How do you treat a cold?

"Dally" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Happy Thanksgiving. Today is the day we come together with a bunch of
foreign germs and share a meal with them. Next week 50% of us will have a
cold.

How do you treat it?

I typically take 2000 mg of Vitamin C when I first feel the tickling
sensation coming on, and get a nap as soon as possible. Mistress Krista
told me about Cold-FX and I ordered some from Canada, but it didn't come
until Day 2 of my most recent cold so I don't know if their idea of
heading one off by taking 9 caplets the first day would work. It diidn't
seem to help this cold to take them starting on Day 2.

Ginseng extract...hmmm, maybe.

Quoted message said:

Cohen, didn't you suggest taking Vitamin C until you go running for the
toilet? What's that protocol?

500 mg C every half hour until you have a loose bowel movement. Add up the
total taken so far, subtract 500, and take that amount every four hours.

Quoted message said:

Once the cold take possession of my head I take pseudoephedrine every six
hours or so. I alternate tylenol & advil (acetaminophin & ibuprofin) and
occasionally aspirin to alleviate the aches and miserableness, too. I
drink lots, usually decaf green teas.

There's no medical reason to alternate those three. Why do you?

Quoted message said:

If my throat is sore I'll gargle with warm salt water. (Don't go buy
saline solution, I'm talking about half a teaspoon of table salt dissolved
in a warm glass of water.)

The glorious moment comes about five days later when I wake up and the
head cold is gone, but moments after realizing this I also realize it has
settled into my chest. This is when I break out the ephedrine. I don't
usually need pain meds at this point.

If the coughing is really bad at night I'll take something with a cough
suppressant in it, usually Tussin DM, Dextromethorphan hydrobromide &
guaifenesin. I don't think this does anything but I count on the placebo
affect to get to sleep.

Not a placebo. Detromethorphan is sedating for many people.

Quoted message said:

In the daytime if I'm really having trouble getting a deep breath I'll
break out the nebulizer and some prescription albuterol, but that makes me
too wired at night. My kid has a great prescription for a form of
albuteral that makes you less wired, Xopenex, but it's expensive, hard to
get, and of course it's written for my kid, not me, so of course I don't
choose that. Of course.

(I'm not sure if asthma meds would help everyone or just me and my kids
because we've got viral triggered asthma, but I suspect most people with a
chest cold would be helped by a bronchiodilator.)

You suspect correctly.

Quoted message said:

If I had to pick just a few things to have on hand before cold season hit,
it'd be generic sudafed, kleenex, tylenol and vitamin C.

What about you? What do you do?

Vitamin C, as above; echinacea/goldenseal combo, a couple every few hours;
zinc lozenges, a couple every few hours.

To treat symptoms: oxymetazoline 12 hour decongestant nasal spray,
dextromethorphan cough syrup, benzocaine sore throat lozenges, ibuprofen.

At bedtime: 50 mg diphenhydramine (Benedryl) and Jack Daniels.

David

David Cohen said:

Dally said:

Cohen, didn't you suggest taking Vitamin C until you go running for
the toilet? What's that protocol?

500 mg C every half hour until you have a loose bowel movement. Add
up the total taken so far, subtract 500, and take that amount every
four hours.

I found that time-release C allows me to consume a much higher dosage
per day. I have no problem taking [CENSORED]grams a day - did that
preventively two weeks ago after spending half a day with a group of
sneezing people. OTOH, the pure C feels like burning the holes in the
stomach. GNC sells those "time-release C with rose hips". I buy them
at Vitamin World (www.consumerlab.com "approved"😉.

In article <[email hidden]>,

David Cohen said:

"Dally" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Happy Thanksgiving. Today is the day we come together with a bunch of
foreign germs and share a meal with them. Next week 50% of us will have a
cold.

How do you treat it?

I typically take 2000 mg of Vitamin C when I first feel the tickling
sensation coming on, and get a nap as soon as possible. Mistress Krista
told me about Cold-FX and I ordered some from Canada, but it didn't come
until Day 2 of my most recent cold so I don't know if their idea of
heading one off by taking 9 caplets the first day would work. It diidn't
seem to help this cold to take them starting on Day 2.

Ginseng extract...hmmm, maybe.

Quoted message said:

Cohen, didn't you suggest taking Vitamin C until you go running for the
toilet? What's that protocol?

500 mg C every half hour until you have a loose bowel movement. Add up the
total taken so far, subtract 500, and take that amount every four hours.

Quoted message said:

Once the cold take possession of my head I take pseudoephedrine every six
hours or so. I alternate tylenol & advil (acetaminophin & ibuprofin) and
occasionally aspirin to alleviate the aches and miserableness, too. I
drink lots, usually decaf green teas.

There's no medical reason to alternate those three. Why do you?

Quoted message said:

If my throat is sore I'll gargle with warm salt water. (Don't go buy
saline solution, I'm talking about half a teaspoon of table salt dissolved
in a warm glass of water.)

The glorious moment comes about five days later when I wake up and the
head cold is gone, but moments after realizing this I also realize it has
settled into my chest. This is when I break out the ephedrine. I don't
usually need pain meds at this point.

If the coughing is really bad at night I'll take something with a cough
suppressant in it, usually Tussin DM, Dextromethorphan hydrobromide &
guaifenesin. I don't think this does anything but I count on the placebo
affect to get to sleep.

Not a placebo. Detromethorphan is sedating for many people.

Quoted message said:

In the daytime if I'm really having trouble getting a deep breath I'll
break out the nebulizer and some prescription albuterol, but that makes me
too wired at night. My kid has a great prescription for a form of
albuteral that makes you less wired, Xopenex, but it's expensive, hard to
get, and of course it's written for my kid, not me, so of course I don't
choose that. Of course.

(I'm not sure if asthma meds would help everyone or just me and my kids
because we've got viral triggered asthma, but I suspect most people with a
chest cold would be helped by a bronchiodilator.)

You suspect correctly.

Quoted message said:

If I had to pick just a few things to have on hand before cold season hit,
it'd be generic sudafed, kleenex, tylenol and vitamin C.

What about you? What do you do?

Vitamin C, as above; echinacea/goldenseal combo, a couple every few hours;
zinc lozenges, a couple every few hours.

To treat symptoms: oxymetazoline 12 hour decongestant nasal spray,
dextromethorphan cough syrup, benzocaine sore throat lozenges, ibuprofen.

At bedtime: 50 mg diphenhydramine (Benedryl) and Jack Daniels.

David

I'll second that last suggestion. ;-)
Help you sleep for sure and sleep is healing...

Cohen, how do you feel about Colloidal silver?
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-[censored]." -Jack Nicholson

David Cohen said:

Dally said:

Mistress Krista told me about Cold-FX and I ordered some from
Canada, but it didn't come until Day 2 of my most recent cold so I
don't know if their idea of heading one off by taking 9 caplets the
first day would work. It diidn't seem to help this cold to take
them starting on Day 2.

Ginseng extract...hmmm, maybe.

So, "North American" ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) they say. Dally,
you don't need to order that from Canada.

Looks like it might be effective -
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/173/9/1043

DZ

DZ said:

David Cohen said:

Dally said:

Cohen, didn't you suggest taking Vitamin C until you go running for
the toilet? What's that protocol?

500 mg C every half hour until you have a loose bowel movement. Add
up the total taken so far, subtract 500, and take that amount every
four hours.

I found that time-release C allows me to consume a much higher dosage
per day. I have no problem taking [CENSORED]grams a day - did that
preventively two weeks ago after spending half a day with a group of
sneezing people. OTOH, the pure C feels like burning the holes in the
stomach. GNC sells those "time-release C with rose hips". I buy them
at Vitamin World (www.consumerlab.com "approved"😉.

Nobody has mentioned zinc. Also very effective.

DZ said:

David Cohen said:

Dally said:

Mistress Krista told me about Cold-FX and I ordered some from
Canada, but it didn't come until Day 2 of my most recent cold so I
don't know if their idea of heading one off by taking 9 caplets the
first day would work. It diidn't seem to help this cold to take
them starting on Day 2.

Ginseng extract...hmmm, maybe.

So, "North American" ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) they say. Dally,
you don't need to order that from Canada.

Looks like it might be effective -
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/173/9/1043

DZ

I believe that its not just North American ginsing by itself, but the
way cv technologies (Cold-FX) prepares it. It is getting very common up
here, and a lot of people swear by it. As with most things though, some
say it will clear up a cold or the flu within days and has a good chance
of preventing either if taken early enough, and some say it has no
effect on them whatsoever. NOTHING seems to work for my mom when she
gets a flu, she someteimes gets hospitalized in fact, but last year out
of desparation she bought some Cold-FX and hit it hard with 3X3 dose the
first day, 2X3 the next couple of days and she claims the flu was gone
in a matter of days, not weeks like she usually takes.

I take one Cold-FX a day for preventative measures, and will double that
up if there are a lot of colds and sneezing in the house, which there
often is (I have 5 kids). I seldom get bad colds, but then again I'm not
prone to them in the first place, but the occurences of them does seem
to go down when I use the cold-fx. However I have also (seemingly)
chased a cold away at its start by eating a few raw tablespoons of
minced garlic. The Cold-fx is popular in the NHL where a lot of players
get sidelined by the flu during the season, it has been used by hockey
players for quite a while now.

I also recently heard of another herbal "remedy" that many people swear
will drastically cut down the duration of a cold/flu, its called Yin
Chiao and is available in most chinese health stores. To quote someone
telling me about this:
========================================================================
A Chinese painter, fully trained in the Chinese system as a Taoist
Master (similar to a yoga guru or sifu in gungfu) told locals of a long
standing Chinese remedy for all colds and flu. It is named Yin Chiao and
is available at most Chinese groceries and herbal stores. On a Western
Diet, he said you should triple the dosage (so you would take 12-15
tablets the first dose, then 10 two more times that day. Dramatic
improvement is usually seen within one hour of the first pills and the
flu is usually gone after three doses). I've recommended it to over two
hundred people over 20 years and only two have not had wonderful results
and become enthusiastic converts. A local acupuncturist/herbalist says
that this medicine works for most people (who have "hot chi"😉 but for
the few for whom it does not work, he has a tea that provides overnight
relief, and works as well for flus that will last as long as a month. I
believe this is a more benign variant of super-flu, in that it doesn't
kill in epidemic fashion, but is still severely debilitating and
damaging to the immune system
On our local campus where people are indoors for the long winter,
some people get "24-hour flu" which repeats every three days for months.
They get so worn down that medical doctors are afraid to give
antibiotics lest they kill the patient. With Yin Chiao, these people
recover in two days.
I try to always have a spare bottle around to donate to whoever comes
down with a cold, and about 90% of the time, they are so happy with the
results, they begin to do the same.

Yin Chiao is available in most Chinese groceries, and I get mine from
the Chinese grocery that's in behind the Sam Wok Restaurant in
Strathcona. For the flu tea, I was fortunate to meet a herbalist who is
trustworthy, and recommend him, and urge you to try others with caution,
as I've heard of numerous stories of people being ripped off by other
less scrupulous vendors.
=========================================================================

there you go... OTOH you could also try my usual routine when I feel a
cold coming on, 2 tablespoons minced garlic, 2 cold-fx, dropper full of
echinecea, couple of thousand mg of vitamin C, all chased down with a
beer, preferable my black-as-night homebrew..

jurgen jorgenson said:

DZ said:

David Cohen said:

"Dally" <[email hidden]> wrote:
> Mistress Krista told me about Cold-FX and I ordered some from
> Canada

Ginseng extract...hmmm, maybe.

So, "North American" ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) they say. Dally,
you don't need to order that from Canada.
Looks like it might be effective -
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/173/9/1043

I believe that its not just North American ginsing by itself, but the
way cv technologies (Cold-FX) prepares it.

Their CVT-E002 is a water-based extract standardized to a particular
polysaccharide. "Water-based" gives me a clue that one can just take
root powder capsules with a glass of water instead. Standardized root
extracts are also sold in the US. The difference, as I understand it,
is that the usual extract will contain a wider variety of
molecules. So, unless there are side-effects associated with other
ingredients of the root extract, I remain skeptical. That is, I still
think that all they do is provide a good dose standardization.

In article <[email hidden]>,

DZ said:

jurgen jorgenson said:

DZ said:

David Cohen <[email hidden]> wrote:
>"Dally" <[email hidden]> wrote:
>> Mistress Krista told me about Cold-FX and I ordered some from
>> Canada
>
>Ginseng extract...hmmm, maybe.

So, "North American" ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) they say. Dally,
you don't need to order that from Canada.
Looks like it might be effective -
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/173/9/1043

I believe that its not just North American ginsing by itself, but the
way cv technologies (Cold-FX) prepares it.

Their CVT-E002 is a water-based extract standardized to a particular
polysaccharide. "Water-based" gives me a clue that one can just take
root powder capsules with a glass of water instead. Standardized root
extracts are also sold in the US. The difference, as I understand it,
is that the usual extract will contain a wider variety of
molecules. So, unless there are side-effects associated with other
ingredients of the root extract, I remain skeptical. That is, I still
think that all they do is provide a good dose standardization.

I agree. There is nothing special about the peparation of Cold-FX - just
good marketing by using Don Cherry of Hockey Night in Canada fame.

--
Keith

David Cohen said:

"Dally" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Happy Thanksgiving. Today is the day we come together with a bunch of
foreign germs and share a meal with them. Next week 50% of us will have a
cold.

How do you treat it?

I typically take 2000 mg of Vitamin C when I first feel the tickling
sensation coming on, and get a nap as soon as possible. Mistress Krista
told me about Cold-FX and I ordered some from Canada, but it didn't come
until Day 2 of my most recent cold so I don't know if their idea of
heading one off by taking 9 caplets the first day would work. It diidn't
seem to help this cold to take them starting on Day 2.

Ginseng extract...hmmm, maybe.

That's what I figured. I was willing to plonk down some money to try it
this winter.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Cohen, didn't you suggest taking Vitamin C until you go running for the
toilet? What's that protocol?

500 mg C every half hour until you have a loose bowel movement. Add up the
total taken so far, subtract 500, and take that amount every four hours.

Thanks, I'm making a note of that. I couldn't find it in the MFW babble
when I looked this morning.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Once the cold take possession of my head I take pseudoephedrine every six
hours or so. I alternate tylenol & advil (acetaminophin & ibuprofin) and
occasionally aspirin to alleviate the aches and miserableness, too. I
drink lots, usually decaf green teas.

Quoted message said:

There's no medical reason to alternate those three. Why do you?

I've heard that either can be damaging and so I figure I limit exposure
to any one drug, plus I can be a bit sloppy in time between doses. I
vaguely recall being told to alternate them for pain, so I just keep
alternating. It's also for more mundane reasons: I take whatever
closest sometimes. I have all three in the house.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

If my throat is sore I'll gargle with warm salt water. (Don't go buy
saline solution, I'm talking about half a teaspoon of table salt dissolved
in a warm glass of water.)

The glorious moment comes about five days later when I wake up and the
head cold is gone, but moments after realizing this I also realize it has
settled into my chest. This is when I break out the ephedrine. I don't
usually need pain meds at this point.

If the coughing is really bad at night I'll take something with a cough
suppressant in it, usually Tussin DM, Dextromethorphan hydrobromide &
guaifenesin. I don't think this does anything but I count on the placebo
affect to get to sleep.

Not a placebo. Detromethorphan is sedating for many people.

But benadryl and Jack Daniels is better. :-)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

In the daytime if I'm really having trouble getting a deep breath I'll
break out the nebulizer and some prescription albuterol, but that makes me
too wired at night. My kid has a great prescription for a form of
albuteral that makes you less wired, Xopenex, but it's expensive, hard to
get, and of course it's written for my kid, not me, so of course I don't
choose that. Of course.

(I'm not sure if asthma meds would help everyone or just me and my kids
because we've got viral triggered asthma, but I suspect most people with a
chest cold would be helped by a bronchiodilator.)

You suspect correctly.

Quoted message said:

If I had to pick just a few things to have on hand before cold season hit,
it'd be generic sudafed, kleenex, tylenol and vitamin C.

What about you? What do you do?

Vitamin C, as above; echinacea/goldenseal combo, a couple every few hours;
zinc lozenges, a couple every few hours.

To treat symptoms: oxymetazoline 12 hour decongestant nasal spray,
dextromethorphan cough syrup, benzocaine sore throat lozenges, ibuprofen.

Ugg, I'm not a big fan of nasal sprays. Do you think they work better
than sudafed tablets?

I haven't tried benzocaine sore throat lozenges. Got a brand name?
(I'll look for the generic but I usually have to find the brand name
before I find the generic to get to the right place on the shelf.)

Quoted message said:

At bedtime: 50 mg diphenhydramine (Benedryl) and Jack Daniels.

Speaking as someone who occasionally gets hives, I'm a big fan of
Benedryl. But I don't usually take it for a cold. Does it have any
effect beyond as a sedative? I think of it more as an allergy
medication but I don't really think of the nasal congestion from a cold
as being a histamine response. Is it?

Dally

Hobbes said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

DZ said:

jurgen jorgenson said:

DZ wrote:

>David Cohen <[email hidden]> wrote:
>
>>"Dally" <[email hidden]> wrote:
>>
>>>Mistress Krista told me about Cold-FX and I ordered some from
>>>Canada
>>
>>Ginseng extract...hmmm, maybe.
>
>So, "North American" ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) they say. Dally,
>you don't need to order that from Canada.
>Looks like it might be effective -
>http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/173/9/1043

I believe that its not just North American ginsing by itself, but the
way cv technologies (Cold-FX) prepares it.

Their CVT-E002 is a water-based extract standardized to a particular
polysaccharide. "Water-based" gives me a clue that one can just take
root powder capsules with a glass of water instead. Standardized root
extracts are also sold in the US. The difference, as I understand it,
is that the usual extract will contain a wider variety of
molecules. So, unless there are side-effects associated with other
ingredients of the root extract, I remain skeptical. That is, I still
think that all they do is provide a good dose standardization.

I agree. There is nothing special about the peparation of Cold-FX - just
good marketing by using Don Cherry of Hockey Night in Canada fame.

Could be, but I have tried various brands of ginsing extract in
different forms for colds, none seem to be as effective as Cold-FX. But
like I said, some people here swear by it and others say it does nothing
for them.

As for the marketing, it was getting quite a reputation up here long
before DC started endorsing it, in fact I heard that it was because so
many hockey players were using it with positive results was one of the
reasons they approached him to endorse it.

In article <x0rhf.130594$S4.12876@edtnps84>,

jurgen jorgenson said:

Hobbes said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

DZ said:

jurgen jorgenson <[email hidden]> wrote:

>DZ wrote:
>
>>David Cohen <[email hidden]> wrote:
>>
>>>"Dally" <[email hidden]> wrote:
>>>
>>>>Mistress Krista told me about Cold-FX and I ordered some from
>>>>Canada
>>>
>>>Ginseng extract...hmmm, maybe.
>>
>>So, "North American" ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) they say. Dally,
>>you don't need to order that from Canada.
>>Looks like it might be effective -
>>http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/173/9/1043
>
>I believe that its not just North American ginsing by itself, but the
>way cv technologies (Cold-FX) prepares it.

Their CVT-E002 is a water-based extract standardized to a particular
polysaccharide. "Water-based" gives me a clue that one can just take
root powder capsules with a glass of water instead. Standardized root
extracts are also sold in the US. The difference, as I understand it,
is that the usual extract will contain a wider variety of
molecules. So, unless there are side-effects associated with other
ingredients of the root extract, I remain skeptical. That is, I still
think that all they do is provide a good dose standardization.

I agree. There is nothing special about the peparation of Cold-FX - just
good marketing by using Don Cherry of Hockey Night in Canada fame.

Could be, but I have tried various brands of ginsing extract in
different forms for colds, none seem to be as effective as Cold-FX. But
like I said, some people here swear by it and others say it does nothing
for them.

As for the marketing, it was getting quite a reputation up here long
before DC started endorsing it, in fact I heard that it was because so
many hockey players were using it with positive results was one of the
reasons they approached him to endorse it.

Yeah, pretty much all the NHL teams use it from what I've heard. But the
general public heard of it primarily through Cherry, I think.

--
Keith

Hobbes said:

In article <x0rhf.130594$S4.12876@edtnps84>,

jurgen jorgenson said:

Hobbes said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
DZ <[email hidden]> wrote:

>jurgen jorgenson <[email hidden]> wrote:
>
>
>>DZ wrote:
>>
>>
>>>David Cohen <[email hidden]> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>"Dally" <[email hidden]> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>Mistress Krista told me about Cold-FX and I ordered some from
>>>>>Canada
>>>>
>>>>Ginseng extract...hmmm, maybe.
>>>
>>>So, "North American" ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) they say. Dally,
>>>you don't need to order that from Canada.
>>>Looks like it might be effective -
>>>http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/173/9/1043
>>
>>I believe that its not just North American ginsing by itself, but the
>>way cv technologies (Cold-FX) prepares it.
>
>Their CVT-E002 is a water-based extract standardized to a particular
>polysaccharide. "Water-based" gives me a clue that one can just take
>root powder capsules with a glass of water instead. Standardized root
>extracts are also sold in the US. The difference, as I understand it,
>is that the usual extract will contain a wider variety of
>molecules. So, unless there are side-effects associated with other
>ingredients of the root extract, I remain skeptical. That is, I still
>think that all they do is provide a good dose standardization.

I agree. There is nothing special about the peparation of Cold-FX - just
good marketing by using Don Cherry of Hockey Night in Canada fame.

Could be, but I have tried various brands of ginsing extract in
different forms for colds, none seem to be as effective as Cold-FX. But
like I said, some people here swear by it and others say it does nothing
for them.

As for the marketing, it was getting quite a reputation up here long
before DC started endorsing it, in fact I heard that it was because so
many hockey players were using it with positive results was one of the
reasons they approached him to endorse it.

Yeah, pretty much all the NHL teams use it from what I've heard. But the
general public heard of it primarily through Cherry, I think.

Grapes has raised its profile for sure, but he didn't come on to the
scene until fairly recently, and most I kow that use it started long
before he started pushing it.

In any case, it seems to work for me, but I'm going to give the
Yin-Chiao a go by itself next cold/flu I get to see what happens..

"DZ" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

David Cohen said:

Dally said:

Cohen, didn't you suggest taking Vitamin C until you go running for
the toilet? What's that protocol?

500 mg C every half hour until you have a loose bowel movement. Add
up the total taken so far, subtract 500, and take that amount every
four hours.

I found that time-release C allows me to consume a much higher dosage
per day. I have no problem taking [CENSORED]grams a day - did that
preventively two weeks ago after spending half a day with a group of
sneezing people. OTOH, the pure C feels like burning the holes in the
stomach. GNC sells those "time-release C with rose hips". I buy them
at Vitamin World (www.consumerlab.com "approved"😉.

Interesting. I hadn't considered the time released form as a way of
increasing bowel tolerance. I'll have to try that next time.

David

"Dally" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

David Cohen said:

"Dally" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Happy Thanksgiving. Today is the day we come together with a bunch of
foreign germs and share a meal with them. Next week 50% of us will have
a cold.

How do you treat it?

I typically take 2000 mg of Vitamin C when I first feel the tickling
sensation coming on, and get a nap as soon as possible. Mistress Krista
told me about Cold-FX and I ordered some from Canada, but it didn't come
until Day 2 of my most recent cold so I don't know if their idea of
heading one off by taking 9 caplets the first day would work. It diidn't
seem to help this cold to take them starting on Day 2.

Ginseng extract...hmmm, maybe.

That's what I figured. I was willing to plonk down some money to try it
this winter.

Sure. It's how I decide what supplements to use. Take into account three
factors: cost, safety, effectiveness. In this case, cheap, safe, maybe
effective, so, why not give it a try. As cost increases and/or safety
decreases, effectiveness must increase enough to get me to use it.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Cohen, didn't you suggest taking Vitamin C until you go running for the
toilet? What's that protocol?

500 mg C every half hour until you have a loose bowel movement. Add up
the total taken so far, subtract 500, and take that amount every four
hours.

Thanks, I'm making a note of that. I couldn't find it in the MFW babble
when I looked this morning.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Once the cold take possession of my head I take pseudoephedrine every six
hours or so. I alternate tylenol & advil (acetaminophin & ibuprofin) and
occasionally aspirin to alleviate the aches and miserableness, too. I
drink lots, usually decaf green teas.

Quoted message said:

There's no medical reason to alternate those three. Why do you?

I've heard that either can be damaging and so I figure I limit exposure to
any one drug, plus I can be a bit sloppy in time between doses. I vaguely
recall being told to alternate them for pain, so I just keep alternating.
It's also for more mundane reasons: I take whatever closest sometimes. I
have all three in the house.

Tylenol has no anti-inflammatory effect and is hepatotoxic. It's one of the
most used, but relatively useless compared to alternatives, drugs, out
there. An amazing con job. They sold it by scaring people about
stomach/intestinal damage from aspirin and the occurance of Reyes Syndrome
associated with aspirin. But, the truth is, the vast majority of people have
absolutely no problems with aspirin/ibuprofen affecting their guts, and
Reyes Syndrome associated with aspirin affects only children with viral
illness. Everybody else would be better off using aspirin and/or ibuprofen.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

If my throat is sore I'll gargle with warm salt water. (Don't go buy
saline solution, I'm talking about half a teaspoon of table salt
dissolved in a warm glass of water.)

The glorious moment comes about five days later when I wake up and the
head cold is gone, but moments after realizing this I also realize it has
settled into my chest. This is when I break out the ephedrine. I don't
usually need pain meds at this point.

If the coughing is really bad at night I'll take something with a cough
suppressant in it, usually Tussin DM, Dextromethorphan hydrobromide &
guaifenesin. I don't think this does anything but I count on the placebo
affect to get to sleep.

Not a placebo. Detromethorphan is sedating for many people.

But benadryl and Jack Daniels is better. :-)

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

In the daytime if I'm really having trouble getting a deep breath I'll
break out the nebulizer and some prescription albuterol, but that makes
me too wired at night. My kid has a great prescription for a form of
albuteral that makes you less wired, Xopenex, but it's expensive, hard to
get, and of course it's written for my kid, not me, so of course I don't
choose that. Of course.

(I'm not sure if asthma meds would help everyone or just me and my kids
because we've got viral triggered asthma, but I suspect most people with
a chest cold would be helped by a bronchiodilator.)

You suspect correctly.

Quoted message said:

If I had to pick just a few things to have on hand before cold season
hit, it'd be generic sudafed, kleenex, tylenol and vitamin C.

What about you? What do you do?

Vitamin C, as above; echinacea/goldenseal combo, a couple every few
hours; zinc lozenges, a couple every few hours.

To treat symptoms: oxymetazoline 12 hour decongestant nasal spray,
dextromethorphan cough syrup, benzocaine sore throat lozenges, ibuprofen.

Ugg, I'm not a big fan of nasal sprays. Do you think they work better
than sudafed tablets?

More targeted, which is generally a good thing.

Quoted message said:

I haven't tried benzocaine sore throat lozenges. Got a brand name? (I'll
look for the generic but I usually have to find the brand name before I
find the generic to get to the right place on the shelf.)

Cepacol, Sucrets, many others...either benzocaine or a similar topical
anaesthetic.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

At bedtime: 50 mg diphenhydramine (Benedryl) and Jack Daniels.

Speaking as someone who occasionally gets hives, I'm a big fan of
Benedryl. But I don't usually take it for a cold. Does it have any
effect beyond as a sedative? I think of it more as an allergy medication
but I don't really think of the nasal congestion from a cold as being a
histamine response. Is it?

No. But, used with a decongestant, it dries up "runny noses" and lets you
sleep, and breathe, better.

David

Dally said:

Happy Thanksgiving. Today is the day we
come together with a bunch of foreign germs
and share a meal with them. Next week 50%
of us will have a cold.

How do you treat it?

I typically take 2000 mg of Vitamin C when I

Well, with your 50% prediction and mention of vitamin C, I just popped
five 500 mg caplets. Thanks for making me paranoid about my
germ-infested relatives, though, pal.

Quoted message said:

first feel the tickling sensation coming on, and
get a nap as soon as possible.

And, yes, I'm a fan of the nap.

<snip the cold regimen>

Quoted message said:

If I had to pick just a few things to have on hand
before cold season hit, it'd be generic sudafed,
kleenex, tylenol and vitamin C.

What about you? What do you do?

I have Tylenol Extra Strength, 500 mg Acetaminophen in each caplet,
plus the vitamin C previously mentioned. Basically, I'll treat the
aches and pains with the Tylenol and keep popping the vitamin C daily.
I also have Pepto and NyQuil on hand to treat symptoms as necessary.
I'm golden right now. No symptoms, but now that you've put that /bug/
in my mind... <g>

Quoted message said:

Dally

Wishing you a cold-free holiday season.

--
Curt
http://curtjames.com/

David Cohen said:

"Dally" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

David Cohen said:

"Dally" <[email hidden]> wrote

> I alternate tylenol & advil (acetaminophin & ibuprofin) and
>occasionally aspirin to alleviate the aches and miserableness, too. I
>drink lots, usually decaf green teas.

Quoted message said:

There's no medical reason to alternate those three. Why do you?

I've heard that either can be damaging and so I figure I limit exposure to
any one drug, plus I can be a bit sloppy in time between doses. I vaguely
recall being told to alternate them for pain, so I just keep alternating.
It's also for more mundane reasons: I take whatever closest sometimes. I
have all three in the house.

Tylenol has no anti-inflammatory effect and is hepatotoxic. It's one of the
most used, but relatively useless compared to alternatives, drugs, out
there. An amazing con job. They sold it by scaring people about
stomach/intestinal damage from aspirin and the occurance of Reyes Syndrome
associated with aspirin. But, the truth is, the vast majority of people have
absolutely no problems with aspirin/ibuprofen affecting their guts, and
Reyes Syndrome associated with aspirin affects only children with viral
illness. Everybody else would be better off using aspirin and/or ibuprofen.

Well. You learn something new every day. I knew acetaminophen was
hepatoxic, but I thought ibuprofen had some problem with it, too.

This is timely, as the Organ of the Day is the Liver. While chopping up
gizzards I brought the boys into the kitchen and gave them a little
lecture on how the heart pumped (while demonstrating - squish squish)
and flopped the liver around and told them it was a very important organ
but they needed to tell me why. I assigned the 12 year old to write
five sentences on the function of the liver. He complained that he had
no way of knowing that. I told him to google it, call one of the
relatives with a medical degree, or look it up in the encyclopedia. I
later saw an encyclopedia left out. Here's the five sentences he gave me:

"The liver is the largest organ in your body made of a spongy mass. It
is the most complicated organ. It cleans out bile and blood clots.
Liver cells grab stuff out of the blood. The liver cleans about one
quart of blood each day."

I'm an evil mother. But I respect the liver.

It was good in the stuffing, too.

Dally

Curt James said:

I have Tylenol Extra Strength, 500 mg Acetaminophen in each caplet,
plus the vitamin C previously mentioned. Basically, I'll treat the
aches and pains with the Tylenol and keep popping the vitamin C daily.

Read Cohen and you'll toss the Tylenol in favor of Advil.

Quoted message said:

I also have Pepto and NyQuil on hand to treat symptoms as necessary.

Pepto? What's in it? I prefer to stay away from the drug cocktails and
stack my own, partly because I'm cheap and partly because I don't like
taking drugs I don't need. A stand-alone nasal decongestant is a Must
in our household.

Quoted message said:

I'm golden right now. No symptoms, but now that you've put that /bug/
in my mind... <g>

Quoted message said:

Dally

Wishing you a cold-free holiday season.

Yeah, as if THAT would happen. I've got three kids in three different
schools. We wallow in viruses.

Dally

David Cohen said:

"Dally" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

David Cohen said:

"Dally" <[email hidden]> wrote
> Happy Thanksgiving. Today is the day we come together with a
> bunch of foreign germs and share a meal with them. Next week 50%
> of us will have a cold.
>
> How do you treat it?
>
> I typically take 2000 mg of Vitamin C when I first feel the
> tickling sensation coming on, and get a nap as soon as possible.
> Mistress Krista told me about Cold-FX and I ordered some from
> Canada, but it didn't come until Day 2 of my most recent cold so I
> don't know if their idea of heading one off by taking 9 caplets
> the first day would work. It diidn't seem to help this cold to
> take them starting on Day 2.

Ginseng extract...hmmm, maybe.

That's what I figured. I was willing to plonk down some money to
try it this winter.

Sure. It's how I decide what supplements to use. Take into account
three factors: cost, safety, effectiveness. In this case, cheap,
safe, maybe effective, so, why not give it a try. As cost increases
and/or safety decreases, effectiveness must increase enough to get me
to use it.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> Cohen, didn't you suggest taking Vitamin C until you go running
> for the toilet? What's that protocol?

500 mg C every half hour until you have a loose bowel movement. Add
up the total taken so far, subtract 500, and take that amount every
four hours.

Thanks, I'm making a note of that. I couldn't find it in the MFW
babble when I looked this morning.

Quoted message said:

> Once the cold take possession of my head I take pseudoephedrine
> every six hours or so. I alternate tylenol & advil (acetaminophin
> & ibuprofin) and occasionally aspirin to alleviate the aches and
> miserableness, too. I drink lots, usually decaf green teas.

Quoted message said:

There's no medical reason to alternate those three. Why do you?

I've heard that either can be damaging and so I figure I limit
exposure to any one drug, plus I can be a bit sloppy in time between
doses. I vaguely recall being told to alternate them for pain, so I
just keep alternating. It's also for more mundane reasons: I take
whatever closest sometimes. I have all three in the house.

Tylenol has no anti-inflammatory effect and is hepatotoxic. It's one
of the most used, but relatively useless compared to alternatives,
drugs, out there. An amazing con job. They sold it by scaring people
about stomach/intestinal damage from aspirin and the occurance of
Reyes Syndrome associated with aspirin. But, the truth is, the vast
majority of people have absolutely no problems with aspirin/ibuprofen
affecting their guts, and Reyes Syndrome associated with aspirin
affects only children with viral illness. Everybody else would be
better off using aspirin and/or ibuprofen.

There are also a few poor sods who are allergic to aspirin; my grandpa was -
couple of times someone gave him something containing aspirin by accident,
both times he ended up needing to be hospitalised. But you'd know if you
were allergic, of course.

Peter

Dally said:

Read Cohen and you'll toss the Tylenol
in favor of Advil.

Don't confuse me with facts! ;-)

Quoted message said:

Pepto? What's in it?

Uh, pink stuff?

(looks at label)

Benzoic acid, flavor, magnesium aluminum silicate, methylcellulose, red
22, red 28, hike, hike, hike, uh, saccharin sodium, salicylic acid,
sodium salicylate, sorbic acid, and water.

AND IF YOU GOT OTHER QUESTIONS, CALL 1-800-717-3786!!!

(8(|) D'OH!

Seriously, Pepto-Bismol is something my grandmother always had on hand.
I just took a nostalgic swig. The taste is comforting and reassuring.
And, hey, ya gotta love that red 28.

Quoted message said:

I've got three kids in three different
schools. We wallow in viruses.

I teach at two different schools. Nearing two thousand students, so I'm
all about the wallow. Best of luck warding off your personal onslaught.

--
Curt
http://curtjames.com/