Hyacinth Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 Dealing with a sore throat and some achiness here in the middle of the night. Anyone have a magic intervention to nip this kind of thing early (beyond time and rest)? Cloves of garlic? Elderberry syrup? Some kind of special tea? A topical or diffused essential oil? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 We've had a small amount of success with elderbrerry syrup, although the key seems to be to start it the moment you notice (or at least feel reasonably certain) a cold/the flu is coming on. Our method of dealing with symptoms involves ibuprofen for sore throats and aches and Afrin nasal spray (or generic equivalent) for stuffiness. I hope you feel better soon. Colds are miserable. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Yell Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 Zinc lozenges 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barnwife Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 Gargle with warm salt water and eat raw garlic. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth86 Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 (edited) lol I hate remedies. They never make me feel better enough so I just suffer. I guess my favorite thing is a super steamy shower. not really a remedy I guess. Edited September 14, 2017 by Elizabeth86 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 (edited) We've had a small amount of success with elderbrerry syrup, although the key seems to be to start it the moment you notice (or at least feel reasonably certain) a cold/the flu is coming on. This. I like the brand that has elderberry plus echinacea, extra zinc & vitamin C. But it really only works if you take it at the first sign. Once it hits you, it's too late for it to do much. Edited September 14, 2017 by Matryoshka 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof1 Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 (edited) Hot tea with lemon and honey. Sore throat and congestion. Honey is good at coating the throat. Ginger ale or 7up for upset stomach. Edited September 14, 2017 by Mommyof1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 I drink a lot more water - try to drown it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kassia Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 Lots of rest and fluids. I'm a big believer in sleep as the best medicine. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmandaVT Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 Elderberry syrup- the brand I buy says you can take 2 tsp every few hours as the cold is coming on. On the in betweens, I drink a TON. I run my water as hot as it gets, stir in lemon juice and honey and drink it all day long. I feel like I am constantly in the bathroom because of all the liquid, but it really helps and I'll take a constantly full bladder over a cold. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 at the very first sign - echinachea and vitamin C. every three hours. I did that this last time . . . . 2ds was kind enough to bring the virus home. before I left for my dds -everyone had had it but me. dudeling wouldn't even give me hugs because he didn't want me to get sick. I'm usually one of the first, and it lasts the longest. I started to develop a sore throat at my dds, so ran to the store for the echinachea and Vit C and started taking it every three hours. it never got any worse. I did end up with a lot of drainage coming in clumps down the back of my throat the first few days - but that was IT. 2ds was sick enough he had to stay home from work. dh was sick enough he was also laid up. - he's still coughing and I've been home for two weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mytwomonkeys Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 Sleep. A mustard plaster. Oil of Oregano. Garlic. Vicks chest rub on feet, chest and back. All of these work well imo. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 Two regular psuedophederine washed down with a dose of NyQuil, and sleep until you wake up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 Once I already have a cold, I like to drink a lot of Throat Coat tea. Very soothing. Has slippery elm in it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 Once I already have a cold, I like to drink a lot of Throat Coat tea. Very soothing. Has slippery elm in it. Wonderful stuff, and also helps kidney stones pass--even ones you didn't know you had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 Elderberry syrup with vitamin C and echinacea at the first sign. We like Sambucus Immune Syrup. To help with sleep: honey, whiskey, and lemon juice, warmed. Ibuprofen for the aches and sore throat. Hope you feel better soon. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 :chillpill: Better living through pharmaceuticals LOL Zyrtec or allegra (antihistamine to help stop the dripping nose, watery eyes etc) Pseudoephedrine to dry up the post nasal drip and decongest the nose. Naproxen/advil/tylenol for achiness/sore throat. Mucinex to thin secretions and to keep my sinuses from feeling too dry from pseudoephedrine. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof1 Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 Mytwomonkeys, How do you make a mustard plaster? I know that it's used for chest congestion, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 Once the cold is really there, I now take Mucinex to thin mucus. I've done this since my bronchitis turned to pneumonia Jan 2015--hopefully thinning mucus encourages it to just move along and get out of my body! So not really to prevent or heal a cold but to keep it from becoming something worse. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 I took a tablespoon of elderberry all last winter and had one very minor few day cold. It's much cheaper to make your own elderberry syrup than to buy it. It tastes more palatable too! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mytwomonkeys Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 (edited) Mytwomonkeys, How do you make a mustard plaster? I know that it's used for chest congestion, right? Yes. It's really effective. You need flour, cheese cloth or dish towel or hand towel, 1/4 cup warm water, and dry mustard (I use Coleman's from the grocery store). Mix dry ingredients. Slowly add water while mixing to create a paste. The consistency should be like thick pancake batter. Spread the mixture into the middle of the towel with a spatula or spoon. Fold the cloth into a rectangle ((bottom up, top down and both sides folded in). Put the side on your chest that doesn't have the folds. You can wrap it around your chest with saran wrap or just lay down with it on your chest & put a blanket over you. Remove after 20 minutes & throw towel in the wash. You will probably have red marks but they'll go away. You can also order mustard plasters off amazon, but it's the same thing - just disposable ETA - 1 tablespoon mustard and 4 tablespoons flour 😊 Forgot to add how much! Edited September 14, 2017 by mytwomonkeys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 Rest and fluids. Nyquil if I can't sleep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solascriptura Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 Advil for fever and lots of rest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 Another vote for elderberry at first throat scratchiness. Mucinex after already sick stops me from getting sinus infections. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted September 14, 2017 Share Posted September 14, 2017 Homemade chicken soup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 Seriously, no one has mentioned Bourbon yet? Start by buying a bottle of Beam (you may as well get the cheap variety since you're too sick to taste it) and inducing a fever in case you have a mild case of the flu instead of a bad cold- take the hottest bath or shower you can stand without burning yourself, jump straight into the warmest pajamas you have, and go to bed with multiple heavy blankets. If you already have a sore throat, have a hot toddy on the way (tea, lemon, honey, bourbon). When you wake up if you're not at least 80% better, devote a day (with someone else watching kids) to gargling bourbon if you can stand it, drinking hot toddies if you cannot, eating potato chips so the salt can cut the phlegm in your throat, and spending time in the sun. You won't feel drunk, but you will be, so don't drive anywhere. If it's already too cold to stay in the sun for a day where you are, three days in bed working your way through some bourbon will get you 80% better. This advice is somewhat scientific - fevers really do kill viruses, and alcohol, sunlight, and vitamin D also help kill viruses. That's why alcoholics get less infections. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 We always start taking Emergen-C at first sign of a cold. But I see a ton of recommendations for elderberry syrup here- is there a specific brand you guys recommend? And where can I get it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 Another vote for elderberry at first throat scratchiness. Mucinex after already sick stops me from getting sinus infections. This is what I do (though I use the store brand Mucinex.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 at the very first sign - echinachea and vitamin C. every three hours. I did that this last time . . . . 2ds was kind enough to bring the virus home. before I left for my dds -everyone had had it but me. dudeling wouldn't even give me hugs because he didn't want me to get sick. I'm usually one of the first, and it lasts the longest. I started to develop a sore throat at my dds, so ran to the store for the echinachea and Vit C and started taking it every three hours. it never got any worse. I did end up with a lot of drainage coming in clumps down the back of my throat the first few days - but that was IT. 2ds was sick enough he had to stay home from work. dh was sick enough he was also laid up. - he's still coughing and I've been home for two weeks. Which brand of echinacea did you get? I remember a year or two ago, I read an article that said many brands didn't contain much, if any, actual echinacea, so I'd like to buy one that is the real thing. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 (edited) We always start taking Emergen-C at first sign of a cold. But I see a ton of recommendations for elderberry syrup here- is there a specific brand you guys recommend? And where can I get it?I used to use Sambucol brand, but now I use a more concentrated one, can't access the name right now. Sambucol is good though. Health food store, Whole Foods, etc should have it. Found it, Herb Pharm. Family calls it our "magic juice". :) Edited September 15, 2017 by goldberry 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 Elderberry syrup Virus killing soup Wellness formula Essential oil blend in diffuser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 Which brand of echinacea did you get? I remember a year or two ago, I read an article that said many brands didn't contain much, if any, actual echinacea, so I'd like to buy one that is the real thing. :) well - I went to vitaminworld - because that was what was available. (I was out of town and didn't want to drive 40 + minutes each way. I have no idea about the actual quality. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvbug in Ohio Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 Could someone share how to make your own elderberry syrup? I'm interested. We usually spend a lot of our winter sick, seems like once one of us gets it, it just gets passed around-and around the family. I'm always hit the worst, due to an already compromised immune system. I'm so glad I read this post today! Now I'm inspired to take some precautions! I think I'll make the elderberry syrup, order some vitamins, and stock up now on items like tissues, vick's, sprite, etc. so that if we get sick anyway we're not running out to the store for those things. In fact, if I do have them at home, I'll definitely be more likely to not need them, knowing my luck. Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 I believe this is the elderberry syrup recipe I used. I'd divide a batch into thirds, freeze 2/3 and keep 1/3 in the fridge in a jar to dole out. You can order dried elderberries via Amazon prime. :hurray: https://realfoodrn.com/homemade-elderberry-syrup/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvbug in Ohio Posted September 16, 2017 Share Posted September 16, 2017 Thanks so much, Woolysocks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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