cure/ways of alleviating a cold?

[Man of Tanith]

Sat here nursing a bottle of covonia and another of lucozade on my night shift i was wondering what others used when they have a cold?
my old man swears by a bottle of scotch and mixing it with orange when he is under the weather.
annoyingly i dont usually get colds but this one has really knocked me on my butt and typically i have a course next thursday that i have been looking forward to for half a year

[santaman2000]

A shot of Jack Daniels with a spoon of honey and a twist of lemon (or lime)

[British Red]

Elderberry tincture works very well Sam - it has a good effect on most of the virals.

[Man of Tanith]

Is that elderberries soaked in 40% or more vodka Red? one for the autumn i think unfortuantely not gonna help now though

As for the JD it would taste like medicine i've not drunk that since i was 16 and had a very bad disagreement with it,
honey and lemon/lime is a classic combination that i will be having tomorrow when i get home

[santaman2000]

Is that elderberries soaked in 40% or more vodka Red? one for the autumn i think unfortuantely not gonna help now though

As for the JD it would taste like medicine i've not drunk that since i was 16 and had a very bad disagreement with it,
honey and lemon/lime is a classic combination that i will be having tomorrow when i get home

Substitute your favorite whiskey; the principle doesn't change.

[Man of Tanith]

Huzzah an excuse to drink jamesons at 08:00hrs
although i have stags breath which has honey in it already hmmmmm

[British Red]

Is that elderberries soaked in 40% or more vodka Red? one for the autumn i think unfortuantely not gonna help now though

Can do if I send you some Sam - let me know if its not getting better by Monday

[Man of Tanith]

That would be greatly appreciated Red

[Basha72]

A brew of nettles and lemon is supposed to help alleviate it ! The only thing that works for me is day nurse or if I'm not working night nurse

Dave

[Shewie]

Plenty of vitamin C and fluids, then try and sleep as much as you can.

[Andy BB]

Contac 400 is the only thing that alleviates the symptoms for me.

[Man of Tanith]

try and sleep as much as you can.

not likely working night shifts and having a toddler about
nettle and lemon brew sounds interesting might give that a go
night/daynurse sounds good too

[Kernowek Scouser]

I used to be very prone to getting colds and have in my time used most prescribed meds and can tell you, none of them work that well.

I don't know about Elderberries or Nettles (But I will be investigating them, for future reference) but here is what works for me.

You will need:
A means to boil water
1 Measuring jug
1 Jar of honey (cheapo honey is fine for colds, local sourced honey is better for hey fever) Per day
2 Lemons Per day
1 Orange Per day
1 Lime (optional) Per day
4 - 6 tablespoons of sugar Per jug
A knife
A Spoon
A Drinking vessel

Boil enough water to fill the measuring jug, slice one lemon, half and slice the orange and lime, chuck 'em in the jug along with the sugar, coverwith half the jug of honey and pour in your boiling water.

Give it a good stir.

Let it brew for a minute or two, pour it into your drinking vessel, inhale the vapours it gives off through your nose and let it cool a bit, then gulp it down.

Repeat until the jug is empty, then sleep

If you have trouble sleeping, try an Irish coffee, heavy on the Irish.

On waking, give the used sliced citrus a good squash in the jug, slice up and chuck in the remaining lemon and orange and lime halves, add your sugar and honey, pour in you hot water and crack on with inhaling and drinking again.

If you feel peckish, chicken soup with lots of garlic and some crusty bread will sort you out.

Sleep again. Sleep may not be very practical, especially during the day, but if you can sneek off for a kip, then do so, as sleep is your friend.

When colds strike me down now, instead of feeling rotten for several days, after making the above I usually feel much better the next day and back to normal the day after.

It might not work for you (God knows there are plenty of cures out there that made bugger all difference for me) but as it is a pretty simple drink, with easy to buy ingredients, it might be worth mixing some up.

I hope you feel better soon.

Be brave

Colin

[Shewie]

not likely working night shifts and having a toddler about

Ear plugs and a good padlock can be handy too

[Man of Tanith]

i may get in trouble using them tactics

[rik_uk3]

Sadly there is nothing to get rid of a virus like this, vit C is an urban myth with no clinical evidence supporting it as a preventative, you can brew nettles, Elderflower, grand dads prize Geraniums or whatever, its a virus and will run its course. Fluids, paracetamol or ibuprofen to control your temp if your OK taking them and a shot of whatever takes your fancy as a nice treat to help cheer yourself up.

I used to love a tot after a night shift before I retired, my body clock used to say "Its night time, have one" and I'm a great believer in listening to my body

[santaman2000]

Sadly there is nothing to get rid of a virus like this, vit C is an urban myth with no clinical evidence supporting it as a preventative, you can brew nettles, Elderflower, grand dads prize Geraniums or whatever, its a virus and will run its course...

I think the point of most "cures" is to give some comfort and maybe alleviate the sympons so you can rest.

[rik_uk3]

So true, and any excuse for a large Port and Brandy works for me and the paracetamol or ibuprofen help with some of the symptoms

[Man of Tanith]

large port or brandy works for me
i reckon combining the two would have me reaching for the paracetamol and ibuprofen for different reasons the next day

[Zingmo]

An old Indian guy I used to work with used to swear by ginger tea. Just add a few little chunks of root ginger to an ordinary cup of tea.

Z

[Androo]

I echo what rick_uk3 says about Vit C being a myth...

If I get a cold or flu (not very frequently now) I swear by this drink:

- Juice of half a lemon (Maybe Orange or perhaps any citrus fruit, but Lemon has always had a great rep.)
- Capfull of Apple Cider Vinegar (Amazing stuff!)
- Teaspoon of Honey (like mentioned before local is better than commercially produced, unless you can splash out on some Manuka Honey - which is amazing in so many ways)
- Some say a smidge of Cayenne pepper, but I find it's aggressive nature not to my liking!
Top it all up with hot water

Drink.

Maybe no more than 4 a day, and I suppose you could throw a dram in there, and even some nettles.

I found that it lifts the congestion often experienced with colds/flu/hayfever, and gives one a few hours of respite from clogged lungs and airways.

[shaggystu]

Sadly there is nothing to get rid of a virus like this, vit C is an urban myth with no clinical evidence supporting it.......

i once asked a nurse i was working with what he thought about the idea of taking vitamin C to clear a cold, he told me that if you take a huge daily dose of vitamin C you can clear just about any cold within seven days, or you can not bother and it'll last about a week

[swright81076]

I use vicks sinex or supermarket equivalent for blocked nose.
Honey and whiskey for cough and sore throat.


Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[screwdriver]

if you can catch it early before it gets hold use vicks first defence, not a beliver in shop medicines but this deffo works for me and has stopped cold /flu from fully forming if used as per instructions.

[santaman2000]

...Some say a smidge of Cayenne pepper, but I find it's aggressive nature not to my liking!...

Cayenne will definitely clear your sinuses; whatever it's put in. I like it in my hot chocolate (but more than just a smidge) whether I have a cold or not.

[The Ratcatcher]

Hi, Sam

First, are you sure it's just a cold? Several other conditions (including Lyme disease) start with flu-like symptoms, so if you've been anywhere you might have been exposed to tick or other bites, go see your GP.

If you're sure it is a cold, the best you can do is try to alleviate the symptoms until it has run it's course. My personal favourite recipe is:

2 teaspoons of clear honey
2 teaspoons of pure lemon juice
2 teaspoons of dark rum (Woods 100 works best for me)
Make up to a large mugful with boiling water, and drink as soon as cool enough.

Hope this helps, and you recover soon.

Alan

[rik_uk3]

i once asked a nurse i was working with what he thought about the idea of taking vitamin C to clear a cold, he told me that if you take a huge daily dose of vitamin C you can clear just about any cold within seven days, or you can not bother and it'll last about a week

Thats about right lol, you get lots of old wives tales when herbal cures come up in conversation nobody seems to mention the body would heal with or without taking some powdered roots or drinking some concoction or other. Things like a decongestant such as Sinex or First Defence help with the symptoms but don't cure or prevent the infection.

Well worth a read http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trick-Treatm.../dp/0593061292
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trick_or_Treatment

Viruses will inherit the earth, they are a dam sight smarter than we are.

[Man of Tanith]

Hi, Sam

First, are you sure it's just a cold? Several other conditions (including Lyme disease) start with flu-like symptoms, so if you've been anywhere you might have been exposed to tick or other bites, go see your GP.

If you're sure it is a cold, the best you can do is try to alleviate the symptoms until it has run it's course. My personal favourite recipe is:

2 teaspoons of clear honey
2 teaspoons of pure lemon juice
2 teaspoons of dark rum (Woods 100 works best for me)
Make up to a large mugful with boiling water, and drink as soon as cool enough.

Hope this helps, and you recover soon.

Alan

i am 99% certain its just cold my mum had it and so has my son now its my turn

[santaman2000]

Thats about right lol, you get lots of old wives tales when herbal cures come up in conversation nobody seems to mention the body would heal with or without taking some powdered roots or drinking some concoction or other. Things like a decongestant such as Sinex or First Defence help with the symptoms but don't cure or prevent the infection.

Well worth a read http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trick-Treatm.../dp/0593061292
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trick_or_Treatment

Viruses will inherit the earth, they are a dam sight smarter than we are.

Another old wives' tale is that we get colds because of exposure to cold or wet weather. We really get them from crowding into warm buildings (full of infected people) to escape said weather. Hence as M of T said, "...my wife had it and it's my turn."

[Man of Tanith]

Wel actually i said me mum and my son had it my wife is just getting it we suspect
Edit but yeah this is a valid point when its very cold the virus cant survive
i have this arguement at work every winter when people feel the need to crank the heating to tropical settings,