lady

I've been ambushed by little germies and have a cold. I've been taking neo citrin, steaming my face, drinking tea, eating soup and popsicle and taking vitamin C and echinacea.

What's your, your grandma's, your mommy's best tip for colds?

Sleepyjack

i eat/consume a shitload of vitamin c pills. Even though it may be bad for you, i find it cleans up a runny nose and so i am able to play sports etc again. I hate being inactive.

Although i generally eat quite healthy anyways and last time i had the flu it only lasted a day or so because i was partly on a detoxing diet or my own version of it
Seemed to work nicely though.

ratbastid

Zinc lozenges are a MIRACLE. They taste like crap, but they do amazing work on colds.

Fremen

Drink lots of orange juice, water, and chicken soup.
Jello goes down easy, too.
Don't forget good ol' time. It will take lots of it to get over a cold or flu.
It goes faster, too, if you have a loved one to take care of you.

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Thraeryn

Tylenol Allergy + Sinus. Decongestant to de-stuff you, and antihistamine to dry you up once you're decongested and all runny. Plus Tylenol to take care of the aches and pains.

Good stuff overall.

GoldenOuroboros

if I got it REALLY bad I goto the extreme. Drink lots of water and have my vitamins, no milk products, plus.. for those that can handle it..

Bug Killer tea
A cup of your Fav tea (no milk of course)
a clove a garlic crushed with remnants
a slice of ginger crushed with remnants
quart of lemon
and a teaspoon of honey

Drink and eat EVERYTHING...

Alrighty then..

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lady

garlic and ginger and honey? *skrinks up her nose*

SiN

heh. leave out the garlic then.

Vit C + Echinacea. as u already kno, good girl

2 things to avoid

- too much sugar (since i believe it feeds the bacteria, if it's bacterial not viral whatever you have)

- anything with 'fever reducer' (because fever is your body's way of frying the little buggers to death). unless u have a very high fever or are really achey.

another suggestion -

esp. if you need to function and are too congested- Robitussin in capsules. (whichever formula suits your symptoms)

and lastly - perhaps drink some alcohol? (the normal drinking kind)
again, only if seemingly bacterial in nature, because i've notised it has somewhat of an internal 'disinfectant' effect.

and of course, lots of water and rest.

good luck, get better soon

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laconic1

NyQuil is the only thing that ever works for me.

johnnymysto

Yep, OJ, vitamin C pills, and hit it with Nyquil at bedtime.

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lurkette

You said 'favorite' not 'most effective' so...

my favorite cold or flu remedy is Tang, especially served hot. And Cool Ranch Doritos. Not exactly a remedy, but I eat them when I'm sick because they're one of the few foods that can cut through the cold and deliver any taste.

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quadro2000

Here's what I now take the minute I think that a cold is coming on:

1) Cold-Eeze Zinc Gum

The Cold-Eeze lozenges taste terrible. The gum is a little bit better. A good amount of zinc over a week will definitely lessen your cold. All zinc products will leave a weird taste in your mouth that often makes everything you eat after it taste weird. So then I use:

2) Ricola Lemon-Mint drops

I use these whenever I have a sore throat, but I have also found that taking one of these after the zinc gum gets rid of the weird taste in my mouth.

Finally, I use:

3) Celestial Seasonings Echinacea Complete Care Wellness Tea

It has echinacea, vitamin C and zinc, and I drink about three or four cups a day while I'm sick.

And every morning, regardless I take vitamin C chewable tablets.

Most of these products taste a little weird but for the most part, I've become used to it. I take these the minute I feel a cold coming on, and within a few days, I'm better.

Feel better!

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Halx

I will myself back to good health.
Nothing ever ails me for too long.
Mind over matter.

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Ripsaw

1 tsp grated ginger
1 clove grated garlic
juice from 1/2 lemon
2 tblsp honey
2 oz. whiskey
6 oz. Hot water

Repeat every hour until you fall asleep.
Drugs don't cure you while you're awake.
Sleep on it.

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ninety09

Hot water with lemon

tinfoil

Echinacea and OJ works well, however whiskey and lots of it is my favourite.

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dnd

sleep....thats all it takes

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GakFace

I wish I could tell ya, but I simply do NOT get sick. I actually was hit by the flu last season... Although it only acted like an extremely mild cough. Enough to know I had it, but weak enough for me to not care. Although I have heard reports about when you think positive and you're happy a lot, and you laugh a lot, that your immune system is stronger. Well, thats me. I'm always happy and always laughing... I guess that'd be my little method.

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kurty[B]

I dose up on vitamin C, drink lots of water, and a larger quantity of warm drinks (hot cocoa, tea, tea especially if my throat is bothering me). And if it's so miserable I just can't stand being awake I double dose the NyQuil and knock myself out.

I have different results with antihistamenes and such so I generally only resort to those if I need to stay awake and make it through a day of working or school, but I try to avoid getting other people sick, and simply rest.

My mother would go all out, get wrapped in warm bedding, have a humidifier next to the bed, plenty of 7-up and chicken noodle soup, getting sick wasn't such a bad thing as a child. It just sucks now, miss out on way too much.

meff

EAT??! Gross

But yeah take lots of vitamin C and drink lots of water. I would also either take lysine pills or just eat alot of chicken. It will boost your white blood cell count and your immune system.

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Minx

As far as a cold goes, what works for me is to have a killer work out. I was so miserable with a bad cold once, my brother dragged my ass to the tennis courts and we played for about two hours. Damn near killed me but I think I sweat all the bugs out of my system as I felt MUCH better the next day!
Oh...or a nice hot sauna if you have access to one.
Hope you feel better soon!

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Kllr Wolf

when I was sick I used to be given chicken noodle soup and clear liquids (7-up and sprite moslty) never really lasted more than 2 days even the high fever/bed rideen times

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Sledge

Stay away from milk and cheese and dairy. Unless you're working on a phlegm sculpture. It will make you slurpy.

raeanna74

My favorite symptom remedies/reliefs are

1. For stuffy/runny noses. Pseudophedrine Hydrocloride (In any formula robitussin Tylenol Cold Etc.)
2. For Temp or achy joints. Acedaminophen (sp?) i.e. Tylenol.
3. For productive coughs. Guafinesin (sp? again) expectorant.
4. For Dry or productive coughs. Cough drops and Vicks Vapo rub
5. For sore throats. Cloroseptic Losenges or spray.

If you are looking for more natural remedies/symptom relief there is.
1. Ecinacea
2. Onion pack on the chest for congestion. This really works wonders (was Moma's remedy)but is nasty to endure. Smells to high heaven and uncomfortable. You cut up and fry an onion then once it cools enough to touch to layer them between some old hand towels or similar cloth. Lay that on your chest till it starts feeling a little cool.
3. Drink Lemon juice from fresh lemons. WITHOUT sugar. ICKY Yes but it always seemed to help.
4. Drink Chamomile Tea. again without sugar.
5. Drink lots of water of if you can't stand that lots of clear liquids like mentioned above.

Last but definately not least. Rest, rest, and more rest. Sleep is the best thing for getting better.

I Usually by the generic stuff cause I know what chemicals to look for.

The normal expected duration for most viruses is 7-10 days. If you aren't feeling better after 10 days or your sinus drainages turn thick green (I know lovely description. lol) that is sometimes an indication of a secondary infection that should be tended to by a Doctor. Get it checked if it goes too long. Good luck getting better.

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sapiens

Excellent point! I wonder how many illnesses have been needlessly prolonged because of fever reducing medications.

My favorite cold or flu remedy is probably lots of sleep and lots of water.

By the way, Lady, great thread title. Very funny!