Home remedies for a cold
lauragreenbaum
Posts: 1,017 Member
HELP! I started feeling like I was getting a cold on Friday last week, and by yesterday it had definitely developed into a full blown cold. I'm not working out, I'm getting lots of fluids and I'm taking Nyquil just so I can sleep. Aside from that, doe anyone have any remedies they swear by? I want to feel better by Thanksgiving!
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Replies
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Saline rinse. 4X daily.
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Zinc lozenges are supposed to help. I try to take extra vit C and make chicken and vegetable soup. Sometimes I make a mixture of garlic, acv, and honey. Try to rest so your body can use the energy to fight the virus. I take generic NyQuil severe--its the only thing that keeps me from coughing and helps me sleep.3
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Time.
It’s the only real remedy for the common cold. 🤷♀️
Saying that, I have never had a cold or the flu, so what do I know! 😂😂
Feel better!0 -
There are systematic reviews that support the use of zinc lozenges for cutting the severity/length of a cold. My doctor, who has no use for homeopathic anything, recommends them.
Otherwise, you're doing what you can. I swear by chicken soup, orange juice, a lot of tea, a lot of water.
Salt water rinses are good.
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I'm going to try the Zinc lozenges- worth a try!0
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Steamed kale (not boiled, not raw, not cooked as kale chips). It has something, I've forgotten the terminology, that helps our immune systems per the Mayo Clinic.
Edited to add: I'm at work and don't have time to search for the original article, but here's another reference. The original one I read said steaming was best to retain the nutrients, vs boiling or baking.
Mayo Clinic Health System
https://mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/get-your-fill-of-fall-superfoods
DARK GREENS
There’s a reason your mom tried to get you to eat spinach. In light of what dark leafy greens have to offer for health, you might want to willingly eat them. The best of the bunch include spinach, kale and collard greens, and here’s why: Any dark green means the vegetable is packed full of vitamin A, an antioxidant that serves as a huge booster to the immune system and healthy cell growth.
Spinach: 56% Vitamin A, 14% Vitamin C, 5% Iron
Kale: 206% Vitamin A, 134% Vitamin C, 9% Calcium
Collard Greens: 308% Vitamin A, 58% Vitamin C, 27% Calcium
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Just read "addicted to sugar" threads. You'll be rolling your eyes so much your sinuses will drain, and you'll be on your feet in no time.
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iheartmyyorkie wrote: »Just read "addicted to sugar" threads. You'll be rolling your eyes so much your sinuses will drain, and you'll be on your feet in no time.
Hi- what do you mean? Sorry, not getting it0 -
My Granny used to make us a "cough" syrup with honey, lemon, mint, and uhhhh..... Jack Daniels. May not have stopped the cold, but we went to sleep and quit bothering her.... lol8
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Theraflu and whiskey.2
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psychod787 wrote: »My Granny used to make us a "cough" syrup with honey, lemon, mint, and uhhhh..... Jack Daniels. May not have stopped the cold, but we went to sleep and quit bothering her.... lol
Haha I half jokingly wrote theraflu and whiskey but I have totally done it. A hot toddy won't cure you but it will make you feel human again for a short time and if you can sleep better, that's a big bonus.4 -
This was actually more about what doesn't work0 -
lauragreenbaum wrote: »
This was actually more about what doesn't work
That's the point. Most "cold remedies" don't do anything.4 -
There is no cure for the common cold. You can relieve some of the symptoms, but some studies show that covering up the symptoms can make a cold last even longer. Don't know how true that is though. I say if you're miserable, take your meds.
Sore throat - Drink hot tea with honey.
Runny Nose - Eat something spicy, like curry. It will help clear out the mucus.
Congestion - Fill a bowl with hot water. Put your head over the bowl and put a towel over your head & the bowl to hold in the steam. Breathe in the steam for a few minutes. You could also take a hot shower. Adding eucalyptus or menthol could help too.
Otherwise, just sleep and drink plenty of liquids. The cold needs to run its course. If you need to be around people, take some cold meds to get you through it.
Realistically, I know it probably doesn't do anything, but I do make something that I call "garlic soup" when I'm really sick. Its literally chicken broth with tons of garlic as the base, then I add rice if I'm up for it. Supposedly garlic is a natural antibiotic and can help with sickness. Don't know if that's true, but I do like my soup and I'm at least eating something I can taste and it helps keep me hydrated. I'd suggest this for garlic lovers only.
Being sick on Thanksgiving is terrible. I had the flu with a fever on thanksgiving a few year ago. It sucked. I hope you feel better soon!
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It's too late for you for this cold, but if I take these when I feel a cold coming on, most of the time it never materializes: https://www.iherb.com/pr/Source-Naturals-Wellness-Formula-Herbal-Defense-Complex-120-Capsules/71155
(Note: those are capsules. The tablets are cheaper but I don't buy them because they smell bad and have a nasty aftertaste.)
At this point, I'd rest and do things for your sinuses and throat, like the various methods of steaming mentioned above.
When I'm sick, I eat lots of spicy Asian soup and drink lots of tea, especially this tea, which has ginger and licorice. I've seen it at Whole Foods and large supermarkets: https://smile.amazon.com/Yogi-Tea-Supports-Healthy-Digestion/dp/B0009F3QLG/
I take a hot shower before bed to clear my sinuses again, and also have some Hall's methol cough drops on hand for after my nose clogs back up.1 -
Echinacea 1200 mg. I take two in the morning and two at night. Vitamin C 1000 mg twice daily. Zinc 50 one a day. These are more effective as a preventative before it takes hold but will reduce symptoms just like any cold tablet. Be careful if your digestion is iffy. Echinacea and Vitamin C can loosen bowels. Vitamin C can also aggravate kidney stones if you are prone to them. I have found these three items invaluable during cold season. Hope you feel better soon.1
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I'm no scientist but my PhD actively working and publishing science research friend tells me Vitamin C does nothing for colds.1
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MelanieCN77 wrote: »I'm no scientist but my PhD actively working and publishing science research friend tells me Vitamin C does nothing for colds.
Always makes me feel much better. Just my experience.0 -
A hot toddy!
Rum
Hot water
Honey
= feels better 🤒🥴😏1 -
Yup - a hot toddy ... And, if it's during the day, hot water, ginger, honey, cinnamon. Feel better!2
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3 days to catch it. 3 days to have it. 3 days to get rid of it.1
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cheryldumais wrote: »Echinacea 1200 mg. I take two in the morning and two at night. Vitamin C 1000 mg twice daily. Zinc 50 one a day. These are more effective as a preventative before it takes hold but will reduce symptoms just like any cold tablet. Be careful if your digestion is iffy. Echinacea and Vitamin C can loosen bowels. Vitamin C can also aggravate kidney stones if you are prone to them. I have found these three items invaluable during cold season. Hope you feel better soon.
I take Vitamin C to "bowel tolerance" and it is amazing how much my tolerance goes up when I am under the weather. I realize Vitamin C is not the panacea that Nobel laureate Dr. Linus Pauling once claimed, but high doses are not completely lacking value either, in my experience.0
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