Thank You Hyland's!!!

Not too long after Shannon was born we were recommended a product thanks to another mom-friend. Shannon was having a terrible time with teething, and it was beginning to really make us all quite miserable. Doctor's recommended rubbing Benadryl on his gums and giving him tylenol ~ two things we did, but we didn't like giving someone so young so much medicine. The Benadryl seemed especially wrong since we were using it to numb gums and that is never listed as an "intended use" for it! She recommended "Hyland's Teething Tablets" (http://hylands.com/products/teething.php). We found them at Walgreen's and were AMAZED with the results. They're all natural, without contraindications, and dissolve instantly in a baby's mouth. They have been a staple in our house for many years, as we went through all the stages of teething with both kids, and we've recommended them to any and every parent we can get to listen to us.
So, it was to our great pleasure when we found out Hyland's makes products other than just teething tablets. WOO HOO!!! We hate doping up our kids with medicines, not knowing what is in them, not feeling truly safe with the long-term effects those ingredients could have, not knowing where they come from, and so on. I wanted to try all-natural remedies, but was leary about the price and effectiveness of them. I wanted the security and trust that comes along with another parent gushing to you "You've GOT to try this!!!"
It was thanks to an email that sent me to www.MotherNature.com where I began looking at children's cold medicines. I liked that they had reviews and ratings posted on there. They may not be from people I know, but it's more than you get when you're standing in front of a shelf filled with hundreds of options and kids losing patience while just sitting in the cart.
The product I decided on was Hyland's Cold Tablets with Zinc (http://hylands.com/products/coldtabs.php). They were good to use on both adults and kids ~ meaning I don't have to buy double the products. They were rated with 5 stars and those comforting, gushing comments. I wouldn't have to wait long to try them. Pretty much as soon as they came in the mail, Tristan (our 2 1/2 year old) caught a cold.
Tristan, unlike his big brother, HATES taking medicine. He will turn shades of red and purple while he hold his head still and try to shove liquid medicine down his throat, blow on his nose to make him swallow (a trick I learned from having to give dogs pills and that I am not certain I feel proud of using on my kid ~ but you do what you gotta do sometimes!), and then spit half of it all out, sputtering out a screaming howl, all the while looking at us like we've betrayed his trust. If you're a parent you know the torture of this moment: wanting to make your child feel better but feeling like you've just beaten him in the process.
We were hopeful with the cold pills. Tristan and Shannon both love the teething tablets. So much so that we have to keep them up in very high places, out of reach, or Shannon will eat the whole bottle (don't worry, I've found out they can't OD on them, another VERY wonderful added bonus and sigh of relief!)!! The cold pills were slightly bigger than the teething tablets, but no bigger than what I remember Children's Chewable Tylenol being. We gave Tristan one cold pill. He happily ate it right down, no fighting, no blowing on his nose, no tears, no betrayel, no torture!!! HUGE sigh of relief!
These things worked LIKE A CHARM!!! Oh wow! We coupled him taking this with some "Just for Kids, Organic Cold Care ~ Winter Season Tea" from Traditional Medicines (I bought this at my local supermarket, very easy to find). http://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/just_for_kids_teas/product/10
We let him sip on the tea, and gave him the one pill roughly every 4 hours. Within a couple days he was back to normal and the cold never progressed from beyond just the beginning stages. We are true believers! Shannon tried catching Tristan's cold, and we did the same thing with him, though we only had to give it to him for a day or two. When Justin and I caught a cold a week or so later, we took the adult dosage of 2-3 tablets. There were no side-effects. Even with day-time cold pills I can tell when they hit my system, but not these. Suddenly you just feel better. A bottle of 50 pills has made it through the 4 of us, with pills left to spare. I do need to order a new bottle .. but that is more because I can't find these pills locally and I want to make sure we're "stocked up" and ready for when the next cold may hit. I really can't believe we haven't had these in our medicine cabinet until now.
My other product from them I tried was their PMS tablets (http://hylands.com/products/pms.php). To say I am a bear when I have PMS would be a very quaint way of putting things. I go through Pamprin 3 pills at a time, emptying a bottle in the blink of an eye. I also tend to need valium on hand so that I don't end up killing anyone. Mom's with PMS and two kids (who are 5 and 2 1/2) can sympathize I think. I've taken 3 of the PMS pills this morning. As I sit here typing this, trying to focus, both boys are in here and Tristan is in his wonderful two-year old mode of screaming about everything. Hmmm .. the test! So far, I have to say, I AM impressed! I am able to sip on my tea without throwing the mug through the window and exploding in a fit of anger. This is good. This is progress. While I woke up with the usual cramps, I am feeling better. No Pamprin, no valium, no rum. I think I am sold on these little PMS pills!
I went through their site, exploring what else they have and was very impressed. They have rememdies under categories such as: stress/sleep, children's health, women's health, pain relief, digestion, cough/cold, first aid, and more. As soon as I can, I would like to stock our medicine cabinet with some more of their products. I'm particularly eager to try out their Calms Forte (http://hylands.com/products/calmsforte.php) which is for simple nervous tension and insomnia. I go through bouts of this, and would really be happy to find a natural aid that doesn't leave me exhausted in the morning.
If you haven't checked out Hyland's yet, do so! Like I said, we've been using their teething tablets for almost 5 years now, though we're done with that phase of our lives. And I just can't believe that we've gone so long without knowing they made more than those. I'm imagining my medicine cabinet stocked full of natural remedies rather than mysterious and potentially dangerous, neon-colored, artificially flavored, chemical cure-alls. That is something a mother can rest assured on, isn't it?