So, I have a heavy cold and a throat infection yet again.... I'm not a very good patient so want to be up and back to normal as quickly as possible.


So, what do you use to ease your colds?

I'm taking Vit C and Multi Vitamins, anti biotics and Ibprofen, as well as my usual Calcium suppliment

Antibiotics are useless against a virus.

Not for a throat infection though ;)

I've just been prescribed antibiotics for a throat and chest infection. Hope this will work cos I'm dying here

I'm not a big fan of vitamins in their un-natural form. Far better to eat/drink your way better ;)
Chicken soup, no really! but chose one with veg in it. Mushrooms, particularly the chinese kind contain something that helps boost the immunity.
Spicy food is good too. It helps clear congestion.

I have a friend who swears by an onion cut in half and put in a glass with the cut side up in her bedroom or next to the sofa when she's ill. She claims that it draws out all the germs or something. Not sure of the science in it, but it's a cheap thing to have a try.

Other than that, look for foods rich in Vit C like oranges and especially grapefruit (also helps detoxify the liver)

Avoid coffee, tea and dairy products and obviously alcohol.

drink plenty of water/juice and as a hot drink, drink something like a ginger tea. It has an antiviral effect to it.

Zinc is a good one if you can get it in a 'sweet' form.

Oh, and if you have a cough with your snotty nose, for goodness sake don't sniff. It'll all go onto your chest, and it's vile :gag:

oh, and add plenty of garlic to your diet - chew parsley to lessen the breath ;)

I hate sniffers too :hihi: I've used a full loo roll with my nose almost today!

Thanks for the tips I'll look into it

Definitely avoid dairy products - they stimulate mucus production, bleurgh. Also echinacea is a good one (either the drops or tablets) as it boosts the immune system :)

So, I have a heavy cold and a throat infection yet again.... I'm not a very good patient so want to be up and back to normal as quickly as possible.


So, what do you use to ease your colds?

I'm taking Vit C and Multi Vitamins, anti biotics and Ibprofen, as well as my usual Calcium suppliment

Every time you catch a cold, your antibodies multiply to defend you. So although its uncomfortable, its not so bad in the long run.

I always use aromatherapy oils but unless you're trained you'd probably need to go to an Aromatherapist as, although they are there for anyone to buy, you need to know what you are doing.

I use an old fashioned remedy which I swear by, and so do others who have had some.

Get an onion and roughly chop then put it in a bowl and cover with sugar or preferably honey. Leave it for a time until the juices run out, then take a couple of spoonfuls of the juice regularly, it will help coughs and sore throats.

The other thing is to have lots of vitamin C, some people advocate megadosing to help to clear a cold quickly.

Red hot kebabs from Chubbys near cole brothers seem to unblock the stuffiest of nasal passages. Also make your bum a bit sore the next day though!

I make my own ginger and honey tea with a slice of ginger root, hot water and honey- the spicier the better. Then I eat things that are natural decongestants, like a decent home made curry that's got loads of nutrients and fresh vegetables in it and take advantage of the decongestant properties to clear all the pipes out (as well as it being the only food I can usually taste when everything's blocked up). That hopefully will mean that I can taste my chicken soup, which is what I live on for most of the year anyway.

Steam (lots of it) and lots of Olbas oil are on the menu too for getting congestion shifted.

It's no fun at all trying to do stuff while you're in the middle of a cold, but one of the most effective ways to clear gunk off your chest once you've got enough airways and a bit of energy back is to exercise. I used to work for a company which did a lot of promotion and support in chest clinics and the chest physiotherapists were always saying that to clear your chest exercising and really laughing hard are far better than coughing.

So I take a load of Ventolin and all of my inhaled steroids and get myself down to the gym armed with a load of tissues. Slow and steady exercise makes all the gunk shift about and then you can bring it up really easily- and if you can then follow up with a lovely steamy shower then all the better.

I seem to have managed to avoid the colds this year so far. When I am dieting I do take multi vitamins and cod liver oil tablets and on the whole eat a much more balanced diet and a lot more excerise, I feel knackered sometimes but have avoided the colds. The biggest thing for me was giving up smoking just as autumn started which I think has had a massive effect on avoiding colds.

When I have a cold I find really spicey food good, lots of warm honey/ lemon and ginger (sometimes a dash of whiskey in it :suspect: ) makes me feel better. However vitamin C is destroyed by heat so don't heat it much :) A good run helps too if you can face it!

About 16 gallons of fresh orange juice usually does the trick! No seriously. Lots of fruit and veg and a couple of early nights usually does the trick. Having said that, the colds that are going round this winter are VILE and take ages to go, no matter what!

How are you doing now? Did you try any of the remedies, and if so have they worked?

I use Contac 400 from Boots (well any chemist) take one every 12 hours, or i take 2 every 12 hours but its not recommended.

Clears me up, but didnt touch my swine flu i had over xmas.