"Cures" for the common cold

[jmur5074]

In the last couple days I've come down with a nasty little head cold. Runny/stuffy nose, headaches, body aches, sneezing, etc....


I've been drinking lots of juice and water, and eating oranges. Right now I'm working on a can of chicken noodle soup, and I took sick time off of work tonight for the first time ever.

It's not the worst I've ever had, but I rarely get sick, so when I do I'm miserable.

I hate taking pills and obviously it needs to just run it's course, but I want to make myself as "un-miserable" as I can in that time...so what do YOU do when you have a cold?

[GirlInBrown]

Rest and fluids brother.....and waiting it out. Thera Flu and a hot shower before you go to bed.

[Buttercup]

Drink tea with lemon, wrap myself in my heated throw, lie on the sofa, and whine about how uncomfortable I am.

Okay - I don't whine, but I do try to treat the symptoms. The last time I had a bad cold, I found that Mucinex worked very well for me to ease the nasal congestion (which is the worst thing about having a cold, IMO). I also try to get as much rest as possible and drink lots of water, Gatorade, and/or orange juice. If I'm feeling really, really bad I'll sometimes take Nyquil if I don't have to do anything the next morning.

I hope that you're feeling better soon.

[pac201]

some peppermint schnopps and warm lemon juice with a couple of powdered aspirin-you will sweat like a crack whore trying to cash a bad check, but it sure does wonders for me...

[Jenna]

When I have a cold I just try to get as much sleep as possible and drink a lot of fruit juice. I usually don't take medications because I don't want to mask the symptoms and do something that extends or worsen the illness as a result, and because I think the medications' side effects may be worse than the symptoms.

[MacLean]

Whisky, lemon juice, honey, repeat until you feel sleepy. Don't forget the water, too.

Sleep, sleep, sleep.

[ex401mp]

Sleep as much as I can. Drinking juice and tea seems to make me feel alot better also.

[Ducky]

Whisky, lemon juice, honey, repeat until you feel sleepy. Don't forget the water, too.

Sleep, sleep, sleep.

Yep. That's about the best thing, just drink it warm.

[lewisipso]

Whisky, lemon juice, honey, repeat until you feel sleepy. Don't forget the water, too.

Sleep, sleep, sleep.

Yep. Take an extra dose of vitamin C.

[2 Blue 4 U]

Yep. Take an extra dose of vitamin C.

and Zinc lozenges and Saline Nose spray

[DeputyDuc]

I'm no arborist, so take it fwiw:

The moment you think you're coming down (and this is what I do)
1. go to bed stupid early, like 8pm (assuming a normal 9-5p schedule) and sleep your arse off. Drink lots of apple/orange juice, and
2. take a multivitamin each night you feel coldish

Rest and good diet (i.e. that includes all the good vits and minerals) are really the most effective cold fighters. The OTC drugstore things are just mental salves - but if you BELIEVE they're working, then they work, and more power to you! Some of those drugs are good to dry things up, maybe knock you out for easier sleep, and nasal spray is a godsend, but they won't cure or remediate the cold.