[~Christina]

Yep folks it's that time of year ! I am already doing all sorts of things to knock out this annoying regular visit from the sick fairy !

What are some of your remedies?

Thanks

[kindachaotic]

Aww, so sorry you're feelin' bad. I like anything warm/hot like tea or soup. There's a Sleepy Time Tea for sinus relief if you can believe it.
Got some but haven't tried it yet.
Also got a flu shot, hoping sick fairy stays away!
Take good care, rest & stay hydrated.

God luck with that cold of yours! <3

[hamster-bamster]

I can tell you my remedies. They work like magic: I have not had any upper or lower respiratory infections for well over a year.

1) Very high consumption of fermented dairy, which contains beneficial bacteria that improve our immune system's defense mechanisms. My fridge may be almost empty at times but it would always contain a bunch of Fage 0% greek yogurt. Chobani is another good brand.

2) Not washing my hands excessively. If I come back home from a grocery store where I touched objects touched by other people, I do not wash my hands. I never ever use hand sanitizer. I welcome germs and viruses and let my immune system practice fighting them.

3) High intake of tea, to always keep my system well flushed.

[~Christina]

Thanks everyone !

This will be the 2nd cold I have had in over 3 years ! So I should not complain.

Kinda .. Oh the tea , yes I will have my husband pick me up that kind of tea. Yep I just want warm/ hot fluids, helps with the sore throat. hopefully getting my flu shot next week ....Thank you

Hamster...I pretty much live off greek yougart. I am lucky I drink tons of fluids everyday.

Thanks

[hamster-bamster]

So greek yogurt is helping you be healthy almost all the time - I agree that a second cold in a three year period is infrequent.

[Blue Poppy]

I tend to get really bad nasal congestion and I have had a sinus infection before.

The last time I started to get really stuffed up, I bought one of those nasal pots.

Not only was I able to breathe through my nose at night, but it stunted the usual build up of pressure in my sinuses. That pot is a Godsend!

[~Christina]

I'm happy it helps you !!!! I have used one since my sinus surgery.

I hope your sinuses don't flare up on you.

Awww, MTW, hope you can head it off at the pass.

One thing I've found useful is Emergen-C (big dose vit C, anti-oxidants, electrolytes and B vits). Whenever I've worked at a restaurant, this was always around and many liked it. BF says it makes him speedy, but he's the only person I've ever heard say that.

My favorite though, is Echinacea tincture. I prefer the traditional ones (I loathe the glycerine ones, but that's personal bias.). Echinacea (in case you haven't already used it) is an intense zing, but imho, worth it because I've found it very useful and am not a big "herb-y" in general. I'll dose the dropper under my tongue and hold it there for as long as I can. Sublingual (under the tongue) is one of the areas that most readily take in substances.

Zicam used to have a nostril gel (for colds, not the allergy one) that was quite impressive, gross as it sounds. Unfortunately, they no longer seem to make it (for lo, I have looked...). They have many other varieties, but I cannot tolerate the taste of zinc (which the gel bypassed -- why oh why could they not keep ONE that did so?!).

Originally Posted by hamster-bamster

... If I come back home from a grocery store where I touched objects touched by other people, I do not wash my hands. I never ever use hand sanitizer. I welcome germs and viruses and let my immune system practice fighting them...

This made my OCD self nearly faint. Yup, that's me, walking through a door with my hands raised like a surgeon scrubbed for surgery...
While I agree intellectually with immunity practice, I just can't seem to get past certain things... Though... it's funny, it's wildly varied. Some things that should bother me don't, while I won't breathe if I find myself in certain grocery aisles... Ahhh, the brain...

(I rarely get sick despite seeming lack of immunity practice...)

[Trippin2.0]

Hope you feel better soon Christina, sniffle cough cough sucks wet rabid dog a.s.s, which usually equals foul mood (atleast for me) so nipping it in the bud is key get well soon

[hamster-bamster]

For nasal congestion, spraying one-two sprays of Flonase helps. It is a topical steroid medication - but just topical, not systemic. I used it for years... and then noticed that I am just fine without it so I stopped.

Buffered vitamin C, Zinc picolinate, Chromium picolinate, and chewable lactase wafers to break up disaccharides--too much sugar in the system is a real culprit in colds, sinus infections.

Adding chocolate to the diet is like adding gasoline to a fire when one has a sinus infection.

Milk products are notorious for building mucus-milk, cream, cheese, yogurt, butter, etc. Lactase wafers are helpful in lowering glucose levels.

Bacteria feed on sugar.

Originally Posted by genetic

...Milk products are notorious for building mucus-milk, cream, cheese, yogurt, butter, etc.....

Agreed. Forgot to mention I avoid those at such times too.

[Moose72]

Feel better! I agree that vitamin C and hot clear liquids should help.

[roads]

This is an old Lithuanian recipe a friend first prepared for me over twenty years ago when I had a killer respiratory "something" nothing would shake. It's involved and tastes a tad medicinal until you've acquired the taste ... but it works, I swear by it. Basically it's chicken soup:

1 5-6 lb stewing hen or baking chicken
1 package of chicken wings
3 large onions
1 large sweet potato
3 parsnips
2 turnips
11 to 12 large carrots
5 to 6 celery stems
1 bunch of parsley
4-5 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
5-6 chunks fresh ginger root, 1"x1.5"
Salt and pepper to taste

Clean the chicken, put it in a large pot, and cover it with cold water. Bring the water to a boil. Add the chicken wings, onions, sweet potato, parsnips, turnips and carrots. Boil about 1.5 hours. Remove fat from the surface as it accumulates. Add the garlic, ginger, parsley and celery. Cook the mixture about 45 minutes longer. Remove the chicken. The chicken does not need to be used further for the soup if not desired. (The meat makes excellent chicken parmesan.) Put the vegetables in a food processor until they are chopped fine or pass through the strainer. Salt and pepper to taste. (Note: this soup freezes well.)

I'll often put up some of this before the cold season hits, freeze it, then use it as needed.

I'm sorry you've got this on top of everything. Yuck.

Roadie

Garlic is called "Russian penicillin"!

There's a recipe used sometime ago by physical therapists assigned to Olympics players when they developed a cold. One used bourban, lemon juice, orange juice, a little sugar, and water heated to simmering state. When it cooled enough to be tasted without burning the tongue, it was meant be drunk fully.

Sorry, I can't remember the quantity of each ingredient, but one sweated the cold
out of the system overnight. Sleeping was really good that night, I've heard!

Someone else may know about it and have the recipe. I can't, though, encourage
anyone to drink alcohol to cure a cold!

During war time when doctors ran out of antibiotics, they used garlic instead to cleanse wounds and treat infection.

Doctors also used ocean water when they ran out of blood transfusions, I've read.

How close we are to nature in our phycial makeup!

...I sure hope that coldie bug does'nt move in and bring it's mates Christina...no fair!

my remedies used to be either illegal or just unhealthy anyway so I won't share them.

...most everybody has covered all the things to eat or drink and that.
I'm a HUGE believer in comfort when sick so it's all about warm baths warm blankets and pillows and stay in bed with snacks and books and movies and peace and quiet and I know you are not alone there so have everyone to pamper you

[~Christina]

Innerzone .. Thank you for the great info .. I will have my husband pick up the stuff tonight.

Trippin ! Ha ! you always make me smile .. hehe Rabid <~~~ So So fitting !

Genetic .. Thanks loads of good info. I did feed the fire with a brownie.. But It was worth it LOL

The only milk product I eat daily is greek yougart. and very rare occasion some cheese. I just don't care for milk it does bother my stomach if I do more than my greek yougart. I refuse to give my yougart up most days thats all I eat!! .. LOL

Roadie ! that sounds amazing . I have saved that recipe and I hope to make it soon. Thank you

Yep Garlic !

I do know my grandparents us to make a " Hot Tottie" of some sort of alcohol and who knows what else was in it.. It was very nasty tasting. But it helped me numerous times when I was young.. It is a shame I never got the "recipe"

[~Christina]

James ! Thank you

Yes I am so hoping all the mates just pass me by.

I really haven't been doing much to be honest.
I agree bed pillows blankets and peace is a main part of the cure.

[BlueInanna]

Hope you're feeling a little better today. I took a claritinD today, feeling a little congested. We need Costa Rica.

[hamster-bamster]

I urge caution if someone is going to give up dairy. I obviously do not think it necessary because I consume tons of dairy every day and never get any mucus, but I understand that individual reactions might vary. If you give up cultured dairy, you need to find a non-dairy source of beneficial bacteria. They are needed not just for strong immunity but also for a healthy gut. While cultured dairy is by far the yummiest and cheapest way to get the necessary bacteria, there are other sources to look into. One is called GoodBelly. I tried it once and it is disgusting, in my opinion, as well as pricey, but I guess if you have to have it you can drink it as a medicine. Another source: Lactobacillus supplements on sale at stores such as Whole Foods. I believe you need to buy the refrigerated version to attain true potency.

Thanks for your response, Morenothingswrong.

Giving up the milk products during the cold you're having is a smart idea, in my view.
The digestive system is capable of manufacturing bacteria which produce some vitamins--that is, unless one has had surgery that affects the ability of the digestive system to produce bacteria or one has inherited inability to manufacture enzymes necessary for digestion of milk products--such as missing lactase in many, many adults. (Generally, after two years of age, even children begin to have less lactase in the sytem for viable use.)

I've found a high concentrate EPA/DHA with probiotics to support digestive health.

The probiotic being used is called bacillus coagulans, a reasonably different probiotic in that it is a spore bearing one and effective for me and others as a digestive aid. I use Nordic Naturals Omega Probiotic for the fatty acids and probiotic help. lt hits two goals rather than one.

Hope this helps, Morenothingswrong.

The probiotics are beneficial in western diets for many.

How are you feeling tonight?

Gen

[~Christina]

Thanks Genetic,

I am feeling pretty puny I have been sleeping A Lot ! Which is ok. I don't feel worse (yay) I am drinking warm stuff in ridiculous amounts lol. I have taken probiotics for over 4 years now. Initially started prior to sinus surgery and have just stayed on them.

It is amazing to me that there is so many things that can and do help treat a variety of illness that doesnt always require a trip to the doctor and a prescription

Thanks for all the great advice folks ! Hopefully this thread can continue since this is the time of years colds, flus and such are such a bother!

Originally Posted by Nikole2718

God luck with that cold of yours! <3

Good* my bad lol