Staying healthy before & during trip?

[Lesley]

We have neither Wild Oats or Whole Foods here....but I'll look at Earthfare for the Kids Defense stuff. We've been sick 4 of the last 6 weeks....currently I'm taking echinacea like crazy...as well as C and zinc and vitamins. I do have Sambucol...which I think might be similar. I generally prefer Herbs for Kids brand echinacea and other herbal blends...like their Horehound blend for respiratory support.

If you need this sort of thing while at WDW...go to Chamberlin's off of Sand Lake Rd. We discovered oscillococcinum there...incredible flu remedy!

Now if I could ever get my 4yo to finish her juice it'd be a miracle...I swear she knows if I slip anything in it!

 

[kkcolton5]

The Kids Defense contains the following (so you can find it in your market): astragalus root, echinacea, licorice root, shiitake mushrooms, fresh yerba mansa root, & myrrh gum. I like Herbs for Kids, too! And Sambucol is incredible....elderberry is wonderful. My DH & I take it, too. Thanks for the tip on Chamberlin's....we'll definitely need to stock up on our stuff when we get there.
Have a wonderful and healthy trip!

 

[TinkerPixxie]

Hey TinkerPixxie,
We'll be there on the 18th! Yep, Kids Defense is the BEST! I just ran out to Wild Oats tonight to grab two more bottles. We're doing the "preventative" thing here....pretty much keeping the kids home (except the school-ager, but she's got an immune system that is absolutely rock-solid) and keeping up the herbs. My usual dosing for the Kids Defense is one dropper squirted into juice (about 1/2 cup) for the one-year-old, and two droppers for the 35-month-old. They drink it up, no complaints. The kicker in Kids Defense is shiitake mushrooms. They, along with other medicinal mushrooms, are a proven immune-booster (Chinese medicine has used them for thousands of years, they can't be wrong, can they?! LOL). Good luck....and see you at The World!!!

You have a great time as well And again thankyou for the information.
Tink~

 

[GRAYWIFE]

I am the hand sanitizer Queen!! I keep a bottle at my desk, one in the car and one in my purse. It may sound like overkill but it make me feel more in control.

Another thing we do to try to help stop the spread of germs in our family is to use paper towels (no more cloth) in every bathroom. I bought cool paper towel holders from Target that sit on the counter.

When my DD does get sick we use Zicam nose swabs. They are homeopathic and my daughter does not have to try to drink some poor tasting liquid. It seems to reduce the severity of her colds and the length. My husband and I use them as well. The Airborne grape I bought for my daughter is awful. The Zicam really works best for us.

have a healthy vacation!!!

 

[libba]

Hate to tell you but my pharmicist tells me the Zicam nasal swabs are fixing to be pulled from the market!!! People are losing their sense of smell ---PERMANENTLY!!!! EEEKKK!!!!

 

[bdcp]

Having raised two boys to healthy adulthood, I can tell you, some kids just get sicker than others and more often. Some catch everything that comes along, others don't. When I started first grade, my sister was at home, not in any school yet. Kids in my class would get sick and I wouldn't, but my sister would catch it from me somehow every time. She still gets sicker and more often, as do her kids than any of the rest of us.

Kids are exposed to more illnesses at school and home where there's a lot of close contact than they are in a park or in a mall or any public place touching something that someone who coughed in their hand may have touched.

The absolute best thing you can ever do is wash hands before meals. Also getting plenty of rest is important. Protecting children from every germ actually hurts them in the long run as their immunity won't be built up and they'll end up catching everything that comes along when you aren't there to protect them (like in school) since they haven't been exposed in the past.

 

[GRAYWIFE]

I had heard that on the news over a year ago and our doctor said they were safe for limited use during the first days of the cold but that so many people were using them constantly to keep from getting a cold and those people were having temporary sense of smell issues. It works for us and if it were truly harmful I would hope they would have pulled it already!!!

But thanks for the heads up!!

 

[steen995]

Well, we survived our trip! The worst that happened was my youngest (1-1/2) got diarrhea one day at Epcott. Went through two outfits but fortunately it was warm enough that I could wheel him around naked until I found him a new t-shirt. We have character pictures with him in a diaper and t-shirt I'm thinking it was probably too many french fries. We really tried to use the hand sanitizer alot and wiped down the tables with antibacterial kitchen wipes, since the baby liked to lick the tables.......

Of course the morning after our return plane ride home my youngest woke up with a fever that he had for two days. But hey, we were home already.

Also, they were totally wonderful at the baby care center. I also stopped in at the first aid center there at Epcott to see if there was anything I could give him. They were wonderful and gave me the # to a local pharmacy that takes prescriptions from out of state physicians. Since he was too young to take the Kaopectate they had on hand.

And before anyone says anything, if I had felt he was contagious I would have left he park immediately. Just too much apple juice and french fries.

 

[minkydog]

I am amazed, though not surpirsed, at how many people use herbs from the health food store. I almost never use medicine on my kids, or herbs either. Usually I just opt for time & "mother-care". I do feel more comfortable with drugs that I know have been tested and regulated. I want to KNOW what I'm giving, down to the chemical compound. How do you know what's in those things and what they are supposed to do? I mean, herbs are still chemicals in some form or the other, but they have no government regulation. How are you supposed to know that they indeed do what they claim? I've seen books touting the wonders of herbal medicine, but it's hard to find good, hard evidence of benefit, other than anecdotal entries ("we tried_______ and it always works for us" is not a scientific statement). And so many of the products marketed are really beneficial to the sellers pocketbook! Whatever happened to chicken soup, clear liquids, a humidifier and a day off from school??

Cathy--getting Curiouser and Curiouser

 

[kkcolton5]

Cathy, most herbs have been used for hundreds and some for thousands of years. Herbs are commonly dispensed by physicians in Europe. I don't trust the government to tell me what's safe! I do my research and I'm completely comfortable with herbal medicine because I've experienced it working in myself & for my family & friends. Of course, I'm not an idiot...I DO use allopathic medicine ("regular" medicine) for certain things, but what's better than chicken soup and a day off from school is prevention!!

 

[emmabelle]

We leave for Disney in eight days and both kids have come down with colds today (there 12 and 14). I'm actually glad because now they'll be healthy by the time we leave. I'm trying my own lab experiment with Airborne. My 14 yr old is taking it but my 12 yr old won't try it, so we'll see just how effective it is.

 

[bdcp]

As to herbs and other "Natural" medications, you have to be just as careful with them as "prescription" or OTC drugs. I hate to tell you, but a lot of drugs are made from natural ingredients too. The FDA usually tests for side effects for all ages. Some "herbs" that are safe for adults may not be safe for children. Just like regular OTC or prescription drugs. I wouldn't necessarily trust research done on the internet or from other sources either as they can just be one persons' or small groups opinions. At least the FDA uses labs and control groups. Also, all medications, including natural ones have side effects for someone. Aspirin is made from the bark of a tree, yet it's seen as a drug, not a natural medication. That's just one example. Too much prevention as I said earlier can also work against you as children protected from everything will have immunity to nothing and will get sicker and more often once they are exposed to illnesses in school. And a cold, whether treated or not, lasts about 7 days. You can minimize the symptoms, but not cure it.

The fact is, children do get sick and sometimes we have to alter our plans. We gave up a day in WDW on the last full day there when my oldest son was almost 6 since he had diarrhea and a fever. Taking him out wouldn't have been fair to anyone. Oh well, that's life. A percentage of kids are going to get sick everyday and sometimes it happens to fall during your vacation.

 

[minkydog]

As a triage nurse I talk to parents nearly every day whose children have come down sick while on vacation. It always surprises and slightly horrifies me that the parents get so upset and adamant that "something be done to get rid of this." Here's a News Flash: Kids get sick, whether they are at home or at Disney. Sometimes there is nothing you can do but stop and re-group for a few hours or a few days. While it is unfortunate if the child is suffering a painful ear infection or comes down with chicken pox, those things happen. It's a short-lived inconvenience, not leukemia.

When we go on vacation I pack our medicine box with something for fever/pain, something for allergy, something for cough, bandaids and a thermometer. You can deal with about 90% of the illnesses children will have with just those few things. Everything else probably needs to go to Urgent
Care.

Cathy

 

[crazymomof4]

I agree that you have to be just as careful with "Natural" remedies as you are with OTC or prescription meds. That being said, here is my advice bourne out of both education (I'm an RN) and 16 years of mothering.

Any doctor will tell you that OTC and even prescription meds for colds (and other illnesses caused by viruses) only cover up the symptoms once you are already sick. They don't do anything to prevent sickness and they don't help get you better once you are sick. I opt for prevention and helping your own body's natural defenses get rid of the "bug" (virus or bacteria).

My family uses Echinecea at the first sign of illness. My teens take the adult caps. For my DD4 and DS8 I use the children's drops that I found at the health food store. I only use it for sickness not on a regular basis.

Also, vitamin C through the winter months especially. There are many brands specifically made for kids. Some are in a gummy candy like form. Look for one with bioflavanoids.

Also, at the VERY FIRST sign of illness we pop 4-8 tiny oscillococcinum pellets under our tongue. This homeopathic med is widely used in Europe. It boost your immune system so it can fight off infection. It's sweet so I have no problem getting my kids to take it. I can't tell you how many times my children have said, "My throat feels scratchy" and I gave them this once or twice and it's gone....never developed into an illness.

 

[mulanrouge]

Not sure if they have it in the States (I am from Canada), it would only be good for adults, but I swear by Cold FX. It is a capsule that you take 3 - 3 times the first day, 2 - 3 times the second day, and on the 3rd day you take 1 tablet - 3 times. I usually only have to take it for the first day and I am cured. It has "saved" me from a miserable cold on more than one occasion. Please note: Only adults can take it (or the bottle says 12 and over)!!

 

[seashoreCM]

Time to get rid of the communal towel that hangs on the refrigerator handle or the bathroom door. Each person should have his own towel, or use paper towels.

(Does not work for children or on airplanes) I am told that your chances of catching a cold are greatly reduced if you stand up and keep a distance of something like 38 inches when talking to somebody. If that person moves closer, back off, repeatedly, indefinitely if needed. <small>Don't give in on this one.</small>

Persons with a cold also tend to sweat more as well as feel tired more quickly. If your child is sick at WDW and is sluggish, slow down and let him choose the family's walking speed.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

Last trip: Jan '05, Pop Century
__________________________

<small>When you reach someone's voice mail are you often guilty of sending an empty envelope?</small>

 

[Buttercup26]

Best tips for reducing illness on vacation:
REST - don't overdo it, lack of sleep lowers your body's natural defense to illness
WASH HANDS - sing Happy Birthday while washing to be sure of a good wash
PAPERTOWELS - sharing towels shares germs too
HAND SANITIZER - use often, especially before eating
BOTTLED WATER - the different water often upsests childrens digestive systems
LYSOL WIPES - use everywhere, hotel room, counters, bathrooms, etc...