It's not allergies

[clevermanka]

I have caught mckitterick's cold. God Damn It. I do not need this five days before I get on a plane that will take me to Indianapolis so I can go visit my nana who is in the hospital. I do not want to take a fucking virus to my family's doorstep. I am very unhappy about this development. Who has suggestions on how to shorten the lifespan of a typical week-long head/chest cold? Any and all serious suggestions considered. I would very much like to be well over this by Thursday. Thank you.

Comments

[starwyse.livejournal.com]

Virastop.

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&sugexp=gsqvh&xhr=t&q=virastop&cp=4&qe=dmlyYXN0&qesig=r-imHXth2dioNkdnGrLFhg&pkc=AFgZ2tlw6VlTAf10Sa8rjoKRdApFBr-Zpbp1bp6LOq5ou2Ui363vJgc5REkdf7Jtilt7d5TsJNBY6_UI0FsyA0FnUyUPQrpchA&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=12920135198119974242&sa=X&ei=XX-YTdj3L6PfiAKJzPGcCQ&sqi=2&ved=0CEoQ8wIwAg#

I get it at Whole Foods. 3 capsules 3x a day at the first sign of symptoms or as immediate as I can get it, then 2 3x a day for two more days usually wipes out a cold for me.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Pricey, but worth it if it works. I wonder if I can get some at the Merc this afternoon? Worth a phone call to ask, definitely!

[starwyse.livejournal.com]

Works for me every time. It was a life saver with the folks as I made them take it either of them had the sniffles and we only had one really bad cold with mom the whole three years.

[kalimeg.livejournal.com]

10,000 units of Vitamin C the first dose, then 7,000 a day after that. Kills off my colds very fast.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I've been downing the Emergen-C, but not in those doses. What form do you use to take in that much?!?! Your first dose is, like, a box of Emergen-C.

[kalimeg.livejournal.com]

There are pills that are 1,000 each. I just get a glass of water or juice and take them a couple at a time -- even over an hour or so if my swallowing is shaky.

[redheadfae.livejournal.com]

I've done that with Adam's advice, only he told me take a packet and a full glass of water every hour.

I think the secret is that you pee it out, at least I did. Heck, maybe it'll help with the bloating (says optimist side of me).

[stuology.livejournal.com]

I know that this does nothing about how you will feel about the cold, but the hospital is not a place to go to avoid viruses. They already have been exposed to many, many, many, many of them.

Ginseng, zinc and rest. If you are socially booked the next five days, cancel the obligations and physically and emotionally rest.

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm more worried about exposing Nana to yet another strain of something gross.

I need to find some zinc that doesn't upset my tum.

Ironically, I have a doctor appointment on Wednesday, but other than the trip to Indy, that's it on my social calendar. Well, except for today's workshop...

[pamelonian.livejournal.com]

I haven't been actually sick in a really long time. Sometimes I feel something coming on and I try to sleep it off. My suggestion is rest, rest, rest.

Most of the time I think I have a cold, it turns out to be allergies. Don't forget them. Mine should be arriving in about a week or two. Thank-you, trees!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I would have suspected allergies, but these are all the exact same symptoms that mckitterick had, and he's happily over it now. So definitely a virus. Boo, hiss.

[shrijani.livejournal.com]

I think holistic medicine is a crock, so you will NOT hear me pimping Zicam. Don't waste your money.

I am sure I am not providing new information, but I do believe in massive amounts of fluid, and sleeping at absolutely every opportunity. I really think that water water water and sleep sleep sleep can make a virus go away more quickly. I ascribe healing properties to fresh grapefruit, but grapefruit interacts with many medications, so it's important to check that out before grapefruiting it up (again, I feel silly telling you this because I am all but certain that you already know all of this).

[shrijani.livejournal.com]

Having read back through comments, I am taking mental note of the C megadose and that Virastop stuff. Combined with insane amounts of fluids and as much healing coma as one can arrange for one's self, it sounds like an effective regimen!

[miischelle.livejournal.com]

BLEEEHHHHHH COLD! Sweetie!
ZINC!!!
Zinc zinc zinc, after eating, otherwise, if you have my stomach, you'll throw up a lot.

Actually, I throw up if I take zinc at all.

But it's supposed to help...
And echinecea too!

[curieuse.livejournal.com]

I've had good luck with megadoses of Vitamins (including zinc) + FREQUENT use of the NeilMed Sinus Wash.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_luaineach/]

Zicam (or any equivalant oral zinc supplement - which is not 'holistic' as commented above but marketed as such so that it can be placed with the cold remedies and not the vitamins; zinc pills (or any form, dissolving internally is what i mean) have been shown to have zero effect on viruses so go for the orally dissolving stuff as long as it has no citrus/citric acid in it, which also renders it useless)

Elder Berry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambucus#Medicine) (scroll down to the medicine section) in some form or another. We're partial to Sambucol because it is tasty.

A broth made of chicken bones and skin, 2 whole heads of garlic, an onion and mucho black pepper. Or you can just nom the raw garlic if you can bear it; or slow cook just a garlic broth (which is delish).

Mango juice has also been shown antiviral in petri dish so we drink a lot of that as well.

I further second (or third, or whatever) the recommendations of water, water, water, rest, rest, rest and neti potting frequently.

[annamatic.livejournal.com]

Another vote for multi-whammy vit C; zinc & echinacea drops (like ColdEeze); neti-pot every 4 hours or so (I use the NeilMed sinus solution rinse); sleep as much as you can, and hot, hot, hot baths. When I'm feeling like shit I take 3 or 4 hot soaks a day, about as hot as I can stand it, and the soaking + sweating combo really works.

[gamera-spinning.livejournal.com]

I usually drown it in Orange juice, and by drown I mean drink an entire family-sized container of pulpy O.J. in an afternoon. Though a few 500 MG Vitamin C pills are another option.

I hope you feel better soon, as well as your nana.