# What's your cure for the common cold?



## TICA (Oct 13, 2013)

Well, went to the fair and came home with a miserable cold!    This is the first cold I've had in years and it sucks.   I'm taking lots of vitamin C, did a sinutab the other night but that just kept me awake all night (it was the daytime one).

I remember a military guy once told me to wear wet socks, but I can't remember what the reasoning behind that was - something about the body trying to keep your feet warm and taking the cold to your feet????

So people.... what's your cure - I'm all ears!  And if anyone out there has a hot toddy recipe, I'm interested.   At this point (day 2) I'm thinking getting a buzz off of some rum might be my only option!


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## Katybug (Oct 13, 2013)

Sorry to hear you're in sick bay.  The rum sounds like a winner to me!

I'm just as interested as you are in hearing what the members have to say.  When I get a common cold, it goes directly into a bacterial infection and then it's a couple rounds of antibiotics and 3-4 wks of misery.  I am hoping our members have a natural remedy for making you feel better faster.

Feel better soon...and you will if you get into the rum! (wink!)


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## Diwundrin (Oct 13, 2013)

The rum is the way to go TICA,  it won't cure you, but you won't care.


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## TICA (Oct 13, 2013)

Diwundrin said:


> The rum is the way to go TICA,  it won't cure you, but you won't care.



I agree.  Anything to ease the misery at this point.  Off to the liquor store I go.


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## Happyflowerlady (Oct 13, 2013)

I have used a lemon/honey/hot water, laced with rum when i have a bad cold. It usually puts me to sleep, raises my body temp (which cooks the bad bugs), and I wake up having sweated most of the cold out.
Hot salsa and tortilla chips is another home remedy that works for me, if you like hot stuff.
I also suck on a dill pickle to get rid of a sore throat, the salt and vinegar usually soothe it right away.
I hardly ever get a cold, but this is what I do anytime I do get sick.


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## JustBonee (Oct 13, 2013)

TICA said:


> So people.... what's your cure - I'm all ears!  And if anyone out there has a hot toddy recipe, I'm interested.   At this point (day 2) I'm thinking getting a buzz off of some rum might be my only option!



Great  hot toddy recipe here.. http://www.grandmas-wisdom.com/homeremedy-chest-congestion.html


I've used it a few times.. very good:thumbsup:


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## SeaBreeze (Oct 13, 2013)

I was always getting colds when I was a kid and adult, until I got older.  Now, it's been years since I've had a cold (knock on wood).I think part of it is taking supplements daily.  The other part is washing my hands often when I'm touching things in public like shopping carts, door knobs, and using the wipes they give at the market.

Years back when I was still getting them, I knocked a few out really quickly.  I took a couple of cloves of raw garlic, smashed them with a knife and ate them (twice a day).  Then I would take vitamin C (ascorbic acid) to bowel tolerance, usually starting out with 3,000 mg (3 grams) first, then 1,000 mg. per hour after that.

In addition, to my usual vitamins, I'd take 4-5000 IUs of vitamin D*3* twice a day.  Vitamin B-50, twice a day.  As far as tea, it shouldn't be too hot or it damages the esophagus, etc.  But I would drink herbal tea with raw unfiltered honey (Manuka is expensive, but the best), and I'd add some ginger spice to it.

I sent a few colds on their way quickly with this method, and would use it again today in a heartbeat.  Putting a shot of something like whiskey or brandy in the tea is okay, and I've done it myself...but realistically alcohol is supposed to suppress the immune system, not help it.  Gargling with and snorting a bit of non-iodized sea salt in warm water also helps.  Drinking fluids really helps.

Hope you feel better ASAP TICA! :love_heart: http://www.natmedtalk.com/wiki/Common_Cold


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## TICA (Oct 13, 2013)

Boo's Mom said:


> Great  hot toddy recipe here.. http://www.grandmas-wisdom.com/homeremedy-chest-congestion.html
> 
> 
> I've used it a few times.. very good:thumbsup:



I have all of those ingredients.  It's only about noon here and a bit too early to start with the rum, but as soon as the sun goes down, I'm making grandma's hot toddy in that recipe.   Temps are going to drop tonight so I'll build a fire in the fireplace, get out the rum and ease my way into a lovely sleep that has eluded me the last couple of nights.

HFL - I also have lemon tea.  I'm set!!!

Thanks to everyone.


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## MercyL (Oct 13, 2013)

TICA said:


> Well, went to the fair and came home with a miserable cold!    This is the first cold I've had in years and it sucks.   I'm taking lots of vitamin C, did a sinutab the other night but that just kept me awake all night (it was the daytime one).
> 
> I remember a military guy once told me to wear wet socks, but I can't remember what the reasoning behind that was - something about the body trying to keep your feet warm and taking the cold to your feet????
> 
> So people.... what's your cure - I'm all ears!  And if anyone out there has a hot toddy recipe, I'm interested.   At this point (day 2) I'm thinking getting a buzz off of some rum might be my only option!



I use my special chicken soup when I feel a cold coming on.

You can use any chicken soup if you like, but I like the soup my husband makes in the crock pot. During the last bit of cooking, add a garlic clove or two to the soup. Be sure you add enough to actually smell the garlic. Once the soup has simmered for 5 minutes, remove it from the heat and squeeze in fresh lemon juice. Then wrap yourself in your favorite illness gear - I like caftans or terry cloth robes - and sip the soup.

I do not know if this will work for everyone, but I suggested this to a 4th grader who was skeptical of anything adults said. He had his mom doctor his soup. The next day he was back at school, full of energy. He was so stunned that it worked that he had to tell me as soon as he got off the bus.


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## SeaBreeze (Oct 13, 2013)

I agree with Mercy, chicken soup (especially homemade) _really _helps with a cold! :thumbsup:


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## rurallad (Oct 13, 2013)

Lemon tea has been working like a charm for me, one or two cups of lemon tea will stop the cold within hours no matter how bad it is.  I used to suffer at least 3 days, medication didn't help.


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## TICA (Oct 13, 2013)

I made some lemon tea with honey and a shot of rum.  Can't say I'm feeling any better, but it seems to come and go.  Going to be a quiet night and have the kettle boiling for #2.

I'll let you know how hungover I am in the morning, but at this point, any thing that will help me sleep is welcome.


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## terra (Oct 13, 2013)

The best cure is to prevent it in the first place.  In a perfect world, if you didn't have contact with other human beings, then you wouldn't catch the contagious "common cold" virus.
Crowded cities, buses, trains, aircraft, shopping malls and the like are the worst offenders. 

Another culprit is money !.... yep, the green back ! Nothing like a nice crisp $50 or $100 note to make you excited but that note could be harbouring a million germs.  You don't know how clean the last person was to handle it before it reached you.
 Here in Australia our banknotes have been manufactured from Polymer since 1965 so unlike the paper banknotes, they can be cleaned (and I don't mean money laundering )


For the past 14 years, I've been living in a semi-rural- like small village,.. my contact with others is minimal.  I therefore don't get colds or flu.

My advice ?.... keep away from them city-folk !


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## GDAD (Oct 14, 2013)

SeaBreeze said:


> I
> Years back when I was still getting them, I knocked a few out really quickly.  I took a couple of cloves of raw garlic, smashed them with a knife and ate them (twice a day).  Then I would take vitamin C (ascorbic acid) to bowel tolerance, usually starting out with 3,000 mg (3 grams) first, then 1,000 mg. per hour after that.


Your system will only take so much vitamin C, You will urinate any excess. People with eye problems should not take Ascorbic  But can take Ascorbate 


One might think that ascorbic acid and sodium ascorbate is just one and the same type of Vitamin C, however this is one misconception.  Sodium ascorbate is non-acidic and it is more soluble than ascorbic acid.  It is more reactive compared to ascorbic acid in building connective tissues and anti-body structures which make it more effective in killing viruses and bacteria.

Another difference of sodium ascorbate from ascorbic acid is that it is absorb easier by the body since it provides a more bio-available source of Vitamin C as opposed to ascorbic acid.  Sodium ascorbate contains about 111 mg of sodium and 889 mg of ascorbic acid.  The addition of sodium buffers the acid content of Vitamin C which results to a lowered acidity.

One might ask, if they would get the same results and health benefits if we were to take Sodium Ascorbate as opposed to Ascorbic Acid, the answer would be the same.  However, since it has been known that sodium ascorbate is easier absorbed by the body, it would simply mean that we see the results faster.


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## JustBonee (Oct 14, 2013)

terra said:


> The best cure is to prevent it in the first place.  In a perfect world, if you didn't have contact with other human beings, then you wouldn't catch the contagious "common cold" virus.
> Crowded cities, buses, trains, aircraft, shopping malls and the like are the worst offenders.
> 
> Another culprit is money !.... yep, the green back ! Nothing like a nice crisp $50 or $100 note to make you excited but that note could be harbouring a million germs.  You don't know how clean the last person was to handle it before it reached you.
> ...



I second your advice terra  .. Staying  away from people, especially in indoor confined spaces.  I think of that every time I go to the grocery store.
And paper money,  it has got to be one of the worst things to handle..   The only _clean_ money that I've ever had, is the occasional 'money laundering' of coins,  the ones that have accidently gotten into the clothes washer... and maybe a few bills stuck in pockets over the years too.  But without bleaching,  they probably were still full of germs anyway. 
Best to use your debit/credit card or write a check in public .. something others don't handle.


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## Katybug (Oct 14, 2013)

Too many people swear by chicken soup for it not to have some positive effect.  Works for me!  I have chicken broth with rice, (fresh clove of garlic and diced onions added to it, not that you can taste at that point, but both help with recovery.) That's all I eat at meals, then sip the broth only from a cup all day, as much as I can get down.  I can feel it working, sinuses opening up/you can breathe better,  and I'm convinced it clears it up the cold sooner than without.

I love Terra's suggestion in no exposure to people, but I'm going to have a hard time talking several million people into leaving the area, so I won't be exposed to their germs or $$$.  Great idea, tho.


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## TICA (Oct 14, 2013)

Feeling a bit better!  Two hot toddies and no hangover so thanks for the recipes folks.   Also taking a lot of vitamin C and had a quiet night and went to bed early.  So far today, I'm not doing too bad.


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## SeaBreeze (Oct 14, 2013)

Glad to hear you're feeling better TICA! :cool1:


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## That Guy (Oct 14, 2013)

If it's the common cold, let it run its course.  If it's the flu . . . good luck...


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## Katybug (Oct 14, 2013)

Glad to hear you're feeling better....and don't let the toddy's get too far out of reach.:excitement:


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## TICA (Oct 15, 2013)

I can breathe a bit easier, but it's still not giving up.   I'm hearing it is going around so I'm not the only one.  I agree that staying away from crowds is the way to go.

Have some chicken soup in the fridge for later so going to have another quiet day except for the usual - laundry, dishes etc.  Pretty sure this isn't the flu, just a cold but
I'd like it to go away.   
I'm trying all of your remedies and YES, they are helping so thank you to all of you!


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## TICA (Oct 15, 2013)

Yes, I do the shower steam treatment every morning then spend an hour with a box of tissue tucked under my arm!    I remember my grandmother used to heat the vicks then rub in on our chests.  Then she'd take a piece of flannel to cover it and pin it to our pj's.    Never heard about it going up the nose but if this cold doesn't go away soon, I'll try anything!

Jillaroo will find you a nose picking emoticon!


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## Diwundrin (Oct 15, 2013)

I can guarantee she'll be workin' on that! 



I used to risk blowing my head up rather than let mum hear me sneeze when I was a kid.  I hated Vicks and she would smother me in the stuff, all over my chest and rammed up my nose.  As if I wasn't having enough problem breathing without that stuff blocking things up further.

Haven't had a cold for years. They always turned to bronchitis up until a decade ago then they just stopped.  I figure I must be too toxic for a virus to live on these days.  Bwaaahahaha.


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## That Guy (Oct 15, 2013)

You know how it's recommended to keep your hands away from your face (eyes, nose, mouth) and wash your hands often.  Now, I was my hands all the time and feel like it's OCD.


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## JustBonee (Oct 15, 2013)

TWHRider said:


> I was never lucky enough to get Vicks on my chest.
> 
> My mom smothered me in Musterole, then pinned the flannel to my jammie top.  Vicks smells like Lavender compared to Musterole and back in "those days", there wasn't any Children's Strength.  It stunk to High Heaven and I used to tell mom it burned, so she wouldn't plaster 1/3 of the jar on me every night:eeew::eeew:
> 
> ...



Musterole... the name sounds familiar ??,  but don't recall being plastered in the stuff.   If it stunk so bad, maybe I've blocked it from my memory bank ..lol .. got the Vicks treatment enough times though.

Something I saw recently .. put Vicks on the soles of your feet when you're sick with a cold .... 
put on socks, go to sleep....
Some people say it works great..  others say it only makes your feet smell like Vicks.  (I haven't tried it.)

Also, putting Vicks up your nose too much will give you nose bleeds .. messes with your membranes.


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## JustBonee (Oct 15, 2013)

Here's a website about rubbing Vicks on your feet to heal a cough .. when I do get a cold, I'm sure I will try it. 
Can't hurt anything!


http://peoplespharmacy.com/2012/02/20/vicks-on-soles-calmed-cough/ 



> I also have put Vick's Vaporub on the soles of feet to relieve symptoms of nighttime cough in various members of my family. It always works and* I believe it works because, in reflexology, the pads of the toes and fatty tissue just below that represent the sinus/lungs in the body.*


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## JustBonee (Oct 15, 2013)

TWHRider said:


> All things in moderation - lol lol
> 
> I've been doing that for more than 30 years without issue.
> 
> The trick is to just put a little bit right inside the nose, then inhale the fumes.  If I don't use the Vicks Trick while I'm in the barn, I will sneeze until I sneeze something loose that shouldn't be loose:fatigue:



kay:.. you know what you're doing ..  .. I'm  guilty also, and I do it your way too.
It's just that some people  overdo it, (sticking Vicks _up_ their nose)  and it causes headaches and bleeding when they have enough other ailments going on.


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## SifuPhil (Oct 15, 2013)

Time for Mr. Wet Rag ...

There IS no *cure* for the "common cold" - all you can hope to do is to lessen the symptoms, and that's been handled quite well by the responses here.

But of course the drug manufacturers don't want you to believe that - they want you to believe that just by swallowing their magic elixirs you'll be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

... in reality, it's more like zombied-out and stumbling. 

In my opinion the best advice so far has been avoiding people and plenty of rum, a regimen I followed for many years. I never had a cold in all that time.

... I fell down the stairs, kicked the cat and married a Swedish midget, but I never caught a cold.


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## Diwundrin (Oct 15, 2013)

Got that right... no cure!  There are big fat shiny Nobel Prizes waiting for whoever cures the common cold, cancer and the GFC.


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## SifuPhil (Oct 15, 2013)

Diwundrin said:


> Got that right... no cure!  There are big fat shiny Nobel Prizes waiting for whoever cures the common cold, cancer *and the* *GFC*.



Georgia Fried Chicken? I didn't even realize that was a problem ... throw the chicken in hot oil and fry it - done!


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## TICA (Oct 16, 2013)

Thought I was getting better but back today in its full blown splendor!  Have been doing everything that you guys have suggested, and just in case anyone else gets this, I'll tell ya now that the hot toddies are the best "symptom remover".   I've just been making lemon tea, lots of squeezed lemon juice, honey and a healthy shot of rum and it really does help with the breathing.   Problem is that I can't bring myself to have one until at least after it gets dark outside.   I was just thinking that I bet that if someone could bottle hot toddies and sell the bottles in the liquor stores, they'd make a mint.  Hmmmmm

I've blown my snozzz so much that I'm beginning to look like Rudolf.   Oh well, I'll suffer through the day and keep busy as I can and wait for the sun to go down.........


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## JustBonee (Oct 16, 2013)

Here ya go ...  







    GROSS!


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## JustBonee (Oct 16, 2013)

Just for you  TWH ... lol ...


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## TICA (Oct 16, 2013)

Well that made me laugh!!!!!!


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