OT: I Need A Good Cold Remedy. Do you have one that works?

[Arky]

alcohol, I've seen and been known to drink way to much to relieve a cold and I was fine the next morning

like hmm 10 shots or so, down blankets, lots of water prior to sleeping, I sweated that cold right out of me!

This will be my remedy attempt the next time I catch the dreaded cold.

It works also for stubbed toes, paper cuts, and eye strain.

Uh-huh the proverbial cure-all[8-|]

[Jay481985]

Hmm sounds like that homer simpson poster I see alot

"To alcohol, the cause of and solution to all of life's problems

[Mighty Favog]

A cold is a virus and you don't cure viruses. You can wait them out while suppressign the symptoms but you don't cure it.

[Arky]

A cold is a virus and you don't cure viruses. You can wait them out while suppressign the symptoms but you don't cure it.

You're right of course...the alcohol does help me forget my ailments, at least for awhile.

[Colin]

when I am sick, I find that extra food, sleep, sex and exercise all make me feel better!

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several grams of vitamin C are supposed to work during the cold but NOT as preventative

a humidifier helps with dry air

hot mustards help clear the sinuses

massages and hot tubs also help

[mas]

I think you simply address the symptoms...

But about 15 years ago I did read of clinically validated results regarding the duration of the flu that maintained that taking a very hot bath suffieicent to raise the body's core temperature followed by getting into bed and maintaining the elevated core temperature by the degree or so was effective in minimizing the duration of the infection by almost half. ..as the viruses are very susceptable to small temperature changes. In effect, you created a managed 'temperature'(fever). ...The hot tub or sauna should work as well.

I suspect the same would be true with a cold.

And while I have read mixed clinical results, some maintain that echinacea is effective in boosting the immune system after the onset of a malady. Its cheap, and unless you do something really silly, it probably won't hurt!

Oh! And frozen marguaritas and Baileys with coffee always seem to help me. Although for the life of me I fail to see what they have to do with a cold or flu![] And perhaps the most valuable tidbit of info in my post! For those of you who like Baileys, try St. Brendans. While many equivalents on the market (ie those for Kuhlua) do not live up to the original you are replacing, St. Brendans is a terrific substitute for Baileys at almost 1/2 the price! Check it out! If you don't, I'll start talking about the Heyser spiral again! There, that should do the trick! []

[Jeff Matthews]

Lots of spicy food. It'll make you sweat that bugger right out of your head.

Lots of raw lemon juice - a natural expectorant - will clear the chest.

[oldtimer]

I once destroyed a cold with a ton of whiskey. It doesn't work now because my tolerance is too high.

Jay, it works at your age but not at ours (as well).

[Jay481985]

who say my tolerance is low?

[oldtimer]

Experience and treachery beats out youth and skill. I have no doubt who would end up under the table first, not that it is something to be proud of.

[Jay481985]

lets go oldtimer, [] I've been known to have 30 drinks in a night.

BTW wanna know a quick way I beat a cold once, I sat in a parked car in the middle of summer when I had the cold (I dunno how I got a cold in the summer) but yeah after falling asleep in the hot car for 4 hours i was fine

[BobbyT]

A cold is a virus and you don't cure viruses. You can wait them out while suppressign the symptoms but you don't cure it.

This is correct. The point behind taking things like zinc or echinacea is to prevent the virus from replicating which will shorten the duration pf the cold.

[customsteve01]

I have had a cold for the past week and I have been taking Nyquil at night and Dayquil during the day and it makes life alot better. I know the cold has to work its course but at least the medicine makes it where I can sleep at night and function normally during the day.

Steve

[DRBILL]

"alcohol, I've seen and been known to drink way to much to relieve a cold and I was fine the next morning

like hmm 10 shots or so, down blankets, lots of water prior to sleeping, I sweated that cold right out of me! "

EXACTLY! Pour out a tumbler of good sour mash whisky. Turn the electric blanket up to 11. Turn the shower on full hot.

1) Take a LONG shower. Breathe the vapors deeply. When quite red, jump out of the shower, barely towell off, drink down the spirits in one draft.

2) Jump in the bed under the electric blanket and SWEAT.

3) This always turns the cold into pneumonia -which is easy to cure.

Trust me on this. I've had some experience.

DRBILL

[Arky]

LOL!

[DrWho]

Here's another gross thing: Do you know how much
snot people normally swallow every day? About 1 quart!

Considering the average person blows out
much less than a quart, let alone 2, 3, or 4, I wonder how much snot I
used to swallow every day... [+o(] Ya, that's not even touching the tip
of the iceberg of gross details...[]

I have tried every remedy
in the book (including all those mentioned)...if over the counter
medicines work for you, great, but I've never been a fan of "relieving
symptoms". I don't see how it can make the healing process go faster.
All of the associated pains is just your body telling you that
something is wrong - turning off the low fuel gauge in your car isn't
going to put more gas in the tank. On a related note, make sure you
don't take any medicine geared towards allergies (especially
antihistamines). Histamines are part of your body's immune system, so
taking a medicine that reduces your immune system's performance isn't
going to help.

The most effective remedy I've come across is to
take a tablespoon of garlic powder and swish it around your mouth until
it's pasty dry and you can't handle the burn (try to at least go for a
minute or two). Once you can't take it anymore, follow it down with a
good 32+ oz. of water. It usuallt works best when you conduct the
treatment when your throat has just entered the itchy stage (before the
full onset of symptoms) - seems you're well beyond that stage. You
might also consider chewing on garlic cloves (just like bubble gum).
It's nasty as heck and is going to burn, but it kills everything inside
of you - and arguably everything around you for the next week []

One
way to get temporary relief during the day (without taking meds) is to
take a break from what you're doing and just walk a few flights of
stairs. It's wierd how just a little bit of exercise (like walking)
will clear you up enough to give you a chance to blow a bunch of crap
out. Granted, it's just going to come back when your body cools down -
but that's why it's important to keep your body temp high (bundle up,
drink hot fluids, take hot showers, throw on a billion blankets,
etc...). I have also found that swimming works wonders...

If, when you wake up in the morning, you find it a little
difficult to remove the phlegm that accumaltes during the night, then I
would highly recommend drinking some Orange Crush (yes, the soda). I
dunno what's in that crap, but it will loosen up everything, making it
come right out all easy like. I used to gargle with it every morning
actually (that was a really rough year). If nothing else, it makes it
taste better...

My friends call me the snot doctor. [] One of
these days I need to get around to writing a book about it all as it
takes a good 13 hours of conversation to cover every 'interesting'
detail...blasted insurance companies []

I hope you feel better! Being sick is never fun (probably moreso for someone that never gets sick)

[cmdridq]

Here ya go, hydrogen peroxide, zinc, and echinacea are the most touted home cures....

"Some doctors believe the flu virus and the cold virus enters the body through the ear canal. The following is a remedy that has been used for years by many. Many people have said this remedy will cure the cold or flu in 12-14 hours. There are several wonderful testimonials about this remedy by people claiming their colds, flu, asthma and allergies have been cured.

To use this remedy, administer a few drops of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide into each ear. (Garlic oil or tea tree oil may also work the same way.) The H2O2 starts working within 2-3 minutes killing the cold or flu virus. There will be bubbling and may be some mild stinging. However it is not painful in any way. For the flu, if using hydrogen peroxide, you will need to repeat this process two or more times at one or two hours intervals.

When the bubbling subsides in a few minutes, drain onto a tissue and repeat with the other ear.

This remedy using hydrogen peroxide is safe for children to use. However, the loud bubbling and mild stinging may scare them, so please be sure to tell them what to expect. Do not get hydrogen peroxide in the eyes. If it enters the eyes at all, flush with water at once."

http://www.ucanbewell.com/colds.html

[colterphoto1]

Grandpa used to take a glass of 1 oz whiskey, 1 oz OJ, 1 oz cough syrup every morning. He was never sick- but he smiled a lot!