[sunrise]

I have this killer cold and need some relief. Any ideas for how to fight a cold, relieve symptoms, etc.? I've never really taken OTC cold remedies, but if you use any that are good, or have other ideas, please share. I just feel so crappy and I need to be better. I am willing to buy whatever the drugstore has to offer or cook up a witches brew.

I am taking aspirin and ibuprofen for my headache and fever. And some cough medicine for my cough (dextromethorphan), which is not helping at all. My ribs are just so sore from blowing my nose continually and coughing. And my sinuses are very tender so it makes reading really hard because wearing my reading glasses is painful. Also taking vitamin C. This has been going on for about 5 days and I'm getting so tired. Any ideas???

Thanks.

[Caretaker Leo]

I have decided that colds just have to run their course. I do find that hot lemonade helps some. Grab a mug of water, add lemon juice and microwave it. It seems to soothe my throat and loosen some of the sinus congestion. Also, try an ice pack on your forehead. It relieves headaches as well as cooling down the fever. Beyond that - do what you can to let your body rest as much as possible.

Hope you feel better soon!

[sabby]

I have found that the Mucinex brand of cold remedies is about the best you can find over the counter. It is a more expensive brand, but I find it worth every penny. If you have a hot water vaporizor could help with the sinuses, if not, run the shower on hot water only and let the bathroom steam up.

Rest up, have some of your favorite warm foods, soups, teas etc., maybe a good movie or a book and relax as best you can!

Hope you feel much better very soon!


sabby

[sunrise]

Thank you for the suggestions, Caretaker Leo and Sabby. My fever is gone right now, and I am going to go to the store and get some lemons and Mucinex.

[cboxpalace]

Go to Walgreens or Walmart Pharmacy and ask for a neti pot, cost is about 20.00. It literally looks like a little tea pot, it comes with packets of saline mix, add warm water and put the spout in ur nostril and tilt head to the side. It will get all that sh** out of your sinus cavity and open up and dry out ur nasal passages. It's gross, I know, but me and my kids use it a lot and it works wonders. It may sound painful but it's not..

[unaluna]

Chicken soup (canned is fine) and I like ginger lemon honey tea - just made from teabags also is fine, honey optional, I think it's the ginger that kills my cooties. cough syrup with guafinesen, that's what mucinex has.

[Perna]

The only OTC I have found that has helped me is Advil Cold and Sinus (which you have to get from the pharmacist after showing identification and signing your life away). It's only to be taken for a week (and you don't get that many) but it has gotten me over the first 2-3 days of really bad congestion, etc.

[Inedible]

The neti pot is a really good idea.

Dissolved gases in the water can make the water feel more irritating to your sinuses. Usually this is just air, but keep in mind that tap water tends to be chlorinated. If you bring your water to a boil and let it cool before using it, you can use it while it is still just a little warm and it will feel better.

To 1 quart of water you can add 1 teaspoon of salt, to make your own instead of using packets. With your sinuses being irritated, you can also add 1 teaspoon of baking soda. It is better to use the solution up entirely rather than making some and saving it for later. You may benefit more from boiling 1 cup of water and using 1/4 teaspoons of salt (and baking soda) and doing it 4 times if you do not have time for the entire quart at once. Be sure not to rush it, because it can go down the back of your throat and come out your mouth if you pour so quickly that it can't get out the other nostril as fast as you are pouring it in. Neti takes time, but it works for me even when advil and excedrin fail completely.

When you are done, just rinse your neti pot and let it air dry.

You can do neti leaning over a sink, but some people prefer to do it in the shower. It isn't that messy, but you are talking about washing the insides of your sinuses and some people think that is a bit too gross to do in the sink. Personally I don't think it is any worse than raw chicken, but that is just my opinion. I just use the sink and then clean up the area afterward the same as if I had been handling raw chicken, to avoid leaving bacteria or anything else around.

And you can probably get videos on YouTube of someone doing neti if you are not sure about how to approach this. There are even supposed to be ways of doing neti without an actual neti pot, but I didn't need to look them up because I already had a neti pot. I have heard of people using styrofoam cups and pinching the side to make a sort of spout, but I can't imagine how that would get the solution into the nose instead of having it run down the face. So I would suggest looking for those videos.

One more thing. If you boil the water, add the baking soda after it cools to the point where you can pick it up comfortably with your hands. When baking soda gets hot, it breaks down to give off carbon dioxide. This is what you were trying to avoid by bringing the water to a boil.

[cboxpalace]

Info on neti pot...Like the person above I do mine over the sink as well. I do use the packets that come with it, and regular tap water. I wouldn't have the patience to make it. Also, make sure you have a box of kleenex..

I did look for videos on homemade neti pots... It looks like it would be a pain in the ***.. so if you can afford to buy one.. save urself some hassle.. although you may be able to find a small cheap tea pot, and then make the solution as described above...