Cold remedies, prevention, etc.

Hi all!!

Well, I couldnt think of a better a place to come than here for various answers and a wide variety of things.

I am starting to get cold-like symptoms, scratchy throat, that annoying drip like thing that happens in your nose and throat before getting ill.  Anyway...what can I do to lessen the severity of the cold if I do in fact get it full force?

Right now I am in complete vitamin c overload.  I am doing the Airborne thing every 3 hours as it tells me to.  Which if anyone doesnt know, airborne has 1,000 mg of vitamin c which is 1,670% of the daily value needed.  Plus, despite the fact that I know there are calories, carbs and sugar in OJ, I am drinking that too.  So, yes, I am putting my body into Vitamin C overload, but here is the reason why.

I am 23 and have never had a real 'Vacation'.  I have gone places but never got to do anything I REALLY wanted to do.  Well, I finally settled in to a job that I like and finally got vacation days and I finally have the money saved up and I finally know a place I wanted to go.  I ALWAYS dreamt of taking a vacation, ALL ALONE.  No kids, no spouses or boyfriends, no obligations or anything.  So, I AM!!  And I am leaving this Friday morning and will be gone until Sunday evening.  Now suddenly I start feeling like this.  I am getting really bummed thinking I might be sick for my ONLY vacation. 

So, I would like all the suggestions.  What have YOU done that you swear by? 

I know when I used to exercise EVERY single day, I would do it even when I was sick, so I am definitely going to do that too.  Everyday I am on vacation I will be exercising.  I am HOPING I can jog, but if I am sick and its cold and I have asthma, IF it doesnt work, I do have 24 hour access to a fitness center with treadmills and exercise bikes.  So, no matter what, I will be doing that.  Plus the Vit. C overload. 

Thanks in advance for all suggestions!!  I am hoping for the best.  I am going to my favorite place in the world...the most peaceful place I know...Cape May.  =)

Edited to add:  This vacation has been planned since June and I can't reschedule it as I have a daughter and work and reservations and will lose money if I cancel. =)

I tell you what really helped us last yr get over quickly with all these nasty bugs going around was that Zicam cold remedy that you spray into your nose a couple times per day. It shortened our cold and flu symptoms by half the time..........I never believed in much stuff but im telling you this stuff did work. I plan on using it again this yr.

Haha, its funny you say that!  A co-worker of mine takes that and swore by it for a bad bug she had last year.  I am a little scared of it because I heard some horror stories.  I wouldnt normally take it, but think I may just this once.  Thank you!

im curious what horror stories have you heard? I have only heard good stuff about it but now you got  me wondering lol

Try Cold FX. I tried it not too long ago after I started experiencing some cold-like symptoms... within three days they were gone and I felt great! And I didn't feel drowsy or anything while I was taking it. Some of my friends swear by this stuff, and I have yet to hear any horror stories. :)

Ditto for ColdFX. Can you get it in the States? It's great stuff.

Also, there is debate over whether or not a large excess of vitamin C can cause kidney stones. I can find convincing evidence for both sides of that debate. I had a prof in university who was convinced that there is a link. Everything in moderation, I guess. A couple of glasses of orange juice should provide more than your body can use.

I hope you feel better soon!

Hopefully the whole thing with high amounts of vitamin C is caused by doing it on a so to speak constant basis, rather than just for a day or two.

I have never heard of ColdFX, but I will look and see if it is at the pharmacy.

ginger tea - slice a 1" piece of fresh ginger root very thin.  Put it into a quart of water in a saucepan and bring it to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.  Pour out a cup and replace that with a cup of water and keep it simmering.  Sweeten your cup of tea with some honey or other sweetener and sip. 

It clears the head and calms the tummy too.

I'm getting sick now, too...so horrible!

Right now I'm also doing airborne for immunity but only once a day. Vitamin C is water soluble so whatever extra you're taking in is just being wasted in your urine. I'm doing cold eeze lozenges which work wonders for soar throats. I drink immune boosting tea at night as well. I'm vegan so dietary-wise I don't need to change anything, but if you drink milk or eat dairy I'd stop that since it's VERY mucus forming. Eat tons of veggies to get in all your minerals. I hope you feel better!

Local or oral zinc suppliments help alot of people if you start taking them immediately, but some of the nasal (vs. losenge) ones have been known to cause rare allergic reactions (less than 1 % of people).  Chances are you're fine, but if your nose starts to burn go to the emergency room right away. 

You should be alright with mega dosing on the vitamin C if you don't do it for more than a week at a time.

Ecchinacia is known to help prevent colds, I'm not sure if it does anything by the time you're starting to experience symptoms.

Chamomile tea (related to ecchinacia and st. johns wort) may also help, but that just rumor. 

Saline nasal spray is shown to prevent colds.

And if nothing else, chicken noodle (or veggie) soup, plenty of h2o, moderate exercise, and plenty of sleep.

Good luck! (I know what it's like, I get about 6 colds a year, usually on my birthday)

I started to have that thing what your geting last week.  I did C Airborne and some stuff from health food store called cold snap.  I rested just one day.  Another worker got it he was out for 4 days got some nasty infection of throat.  Sounds like you got a lot of other good suggestions.  Were you going for vacation?

Hi ,

I have been doing this for about 12 years. Currently I fly a lot and over the last two years I have flown over 220 flights. In all that time I have not been sick once. Here is what I do. Years ago I joined a company called Melaleuca. This is a multi-level type of company but I promise you I am not telling you about this for any business reason. They have an oil called Melaleuca Oil. More commonly known as "Tee Tree oil".

 This oil is an antiseptic. When I feel a cold coming on, usually scratchy throat.....you know the feeling. When your telling yourself....uh-oh I am getting sick....what you do is take 2 drops of this oil and just put it under your tongue. Let the oil go down your throat slowly. Don't drink anything for a good while....do this when you go to sleep and anytime you wake up during the night. I usually do it no more than 3 times in one night. By morning the sore throat will be nearly gone. For me it never takes hold.

 The reason I tried this is that Melalueca proclaimed that putting a drop in water would kill a sore throat. I tried it and it worked. Slowly I worked my way into just putting 2 drops in my mouth.

 When the sore throat does not take hold....for me, the cold never grabs on.

 I don't know what the results would be for you, but, I carry this oil on me when I travel and use it every time I feel like I am getting sick. 

 I may be unique in my immune system, not sure, but I can definitely say that if you do this you will not have sore throat problems ever again.

 One caveat, it will not work if the sore throat is raging bad. It will numb the area but it is not good to let your throat get in bad shape and then try this. It works really well if you do this the minute you feel it coming on.

 

Good luck.  You can only buy this through someone that is in Melaleuca, I am sure you can find someone near you that can get you some, or you can go to the healthfood store and simply try "Tee Tree Oil"

CYA