zicam, but I know an adult with CF that has tried it and says it

worked fast for her. But sticking something up my nose when I have a

cold isn't my idea of fun, and then you have to worry about cleaning

the tip and preventing backwash into the bottle or you'll just keep

recontaminating yourself.

I prefer to suck zinc tablets. You need to suck, not swallow, the

tablets for at least 20 minutes to bathe the rhinovirus at the back of

the throat. Don't suck zinc on an empty stomach or you'll find find

new levels of nausea never before experienced. First time that

happened, I thought surely I had morning sickness. It felt like a

litter of squirrels running around in my tummy.

There are a variety of flavored zinc tabs on store shelves; some come

with vitamin C, some with echinacea, or both. Echinacea is good for

boosting immune system when you're down with a cold, and it's okay to

use echinacea short-term (three weeks) but not long term or you can

rebound, depressing the immune system.

For little ones who are too young to suck zinc tablets, there are

fruit flavored teddy bear-shaped lollipops that contain zinc. My

(nearly 21-year old) daughter buys these when she gets a cold because

she likes them better than sucking zinc.

Deb also mentioned using tea tree oil in the ear for colds. This does

work for colds, sinus infections, and stuffiness -- BUT I want to

clarify that you should NEVER put drops of the oil directly into the

ear! Quite a while ago, I read a medical abstract that showed dropping

oil *directly* into the ear canal caused short-term hearing loss, with

potential for long-term loss.

However, there is an approved safe way to use oil in the ears to help

ear and sinus problems.

And a little bit goes a long way, believe me. Just put a tiny drop

each on two cotton balls and place a cotton ball in each ear (the drop

of oil should be facing inside the ear, of course). The vapors will

help kill bacteria and fungus in the ears and sinuses, and relief

nasal stuffiness. You can also do this with eucalptus oil, not just

tea tree oil.

Also, I keep homemade chicken soup stocked in the freezer so it's on

hand at first sign of a cold. I put lots of garlic (a natural

antibiotic) and onion (for flavonoids and sulfur) in the soup and a

bit of tumeric (fights inflammation). Cayenne pepper is good for

opening up congested sinues and lungs and will help clear mucus.

Kim

--- gdattig5@a... wrote:

, VITAMIN C, VITAMIN C, VITAMIN C I really think this helps

also cold EZZZ will help to I don't know if your daughter can take a

cough drop at 11 months but they really help. I had a cold a couple of

weeks ago and I took cold EZZZ and increase my vitamin C, I put tea

tree oil in my ears that help to get rid of the stuffiness. It was

gone in 3 days. I also got lots of rest for at least 2 of the days and

I think that helps too. I hope this helps

-------------------------------------------

The opinions and information exchanged on this list should IN NO WAY

be construed as medical advice.

PLEASE CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN BEFORE CHANGING ANY MEDICATIONS OR

TREATMENTS.

------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Deb,

You can get them just about anywhere.

Back in 2001, my daughter's boyfriend had been having some sinus

stuff going on off and on all summer but he kept putting off going to

the doctor. After fractured her skull that August, I told her

boyfriend that if he had a sinus infection and gave it to ,

then he was seriously compromising her health and she could land in

the hospital (for for good measure, I believe I threw in the

words " brain infection and death " ).

He went to the doctor the next day, sure enough, sinus infection and

he was put on antibiotics. But... was already infected, and

because her body was already stressed, her case progressed to strep

throat. ONLY gets strep throat every other May; this was her

first out-of-season case.

He felt so guilty that he bought roses and grape-flavored zinc

lollipops because she was having trouble sucking the tablets.

She said he found the lollipops at some dollar store, but I've seen

bags of them hanging up in pharmacies and places like Wal-Mart. They

come in a plastic bag, you know, like candy bags. Because they're so

appealing to kids, be sure to keep them out of kids' reach. I've seen

purple and red pops, so I guess that's grape and cherry or strawberry

or whatever.

I guess you could do a google search using keywords " zinc lollipops "

to get an idea of what to look for.

Kim

--- gdattig5@a... wrote:

Kim where do you get these suckers???? I have never heard of them

before!! My girls hate the cough drops. Do they taste better? Deb A

In a message dated 10/12/2003 11:18:20 AM Central Daylight Time,

kimpayne@c... writes:

For little ones who are too young to suck zinc tablets, there are

fruit flavored teddy bear-shaped lollipops that contain zinc. My

(nearly 21-year old) daughter buys these when she gets a cold because

she likes them better than sucking zinc

[Guest guest]

Just an FYI regarding Zicam. I've used the Zicam myself the last two winters

and had good results. I noticed at Walmart last week that Zicam now has a

version out that I think will eliminate the worry of reinfecting oneself. For

the same price as the nasal spray they have a box of single use cotton swabs

that are prepared with the same zinc solution. I'll try that this winter and

think the cotton swabs would probably be easier to use with the younger kids

than the spray.

Re: our first cold

I second what Deb wrote about colds.

NEVER underestimate the power of vitamin C for anything, and kids with

CF should be getting an abundance every day even if they don't have a

cold. It's such a necessary antioxidant and it comes in so many forms

that there is no excuse for the whole family no to take it.

At first sign of cold, we bump up our vitamin C. Our usual daily dose

is 2,000 mg. daily, so with colds we bump to about 5,000 mg in divided

doses throughout the day. Rule of thumb we follow is: every time you

pee, take another vitamin C (since C is shed from the body in urine).

You might have to play around to see which type works best for you.

Last February, I caught my first hard cold in years and it hung for

nearly three weeks. I rarely catch colds and when I do, I can kill

them in three days, so I was stunned that my usual regimen didn't

work.

In hindsight, I'd switched to Ester-C, time-released vitamin C. I

guess my body either didn't like the ester-C, or the time-release type

doesn't release when my body needs it. So I'm back to using my old

version: vitamin C with citrus bioflavonoids and rosehips.

Also, there's a nasal spray on the market called Zicam. It contains

zinc, which is crucial for fast-fighting colds. I haven't tried the

Zicam, but I know an adult with CF that has tried it and says it

worked fast for her. But sticking something up my nose when I have a

cold isn't my idea of fun, and then you have to worry about cleaning

the tip and preventing backwash into the bottle or you'll just keep

recontaminating yourself.

I prefer to suck zinc tablets. You need to suck, not swallow, the

tablets for at least 20 minutes to bathe the rhinovirus at the back of

the throat. Don't suck zinc on an empty stomach or you'll find find

new levels of nausea never before experienced. First time that

happened, I thought surely I had morning sickness. It felt like a

litter of squirrels running around in my tummy.

There are a variety of flavored zinc tabs on store shelves; some come

with vitamin C, some with echinacea, or both. Echinacea is good for

boosting immune system when you're down with a cold, and it's okay to

use echinacea short-term (three weeks) but not long term or you can

rebound, depressing the immune system.

For little ones who are too young to suck zinc tablets, there are

fruit flavored teddy bear-shaped lollipops that contain zinc. My

(nearly 21-year old) daughter buys these when she gets a cold because

she likes them better than sucking zinc.

Deb also mentioned using tea tree oil in the ear for colds. This does

work for colds, sinus infections, and stuffiness -- BUT I want to

clarify that you should NEVER put drops of the oil directly into the

ear! Quite a while ago, I read a medical abstract that showed dropping

oil *directly* into the ear canal caused short-term hearing loss, with

potential for long-term loss.

However, there is an approved safe way to use oil in the ears to help

ear and sinus problems.

And a little bit goes a long way, believe me. Just put a tiny drop

each on two cotton balls and place a cotton ball in each ear (the drop

of oil should be facing inside the ear, of course). The vapors will

help kill bacteria and fungus in the ears and sinuses, and relief

nasal stuffiness. You can also do this with eucalptus oil, not just

tea tree oil.

Also, I keep homemade chicken soup stocked in the freezer so it's on

hand at first sign of a cold. I put lots of garlic (a natural

antibiotic) and onion (for flavonoids and sulfur) in the soup and a

bit of tumeric (fights inflammation). Cayenne pepper is good for

opening up congested sinues and lungs and will help clear mucus.

Kim

--- gdattig5@a... wrote:

, VITAMIN C, VITAMIN C, VITAMIN C I really think this helps

also cold EZZZ will help to I don't know if your daughter can take a

cough drop at 11 months but they really help. I had a cold a couple of

weeks ago and I took cold EZZZ and increase my vitamin C, I put tea

tree oil in my ears that help to get rid of the stuffiness. It was

gone in 3 days. I also got lots of rest for at least 2 of the days and

I think that helps too. I hope this helps

-------------------------------------------

The opinions and information exchanged on this list should IN NO WAY

be construed as medical advice.

PLEASE CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN BEFORE CHANGING ANY MEDICATIONS OR TREATMENTS.

------------------------------------

[Guest guest]

please be cautious with zinc... it works great on colds, but don't

exceed the recommended dose per day and don't take it for more than

a few days or it can cause bleeding from the digestive tract.

> In a message dated 10/12/2003 11:18:20 AM Central Daylight Time,

> kimpayne@c... writes:

> For little ones who are too young to suck zinc tablets, there are

> fruit flavored teddy bear-shaped lollipops that contain zinc. My

> (nearly 21-year old) daughter buys these when she gets a cold

because

> she likes them better than sucking zinc

> Kim where do you get these suckers???? I have never heard of them

before!! My

> girls hate the cough drops. Do they taste better? Deb A

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Kim, Zicam has a swab system now. Each Q-tip like swab comes in it's own " vial "

with a premeasured dose of zicam. You break off the top, swab the inside of

your nose, and then throw it away. It works a lot better on little ones than

squirting gel up their nose.

Dawn mom of 4, 7 and under, the youngest wcf

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the heads up on Zicam swabs. I'll keep this in mind for

-- much more sanitary than nasal sprays. He's the Q-Tip King --

always cleaning out his hears so poking Q-Tips in his nose will be no

big deal.

Kim

--- " & Dawn Meeks " <johndawn@w...>

wrote:

> Kim, Zicam has a swab system now. Each Q-tip like swab comes in

it's own " vial " with a premeasured dose of zicam. You break off the

top, swab the inside of your nose, and then throw it away. It works a

lot better on little ones than squirting gel up their nose.

>

> Dawn mom of 4, 7 and under, the youngest wcf

>

>

>