The safe way to suppress a cough Q: Now that children's cold medicines are considered dangerous, is there anything I can give my son that's safe and will help alleviate his cough so that he (and I) can get some sleep? Dr. Wright: Finding the cause of a cough and dealing with it is "job No.1." Suppressing a cough without working to eliminate whatever caused it is counter-productive, and will likely worsen the underlying problem. But sometimes that can take awhile, and in the meantime, there's nothing wrong with making your son more comfortable, or helping him sleep and not "spread the illness" by coughing all over the rest of the family. According to my patients and my own experience with it, a homeopathic remedy called Mucolytic Drainage Formula is the best natural cough suppressant available. It bypasses all of the negative effects of those over-the-counter and prescription cold medicines. In fact, when I used it, I didn't experience any side effects at all: No daytime drowsiness, no "medicine head" feeling like you get from dextromethorphan or codeine, nothing. And many of my clients have given it to their children with no reports of side effects or the problems associated with the over-the-counter cold "remedies" that made headlines this fall. This formula is available at many natural food stores and compounding pharmacies, and just 1 teaspoonful (sometimes less for small children) every three to four hours as needed helps quiet a cough better than anything I've seen. | 
