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Natural Cough Remedies

Ginger, thyme or honey offer natural approaches to calming a cough.

Q. My husband is getting over a nasty cold, but he is still coughing non-stop. The cough syrup we had on hand isn’t working.

What can you suggest? We are desperate for advice.

A. Readers sometimes report disappointment with dextromethorphan-based cough medicines.

Although approved by the FDA for OTC use against coughs, this compound is no better than placebo for children (Pediatrics, July 1, 2004). Perhaps some adults don’t get great results either.

We are partial to thyme in tea or chicken soup against a nagging cough.

The Guide to Colds, Coughs and the Flu that we are sending you contains details on how to make thyme and ginger tea as well as use natural products for coughs and colds.

For children over a year old, there is evidence that honey works better than placebo to calm a nighttime cough that is keeping the entire family awake.

 

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About the Author
Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist who has dedicated his career to making drug information understandable to consumers. His best-selling book, The People’s Pharmacy, was published in 1976 and led to a syndicated newspaper column, syndicated public radio show and web site. In 2006, Long Island University awarded him an honorary doctorate as “one of the country's leading drug experts for the consumer.”.
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