What's the best overall thing to take for a cold?

[terrya]

I had a sort throat last Friday night...and I could just feel it turning into a cold. And it has.

I'm taking zinc like crazy, as well as lots of vitamin C. And a lot of very hot showers. I want to kill this goddammned thing.

But I still have a stopped up nose, I've been sneezing and I've been coughing like I'm going to hack up a lung or something.

Thanks.

PS. To my Chicago DU'er friends: I don't think I'm going to make it tonight. I really don't want to give you this. Plus, I don't think you want to have me at the bar, coughing up entire body parts.

Terry

[Francesca]

1. zinc and vit c

usually work for me.. but the third most important ingredient is SLEEP...get some.

[ScreamingMeemie]

2. Alka-Seltzer Cold....I hate it, but I swear by it.

It knocks the cold right out of there. I chase it with O.J. Feel better Terry. :hug:

[demnan]

3. Hope you feel better soon

Don't forget to eat some healthy greens and fruit. People tend to forget to eat properly when they're sick and nothing tastes good. Also a nice bowl of chicken soup is good.

[Gore1FL]

6. Isn't it starve a cold?

or is that an old wive's tale?

[Gore1FL]

4. I use Robabtussen CF when I am congested.

the Dextromathoprine (sp?) makes you feel human.

[Imalittleteapot]

5. Before bed have a shot of

Irish Whiskey and spread Vicks on your chest for night coughing.

[meegbear]

7. A shot of blackberry brandy every hour ...

makes yah feel real good when you're sick.

[BlueCollar]

8. Marmite on toast and OJ..n/t

[meti57b]

9. something I discovered but you can't get it .... prednisone

For the first time ever, I had an asthma-like attack last winter and ended up in the emergency hospital at the same time I had a cold. In addition to an asthma treatment and inhaler ...they gave me Prednisone pills.

That prednisone put an amazingly fast end to the cold symptoms.

[doc03]

10. I like Nyquil, actually the CVS brand 1/2 the price. It knocks you out

for a few hours anyway.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

11. Lysergic Acid Diethylamide 25

5 hits and you'll be fine :)

[terrya]

14. CStT, considering I sound like I've contracted the black plague....

some LSD might make me feel better. It won't get rid of the cold...but when you're on a nice trip, who cares? :-)

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

15. You won't soon forget this cold

If you take my advice :)

[freestyle]

12. A day off, very spicy chicken soup, hot toddy

The most important thing is to take a day off, or at least rest as much as possible at the first sign of a cold. Really spicy soup,with lots of onions, garlic, and red and black pepper helps move things along. And a hot toddy is good for head clearing and helping with sleep. Good luck.

[MichaelHarris]

13. A

handful of Valium, but then again that's my answer for everything lately.

[kick-ass-bob]

16. Echinecia (sp?)

But it may be too late - that works best when you first start feeling symptoms...

[sendero]

17. Vicodin...

.... and sleep :)

I've tried just about everything, and just getting rest seems to be about the best thing you can do IMHO.

[lpbk2713]

18. Usually Triaminic & Drixoral

But what seems to help a lot is I gargle two or three times a day with Jim Beam when the cold is at its worst. Seriously, it seems to help.

[bif]

19. Whiskey. Burn it out.

n/t

[pagerbear]

20. Rest, fluids, more rest

Chicken soup, drugs for the symptoms, more rest.

Feel better soon, sweetie!

[The empressof all]

21. Best Home Remedy for Colds

Take a Garlic Capsule chased with a Tablespoon or two of Lemon Juice sprinkled with Cayenne Pepper.

Do this every hour

It will fix you up in no time.

[liontamer]

22. 2 shots of vodka

It really works!

[Magrittes Pipe]

23. Two of these.

;)

[terrya]

24. That just might help...

:-)

[Senior citizen]

25. Overall things don't do much for a cold.

But pajamas seem to help. :bounce: :toast: :hi:

[bif]

26. Here's my Polish grandma's cure

keep a jelly jar on the window sill. Fill it with layers of raspberries and sugar and let it forment for couple weeks. Then, when you have cold, put a teaspoon or so in a cup of hot tea. Have a couple cups a day. When the level gets low, just add more raspberries and sugar. Good stuff.

[DemOverseas]

27. Water

Hydrate yourself.

[Maiden England]

28. Zinc Gluconate

was the form actually shown to shorten the period of symptoms of a cold, Nyquil and Dayquil are about the best thing to minimize symptoms once you've got them

[matcom]

29. Heroine

[Debi]

30. I'm just getting over a cold

that started last Wednesday.

Take anything that will suppress the cough because the cough keeps you up, makes you tired and makes the cold worse.

Last night was my first six hours of sleep straight since Wednesday and I feel much better.

Good luck!!

[noonwitch]

31. If you're not driving or working, Comtrex or Theraflu

Both have pleasant intoxicating side effects. Theraflu tastes like shit-put some honey in it, if you go that route.

[marcus_b]

32. Nothing

A cold is a viral infection. Human beings have found ways to kill lots of people in a few seconds, but nothing against the flu.

The only thing you can do is stuff to reduce the symptoms, and help you get over it without also getting a bacterial infection. If you get a bacterial infection, then there are many things you can do, starting with inhaling chamomile to getting antibiotics.

Take it slow, get well soon.

[miss_kitty]

33. Okay. I haven't read ANY of the other suggestions

hot water with lemon juice and honey. Very soothing. Hard to OD on. Rest. The Zinc losenge works well-but it can be gaggy. and NyQuil, but not if you are driving...

[sleepyhead]

34. Homemade chicken soup

with garlic and a couple of chili peppers tossed in. At bedtime have a hot toddy or hot buttered rum and you will sleep like a baby. Lots of fluids and rest. Take a day off from work if you can and doze on the couch with your soup and many glasses of water.

[Chovexani]

35. Cold-eeze

Those are zinc lozenges. I had a bad summer cold strike me at an extremely inopportune time, three days before I was supposed to go to a big geekfest in NJ. I took Cold-eeze like mad and was practically 100% better by the weekend.

I actually bought them because I heard the ads on Air America and wanted to support the company. Turns out they work remarkably well.

[Amaya]

36. Mix this concoction:

1 tsp. of garlic
1/4 tsp. of cayenne powder
1/4 c lemon juice
1/4 c vinegar
2 tablespoons of honey.

Drink every 4 hrs.
You'll be better in no time :)