I just went and got a bottle of Vetericyn at Petco and we will see. It's like they are almost healed up and she'll lick one of them during the night and BAM it's all festered up again. I keep them covered with a sock bandaged up but she will just chew it off if she wants to and I can't watch her 24/7. It seems like everything I put on them makes them worse and not better. So far the Vetericyn seems to be helping ALREADY! Brownthumbia, which variety of this do you use? There were several different kinds. I was able to find ONE bottle of the wound and infection variety in the whole town! GAH! If this does work as well as it seems, I'm going to buy some on line for cheaper. The bottle was $37 for 8 oz.! ACK! But if it works...hey, I've already spend a ton on meds that don't work. OH and the goldenseal....SHE LICKS IT RIGHT OFF TOO even though it's bitter as all get out! I just got it last night so I haven't been able to see if it's going to work or not. Right now I need something more medicinal such as that Vetericyn spray. I put a small dab on goldenseal on my tongue and holy cow, that's about the most bitter taste I've even come in contact with...how the heck can a dog lick that...ugh! Crazy! LMAO!

So along these lines, I just tried taking some melatonin to help me sleep. I'm really paranoid of prescription sleeping meds though I have tried them and they work wonderfully with no apparent side effects. I'm still concerned about becoming dependent on them. In any case in spite of doing all the other recommended practices to sleep - exercise but not too late, quiet, dark, etc. sometimes I get very little sleep - maybe 3-4 hours. I then have to go to work at a very demanding job for 10 or more hours and I simply cannot function like that. So now I'm avoiding prescription meds and taking something that could be just as dangerous. I've done some reading of what I consider to be fairly reputable sources - lots of potential side effects and possible drug interactions with other meds (none of which I take from what I can tell). It seems to have become more effective after using it for a few days - works great. Interestingly my mother tried taking it years back and she thought it did nothing. Maybe I'm experiencing the placebo effect. It's an interesting dilemma....whether or not to take anything at all to treat a "problem" and if so what. I've also taken Zicam which considers itself to be homeopathic. I find it works really well at heading off cold symptoms - unlike anything else I've ever found. If I didn't have to go to work every day I'd probably be more inclined to just suffer with my ailments but I need to be able to go to work and be functional.

DH draws me a bath, as hot as I can stand it, makes me a cup of tea with brandy, honey and lemon in it. I drink that down in the tub. Dry off and crawl in bed. It knocks me right out and I seem to just sweat out during the night.

Yes, Loratidine is OTC. It is an antihistamine and works to dry up the runny nose and dripping down the back of the throat ("post nasal drip"). The post nasal dripping can give one a very raw throat and contributes to the tickle and cough. The Sudafed (pseudoephedrine hydrochoride) is also OTC. It a decongestant (non-drowsy) that relieves sinus congestion and pressure. See package, online info for contraindications -- there are several. You can speak with your doctor or registered pharmacist. JoAnn -- I'm sorry to hear that you're still feeling ill. Sometimes these viruses can linger. I hope you and your aunt feel better soon.