In light of the flu season...
 

What are your remedies to cold and flu symptoms? I have either a mild flu or a severe cold and it refuses to go away. What do you recommend that I do?

Zinc would have helped in the first 2-3 days, but since I am assuming it is past that, just rest and lots of fluids.

I'd say take zinc anyway. In my experience, vitamin C and garlic are good preventatives of colds, so take lots if you know you're going to be around someone who's sick, but zinc is effective even after you're under the full effects. Like Manwich said though, you can only take it for a few days in a row or you get too much in your system. It depends on your body size, but once a day for 2-3 days in a row is perfectly safe.

A multi vitamin every morning, 2-3 of those HAlls Defense Vitamin C drops with the herbs and crap. Then another Multivitamin at nighttime. THe most important thing is to get enough sleep. 6 or 7 hour nights for weeks on end wont cut it. Your body needs lots of sleep. Try for 9 hrs a night. I dont get it often, but hte more the merrier

Thanks for the ideas. I do tend to sleep around 7 hours a night so that might be why it takes so long to recover from any illness'. I'll try to get some more sleep and take some multi vitamins.

If you have trouble sleeping at night because of congestion or other symptoms, one of those overnight cold/flu symptom-relievers (Nyquil, etc.), will help you get more sleep and thus get better faster.

Keeping nasal/sinus/chest congestion down is a good thing during the day, too, because it makes you more comfortable, more likely to sleep, and reduces the chance of secondary sinus infections after the main cold/flu drops off. My favorite "natural" decongestant is 12 drops of Tobasco sauce in a tumbler of warm water, well-stirred. Chug it. It helps with sinus congestion and even coughs, and you can drink it as often as you can stand it. It's kind of like drinking liquid heat.

I just got over a bad cold 3 weeks ago. It was so bad that it gave me bronchitis that I had to get an inhaled steriod to alleviate.

My mother suggeted I drink so chamomile tea for the tension part of my headache (she loves homeopathic remedies) and so I tried it. Ended up feeling relief from my cough at the time and so made myself another cup. As long as I was drinking the chamomile tea it helped my cough and sore throat feel better. My chest didn't feel as tight and heavy. It may have just been the warmth and steam or the tea part itself but I was surprised by the relief I felt. Eat some chicken soup too. I read a study where the steam alone from homemade chicken soup helped to alleviate some of the symptoms of a head cold. If you need I can look it up. At least these aren't medication and more mild remedies. Otherwise - when I slept at night I just took plain old Nyquil. It gave me enough relief from the coughing and runny nose that I could get the much needed sleep.

Actually, I've read several articles about chicken soup for colds. There's actually something in it -- maybe the fat -- that makes you feel better. I used to have an article written by a doctor about various natural cold and flu remedies you could throw together from ingredients around the house, and he included his own chicken soup recipe.

Yep, chicken soup and a tea made of chamomile, lemon and honey do actually work to help alleviate symptoms. Rimantidine is an anti-viral that will help reduce the effects of the flu. And nothing beats a good night's sleep.

man what kind of drops are you taking! I've heard of all kinds of homeopathic remedies but crap is new to me.:):)

Thanks for the info people. Im ususally, a rest/garlic/water person when it comes to the flu- but i sure am struggling right now.