Cold Remedies -- Share them here

[Dobick]

I have been fighting this dreaded thing since Thursday night.

Lots of drainage and discharge, bit of a sore throat, and complete congestion in my head, and now (as of Saturday) I have one ear that is stopped up as well.

What I have tried without success:
Alka Seltzer Plus cold
Dayquil
mucinex
Sudafed (just started on that this morning)


Does anyone have any home remedies that might aleviate the majority of the symptoms...

The one that is bothering me the most is the stopped up right ear, as it is severly impacting my hearing.

Thank you

[corralup]

Man, you sound like you got it bad. I'm no doctor but I take vitamin c and lots of it when I'm sick.
Also chicken noodle soup. Believe or not the chicken in it sooths the throat and warms up the lungs IMO.
I was going to suggest Mucinex but see you tried it. The nighttime Niquil seems stronger and will knock you out so take it at night.
The old remedy of gargle with salt and warm water seems to help the sour throat.
Hot tea and honey is another I like.

You sound like you have a bad sinus infection so maybe seeing a day clinic would be good. I am concerned that you may damage your hearing if you let that ear go any longer.

Get better quick!

Sandy

[mom2aidan]

ALEVE D

Someone recommended it to me and I was all better within a few days. It works for 12 hours straight....my only recommendation is DO NOT take it before bed!

[chano]

Advil Cold and Sinus works really well for me. You can only get it from a pharmacy though. no prescription needed. just an ID.

[ggeen]

If it has been more then three days it is likely not a cold but alergies. If it is a cold, then rest and clear fluids in...not so clear fluids out. Give me time to invenst in Kimberly-Clark first

Either way, a decongestant will help get the fluids moving out.
An anti-histomine will help reduce swelling in nasal pasages if they are inflamed. A scraty/itchy nose.

[Paulo]

Home-made chicken soup...
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/homemad...up/detail.aspx
*instead of celery, we like to substitute cabbage and cilantro
---
2-3 freshly squeezed limes in glass [8-10oz glass], 1 tablespoon honey, fill w/ hot water
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1 tablespoon full of white vinegar
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salt/water gargle twice a day
---
LOT'S of rest...

[Cornbread]

Snorting cocaine.

[SevenAndMe]

Colds are caused by lint in your navel.
Check.

Get well soon.

[Cajungaltx]

Sounds like your eustachian tube is blocked up. Annoying... your going to think this sounds gross probably - but it works wonderfully.

Use 8-12 cloves of garlic - crush them/peel them, and simmer in about 2 cups of water for about 10 minutes or so.

Strain the water (keep the water!).

Add all the juice you can sqeeze out of a lemon, and add honey (to sweeten, also good for cough).

I usually try to drink a half a cup every hour or so.

One of my granola crunch friends adds coconut oil to hers - coconut oil is a great immune booster (like garlic).

Garlic is a broad spectrum antibiotic with great antibacterial properties - I think it works alot better as a preventative - but my head colds don't last as long when I drink the tea, versus eating pills to stop the 'symptoms of a cold'.

Hope you feel better!

[toverman]

With a cold, all you can treat are the symptoms. I like Dayquil or something similar (not Nyquil, which can have the sad effect of making you sleepy and sometimes keeping you awake).

I usually get allergies twice a year, followed by the two or three times I get sick each year. If yours is allergies, I recommend taking an OTC allergy medication (Claritin, Allavert, Zyrtek, etc.) and drinking lots of water. My dad has also had really good luck with a prescription nose spray that he takes every day.

[ka5txl]

I have had good results with Mucinex, but Donna's cure will also prevent an attack by vampires.

[kenw]

My experienced rule of thumb is that if it makes you sleepy, it works. The moreso the better-so. If the drowsiness is an issue, fight it with caffeine and sugar. I’ve got it down to an artform…..Drixoral is the one that works on me, or others with the old standby pseudoephedrine. And if it says it works for 12 hours, don’t believe it. Take the 12 hour stuff on 9-10 hour intervals. Trust me. (body weight is probably a factor, I wouldn’t recommend this for a small frame 12 year old female)

Non-drowsy is just FDA code for non-working. Or worse, non-working and wired like a 2 year old on a sugar high.

If you are sensitive to pollen or have allergies, here’s a trick I learned while mowing yards of dead grass and live weeds (dust and pollen cause similar reactions): fill your cupped hands with cool tap water. Carefully snort (yes, snort) said water into the nose and sinus cavities then blow it out.

If you drown, that's too much water.

The water will flush the offending pollen/dust out of the area. It’s gross, messy, noisy, uncomfortable and not to be done in polite company. But it does work. Seriously.

[Whumbahcumba]

I take a Benadryl, maybe two if it's really bad, and a big glass of orange juice. Then I play the waiting game to see how long I can hold off falling asleep. Usually don't get past a hour or so.

Chicken Noodle Soup or Cream of Chicken Soup help out a lot for me too.

[ifly223]

Get lickerd up, get under a bunch of covers and sweat it out while passed out. Always worked for me. : )

[ka5txl]

Originally Posted by ifly223

Get lickerd up, get under a bunch of covers and sweat it out while passed out. Always worked for me. : )

says the man with goverment run free health care. your my hero