Spryte Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 We've had the flu for the past two years - the entire family. Last year we actually had it twice, as after we'd all had whatever was going around here, DH brought home "Euro-Flu" after a business trip, and we had the European strain (which, by the way, was beyond awful!). We went the Tamiflu route, and it helped to a degree, but getting it was a bit of a pain. I vowed to get flu shots this year, but our doc is so opposed to them that I opted not to do it at the last minute. Hoping that we've built up some immunity to the current strains. We are vigilant about hand-washing and hygiene, but flu is rampant in our area and I'm not sure we can avoid the germs. What do you keep in the house in case of flu? We have the usual vitamins/minerals and probiotics on hand. I just ordered Oscillococcinum, but I'm sure there are other natural remedies that we should have on hand. I just can't remember them! So... What's in your flu arsenal? Want to share? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 I've read great things about Sambucol. The studies show it reduces the flu to only 2-3 days. I have two bottles on hand right now. Younger dd felt sickly earlier in the week and took it for two days, but she seems fine now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chocolate Rose Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 I do keep Oscillococcinum on hand, but I'm thinking that there are probably other things I should have. I don't know what, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Oscillococcinum and Sambucol. I also have a Zinc spray. I always give Sambucol at the first sign of a cold, but I save the Oscillo for what seems more like flu (if tummy's fine, I double up with Sambucol). Oh, and from the conventional side of the aisle, if we don't catch it with the above stuff in the beginning stages and prevent it altogether, I have ibuprofen, tylenol, and Mucinex (the pills - for some reason I've always found the syrups completely ineffective, but the pills seem to do the job - maybe the dose is higher??), and sudafed if the head is involved. And homemade chicken soup. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Old school here, saltines and Polar gingerale. Ibuprofen and puff's plus and apple cider vinegar taffy, works wonders on coughs. Also when they are up to it, turkey soup with lots of garlic, spinach, diced tomatoes, onions and carrots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca VA Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Wow, Lizzie, having the flu at your house sounds amazingly comforting! I'm going to pick up some Sambucol next time I'm near a pharmacy. I totally don't want to get the flu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Wow, Lizzie, having the flu at your house sounds amazingly comforting! I'm going to pick up some Sambucol next time I'm near a pharmacy. I totally don't want to get the flu. Make sure you get the liquid. When I went out to get ours, I only found the right one at CVS. The other stores had Sambucol pills for cold and flu, but that one is homeopathic and isn't the same thing as the liquid (which has been tested and proven effective). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueTaelon Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 1st line of defense if I know I've been exposed is 50,000 IU Vitamin D3 a day for a couple of days, vit D is great for wiping out/preventing the flu. If I don't know and I start showing symptoms I start Ocillo and the Vit D. If I get hit with the flu or a bad cold I break out the motrin, sudafed (the real stuff not the PE), Mucinex pills (Target carries it in generic, 30 pills for $6 which is wayyyyyy cheaper!). If I remember I add vit C and Nyquil at night so I can sleep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Sambucol (Elderberry Syrup), Oscillococcinum, and Vit D in mega doses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I.Dup. Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 I dose up on 1000's of milligrams of vitamin C and that seems to be the best method I've found. I get chewable sodium ascorbate vitamin C from Costco. I've tried Sambucol but didn't notice any difference. I was recommended to get Elderberry but when I looked at the bottles I think that's the same thing that is in Sambucol so I didn't bother getting it. I gave my children about 3,000 mg of vitamin C yesterday and they are better today. I also got Zicam and gave them one dissolvable tablet yesterday. FWIW, I can't remember the last time we've had THE actual flu, so take this FWIW. I think what we're dealing with now is more a cold virus, I have not noticed anyone has fevers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFamily Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 We start taking a tablespoon of elderberry syrup every day beginning in early December, and we continue to take it throughout the end of flu season. If someone begins to show any signs of sickness, they begin taking a few teaspoons every few hours until symptoms subside. We also start taking extra vitamin C in mid-fall and continue to take it through the end of February. Thankfully, we have only ever had mild colds and those nagging coughs but never the flu. This is the recipe I've been using for the elderberry syrup: http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/newsletter/10/november/elderberrysyrup.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted January 9, 2013 Author Share Posted January 9, 2013 Thanks! I had forgotten about Sambucol. Is that safe for kids, too? Is there a dosing chart by weight online somewhere? Vit D, Vit C, zinc spray - check. Will make sure we have all of those on hand. And, of course, all the comfort items are stockpiled. Do I sound paranoid? I think I may have PTSD from our back to back bouts of it last year! Whew. Sandwiched right in between them was a rampant case of Norovirus, so it was quite the 2 month trauma. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Thanks! I had forgotten about Sambucol. Is that safe for kids, too? Is there a dosing chart by weight online somewhere? There's a sambucol for kids - I think it's Nature's Way brand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted January 9, 2013 Author Share Posted January 9, 2013 There's a sambucol for kids - I think it's Nature's Way brand. Perfect. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted January 9, 2013 Author Share Posted January 9, 2013 There's a sambucol for kids - I think it's Nature's Way brand. Perfect. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arghmatey Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Water, honey, salt (for gargling) and zinc lozenges. We haven't had the flu since 2009, so I haven't had to "cure" it in a while. In 2009, we all had swine flu, and it wasn't at all unpleasant. We just stayed home and cuddled with zero suffering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Oscillococcinum and Sambucol. I also have a Zinc spray. I always give Sambucol at the first sign of a cold, but I save the Oscillo for what seems more like flu (if tummy's fine, I double up with Sambucol). Oh, and from the conventional side of the aisle, if we don't catch it with the above stuff in the beginning stages and prevent it altogether, I have ibuprofen, tylenol, and Mucinex (the pills - for some reason I've always found the syrups completely ineffective, but the pills seem to do the job - maybe the dose is higher??), and sudafed if the head is involved. And homemade chicken soup. :) I see there are two stypes of Sambucol... "original" and one for "colds/flu". Which one do you use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Hydrogen peroxide for respiratory flu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 I see there are two stypes of Sambucol... "original" and one for "colds/flu". Which one do you use? Neither - I get "immune support". I actually use Nature's Way brand Sambucus Immune Support. It has a bit less elderberry than the orignial Sambucol, but also has Vit. C, Zinc, and Echinacea. Throw the kitchen sink at it! And do get the liquid, not the lozenges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Neither - I get "immune support". I actually use Nature's Way brand Sambucus Immune Support. It has a bit less elderberry than the orignial Sambucol, but also has Vit. C, Zinc, and Echinacea. Throw the kitchen sink at it! And do get the liquid, not the lozenges. Where do you buy it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Okay, nevermind I may have found it at Whole Foods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critterfixer Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Sprite, crackers and soup. Nyquil for the DH, Ibuprofen for me. Probably the biggest thing I want ready and primed to go is a bottle of bleach water. I also make a point of scrubbing all available commodes the moment anyone starts to feel ill. At least in my mind love is a clean commode when one is throwing up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Neither - I get "immune support". I actually use Nature's Way brand Sambucus Immune Support. It has a bit less elderberry than the orignial Sambucol, but also has Vit. C, Zinc, and Echinacea. Throw the kitchen sink at it! And do get the liquid, not the lozenges. Sambucol also makes an immune formula with Vitamin C and zinc. It's pricey because you can only ever seem to find it in 4 oz. bottles, but my ds12 really hates the taste of the original formula, so I buy it anyway. (They add some sort of raspberry flavoring to the immune one, and it's also a bit thinner in consistency.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Okay, nevermind I may have found it at Whole Foods. But it's waaaaay cheaper at Vitacost!! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandelion Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Zinc Citrate - 50mg. I've found that most lozenges only have around 5mg of Zinc, so we take the 50mg capsules 1x day - DD can't swallow capsules so I open them up and mix them in her OJ. Vitamin C. We megadose at the onset of a cold/flu (around 5,000mg a day, but you can safely go up to 10,000mg for several days) Sambucus. We have Sambucol as well as the Nature's Answer brand for kids. Oregano Oil - strong anti-viral benefits Echinacea extract Oscillococcinum Chestal Honey cough syrup Garlic Cayenne pepper. The kids can't use this, but I gargle with 1/2 tsp of cayenne mixed in water it at the slightest hint of throat irritation and it reduces the pain quickly and prevents it from taking hold. Tea tree oil. I put some drops in a bowl of hot water and inhale the steam with a towel over my head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twigs Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Hydrogen peroxide for respiratory flu. :confused: What do you do with hydrogen peroxide for flu? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Oh - one more thing I always have on hand - Throat Coat Tea. Has slippery elm. And it tastes good. For stomach "flu" (which is not influenza of any kind at all) I have a completely different regimen. Towels all over, sick person may not move off them except to go to bathroom - which is dedicated only to them for that day - no one else may enter. No foods or fluids, especially water (and no pills or syrups of any kind) till the puking subsides for at least a couple of hours, then start on tiny sips of Gatorade, working up to a bit more, then add saltines. If that's kept down, keep increasing slowly. At end of day, wash towels on hot with bleach, and bleach the heck out of the pukey bathroom. For next two days or so, more saltines and Gatorade, then add BRAT diet, then chicken soup. I have virtually always been able to keep a stomach bug to one person and 24 hours with this regimen. I hate the pukes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted January 9, 2013 Author Share Posted January 9, 2013 Taking notes. So much great info here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 But it's waaaaay cheaper at Vitacost!! :) I'll probably buy the first bottle locally and then order online from now on.... thanks for the tip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Campbells' Chicken Noodle soup, Popsicles, Kleenex, canned fruit (cold canned pears or peaches so nice when the throat is sore!), ginger ale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 I'll probably buy the first bottle locally and then order online from now on.... thanks for the tip. The last two bottles I bought locally because I forgot to reorder in time when I was running out. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 :confused: What do you do with hydrogen peroxide for flu? Some respiratory viruses enter and incubate through the ear canal. When I come down with one of those nasty quick-onset fever/bodyache viruses (the kind where within a couple of hours you go from feeling fine to feeling like you've been hit by a bus and just want to lay down and die), I put 1/2 capful or so of hydrogen peroxide in each ear for 3-4 minutes apiece (as though you are cleaning the wax out of your ears). Do this every 2-3 hours during the day. By the end of the day I'm feeling pretty much back to normal, with maybe a couple of lasting nose sniffles at worst. Continue "cleaning" your ears 3 or 4 times a day for a couple days after that, just to make sure there isn't a resurgence. It only works for certain respiratory viruses, not at all for stomach viruses. At the very worst, your ears will be sparkly clean :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twigs Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Some respiratory viruses enter and incubate through the ear canal. When I come down with one of those nasty quick-onset fever/bodyache viruses (the kind where within a couple of hours you go from feeling fine to feeling like you've been hit by a bus and just want to lay down and die), I put 1/2 capful or so of hydrogen peroxide in each ear for 3-4 minutes apiece (as though you are cleaning the wax out of your ears). Do this every 2-3 hours during the day. By the end of the day I'm feeling pretty much back to normal, with maybe a couple of lasting nose sniffles at worst. Continue "cleaning" your ears 3 or 4 times a day for a couple days after that, just to make sure there isn't a resurgence. It only works for certain respiratory viruses, not at all for stomach viruses. At the very worst, your ears will be sparkly clean :001_smile: Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1pageatatime Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Some respiratory viruses enter and incubate through the ear canal. When I come down with one of those nasty quick-onset fever/bodyache viruses (the kind where within a couple of hours you go from feeling fine to feeling like you've been hit by a bus and just want to lay down and die), I put 1/2 capful or so of hydrogen peroxide in each ear for 3-4 minutes apiece (as though you are cleaning the wax out of your ears). Do this every 2-3 hours during the day. By the end of the day I'm feeling pretty much back to normal, with maybe a couple of lasting nose sniffles at worst. Continue "cleaning" your ears 3 or 4 times a day for a couple days after that, just to make sure there isn't a resurgence. It only works for certain respiratory viruses, not at all for stomach viruses. At the very worst, your ears will be sparkly clean :001_smile: Pardon my ignorance, but I'm still not understanding. Do you put the HP on a swab and swipe your ears? Or do you actually drip it into the ear canal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1pageatatime Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 What about an air-humidifier? We're in the thick of it, and I find the warm mist comforting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 eta: whoops - deleted contentious comment. James invariably gets an upset stomach so we stock up on chicken broth, gerber's baby food peaches and pedialyte, otc pain meds and kleenex... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 nm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin M Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Thanks - we've already gone through this in another thread. It got ugly and then mods deleted it. Sorry, I'll delete that part of my comment. I don't want to cause an uproar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilypoo Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 I really like Breathe and On Guard from doTerra. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 After reading the news and this thread, I guess I better start applying Thieves Oil on DD's feet. Maybe even on mine. We have Oscillo and Sambucus. What's a safe amount of vitamin D3 for a 7-year old? I gave her 600 IU's this evening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Sorry, I'll delete that part of my comment. I don't want to cause an uproar. You're so sweet. I just wanted to give you warning that the thread may go downhill.... but probably a good idea what you did. I deleted mine since I quoted yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
somo_chickenlady Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 I'm old school...I stick to Nyquil and Dayquil. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critterfixer Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Don't care for Dayquil, although NyQuil is OK. Dayquil always makes me feel as if my head is detatched from my body and floating about two feet above my neck. Since it sort of lags behind when I walk I keep wanting to reach up and put it back on...a real Alice and Wonderland sort of thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
somo_chickenlady Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Don't care for Dayquil, although NyQuil is OK. Dayquil always makes me feel as if my head is detatched from my body and floating about two feet above my neck. Since it sort of lags behind when I walk I keep wanting to reach up and put it back on...a real Alice and Wonderland sort of thing. We get the generic grocery store brand, and I never have any side effects, other than feeling better. *shrug* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mytwomonkeys Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 i take vitamins every day, but D3 is my "go to" during flu season. my husband and i up our intake to 5000 and my kids take 1000. we also up our vitamin C during flu season too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Pardon my ignorance, but I'm still not understanding. Do you put the HP on a swab and swipe your ears? Or do you actually drip it into the ear canal? You lay your head on the side and pour the hydrogen peroxide into the ear. Then after a couple minutes, place a towel or washcloth over your ear, turn your head on it's other side to drain, and pour HP into the other ear. I use a q-tip afterwards to dry off the inside a little. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1pageatatime Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 You lay your head on the side and pour the hydrogen peroxide into the ear. Then after a couple minutes, place a towel or washcloth over your ear, turn your head on it's other side to drain, and pour HP into the other ear. I use a q-tip afterwards to dry off the inside a little. thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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