Homeopathy for Whooping Cough
Common Homeopathic Remedies Used To Treat Whooping Cough

We urge you consult with a professional homeopath for guidance with the correct remedy and dosing for whooping cough.

Whooping cough is also known as Pertussis.  It is an infection of the respiratory system caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis (or B. pertussis). It's characterized by severe coughing spells that end in a "whooping" sound when the person breathes in. There is not always this sound at the end, so this can be confusing to parents when trying to treat at home with homeopathic remedies.

Symptoms of Whooping Cough

• The disease begins with a cold and a mild cough.

• Coughing bouts will usually then start. The coughing continues until no air is left in the lungs. Then a deep intake of breath produces a heaving 'whooping' sound when the air passes the larynx (windpipe). This gives is why the disease has this name.

• The child eventually coughs up some phlegm and these attacks may well be followed by vomiting.
• In children, their temperature is likely to remain normal.
• Whooping cough can be very distressing for both the child and the parents.
• Coughing attacks may occur up to 40 times a day and the cough can last for up to eight weeks.

Homeopathic Remedies for Whooping Cough

• Aconite best at the beginning of the disease when the cough is dry and whistling, accompanied by fever; the patient complains of a burning pain in the larynx, and sometimes points to it with the finger. The child may have been exposed to cold, dry winds right before getting ill.

• Antimonium tartaricum  The child is worse when excited or angry, or when eating; the cough culminates in vomiting of mucus and food. There is much rattling of mucus in the chest, but the expectoration is slight. Cough will be worse 10 pm until midnight and after eating and lying down. The cough will be in paroxysms and the patient will be breathless and exhausted afterwards. The effort to expel the mucus may result in vomiting. The key indictaor for this medicine is that the chest is rattly with mucus, but hardly any comes up.  The child is demanding and will be irritable and cross, and will cry when approached.  The tongue will be white and weakness will be present. If diarrhea is present with great debility and depression of vital forces, or if the child vomits its supper shortly after midnight. It also has marked aggravation form warm drinks.

• Arnica has crying before coughing because recollection or previous soreness and pain in present.

• Cina  This is an remedy in whooping cough that has the same rigidity as Ipecac, where the child stiffness out and there is a clucking sound in the esophagus when the little one comes out of the paroxysm. Grinding of the teeth during sleep will further indicate Cina. It is indicated by symptoms of worms and in children who are predisposed to them.

• Cuprum Metallicum  For whooping cough accompanied with convulsions, or when the paroxysms are long and interrupted. Spasms of the flexor muscles predominate. The cough is very violent and threatens suffocation. This remedy will come after Drosera and do good work. Coughs has tough, gelatinous mucus, there is much rattling in the chest, and the face and lips are bluish. There is relief from a swallow of cold water.  Cuprum is good in cases accompanied with spasms, clenched hands, etc.

• Corallium rubrum  For severe cases of whooping cough. Before the cough there is a smothering sensation. The child gaps and becomes black in the face.  It is a remedy for that shot, quick, ringing cough known as the "minute gun" cough. The smothering shows itself in the form of gasping, crowing inspirations. After each attack of cough the child sinks back perfectly exhausted. It is perhaps indicated in the later stages but the neurotic element must be present, and also the constriction of the chest before the attacks.

• Coccus cacti  This remedy is for paroxysms of cough with vomiting of clear, ropy mucus, extending in thick, long strings even to the floor. This is sometimes seen in children who cough and cough with this tenacious mucus stringing from mouth and nose, waving to and fro until it finally gives way. The paroxysms come on in the morning, and accompanying them there is often vomiting of a clear, ropy mucus. A useful remedy for the protracted bronchial catarrhs remaining after whooping cough. The excessive secretion of mucus is marked and causes the child to strangle. The choking is  characteristic, and so is the strangling.

• Drosera  The remedy is for cases with a barking cough in frequent paroxysms that prevent catching the breath; worse in the evening. Efforts to raise the phlegm end in retching and vomiting. The attacks are especially worse after midnight; the child holds its epigastrium while coughing. The child cries a great deal. Drosera acts better in pure, uncomplicated whooping cough. Drosera is one of the remedies praised by Hahnemann; indeed, he once said that Drosera 30C sufficed to cure nearly every case of whooping cough.

• Belladonna  In sudden violent paroxysms of whooping cough, without any expectoration, and the symptoms of cerebral congestion, Belladonna will be found useful. Epistaxis (bloody nose) may accompany and the patient is worse at night. Used mostly in the beginning of the disease or later, if there is fever.  In the beginning of the disease it use will shorten and modify the disease. The attacks terminate by sneezing. The cough is excited by a tickling in the throat, as if from down. Retching and vomiting and pain in the stomach are prominent symptoms. When Belladonna is the remedy the congestive symptoms will be present and active, the onset sudden; the child grasps at the throat and clings to its mother, and is frightened.

• Hepar Sulphur the person is worse in the evening till 12am and worse from cold, dry air. Also they are irritable, chilly and want warm wraps because they have no endurance in cold.  They may have the covers drawn round them in bed and do not want them moved. Additionally they are oversensitive to everything: touch, noise, pain and will get angry as a result.

• Ipecac Convulsive cough, where the child stiffness out and becomes blue or pale and loses its breath, great nausea and relief from vomiting are prominent symptoms for Ipecac. A "gagging cough" is a good indication for the remedy. The discharge of mucus is copious and tenacious, and the patient is very weak after the attacks. Violent shattering coughs following each other in quick succession, not permitting recovery of breath, indicate Ipecac. he child is limp and weak, and there is free perspiration.

• Mephitis This remedy is useful in a cough with a well marked laryngeal spasm, a whoop. Cough is worse at night on lying down, there is a suffocated feeling, and the child cannot exhale.  The catarrhal symptoms  are slight, but the whoop is prominent. The smothering comes on with cough, while with Corallium rubrum it comes on before the cough, and is followed by great exhaustion. There is not much expectoration with Mephitis. There are many spasmodic symptoms with this remedy, such as cramping of the legs at night.

• Kali sulphuricum is also found to be useful.

• Kali bichromicum This is a remedy cases where there is a hoarse cough; child breathes superficially and rapidly to prevent attacks of coughing. It is a coarser cough than that of Hepar, worse from eating and on inspiring deeply; there is a general catarrhal involvement of the nose, throat and frontal sinus, and the expectoration is yellow, tough and stringy, differing from that of Coccus cacti in being yellow.

• Ledum has a spasmodic racking cough, and should be thought of in connection with this affection.

• Magnesia phosphorica The remedy is used for whooping cough which begins as does common cold. The attacks are convulsive and nervous, ending in a whoop. The indications may be stated as cough in severe paroxysms, with blue or swollen and livid face, with a severe whoop.

• Naphthalin is used when the cough is very dry and catarrhal symptoms not pronounced, the paroxysms of extreme length and the constriction of the chest are present. It is a remedy that is especially suitable to whooping cough in adults.

• Pertussin is the nosode of whooping cough. A spasmodic hacking, deep-sounding, croupy cough with coryza and difficulty in getting the breath seem to be the indications.

• Sanguinaria nitrate is useful when there is hoarseness, rawness in the throat and larynx, and headache.

• Sulphur is an excellent remedy for vomiting after the paroxysmal cough.

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