ARGH!!! Getting sick days before the wedding!!!

[trillionaire]

SO''s brother gets married on Saturday, and I have a killer dress, and plan to look, as someone said, "totally proposable," but I AM GETTING SICK!

I am 110% committed to not getting sick before this wedding, so ladies, please pull out your home remedies, because I am about to throw everything I''ve got as this little cold. I will try anything!

Right now it is just the runny nose and sneezing, but I am trying to stop the progression!


HELP!!!

 

[PrincessDijon]

I know this won''t be much help but, I just was sick for the last week and a half.....it progressed from the sore throat to the whole head stuffiness, runny nose, cough and congestion deal and man my energy level was at ZERO!

I went to the doctor only when i was forced to get a docs note for work and I got some good ol'' amoxicillin....It''s still not gone but it nipped it in the bud slightly.

Try as much vitamin c as possible without overdoing it to the canker sore stage....I know if I drink too much OJ, that''s what happens.

Lots of fluids, sleep(easier said than done), possible otc meds, herbal teas (green tea, chamomile, ect.)

Get better soon!

PrincessD

 

[Circe]

Whenever I feel like I''m getting sick, I double up on vitamins C and B, hydrate, and (maybe this is just me), eat healthier than I normally do - LOTS of protein. Also, lots of sleep: basically, strengthen your body as much as you can to give it a chance to fight off whatever you feel coming on. Feel better soon!

 

[lisamarie84]

Well, I take a 500mg Vitamin C everyday... If I even think I''m starting to get sick, I''ll take 2/day. I guess it must be working because I haven''t been sick in over a year (of course now that I say that, I''m sure I''ll catch something

) BF is always drinking the nasty airborne stuff and swears by it. I can''t stand the taste though.

Not sure if I helped at all, but I hope you feel better by Saturday!!!

 

[ash313]

Take some Zinc, Echinacha (sp?) and vitamin C.

Also, repeat positive intentions out loud to yourself, several times a day, while doing 8-10 deep belly breaths. Sounds silly, but you''d be surprised.

Try something like: "My body is whole and well and has everything it needs to heal itself."

So sorry you aren''t feeling well! Honestly, the worst thing you can do is be stressed about it, it will weaken your immune system!!

Feel better soon, sweetie!

 

[trillionaire]

Thanks for your quick replies, PrincessDijon, Circe, leeNY and lisamarie84!

All of my colds this year have been miserable and have lingered for WEEKS! Sounds like I need to get some Vitamin C! So far I have been drinking a lot of tea, water and vegetable broth. I also had lemon with ginger and honey, apple cider vinegar, and I even managed to swallow a clove of garlic. And lots of Zicam.

So far, I am not stressed about it, actually kind of amused at playing my own personal nursemaid in hyperdrive! We will see how the week progresses though. I will definitely try positive suggestion, can't hurt!

I will definitely check out Airborne too, I have heard good things. And what about spicy food? Does that help?

Maybe red wine will help

... you know, for the antioxidants...

 

[blondebunny]

If you can get to a stem room or sauna.. and spray some eucalyptus its supposed to help you, and if you drink alot of water before you go in (sauna) you will sweat alot of your cold out! def get some echinacea and i heard the airborne works too... Goodluck.. I just got over a bad cold that lasted about 2 weeks...it SUCKED...goodluck I hope you get better soon!!!

 

[blondebunny]

oh ya cough drops worked really well too actually..and there are these new like melt away strips..they are in the kids section but they helped clear up my nose and throat for a while (if your still sick on wedding day nice to put in purse and help ur nose and stuff without a cough drop...)

 

[PrincessDijon]

All of the above are good suggestions....

Personally, I tried Airborne in the past and it didn''t work for me...but hey, everyone''s system is different and germs can mutate, ect. So, hey, give it a try....

Wine is the cure all for everything....well almost...This last week when i was sick I happened upon a few frosty blended strawberry margaritas...they helped the sore throat quite nicely (this was before i was on my medicine...lol).

 

[choro72]

Vitamin Pills! And food! Force yourself to eat.

 

[galeteia]

Oregano oil. Just, for the love of god, get some empty capsules and fill them via the dropper, you want the benefit of the more active liquid form WITHOUT TASTING IT!

Trust me on not tasting it.

Antibiotics do nothing against a virus, whereas oregano oil is an antiseptic (among other things) and will pummel bacteria and viruses alike until they scream for mercy and flee your system.

Otherwise, boost your immune system with Echinacea and vitamin C.

You could also take cranberry pills (gel kind) and royal jelly if you want to get that garbage out of your body as speedily as you can, as well as souping up your immune system. Keep those toxins from the war flushing out of your body so they don''t erupt out your skin, and preventing a buildup will help de-groggify you.

Lastly, if you are really congested, taking digestive enzymes on an empty stomach can also loosen things up.

 

[Deelight]

Tea with honey lots of sleep and garlic and horse radish tablets

If all else fails pop a few Codrol day and night tabs they will keep you going

I hope you feel better soon

 

[fieryred33143]

Everyone is suggesting vitamin C which is great...but I personally am a drug person. As soon as I get sick, I take every medication under the sun.

I suggest Sudafed for a runny nose and sneezing. Try not to wet your hair too much and if you do, dry it immediately cause that can add to the cold. I know that''s a random suggestion but it happens to me all the time LOL

 

[Bia]

Vitamin C powder...put it in everything you drink. I drink lots of hot lemon water w/ honey, that soothes my throat. Hot liquids--broths, tea... No AC if you can help it. My BF was sick all last week and the air conditioner was not helping, especially at night!

Feel better.

 

[Pushin40]

Zycam won''t hurt...

I have a co-worker who swears by Nasal Irrigaiton as a way to keep colds from coming on....she does it every day.
I think its just a hommade saline solution.
It seems to work for her and her hubby.

My fav cold medecine is DayQuil.

 

[dreaming of the day]

OK. Here goes. Cold FX, take as recommended. Lots of echinacea, only the drops, and double what it says. Also allergies are really bad this year, and they make it feel like you are getting sick but your not. I had a stuffy nose, post nasal drip, tired, headache, sore throat, etc... and I took reactine (allergy/sinus) for five days, and a nose spray twice daily. I couldn't believe it I was cured. (I really thought my doctor was insane when he said it was allergies, because I felt really sick)

Get Well Soon!!!

Also Nasal Irrigation to get out the pollen and mucus, if you can handle it. Oregeno Oil is great for the sinuses, but I agree get empty capsules and fill - do not attempt to taste, eew!

 

[lovesparklies]

I second (third, fourth?) echinacea! My infectious-disease-specialist-mom says to take it at the first sign of sickness because it builds up your immune system and and helps kill off the infection while it''s still small, but if you wait until you''re full-blown sick then it doesn''t do much good. I like to throw in Vit C for good measure, too. So get to the drug store and buy out the vitamin/cold remedy aisle!

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

Date: 7/15/2008 2:00:18 AM
Author: trillionaire
Thanks for your quick replies, PrincessDijon, Circe, leeNY and lisamarie84!

All of my colds this year have been miserable and have lingered for WEEKS! Sounds like I need to get some Vitamin C! So far I have been drinking a lot of tea, water and vegetable broth. I also had lemon with ginger and honey, apple cider vinegar, and I even managed to swallow a clove of garlic. And lots of Zicam.

So far, I am not stressed about it, actually kind of amused at playing my own personal nursemaid in hyperdrive! We will see how the week progresses though. I will definitely try positive suggestion, can''t hurt!

I will definitely check out Airborne too, I have heard good things. And what about spicy food? Does that help?

Maybe red wine will help

... you know, for the antioxidants...

I don''t believe in any holistic things, but airborne really is amazing. It is high in C and a lot of other vitimins. I find the orange tastes better than the lemon lime. I also find that it is best with hot water, I can''t stand it in cold, but it is actually pretty good in hot water, about 2 shot glasses worth of it.

With both C and airborne, take it 2 to 3 times a day, not all at once. It is water soluble (sp), so your system works through it in a few hours and you need more.

 

[trillionaire]

Thanks everyone for all of your helpful suggestions!

Checklist:
cranberry pills
oregano oil
Cold FX
Airborne
Dayquil
Vitamins B & C
echinacea (sp?)
fluids
lemon and honey
water
zycam
steam/heat
garlic
horseradish
Codrol
Sudafed
broth
food
WINE (for antioxidants... yeah...)

...and one BIG book on medical/drug interactions!

Don''t want to kill myself, lol!

Did I miss any?

dreaming of the day, I really hope this is extreme allergies, but I don''t usually have any major allergy problems here... mine were VERY bad when I live in MD and KS, but not NC or CA.

Will keep you posted on the progress, so far, we seem to be at a stalemate, but not worse!

 

[Pushin40]

Date: 7/15/2008 2:09:44 PM
Author: trillionaire
Thanks everyone for all of your helpful suggestions!

Checklist:
cranberry pills
oregano oil
Cold FX
Airborne
Dayquil
Vitamins B & C
echinacea (sp?)
fluids
lemon and honey
water
zycam
steam/heat
garlic
horseradish
Codrol
Sudafed
broth
food
WINE (for antioxidants... yeah...)

...and one BIG book on medical/drug interactions!

Don''t want to kill myself, lol!

Did I miss any?

dreaming of the day, I really hope this is extreme allergies, but I don''t usually have any major allergy problems here... mine were VERY bad when I live in MD and KS, but not NC or CA.

Will keep you posted on the progress, so far, we seem to be at a stalemate, but not worse!

WOW you wll be busy the next few days!!!!

Hang in there!

 

[Tuckins1]

Ok, seriously, I know this sounds gross, but have you tried a sinus rinse? You know, the little squirt bottle with saline water in it that you squirt up your nose and into your sinuses? I always thought it sounded awful, but I have the WORST sinus issues, so I tried it and it works great!! It helps with allergies and sinus symptoms, plus it can help with actual infections because the saline makes the area very inhospitable for viruses and bacteria. Go to your local drug store and grab a kit. It can''t hurt!

 

[Amanda.Rx]

So... I had to take an entire class devoted to herbals & over the counter products last semester.

If you have a bacterial infection, you will likely run a fever (not always) but likely- you will maybe also have green mucous or phlegm. If this is the case, get to a doctor ASAP for an antibiotic prescription.

If it''s truly a cold (and viral)- there''s nothing you can do to cure it. You may have runny clear discharge from your nose. Symptomatic relief is fine-

-Runny nose- Sudafed or pseudoephedrine is the best. They keep it behind the counter now and you''ll have to show ID for it. Don''t bother with phenylephrine. While close, it is by far not the same. Sudafed will usually make a patient hyper, jittery- so don''t take it at night

-Sneezing- antihistamines like Benadyrl or diphenhydramine. This will combat the sneezing, but it may but you in a fog and make you drowsy. They now make 2nd generation antihistamines like Zyrtec, but I find that benadryl still works better without a prescription

As far as herbals are concerned, some things are just "home remedies" and have no valid proof that they work or scientific basis to prove it.

Your best bets are Vitamin C and Zinc. You can only get so much Vitamin C in your system- if you get over your daily value, you just pee it out. Zinc is used as a cofactor by your body''s immune system to help combat whatever you''ve got- you can start pushing it. They make Zinc lozenges which are pretty tolerable.

Zicam- my mother swears by, but it''s homeopathic in most cases- Homeopathic means that they dilute it with water. Look on the back of the box and if it says 10x dilution- that means that it''s pretty weak. Homeopathic doctors believe in the "water memory theory" which states that if you put a medication in a drop of water, the water will "retain the memory" of the medication and that by adding more water, the medication is strengthened... total crap, IMO.

Fluids- the more fluid you can get to run through your lymph nodes, the more efficient they can be at filtering the bad stuff. Your lymph nodes house your T cells which combat illnesses.

Red Wine- antioxidants- yes, alcohol- no... alcohol can depress your immune system if you drink too much of it- I''d stay away for now- sorry.

Echinacea- a common herb used in Germany- it is supposed to boost your immune response

The rest:

Cranberry Pills- herbal- I''ve heard of people drinking cranberry juice to get marijuna out of their system- not sure if it works- more Vit. C though, and it is supposed to protect you from a UTI

Lemon & Honey- Lemon give you more Vit. C and honey works as a natural anesthetic to coat and sooth a sore throat

Steam/Heat- the humidity can moisten your respiratory tract, making it easier to breathe

Garlic- good for cholesterol, but a cold... ehhh

Oregano Oil, Horseradish- never heard of as a remedy before

Hope you start feeling better soon!

 

[Amanda.Rx]

And yes, a sinus rinse is good for a stuffy nose as well as pseudoephedrine... just don''t drown yourself.

Mix salty warm water and "inhale" ... more like... suck it through your nose SLOWLY and it will come out your mouth... just don''t drown youself!!!!

 

[trillionaire]

Date: 7/15/2008 10:51:32 PM
Author: Amanda.Rx
So... I had to take an entire class devoted to herbals & over the counter products last semester.

If you have a bacterial infection, you will likely run a fever (not always) but likely- you will maybe also have green mucous or phlegm. If this is the case, get to a doctor ASAP for an antibiotic prescription.

If it''s truly a cold (and viral)- there''s nothing you can do to cure it. You may have runny clear discharge from your nose. Symptomatic relief is fine-

-Runny nose- Sudafed or pseudoephedrine is the best. They keep it behind the counter now and you''ll have to show ID for it. Don''t bother with phenylephrine. While close, it is by far not the same. Sudafed will usually make a patient hyper, jittery- so don''t take it at night

-Sneezing- antihistamines like Benadyrl or diphenhydramine. This will combat the sneezing, but it may but you in a fog and make you drowsy. They now make 2nd generation antihistamines like Zyrtec, but I find that benadryl still works better without a prescription

As far as herbals are concerned, some things are just ''home remedies'' and have no valid proof that they work or scientific basis to prove it.

Your best bets are Vitamin C and Zinc. You can only get so much Vitamin C in your system- if you get over your daily value, you just pee it out. Zinc is used as a cofactor by your body''s immune system to help combat whatever you''ve got- you can start pushing it. They make Zinc lozenges which are pretty tolerable.

Zicam- my mother swears by, but it''s homeopathic in most cases- Homeopathic means that they dilute it with water. Look on the back of the box and if it says 10x dilution- that means that it''s pretty weak. Homeopathic doctors believe in the ''water memory theory'' which states that if you put a medication in a drop of water, the water will ''retain the memory'' of the medication and that by adding more water, the medication is strengthened... total crap, IMO.

Fluids- the more fluid you can get to run through your lymph nodes, the more efficient they can be at filtering the bad stuff. Your lymph nodes house your T cells which combat illnesses.

Red Wine- antioxidants- yes, alcohol- no... alcohol can depress your immune system if you drink too much of it- I''d stay away for now- sorry.

Echinacea- a common herb used in Germany- it is supposed to boost your immune response

The rest:

Cranberry Pills- herbal- I''ve heard of people drinking cranberry juice to get marijuna out of their system- not sure if it works- more Vit. C though, and it is supposed to protect you from a UTI

Lemon & Honey- Lemon give you more Vit. C and honey works as a natural anesthetic to coat and sooth a sore throat

Steam/Heat- the humidity can moisten your respiratory tract, making it easier to breathe

Garlic- good for cholesterol, but a cold... ehhh

Oregano Oil, Horseradish- never heard of as a remedy before

Hope you start feeling better soon!

WOW! Thank you for the detailed break down! Very insightful information, and good food for thought. At this point I have tried a little of everything, and am actually feeling a lot better The sniffles are going away, and lymph nodes are feeling less rigid

! Maybe it is all the water I have been drinking, lol, or something else. I did get a lot of rest today too, and even hit the gym for a bit. I did drink some wine too, but that just made me drowsy. *shrug*

Thanks everyone for your input, I think it''s working!!!

 

[Amanda.Rx]

Great to hear! Keep the fluids up- that''ll probably help more than anything.

Don''t go TOO hard at the gym- you wouldn''t want to relapse! And be sure to get plenty of sleep too!

 

[trillionaire]

Just wanted to report in that I feel FANTASTIC! Hardly even a sniffle over here! I went out and got my eyebrows done and a french pedi, and my sister and I are going to put together outfit options this evening!

Thanks PS!!!