Home remedies

I rarely get sick but when I do it usually kicks my butt. As it stands today, I've been sick since this time the last week and I've got way to much to do to stay sick. Started out with congestion in the chest and sinuses and a sore throat. The sore throat went away about two days ago, and the chest congestion iseems to be going away, but my upper sinuses feel like they are going to blow my eyes out of my head.

Til now I've tried all of the usual stuff from Nyquil to Theraflu to the good, old, Sudafed from behind the counter. I've also tried a neighbors Burbon and honey mix, and even a couple of shots of, shall we say naturally distilled spirits (the last time the 'natural spirits' cleared me right up within about 5 minutes) All seem to help a bit but none have really helped me like they always have in years past, even when take in double doses.

So, my question is this. Do any of you have any home remedies that might help? I'm to the point of trying pretty much anything right now because I'm tired of being sick and not being able to get the things done that I need to be done. Working sick when it's cold isn't bad, that I can muddle through. My problem is I've had way too much going on to stop completely, and working sick when it's 100 plus outside isn't accomplishing much more than I'd get done by doing absolutely nothing.

Sounds to me like you need to go to a Doctor or the ER room. Or do you enjoy the home made remodies? gitrib

for chest colds i slice up garlic cloves on buttered bread and go with that. i can actually feel the garlic working in the chest.seems to work for me.

well as most of you know Im a heart transplant recipient and run on a very suppressed immune system and Ive been fighting the same thing. I do have access to some advice, info and care that most folks don't. This has been a huge problem across the country and the CDC has noted that Benadryl (only avail generic now ) has been working the best. Same drug that was in Tylenol PM also only generic now. It has helped me tons....even tho makes you sleepy

Wayne, when I feel something coming on I head straight to bathroom, run a bath as hot as you can stand pour a 1 quart glass of your favorite high octane beverage and have a big glass of water for dehydration with you also. Take a couple BC Powders and get in. Stay in until drink is gone or longer if you feel like it. When you get out go straight to bed. When you wake up you will feel much better.

Leonard

Saline spray will help wash out the nose.
The best "shot" I've found to help clear up sinuses is a shot of apple cider vinegar. Yes, it sounds nasty, but it works for me.
If that doesn't suit your pallet, try a half cup of dill pickle juice/brine instead.
FWIW, dill pickle juice will also help alleviate cramps and charlie horses.
Mine finally got bad enough to have surgery on them this year, but those little remedies worked better for me than anything over the counter or prescribed.
Your mileage may vary of course.

Do a search for neti pot on the web.
Some people swear by it.

After two weeks of almost exact problems wife made me go to Doctor , he said he had seen several case like I described. Prescribed LEVOFLOXACIN .Supposed to be a strong antibotic . Toay was my first doay so can,t tell you about the outcome ,but can tell you I tried all the home stuff and was getting behind. Just could not work out in this heat.

I try the toddy myself.
One shot of whiskey
One shot of lemon juice
One shot of water
About three teaspoons of honey
A dash of salt
All in a coffee cup and nuke it for about a minute to help the honey dissolve. Then I stick my big nose in the cup and inhale a few times. Then down the hatch. If it doesn't help at least you don't care. TDF

I had this stuff last month, it's the worse thing I've had in years. Couldn't stop coughing. Went doctor she gave me Fluticasone Propionate nasal spray 50 mg per spray, worked great cleared me right up in few days using it twice a day.
Walt

Whooping cough is going around, go to the doctor.

Go see a Doc! I got that crap six weeks ago and still coughin'. After a Z pac didn't help at all, my MD gave me Lovofloxin (sp) and two breathers for my lungs. Nasty crap to haVE WHEN you're out in this heat!

see a doc ASAP

Nettie pot would be my first stop....second would be the doctor's office!

Just go see a doc and get this sinus infection you have handled before it gets worse. Marilyn gets these sinus infections that hang around forever and it takes an antibiotic to knock it. A farmer friend of mine had chronic sinus infections until he started shooting saline solution up his nose. He claims he hasn't had an infection for ten years. When he would come out west to run a combine for a couple of weeks he was snorting that stuff several times a day.

Marilyn's sister swears by a little tea pot that I think is called a tepe pot. You guys have probably heard of it already. She brews up some kind of herbal concoction in this pot and after it's cooled a bit she sticks the pour spout in one nostril, tips it up, and the stuff goes in one nostril and out the other side. She said it "takes some getting used to". Jim

Feed a cold. Go get a 12" sub, meat, veggies, cheese, The works. Then go home and dump 10 tablespoons of horseradish or hot sauce on the sub and wolf it down. You will also want to drink lots of cold fruit juice with this. Also in addition to this: 12 hours after eating this sub take a laxative to "flush" the system. Kinda like a radiator flush for your tractor.
And you thought this wasnt tractor related.

Wayne, sounds identical to symptoms I had earlier this year. Look for the "chest cold" to come back. My doctor said it was a walking pneumonia. Get yourself to a doctor soon. A round of antibiotics cleared me up. In my neck of the woods, doctor said there has been almost an epedemic of pneumonia, both summer and winter.
Best Regards,
Charlie

Wayne, by your symptoms, I think I had the same thing 2 weeks ago. I"m asthmatic, so the chest congestion got rough. And the asthma followed a few days of the worst sore throat and excruciating sinus pressure I"ve ever had. Home remedies didn"t work, and I won"t go to docs unless I"m on my death bed, so I just stayed on ibuprofen for a week and a half to not be so miserable. The cold finally ran its course, but I"m still coughing up some crud.

It seems to be some sort of walking pneumonia going around. If viral, antibiotics might be useless.

I do go to a chiropractor weekly to get adjusted. It keeps me healthy most of the year without having to see MDs.

A sailine sinus rinse with a bulb syringe or a "nete pot" helps pull dirt, pollens, and "crud" out of my nose and sinuses. My doctor told me to rinse my sinuses twice a day every day and it helped reduce my sinus and allergy problems.

Saline mix packets are available in stores. A generic recipe for a home-made saline solution is:
1 gallon of distilled water (distilled water is sterile, but tap water works fine for a nasal rinse)
4 teaspoons of sea salt or kosure salt (iodineized table salt stings) and
4 teaspoons of baking soda (PH buffer?). I only use 1 teaspoon of baking soda with my tap water, it feels the most comfortable for me.

Heat the solution to between 100F and 105F, you find a temperature that works for youself. For a full coffe mug of solution I heat it for 1 1/2 minutes in an older 600 watt microwave.

Try not to swallow the saline on an empty stomach, it can give you a mild upset stomach.

Good luck and get better soon.

I'm a believer in home remedies, I haven't been to a doc in almost 9 years. At first sign of any ailment I start Hydrating, taking electrolytes and take a couple of aspirin. I do take claritin in the allergy seasons but that's about it. Use good judgement on going to the doctor but I always thought I got sicker AFTER a doctor visit.

dont know that it will cure you, but try putting a couple of teaspoons of thyme in a cloth or a coffee filter.boil you up a tea.thats homemade tylenol if you cant take tylenol dont use it!.add some clove and it will help clear you up.aspirin is the inside bark of a willow tree.steep clove or eucalyptus in alchahol for a cooling rub.drs best if youve been sick a week!!!.also just fyi,some of the symptoms you describe are also the signs of a heat stroke!!!if youve got to be out take a wet towel and wrap it around your neck,that will help.consider a siesta,works for me its been realy nice at night here,if youve got stuff you can do then.

Can't argue with your logic here, unless you're allergic to antibiotics like I am.
Can't take 'em.
Not saying there's anything wrong with a doctor's visit, but he did ask for home remedies after all.
Saline solution every 3 hours according to my surgeon to keep things clean. Home made salt water is "acceptable" I've been told.

Larry Sounds like we had the same dr. I had the z pac first now on the same stuf your prescribed.
Hope it works this coughing up crap is awfull.
After reading all these post sure looks like something comon going around as every body seems to have about the same symptoms.

A summertime cold is the worst kind to get rid of. About six weeks ago, I came down with a sinus infection and related cough. Messed around about a week with OTC remedies and finally went to the doctor. He must have not thought it was too bad 'cause all he prescribed was Amoxycillin, but it worked. I still have a cough now and then when I get very active. A few years ago, I think it was Bayer had a commercial that said, when you feel a cold coming on, get plenty of rest, drink plenty of liquids and (naturally) take Bayer for relief. I have found that works better than anything. I know most people feel they don't have time, but in most instances you wind up in bed eventually anyway, so if you go to bed at the onset, it allows your system to fight it off before it really gets a hold on you. Everyone goes at such a pace today that our system stays so run down it isn't able to fight unless we do get some rest.

The neti pot works for me, with a saline solution of 1/2 teaspoon of salt per cup of water. I use either distilled or boiled (then cooled) water. If I am really stuffed up, I have a Nasaline syringe that puts the saline through my sinuses under pressure. I have books full of old herbal cough remedies, in English and German, but haven't tried all of them. For mild cough, try 6 cut up white onions and a cup of honey cooked in a crock pot for 4 hours, then strain the juice. For a bad cough that won't go away, go to the doctor. Too many bad possibilities with coughs that don't go away.

I know several of the replies have said to go to the doctor. I have one major problem with that. By going to the doctor and getting the latest miracle drug it keeps my body from creating the antibodies to handle things on it's own as much as possible. Granted I'll often take some of the over the counter stuff when I get to feeling bad and need something to get me through the mess a bit quicker but, beyond that, I don't want any prescribed stuff until I'm all but on my death bed.

As it stands right now (12:30AM Sat morning) I feel alot better than I did Friday afternoon when I wrote the origional post. Thing is all I did all day was sit around on the couch, keep myself hydrated, and relax. I can usually do that once I start feeling sick, but my work load has simply exploded over the past month so I had no choice but to get several projects I had already commited to completed, along with several others that occured during the same time frame. My biggest problem is that so many of my customers are down to their last running machine so when it goes down I'm the one that gets the call to get it going so everyone's bills, including mine, can get paid come the end of the month. So, I'm stuck with the unfortunate problem of not being able to afford to be sick, and not being able to afford to take the time off to get well when I am.....It sucks but at least the bills get paid.

That said, as far as some of the remedies that have been suggested go, I often wonder if the actual rememdy is in the mix, of just somehting that gives the body a huge hint that it needs to get well on it's own. I mean seriously, onion juice, come on. Of course I have to admit thinking about it, I remember my mom using something similar on us as kids when we got a cold. Like I said I don't know wether it was something in the mix or just the fact that any body part that came into contact with the mix would surely be kicking a$$ on any body part that didn't get well quick enough that the concoction didn't have to be administered again.....

I was sick earlier this spring. I figured it was a bad cold that hung on for about six weeks low fever sore ETC. I did not think to much of it till I passed out at work and was hauled out in an ambulance. Turned out to be pneumonia. Go to the doc Home remedies aren"t gonna work.

I use salt spray in a bottle to clean my sinuses. Get it from Wal-mart for a few bucks. Use it daily and sometimes 2 or 3 times a day.
I use as eye drops too.

check it out for yourself,nearly every drug began as a natural remedy found in nature. drug companies simply break down the compounds,find whitch one does the trick ,or treats what ailment ,and synthesize it to aid production.heres four,parsley,sage rosemary and thyme.parsley has been used for centuries as a treatment for stomach ailments.sage for breathing problems,rosemary was (and is used for problems of the mind).and thyme as a tretment for fevers,pain etc.

and heres you a really good one! ever notice the increase in mexican food resturants lately? why do you think this is? heres one reason,a simple herb found in nearly all mexican dishes,cilantro.(its actually used around the world)heres a little fact about it and why it suddenly apeared on grocery store shelves seemingly overnight.for many years there was a herb banned in much of the world,that herb was corriander,it was reported all over the place as deadly poisonous.Even now its not easy to find most places,and when you do its real expensive,and recipes using it use very very little.Well heres the secret, corriander and cilantro are the EXACT same!cilantro,simply uses the leaves/stems while corriander is the seeds of the exact plant!.corriander in large doses is a severe hullacenagen and in large enough doses is fatal.It was banned because folks were simply using it as a drug. they would get high and do crazy things,simply from eating!so in the middle ages when kings and so forth were so paranoid about poisons they simply banned it and since it was banned the reasoning was it was poison.they loved the taste but were afraid of the after effects. But in nature the leaves of a plant doesnt hold so much of a chemical as the seeds do,so folks found they could get the taste without so much of the poison,with one added benifit.its a natural appetite increaser!folks trying to diet should never eat mexican food made with cilantro youl overeat every time.it actually gives you the munchies just like pot!dont believe it? next time you have a party,put out a bowl of ketchup and a bowl of salsa,see which disapears first.one problem though,know your guests real well.folks with a history of mental problems should never use cilantro,or corriander.folks with a history of severe headaches shouldnt either. It often triggers migraine headaches and very few folks associate eating with a headache.

and since you brout the subject up,home remedies while often based on true scientific fact still have one problem.the correct dosage.its a whole lot easier to take two tylenol than it is to drink 12 cups of thyme tea a day.