I usually take some Airborne, really helps me and sometimes I will take echinachea.

Sue

I also take airborne, and set up the humidifier, pull out frozen chicken soup, or make some fresh if no frozen is on hand.

Dress warm, but won't refrain from going out, unless I feel really bad. In the latter case, I hang out on the couch for a day.

Hope you feel better soon.

Moni

When I first feel the sign of a cold coming on, I usually curse, grumble and complain.

Then I drink OJ, foolishly thinking it will cure me:)

Then I make sure the kleenex supply is good to go!

Realistically, I believe that viruses are going to run their course...in their own time. I don't take any aspirin/motrin/drugs...they only mask symptoms temporarily IMO. The cold is going to do what it's going to do.

Hope you fend this off soon.

What is that saying - it takes two weeks to get over a cold if you don't treat it, but only 14 days if you do! The virus does have to run its course, but anything that makes you feel better while you're getting better is good.

I go with extra rest, lots of fluids, saline drops for the nose, and a full box of tissues. If the post-nasal drip causes a cough, I may use some cough syrup at night, if I can't sleep. Otherwise, I don't use anything.

I know that going out in the cold does absolutely nothing to make the cold worse, so I don't avoid going out for that reason, though since I'm trying to get more rest, I probably do go out less.

I agree that viruses must run their course, BUT I find--if I start taking Zinc (either Zicam or Coldeeze) at the very first sign I'm getting one, it really does shorten the length of the cold to about 3 days instead of the usual 7. And I generally don't feel nearly as bad with it. Vitamin C? I take that regularly with or without a cold, so I don't really add any.

And I've found that if you start taking Delsym BEFORE you get that horrible hacking cough, it tends to ward it off. I don't start the D. until a day or so into the cold, since I don't start coughing until the end of one usually.

And lots of fluids. If I have a sore throat, I find that having a roast beef sandwich with a lot of horseradish and a Coke seem to really take the sting out of it. It seems to have something to do with the combo of the horseradish and soda, though.

well, I avoided one last week. Got the first sign, a tingle in my half tonsil... long story. Lots of swallowing cause you can feel your throat starting to hurt. So I started right in, right then on Zicam. 1 drop, slowly melted in mouth, every 3 hours. Didn't like the taste of that one, so started in on Cold MD and that was better. Same deal, every 3 hours. Cold never started up. 3 days later, stopped taking cold meds and feel great.

I'll have to get some ColdMD. I usually take Alka-Seltzer cold stuff and it really tones down the symptoms, but I hate drinking it.

I usually just let it run it's course, but if I remember in time I do the "cold socks treatment" in the link below. Once I did this and the cold was gone within a day. The second time it may have shortened the cold, but didn't completely rid me of it.

I rarely get sick with a cold, but the last 2 times I had a menstrual cycle.. I got a very sore throat and then a short lived cold. I did some research and found out that it is caused by low progesterone! Something else to add to the cramps and pms... fun, huh?

Here is a link that might be useful: Cold sock treatment

Take a hot shower and either zinc (Coldeze losenges) or some Ecchinaccea pills. I've knocked out many colds this way. Or, maybe I just had a tickle in my throat from low humidity.

First I take an Airborne. (I like the orange flavor). Then I take Vitamin C several times a day and more Airborne. For me, this usually wards off a cold from taking hold.

another vote for airborne..

I make ginger tea with fresh ginger adding honey. I drink it all day long I even used to take it to work and drink it there it makes me feel better and sometimes my colds are not as bad;)

I used Zicam but now I use Oil of Oregano. A client of mine had me try it at the first sign of a sore throat and I find that it WORKS! Hope you feel better.

Here is a link that might be useful: Oil of Oregano

This works for me. At the first sign of a cold I start drinking tonic water. Not just one glass but several off and on during the day and no I don't mix it with whiskey. LOL! It does contain quinne which is probaby what helps. I always keep it on hand. The last bottle I used had a twist of lime which was good.
Lois

I take Zicam - works wonders.

I use either Zicam or ColdEeze lozenges.

Orange flavoured vitamin water, echinacea, vitamin c, chicken broth flavoured with garlic-chili paste.

I realize it's mostly about hydration, but it makes me feel like I am doing something. The garlic-chili paste really helps with stuffiness too.

If my throat is sore or starting to get that itchy sort of feeling, add goldenseal to that echinacea. Plus I will grate and squeeze the juice out of ginger, add lemon juice and honey and shoot it back out of a shot glass every once in a while. Whooo! Now that's a wake up! And it helps the throat tickle.

For coughing, add some rosemary, sage, and thyme to that chicken broth (strain it out).

Dances.

My Mother was a big believer of honey and lemon in hot water.

I jump in the shower and take a very hot steamy shower and inhale the mist through my nose. I brush my teeth and gargel with listerine to kill those germs that colds give you. If when I go to bed I still think I'm getting a cold and my chest starts bothering me, I plug in the Benelyn plug in's next to my bed and rub Vick's vapo rub on me. I'll drink tea with lemon and honey. I try not to take any OTC medication if I can help it.

The last bad cold I had was 4 years ago. It was the first time I lost my voice......

I was told to ask a pharmacist before taking any over the counter cold medicine, due to taking BP medication. There's only one that's advertised for people taking BP meds. Often there isn't a warning on the product.

I always thought I was out of luck, because of that.

Airborne for sure.

I took one today, just as a preventative. Salesman was suffering from a cold and I didn't want to take a chance.

foggyj, Coricidin is for people with high blood pressure. I think it's the only one that doesn't contain psuedophedidrin (sp?). My husband had to take that when he was on blood pressure meds.

It's always a good idea to talk to a pharmacist first anyways. A lot of people stick with the same otc meds. If you take something that worked last time, it may not work next time. And there are some meds that have drugs in it for symptoms you don't have.

It used to be Airborne but can't take that any longer so it is Zicam.

Airborne, zinc lozenges, Mucinex, neti pot, hot bubble bath.

I drink lots of hot, really spicy chicken broth. No, it won't make the virus go away, but it clears the sinuses, and tastes wonderful.

I will take a decongestant if I need it to sleep at night, but I don't like to take anything during the day.

My miracle cure or prevention is grapefruit seed extract. It comes in a liquid extract or pills. The liquid drops are very bitter but it's more versatile and I don't run out as often. I dissolve some Airborne in a few ounces of water or warm water with honey and add 10-15 drops of grapefruit seed ext. and chug-a-lug it down or you can take the pills. I can't remember when I had a cold or flu get past the tickle in my throat, it's been years and I never take flu shots and haven't had the flu either. Cautionary note: Some people are allergic to grapefruit but I don't know anyone who is.

For the last two years or so I have been taking Airborne whenever I have been around someone who is sick, and at the first sign of a sniffle or sore throat. So far so good. I have one tablet left and I bought the package last year, have taken it two or three times this fall. I will be picking up more. I work 40-60 hours a week and I can't afford to be sick and miss work. I hate it when people come into work sick and spread the germs around.

Wasn't Zicam taken off the market?? Something that I used was.....maybe they put it back on???

JOANN can you maybe put these on our site I think it would be useful Thank YOu

The swabs from zicam were taken off the market but the spray and lozenges are still on the market. For Colds and the allergy ones.

There was a problem with the swabs. On some it made them stop being able to smell. At all.... now that is a problem. Can't taste food without smell... nothing tastes good.

Stay in bed (after having grabbed a box of Kleenex ... actually, I prefer paper towels: don't tear as much).

That's my favourite way of combatting a cold.

o j