I'm coming down with a cold - what can I do to kill it?

[shawmut]

It started with a sore throat when I woke up this morning and it has progressed throughout the day.


I've started taking Cold-Eeze and drinking tons of water. What else can I do to kick this thing as fast as possible?

[trof]

1. Try Airborne

Orangey fizzy tablets.
I think it works.

[disgruntled_goat]

7. another vote for airborne

it just saw me thru a cold...i didnt need any other meds and my symptoms were dramatically reduced. i was hardly inconvenienced, the symptoms were so light. :)

also, it tastes OK, unlike every other cold medicine. brr.

[trof]

13. AND...Tylenol P.M.

Slept like a baby last night.
<cough/hack/achoo>

[bahrbearian]

15. Air Borne .It's the best!

[shawmut]

23. thanks, trof

I called a few pharmacies near me and most either didn't carry it or didn't have any left ... but I found one place that does so I'll pick up tonight.


Thanks for your help.

[BUSHOUT]

2. Eat a healthy meal and pop a multi-vit and a vit C.

Give your immune system as much help as possible.

And stay warm....fighting the cold takes energy that the immune system needs to fight the cold.

And don't kiss me. :+

[Occulus]

3. I've had... something... for a while now

no energy, sleepiness, restless when trying to sleep, runny nose, general lassitude.

:wtf: I didn't go to work today because I just felt like I needed to recharge. Hope I don't get yelled at for it....

[scarlett1]

4. Have you tried Nasal irrigation

It sounds gross but is great.

You lean over the sink with a bottle filled with warm salt water ( should be distilled) it goes in one nostril and out the other.
My husband swears by it try www.neilmed.com or www.sinusrinse.com or
www.nasalrinse.com
You should be able to get these at your pharmacy

or just googling nasal rinse

[shawmut]

10. I'll give it a try

thanks. :)

[scarlett1]

18. I hope it works

besides it sort of a DU, Birkenstock wearing, tree hugger thing to do

[louis-t]

5. Echinacea! Works great!

[faithnotgreed]

32. yes. alcohol free-echinacea. also garlic, green tea, vitamin c, rest

also lozenges with zinc are great. i get cherry or citrus kind and they taste great and have great natural ingredients in them

if you do echinacea, get the alcohol free and then put a dropperful under the tongue for up to 5 minutes. if you also have sore throat make sure to gargle the echinacea after holding it

things like vitamin c, garlic, zinc, rest etc are wonderful and should stop an early cold very quickly

[noclonyofthechimp]

6. drink run until you puke! I am just kidding! I can fed-x you some of

my home made chicken soup and have you live off it for 2 days as I do my friends! it works! Seriously. Drink hot chicken broth it has an enzyme in it that will at least force the yucky stuff out. I have read a lot about a product called Kold Kare. <--not a typo. A holistic Dr. in Maine recommends it and uses it. You can probably get it at a healthfood store or GNC. The minute she feels she has a scratchy throat, she takes 2 tablets before bed and two in the morning for three to four days. Says it nips it right in the bud!

[Kali]

8. is cold -eze zinc?

if not get some zinc - it comes in all sorts of methods now even bubblegum. And C 1000 to 2500 mgs daily

and if you want herbal - echanicea (not spelled right) but it never seems to help me like zinc does.

Rest, healthy food. (regular vitamin if you need it too - won't hurt)

hope you feel better - I'm fighting one too - the zinc works cuts time in half - still sick for a couple days but not bad and not for weeks

[shawmut]

9. yup, it's zinc

they taste kind of nasty but you're right that they seem to work.


They used to have Cold-Eeze gum at the CVS near me but I can't find it anymore. The gum is much better that the lozenges.

[kariatari]

34. I swear by Cold-Eze

If you start taking it within 24 hrs of the onset of symptoms, it drastically reduces severity of symptoms. I always keep a stash of it.

[shawmut]

11. Thanks for your suggestions everyone!

:yourock:

[Merlot]

12. Herbal Teas!

Swear by them for the sore throat. My favorite is called Throat-Coat.

Also try liquid Enchinea. do it about 4 times a day in your tea.

[BlueHandDuo]

14. Soak in a really hot bath...

...hot enough to elevate your body temperature, but don't pass out and drown!

[Hieronymus]

16. Try a combination.......

of Vitamin C (mega doses), echinacea, and cold eze works if you start from the beginning.:bounce:

[welshTerrier2]

17. keep doing what you're doing ...

that's exactly my prescription ... cold-eeze and lots of fluids ...

be careful not to consume any vitamin C for like an hour before or after taking cold-eeze ... longer would be even better ...

the only other thing you could add would be to wash your hands frequently ... and definitely no alcohol and lots of rest ...

[trof]

19. I also recommend Medicinal Whiskey.

Of course I also recommend MW for splinters, snakebite, the vapours, fainting spells, gout, whimsey, sick headaches, claustrophobia, piles, shingles, contusions, abrasions, and that general "blah" feeling.
Try a hot toddy or four.

[fortyfeetunder]

20. Roasted Garlic

Roast some cloves and eat them, any way you can stand it...works for me!

[intheflow]

21. Eat chicken soup spiked with extra garlic.

Lots and lots of garlic.

Here's my real recipe:

chicken broth (canned is fine)
heaps of chopped garlic (which you can buy already chopped)
some veggies (fresh is bet, but canned or frozen works, too); spinach is particularly good for vitimin content.

If you want, add rice or noodles.
Sometimes I buy a roasted chicken from the supermarket deli & strip the meat and add it, but it's not necessary.

I'm not sure what does the trick, the uber-garlic kick or the veggies or the chicken broth/tripthophane, but this and agood night's sleep works for me about 90% of the time.

[robbedvoter]

28. Uh, if you boil a raw chicken with vegetables and water. you get

a chicken soup + meat - no need for can soup of deli roasted chicken.
It does too cure the cold , plus makes the kitchen smells great. Just a suggestion :shrug:

[intheflow]

30. Yeah, but it just doesn't taste the same.

Plus, it takes 2-3 hours longer than my recipe. I was a single mother working full time. I lived this time-saving cooking style. :)

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

22. I used this over the counter stuff called Zicam

it was 10 bucks for a little bottle but I was over the cold in three days

[rhyfeddu]

24. This is not a joke!

Everyone crosses their eyes at me, when I tell them this, but...

At the first sign, stop eating solids (garlicky chicken broth is fine), but most importantly... have an enema!

I swear. Not all 'Grandma' cures are hokum.

You can get an enema bag at any drugstore, heat up some water to warm, not hot, (test it on your wrist like baby formula), and get your feet in the air!

I worked many years in health food store, and it worked for me, and anyone else "brave" enuf to try it...

And don't eat solids again until you feel better (esp. dairy and wheat - mucus makers all).

If its too late to beat it back, it WILL make you feel BETTER.

Cheers!

[The empressof all]

25. Here's your answer

Take a garlic capsule every hour chased with a tablespoon of lemon juice with a dash of cayenne pepper.

It will clear your chest and help what ails you. You also won't spread it to anyone else because no one will want to get too close to you.

[u4ic]

26. Cold FX

It is amazing. http://www.cvtechnologies.com/coldfx/default.aspx

A bit expensive, but it's fought off some very heavy duty sinus infections for me, and bronchitis for my partner. (we saved ourselves from taking antibiotics a number of times with this product).

Don't let the goon advertising it fool you - the earlier studies were done on NHL players.

[Lizzie Borden]

27. Echinacea works fine but...

I've found that I need to take it right at the beginning and I need to take more than most people would think true. I usually take 6 a day for a week.

[rhyfeddu]

29. Yes, it works better as a preventative...

...once it's gotten ahold of you, echinacea doesn't seem to help..

So, at the very beginning, or if you're surrounded by sneezers and wheezers, and you're trying to dodge the bullet...:)

[faithnotgreed]

33. i would recommend alcohol free liquid echinacea if you can

or are interested. if you are, then please check my post above - #32

i agree, taken early is important for any treatment of any illness. colds and flus can be stopped but must be dealt with pretty quickly

[Lex]

31. Oil of Oregano works for me

and I get it at our local health food store.

It kicks ass on a cold.

Make sure it is made from "wild" oregano, which is different from the stuff you grow in your herb garden domestically.

http://www.vitacost.com/Store/Products/ProductDescription.cfm?SKUNumber=335824000012