Whooping Cough/Pertussis: Diagnosis & Treatments

[Joyfulmomto9]

Thank you to all of you who replied to my questions!!  Thank you Thank you!

Well an update, we do have it the 5 month old, the 18 month old, the 4 year old, the 3 year old too I think, and the 10 year old and unfortunatly I think dad has it too!!!

I am fearful that there will be a massive outbreak in our church actually it will be shocking if there's not!  My friend's baby who is only 2 months seems to be very slowly showing signs of it who was also exposed.

Also my friend who is ready to deliver #10 any day, her family most likely will come down with it!  I can think of  a minimum of 10 families that wil most likely get it!  There are 45 families in our church and most of them have had some to high level of exposure.  I think this could even attract the attention of the local health department.  Hopefully it will not be on the news as some rotten group of non vaccinating homeschoolers!  As this was probably passed to so so many people unaware.  Unless I am overrating the contagiousness of the infection.

Could you all please keep us(our church) in your prayers there has been 10 babies born in the last 6 months and it would not be good if they got it. 

Also a prayer for the family that innocently passed the pertussis, they feel so dreadful thinking of the babies who have or could contract it.

Thanks
Stacy

[4myhoonie]

my son had whooping cough when he was 6 mon old, they did not force me anywhere and I put my foot down about the antibiotics,  I did garlic, a homemade coughsyrup especially made for whooping cough, amish women swear by it,  and I also would run the shower really hot and would sit in the room holding him, helps him breath easier, I also got those patches to put on infants chests that help them not get stuffed up, He is 22 mo now and a strong healthy little bugger..................  God bless!!!  Lots of prayers!!

hi helen, i was curious if you still have the recipe for the Amish cough syrup?  we have some kind of cough and would greatly appreciate it.  thanks! 

[lewisquiverfull]

Joyful mom,
I am sorry your family has gotten this. I have been through this, and you will need all the prayers you can get. We were only one family, but the health department did make a few calls to our home.
Also, it is VERY dangerous for pregnant women to get this. Most times they will miscarry. So, please let any pregnant women know what is going around and the hazards.
If you have any questions, post me.
Melissa

[4myhoonie]

I would give all my kids garlic, apply GOOT, give Roship vit C and Bee Immune.  Also maybe the Immune booster tea.  What do you have on hand for your sick days?  The GOOT is esp good for the little ones who don't want to or can't consume vitamins.  I would apply it to my baby's feet and chest and rub it on his butt (I have been doing that for my baby's fungus on his butt.  Then all the oily spots are covered with socks, diaper and shirt.  I do the GOOT on the bottom at every diaper change and you can do it just as frequently on the feet and chest too. 
I would avoid the antibiodics.  Just be (and stay) VERY aggressive with the herbs.  I also read that elderberry is excellent (there is a thread on that).   I would like to add that to my immune cupboard since a lot of people really like it. 
Whoever will eat the garlic raw, give it to them!  Try mixing it with honey.  My 4& 6 yr olds will take it raw and take a big gulp of water every time they swallow a little piece (I chop it up). 
For the littler ones, do garlic toast.  You can also spread goot on the toast for them to consume. 

just wondering, with your kids, have you ever had a bad experience with them swallowing the garlic with honey?  i have been afraid to try it on mine, because someone else here said it was a very unpleasant experience.  is it no big deal?  or do they have anything else "happen" after taking it?  thanks for your experience! 

[mishy]

My kids usually eat 1/2 clove at a time.  The only "side effects" are from my 4 yr old who has to chew it before he swallows so he's got major garlic breath.  Other than that, just health is our main side effect.    We haven't used honey with it, but i am sure it would make it more palitable!   

[healthybratt]

just wondering, with your kids, have you ever had a bad experience with them swallowing the garlic with honey?  i have been afraid to try it on mine, because someone else here said it was a very unpleasant experience.  is it no big deal?  or do they have anything else "happen" after taking it?  thanks for your experience! 

Other than spitting it back out on his shirt and making horrible faces, nothing bad to report.  My daughter doesn't really enjoy it either but she asks for it when her nose gets stopped up, but she has to flap her hands in the air and drink water real fast after.  My little drama queen.   

[Helen]

Ok here is the recipe for the cough syrup....
  Bring to a simmer 1 quart of water
1 Lemon very thinly sliced
1/2 pint flaxseed    simmer for 4 hours DO NOT BOIL!!  strain while hot and add 2 oz honey, if there is less than a pint of mix add water to make a pint,
  dosage is 1 tbl 4 times a day, and additional dosage after each fit of coughing.

  I also made tea out of echanacia and a little bit of molasses to sweeten, he drank it right down.

[healthybratt]

Ok here is the recipe for the cough syrup....
  Bring to a simmer 1 quart of water
1 Lemon very thinly sliced
1/2 pint flaxseed    simmer for 4 hours DO NOT BOIL!!  strain while hot and add 2 oz honey, if there is less than a pint of mix add water to make a pint,
  dosage is 1 tbl 4 times a day, and additional dosage after each fit of coughing.

  I also made tea out of echanacia and a little bit of molasses to sweeten, he drank it right down.

Simmer in what?  The lemon juice?  Do you add water?  How much?

[4myhoonie]

Ok here is the recipe for the cough syrup....
  Bring to a simmer 1 quart of water
1 Lemon very thinly sliced
1/2 pint flaxseed    simmer for 4 hours DO NOT BOIL!!  strain while hot and add 2 oz honey, if there is less than a pint of mix add water to make a pint,
  dosage is 1 tbl 4 times a day, and additional dosage after each fit of coughing.

  I also made tea out of echanacia and a little bit of molasses to sweeten, he drank it right down.

thanks Helen!!    

[sarajane]

I came to this site tonight in search of information on the vaccine for this illness. I have never known anyone who had whooping cough nor heard any details of symptoms from anybody who has experienced it. I recently received a pamplet on whooping cough vaccine.

Now that my Neveah is approaching 2 years of age my thoughts are turning to vaccines again. I said that if I did any it wouldn't be until she was 2 years old and only one at a time.

I am considering the DTP vaccine first and am not sure I would consider any other. It is my understanding that it only protects (most children) and only until a certain age. Is this correct? So, if you are protected (mostly) as a child you can still get it as a teen/adult?

I have to wonder if the vaccine isn't a good idea because the only people I "hear" of getting this were not vaccinated. The symptoms almost make me want to vaccinate my upcoming baby due in April when they recommend. At the same time the potential side effects scare me as well. The thought of an infant with such an awful, miserable illness I can hardly bear.

I am really frustrated with finding information about vaccines. I feel like both sides use scare tactics and that I can't trust what I read much. I doubt my abilty to treat with herbs as I don't know much about them to be sure I could treat successfully.

I suppose I am really just looking for some opinions here. BTW, I also don't personally know anyone who has had a bad reaction to a vaccine. All my neices and nephews had them when the doctors recommend save for things like chicken pox and flu vaccines. So, basicly I think I am started to lean toward getting the vaccine. Or is it a bad idea to start such a vaccine at a late age(2yearsold)? Thoughts?

[healthyinOhio]

I suppose I am really just looking for some opinions here.

Sarajane,

You have been here a long time on WTM to know that there are plenty of opinions on vaccines in the vaccine threads.  It is either a do it or don't sorta thing, so of course you are going to find opposite side opinions.  Make an informed decision with your hubby.  That is the only other opinion I have on vaccinations. 

[lewisquiverfull]

I have to wonder if the vaccine isn't a good idea because the only people I "hear" of getting this were not vaccinated. The symptoms almost make me want to vaccinate my upcoming baby due in April when they recommend. At the same time the potential side effects scare me as well. The thought of an infant with such an awful, miserable illness I can hardly bear.

Sarajane,
Just to let you know, my 2 oldest kiddos had the dtp vaccination, and they still got Pertussis/Whooping Cough.   

[dara]

Yeah, this is the wrong thread for this, but not only have MOST of the kids I know who have gotten whooping cough been vaccinated, my cousin, who is a nurse, brought home a nursing journal from the hospital a couple years ago to show me that it clearly stated that many children who are vaccinated get pertusis in spite of vacs, though of course they encouraged the vac. anyway. Also, both my sister, and my husbands sister had seizures as babies after recieving the pertusis vac. From what I understand, it is the vac that carries the greatest chance of severe reaction while being the least effective. There is lots of info on the vaccination threads...

[sarajane]

Well, thanks for replying. That is what was really bugging me, wondering just how effective the vax is. Everyone I know has their kiddos vaxed, they don't get the illness they were vaxed for and don't have side effects so their attitude is "Well, my kids turned out fine."

[herbalmom]

I would suggest Super Strength Oreganol from North American Herb & Spice. We have used it to treat walking pneumonia so I would imagine that it would help w/Whooping Cough. I know that I recommend this a lot but it is potent & effective. Be sure to use the extra strength-it is three x's stronger so it is more cost effective. This is ess. oregano oil mixed w/olive oil. It comes in capsules & liquid. Oreganal is anti-viral, anti-fungal, & anti-bacterial so it gets to the root of illness whatever is causing it. Just so you know, because the oil is taken under the tongue & absorbed through the mouth into the bloodsteam less is needed so it costs less to use than the caps but the oil is strong tasting. The oil under the tongue might be hard to get a young child to take. If you can give under the tongue it would prevent it from being thrown up. There are other brands of oregano that are cheaper but oregano is frequently miss identified &/or sub. w/cheaper oils that can be toxic. NAH&S oregano isn't toxic & has the medical research to back it up. The web site is: www.p-73.com. Check out Dr. Cass Ingram's books  (I got them from the library) for more info about oreganal & very good info about nat. medicine & restoring health.  I keep it around all the time. It works for infections, flu, bird flu, yeast/fungal infections, ect. I don't use it for everthing but it is what I want available for serious illness. Enter oreganol into the search feature to see my other posts about oreganol for more info, the dosages I would use, etc. HTH~herbalmom

[Jessarie]

I sat next to a 2 month old in our Sunday School class a couple days ago who had pertussis diagnosed as a 1 week old.  He was in and out of Children's with it and almost died (he was born 4 weeks early as well so he's had a tough life thus far!)  My unvaccinated son (8 1/2 months) was not with us when we were near the baby, but since Sunday my husband and I have been paranoid that we'll all come down with it.  The baby's mom said her dr has given the baby a "clean bill of health" but he is still coughing and probably will be a couple more months.  Does anyone know how long whooping cough is contagious for?  I am assuming that this mom believes she can't infect anyone anymore since she had her son in public with her.

Just wondering if anyone knows.  By the way, I "played dumb" and said "Well, since he had whooping cough, he must not need to get vaccinated for it, right?" And she said, "Oh no, he got his 2 month vaccine right on schedule.  They can get it more than once, you know."  So poor baby is fighting off whooping cough and DTap vaccine. 

[KatieMac]

From what I understand, whooping cough can cause a person to have problems coughing for years after the illness is over. A dear friend of mine has four children and while they were missionaries to Mexico all of her children got it. She was living in a bus and washing everything by hand!! Anyway, they all are still very sensitive and get bad coughs in the winter even though it was about 3 years ago that they all had it.

[marymom10]

From what I understand, whooping cough can cause a person to have problems coughing for years after the illness is over. A dear friend of mine has four children and while they were missionaries to Mexico all of her children got it. She was living in a bus and washing everything by hand!! Anyway, they all are still very sensitive and get bad coughs in the winter even though it was about 3 years ago that they all had it.

Could they be coughing every winter because of something environmental that bothers them in the winter, like mold?

I think we've had whooping cough and haven't had any residual problems. 

M

[KatieMac]

I doubt it. They all had a very severe case, and I think it permanently affected their lungs.

[Jessarie]

Does anyone know how long it's contagious for?

[jeniwren]

If you're still needing an answer...
"If your child develops pertussis, keep her isolated from other children, especially infants, until at least 4 weeks after the onset of the cough, so that she will not infect susceptible children. Parents or other adults who are in contact with susceptible children should also avoid contact with an infected child." Taken from "Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child" page 419
Other research suggests 4-6 weeks.
Good luck.
We're beginning to deal with this stuff too.

[sevenfold]

http://www.seanet.com/~alexs/ascorbate/193x/ormerod-mj-etal-canadian_med_assn_j-1937-v37-n2-p134.htm

http://www.seanet.com/~alexs/ascorbate/193x/ormerod-mj-etal-canadian_med_assn_j-1937-v37-n3-p268.htm

http://www.seanet.com/~alexs/ascorbate/193x/otani-t-klin_wchnschr-1936-v15-n51-p1884-eng.htm

In all three sites, marked improvement was seen with the proper amount of Vitamin C. These are all medical studies with a lot af cases cited.

Hope this helps.

We found when our family went thru it, a tent over our son when he was 6 months old and a steaming pot with thyme helped him.

I wouldn't want to go thru it again. It took foreveer to get over. We only saw these studies on vitamin c after the pertussis was gone. Wish we knew then what we know now.

Jim
http://www.tea-tree-info.com

[mama star]

In all three sites, marked improvement was seen with the proper amount of Vitamin C. These are all medical studies with a lot af cases cited.


Jim
http://www.tea-tree-info.com

My 2 1/2 month old baby girl has Whooping cough right now going on week four and I started the Vit c therapy 5 days ago with aw some results! I will post my progress in a few days and tell exactly what I did! Lets just say she went from having attach's every 1/2 during the night to just 2 coughing spells last night! Woo Hoo! Lots of prayer and vitamin C seems to be doing the trick! Thank you Well-Tell-Me

-Cassandra

ps: this has been such a scary time! The worse part is over now praise the Lord!

[jeniwren]

I too started vit C with my family after reading the info in the links listed above. It ends up that we didn't have whooping cough, just a coincidental outbreak of horrible coughing fits. Anyway, I'd still be interested in learning how your little girl has done with the vit C treatment as there's always the possibility of becoming infected. When you have time, of course 

Thanks

[mommyjen]

just wondering, with your kids, have you ever had a bad experience with them swallowing the garlic with honey?  i have been afraid to try it on mine, because someone else here said it was a very unpleasant experience.  is it no big deal?  or do they have anything else "happen" after taking it?  thanks for your experience! 

Other than spitting it back out on his shirt and making horrible faces, nothing bad to report.  My daughter doesn't really enjoy it either but she asks for it when her nose gets stopped up, but she has to flap her hands in the air and drink water real fast after.  My little drama queen.   

I could totally picture this.  Too funny!

Well, my one word to describe whooping cough would be "trial".  Okay maybe two, "exhausting".  With our 3 kiddos, we were up many many times a night, comforting, giving shower steam treatments (till the water ran cold), and changing bedding and clothing from the kids coughing so hard they threw up.

I unknowingly managed to spread it to the east and west coast, specifically Mississippi, California, Texas, and Oregon.  Sorry! We flew to MS to visit my mom and CA to visit DH's mom.  Texas was the layover I thought the kids had bronchitis, then croup, and finally figured out it was pertussis.  We lived through it but with my 9 month old it was so scary.  Turning blue many, many times a day and coughing so hard he would vomit and poop at the same time.  Only, later did I find out the scary things, albeit rarely, that can happen to little babies who have pertussis.  I'm almost glad I didn't know at the time, but I did know instinctively, that this was serious.  We saw two doctors $$$ one in MS and one in Ca who just passed it off as bronchitis.  Turning blue? Vomitting?  Pooping? It's been an education that's for sure!

[jeniwren]

That sounds so scary! When I thought my baby had it at 4 weeks old I wanted to just sit down and feel afraid. We live with my mom, a registered nurse, and she would torment me with all the information about how bad it can be. She even found a website where you can listen to the horrible coughing (sorry, I don't know what site), but I couldn't listen. I figured that if we had it, I'd hear it soon enough. I knew we'd have to hospitalize our little guy if he got it and I couldn't even fathom how he'd come through it alive since he was already congested from a cold.
We didn't get it; but I can now, sincerely, sympathize with anyone who has it, or has come through it.
I hope that you never have to deal with it again!

[boysmama]

Just thought to post about our "trial". Thanks for all the info already posted on this thread.
 My boys have had whooping cough (pertussis) for about two weeks now. I probably wouldn't have diagnosed it as quickly had not dh mentioned that the cough sounded just like his experiences w/ whooping cough as a child. Thankfully we don't have any tiny ones right now. DH got a light "cold" for several days so I figure his immunity was getting low. He just got a natural "booster shot".  I was vaccinated 8 yrs ago and no symptoms except a sore throat which could just as well be from lack of sleep   .
Vit. C (rosehip and acerola) and elderberry tincture, both in small, frequent doses, have seemed to be the biggest help. Initially we were also using echinacea in an immune boost blend, but stopped after 10 days. Very little milk or sugar and lots of immune boosting foods... We had to go back to pull-ups to catch the leaks during episodes though. Poor guy! At first he was horrified at the "accidents".
I want to encourage all the mommies who decide not to vaccinate! In most cases I think we can get through without too much difficulty. In fact, I am kind of glad to have my kids get these while they are young and "flexible".

[KADETMmom]

This thread brings back memories   
Our oldest 3 kiddos had pertussis 10+ years ago when oldest was 3 and youngest was still a newborn.  The best thing we had to give them was Eldermint(elderberry/peppermint) from Honeycombs Industries in Colorado.  Baby generally threw up the $$$ antibiotic the doc prescribed -- but that was good, lots of phlem came up with the other   

The worst part was probably "observation for 24 hours" in isolation at the hospital with the baby     -- and getting bawled out by the co. nurse while there.

ahem.  And my friend's kiddos who'd been immunized all got it, too.  Her doc was livid with me.  Oh well; he wasn't my doc at that point thankfully.

My doc said there were lots of adults thinking they had bronchitis who were really spreading pertussis.  So much for the benefits of a vaccinated populace.

The two docs differed on opinion as to future immunity.  But, duh, I say.  If the point of vaccination is to produce antibodies, I'd say we accomplished that and then some.    {jmho   }

I learned a bit about the meaning of giving your children back to the Lord. 

Thankful to still have all of them and three more here... all very unfamiliar with Rx and doctors' offices.

~melanie

[Ruby]

I read this discussion with great interest, especially the part about vitamin C.  Does anyone know if the vitamin C would really help with pertussis as well as it sounds in the articles mentioned?  Has anyone on here used it?  We don't have pertussis currently, but I don't think we're going to get the shot for my youngest.  I've been in search of things to help, just in case it ever hit us.  Also does it have to be ascorbic acid, or any form of vitamin C?

[Wing]

One of my health books claimed that a doctor applied garlic poultices to the feet of children, kept them in place with socks overnight, and never saw the whooping cough last longer than 24 hours after the garlic was applied.