Oh Baby It's Cold Outside!

[StrawberryFields]

Buuurrr!!!!!!!!

Somewhere I remember hearing about a medicine that if you take on the onset of a cold it shortens the duration and intensity of the cold. Has anyone had experience with this medicine and does it really work? Too many people around me are getting a cold and I want to help them if I can.

Maybe you know of another remedy. I am a believer in the power of positive thinking and affirmations. "I do not get sick, sickness avoids me, I have an anti illness shield which surrounds me"

[gwell]

Cold FX.......That is its claim anyways.....I have never tried it but some people swear by it!

[Winnie G]

Cold FX my oldest swears by it.

[lisajo]

on Martha Stewart this morning she said if you feel like your coming down with a cold, Grade some ginger root in some hot tea, Now finding fresh ginger root might be a challenge LOL pluss the hoy tea LOL

Cold-Eeze drops also work well you cand find them in the cough drop isle, but make sure you read the directions good, I really like them and they work well for me, You need to take then at the first sign of a cold,

[StrawberryFields]

I have some ginger from Korea. We had a young girl (she was only eight) come and stay with us for two weeks. Her mother heard that it was very cold here and she sent us some... now I know what to do with it LOL

Cold-eeze tastes nasty! I think I would rather have the cold. Thanks anyway :)

[Winnie G]

The Canada Heath every year goes all out to get the message out there to WASH YOUR HANDS! A lot.

I always feel weird when I go in to a public restroom and there is paper towel dispensers.

I don’t like the handles or the button on the air blower. So I have given up and wipe my hands on my pants.

I know its weird but if I get sick its 0-60 full-blown pneumonia, (years of smoking and asthma) it would weird you out too.

Wash you hands a lot. Good advice.

[Jason]

Jack N Coke. Works every time. B)

[Maureen]

Back in the day it seems that the hot toddy was the ultimate sickness remedy; and there seems to be a numerous amount of recipes out there but, rum was the main ingredient when I was a kid.

But since SF you are not a rum drinker ColdFX does the trick. It is made by CV Technologies which is a Canadian (and even closer to home, Edmonton) company - brag brag.

M.

[lisajo]

Originally posted by Winnie G@Dec 7 2005, 09:48 AM

The Canada Heath every year goes all out to get the message out there to WASH YOUR HANDS! A lot.

I always feel weird when I go in to a public restroom and there is paper towel dispensers.

I don’t like the handles or the button on the air blower. So I have given up and wipe my hands on my pants.

I know its weird but if I get sick its 0-60 full-blown pneumonia, (years of smoking and asthma) it would weird you out too.

Wash you hands a lot. Good advice.

←

Winnie your smart about that...I took a health cousrse last year and they say that if you use any handles on bathroomdoors to open them or paper towel disp. etc...to use tissue or paper towels to do it.....kinda hard lol when you have to touch the paper towel handle to get the paoer towels lol

[Outshined]

Try Airborne. I've heard it's very effective. Walmart carries it, as do most drugstores. http://www.airbornehealth.com

[Guest ToasterOfen]

Originally posted by lisajo@Dec 7 2005, 01:13 PM

if you use any handles on bathroomdoors to open them or paper towel disp. etc...to use tissue or paper towels to do it.....kinda hard lol when you have to touch the paper towel handle to get the paoer towels lol

←

They had something about this on Oprah a while ago and I've read/heard about other stuff too. But one thing they say is to grab the paper-towel before you wash your hands and stick it in your shirt or pocket. Wash your hands, dry them, THEN use the paper towel to turn off the faucet AND use it to open the door. If there isn't a garbage by the door (and many are not) just drop the paper-towel on the floor by the door. They'll eventually get the point, and put a garbage can by the door.

I try to do this, since I think it is disgusting to touch a gross door handle after I've just washed my hands.

Also, many stores are now putting disinfecting wipes by the grocery carts so you can wipe them down before you put your hands on them. I think this is a great idea, especially if you have kids. I'm sure that is where my twins got there last cold from...everyone in our family was healthy, we hadn't been around anyone. But we went to the store, and put them in the cart with all the disgusting germs (this store didn't have disinfecting wipes yet); and low and behold, the next day, both twins were coughing and had snotty noses. You never know where those germs end up.

Also (a lot of teachers have kids do this) teach your child cover their mouth with their arm (or the back of their hand), rather than the palm of the hand when they cough or sneeze. This way the germs go into their arm and not on palms of hands which touch everyone and everything they come in contact with. It wouldn't hurt adults to follow this hygiene protocol either.

[Marsha]

I have discovered Muscinex. It comes in the form of a tablet and if taken at the onset of a cold it seems to stop it in its tracks. Best part of all it is an OTC medicine, while not cheap it is well worth the money. We keep it on hand at all times. I can't stand the yucky tasting mix em up remedies.

Also for young children, they can now put flavors in their liquid prescriptions, Our drug store has 99 different flavors for only .99 cents more.

Marsha

[StrawberryFields]

These remedies...do they only work "for the common cold"?

BTW, Thanks for all of the info though I have been taking notes.

[Howaboutmee]

For what it's worth. "Colds" can be baterial or viral. Bacteria reset the body temperature, therefore making you cold at the onset i.e your body is at 37.5 degrees celsius, but it is reset to 39 degrees celsius, therefore you shiver to get warm to get to 39 i.e you are feeling cold.

If you take antibacterial agents you will shorten the process as they help kill the bacteria. It shortens it from a normal two week cycle to about ten days from start to finish. The most common bacteria being Haeophilus Influenzae, cause of the common cold.

The flu is not a cold, but people class it the same. It is caused by viruses. Viruses do not excrete pyrogenic agents i.e those that reset the body temperature, but generally when you have th "flu" it is common to catch a cold as your immune system is compromised. In this case you would take Flu medication. These ease the symptoms, i.e they make you feel better but do nothing to make the Virus (flu) go away. generally they work really well. They actually make the "Cold" last longer as the symptoms are there to help your body to react quicker to the flu. In short they make you much more comfotable and you may even feel at the end that you don't have the flu but in reality you do

Therefore if you have a real cold, it may be worth taking antibiotics. Antibiotics are very specific especially of they are to work well. Unless a doctor swabs you and send it for testing (quite costly) he is hardly going to give you an effective one, theerfore increasing resistance. If a doctor gives you Amoxacyllin (broad spectrum antibiotic) he is probably not very good. It is an unspecific antibiotic that is not very strong and therefore bugs get resistant to it quickly and become "super" bugs. Therefore by the time you know which antibiotic is worth it, you are nearly over it. Say two days to go to the doctor, three days for culture and response, two days to get back to the doctor and then to you, you are more than half way over it!!!!!

For viruses, well they are DNA. your body is DNA so anything that kills them also kills your body cells

In short you are correct, the debate is whether to take medication or not an does it help. If you take the right medication for a true cold you may gain a few days, it also though has side effects.

For a viral infection the best way to beat it is preventative, ie don't get it in the first place i.e. take a "jab" i.e purposfully take a low level dose of it so that you get immunised to it. ie like they are doing now for the flu for old people and such. Of course this does not help you out on all of them, just the ones more likely to kill you.

So in short you are correct. Do you or do you not take medicine.

If however you just take your cold and flu tablets for symptomatic relief, you are causing no superbugs, you feel better and you are not toxicating your body

It is a long time since I studied this so I hope that it is understandable

Emanuele xx

[StrawberryFields]

WOW! Great Information Howaboutmee

[Guest ToasterOfen]

I do have to dispute a bit about what Howaboutme said about the whole "cold" thing. The "common cold", what it is referred to in the USA, is viral, and nothing can be done about it...it runs its course, and you can take things to lessen the symptoms, but you can't "cure" it.

A bacterial infection, at least here in USA, is not described as a "cold"; what Howaboutme is probably referring to are sinus infections--bacterial therefore an antibiotic is given...strep throat...bacterial so antibiotic is given...some types of pneumonia are bacterial so antibiotic is given, and the like that are bacterial. If you give an antibiotic to something that is viral, it does nothing for it.

Just wanted to clarify, because otherwise people in the USA might start running to their docs with a common cold demanding antibiotics.

[Lindy]

Originally posted by Winnie G@Dec 7 2005, 10:48 AM

The Canada Heath every year goes all out to get the message out there to WASH YOUR HANDS! A lot.

Wash you hands a lot. Good advice.

←

Winnie...it's GREAT advice actually!

Oh yes......drink that O.J.!!!! and I'm not talking Orange Julieus either!!

[pushka]

Originally posted by ToasterOfen@Dec 9 2005, 01:01 AM

I do have to dispute a bit about what Howaboutme said about the whole "cold" thing.  The "common cold", what it is referred to in the USA, is viral, and nothing can be done about it...it runs its course, and you can take things to lessen the symptoms, but you can't "cure" it.

A bacterial infection, at least here in USA, is not described as a "cold"; what Howaboutme is probably referring to are sinus infections--bacterial therefore an antibiotic is given...strep throat...bacterial so antibiotic is given...some types of pneumonia are bacterial so antibiotic is given, and the like that are bacterial.  If you give an antibiotic to something that is viral, it does nothing for it.

Just wanted to clarify, because otherwise people in the USA might start running to their docs with a common cold demanding antibiotics.

←

I agree with you Toaster...In the UK docs. will not give out antibiotics for 'common colds' unless they have gone on for more than 2 weeks, and have begun to have more severe symptoms, eg. bacterial infection on your chest or what not...the same as you mentioned.

The old saying is something like 'leave a cold and it will go away in a week, treat a cold and it will go away in a week'.

We are just advised to take something like Paracetamol for the temperature/sore throat/headache, and fruit juice, hot or cold, to soothe the throat too...

[StrawberryFields]

My hubby was sick last week my son got sick this week and I have a sore throat. I am the mom and I can't afford to be sick so I headed off to the store to buy Cold FX. I even sent my brother to look for it because he thought he was coming down with something. Well I couldn’t find it but Airborne was recommended by a pharmacist as well as Outshined. I bought some Airborne and I will try it.

I did a search to learn more about Cold FX and like Maureen mentioned it is made in Canada

http://www.cvtechnologies.com/coldfx/wheretobuy.aspx

Has anyone bought this in the US?

[glindakc]

airborne. i haven't used it but i've heard great things about it.

it's 70 degrees here in the SF bay area. and i don't know anybody who's gotten sick yet.

talk about a white christmas

[Guest sugarbay]

Originally posted by ToasterOfen@Dec 8 2005, 07:01 PM

I do have to dispute a bit about what Howaboutme said about the whole "cold" thing.  The "common cold", what it is referred to in the USA, is viral, and nothing can be done about it...it runs its course, and you can take things to lessen the symptoms, but you can't "cure" it.

A bacterial infection, at least here in USA, is not described as a "cold"; what Howaboutme is probably referring to are sinus infections--bacterial therefore an antibiotic is given...strep throat...bacterial so antibiotic is given...some types of pneumonia are bacterial so antibiotic is given, and the like that are bacterial.  If you give an antibiotic to something that is viral, it does nothing for it.

Just wanted to clarify, because otherwise people in the USA might start running to their docs with a common cold demanding antibiotics.

←

Any physician who prescribes or otherwise dispenses antibiotics or any other medication on patient demand needs to be reviewed before the Board of Ethics. Plus, administering antibiotics for a viral disorder without bacterial complications is a pretty good indication of what percentile your physician graduated in. The body builds up immunity to drugs sometimes swiftly so when the needed prophylactic course of antibiotics is administered the desired effect may not be forthcoming and a change of meds is in order. Antibiotics are not without side effects adverse reactions. Viruses mutate and the same anitbiotic that worked on last years pneumonia may not work on this years. Then there the whole spectrum, gram-/+ issue.

As mentioned, there are meds to lessen the severity of the symptomes of a cold so you don't have to walk around with a box of Kleenex stuffed up your nose, but be judicious. You can treat a cold and it will be gone inthree weeks or you can let it runs its course andit will be gone in 21 days. Lots of fluids to help make expectorating easier, vitamin C for infection can't be beat. On autopsy, many people who die of supra-infections or simple infections run amok, have negliable amounts of vitamin C in thier systems.Airborne has had some good reviews and worthy of trying.

And BEFORE all else fails, get a priesthood blessing. When in doubt, read the directions, right? B)

[Laureltree]

Cold X is great 1 and it helps strengthen your immune system....also ester C is great with the cold X and vitimin.....

[StrawberryFields]

Originally posted by Laureltree@Dec 21 2005, 02:13 PM

Cold X is great 1 and it helps strengthen your immune system....also ester C is great with the cold X and vitimin.....

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LT,

Cold X? Not Cold FX? Where do you buy it?

[shanstress70]

Howaboutmee needs to go back to school. So much of what he/she said in that post is SO incorrect!

"It is a long time since I studied this so I hope that it is understandable"

Uh... where did you study?

First of all, the common cold is a virus (mainly rhinoviruses, coronaviruses, and also certain echoviruses, paramyxoviruses, and coxsackieviruses)... never a bacteria. Antibiotics should never be taken for the common cold, as they do nothing to stop a virus. A cold has nothing to do with your body temperature, except that sometimes you can run a fever with a cold.

Secondly, Haemophilus influenzae is a bacteria that can be found at the root of many diseases, such as bacteremia and acute bacterial meningitis, epiglottitis (obstructive laryngitis), cellulitis, osteomyelitis, joint infections, ear infections (otitis media) and sinusitis in children, and is associated with respiratory tract infections (pneumonia) in infants, children and adults. It ABSOLUTELY is not the cause of the common cold!

Amoxicillin is a very useful antibiotic, but of course doesn't work against the common cold or flu, because as I said earlier, viruses aren't affected by antibiotics.

Oseltamivir phosphate (or Tamiflu) is sometimes helpful in the fight against the flu, if you begin treatment within 48 hours of the onset of flu symptoms. It shortens the duration of the flu.

All that garbage about it being common to catch a cold when you have the flu is untrue as well.

I don't expect anyone to believe me, but go do some research for yourself, and please don't listen to people who come onto this (or any other) board spouting off such nonsense. Your health is way more important than that!

The person who wrote all that needs to go back and study some more, 'cause yes, it HAS been a long time! Hope this doesn't sound too harsh, but I can't stand when people post info when they really don't know what they're talking about.

And this has nothing to do with the post I'm referencing, but did you know that if I go outside when it's 20 degrees with my hair wet, with shorts and a tank top on, I will not have any higher chance of getting sick? It's a myth. I will just FEEL cold. The reason why we get sick more often in the winter is because we are all inside more, sharing each others' germs.

As for the cold remedies you guys are speaking of, I have not tried them, but my MIL swears by Zycam. I have my doubts, but would probably give it a try next time I feel one coming on.

My doctor said if you are proned to get sick in the winter (like I am since I have a 3 year old new to the daycare scene), take lots of vitamin C all the time, and when you feel your throat getting scratchy (or whatever your tell-tale sign of a cold is) take echinacea for a few days. If you take it for more than a week or so, it can slow down your immunity.

Hope you're doing well, SF!

[StrawberryFields]

Well after a day of using Airborne I am feeling much better. If there is a down side to this it is that I have a terrible case of dry mouth. I am drinking more and making more bathroom stops but at least I don't feel sick.