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Do You Have Any Home Remedies for Colds/Flu?
Because of PH, we can’t take many over-the-counter(OTC) cold and flu supplements. This leads us to look for home remedies to help when we experience cold/flu symptoms.
Many PH specialists only agree to plain Robitussin for cough and Tylenol or Ibuprofen for fever. My PH specialist allows me to take plain Mucinex for congestion.
Before I try prescribed medications, I try OTC supplements and a few home remedies. Here are a few of my home remedies.
* Zinc
* Vitamin C
* Hot tea with lemon and honey(I use jasmine, peppermint, spearmint, or elderberry herbal teas.)
* Extra garlic and onions when cooking(I tend to use these in large amounts most days.)
* GinsengUsing some of the remedies above, I also try and allow my body to rest more than usual. I also aim for probiotic-rich foods and keep stress as low as possible.
Do you have any home remedies for cold or flu symptoms that are helpful for you? Do you follow a regimen that boosts your immunity during the cold and flu season? Let’s talk about this.
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31 Replies
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I take several vitamins every day, not only for colds and flu but some to help out for COVID. This is my list…….
Vitamin C 1000
B-12 5000 mcg
Quercitin 800 mg
Zinc 50 mg
D-3 5,000 IU
Magnesium 400 mgIf I am feeling sick I do the same tea thing you do only with a shot of whiskey.
My wife gives me….Coloidal Silver
Oil of oregano
Sanbuca Elderberry instead of Zcam.I get in a sleeping bag that makes me too hot so I sweat when I go to bed. That seems to help a lot.
Not saying This will work for everyone, but it works for me.
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Hi @wheeldog, I laugh as I read through your list. Your whiskey reminds me of my late stepfather. He always gave us a hot whiskey treated with lemon, honey, and who knows as a kid. Those tricks worked; I will add tequila or something if I have any on hand.
The sleeping bag trick, I know, works with extra blankets. My late MIL always said wrap up like a burrito. This was after rubbing most of your body down with Vicks.
Your vitamin and supplement list is something you take daily, right? Did you start that during COVID, or was this part of your daily routine before?
Does Mary Ellen get oregano oil online or a natural food store?
I can’t take too many extra vitamins with my kidneys, but my nephrologist did give me the OK on those few listed above. Before my CKD, I took many supplements daily that I knew benefited my body.
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I took all those daily except Quercitin before. I can’t take multiple vitamins because they all contain niacin and that gives me gout. The others I only take if I feel a cold coming on.
The oregano is in pill form and she gets it at a health food place at home. She will probably get everything on Amazon here in AZ. It is 40 miles 1 way to the nearest “big box store” so we buy a lot of stuff on Amazon.
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Oh no, @wheeldog, I didn’t remember that you, too, have gout. That can be painful. Do you take meds daily to prevent an attack? I take meds as needed when this flares up. But usually do OK unless I eat a ton of seafood, which I love.
Do you limit certain foods because of your gout?
I also order on Amazon many things. I never did until the pandemic started. Manny was the only person who used Amazon before that.
Hopefully, you and Mary Ellen enjoy the slower pace of life in AZ and enjoy some activities with your friends.
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Some seafood gives it to me…..clams, muscles and scallops. I can eat most other stuff…..crab, oysters, shrimp etc. The last couple of months I did cheat and had some clam chowder, I have a couple scallops now and then…..so far nothing. However if I “pig out” on one of those, I will suffer. I don’t take meds to prevent it, but I do keep some in case I have an attack.
After a busy summer, we are enjoying doing nothing for a while. We do some of the activities here when we feel like it……
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I’m grateful to hear that you can “cheat” at times without having a flare-up. I also had some clam chowder last month and no issues, thank goodness. You know how those flares can be a pain in the butt, or for me, foot. Hehe
Hopefully, you and Mary Ellen are enjoying that R &R and, as you mention, can participate in activities as you want. Are you staying through March, or when do you usually head back? I know, not even thinking about that yet, right?
Your body is probably loving that downtime, too. Have you noticed improvements since you aren’t working daily?
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We are enjoying not doing much. We usually go home around the 3rd week in March.
Think it’s the weather down here that helps me breath better. I changed a tire on my 1 ton truck and I was short of breath for a couple of days after that. My wife has been using the workout equipment…….thinking about going with her to get my strength back.
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Oh boy, @wheeldog, your luck sounds like Manny’s. When he is off, it always seems to be something going on that he can work on, LOL.
I hope you don’t need anything else on your truck while there. It sounds like you and Mary Ellen enjoy the AZ temps and relaxation. Please do take it easy if you start on the workout equipment. I suggest you go with her, so you aren’t alone there. Take it slow, sir.
But doing a little exercise will probably help you. Don’t overdo and build up slowly. If you feel anything out of the norm, please stop and rest. I know- I must sound like a mom, now.
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My Mom taught me a sure-iure way to cure a sore throat with a cold. First a cup of hot tea (I do herbal- echanesia usually), as hot as you can stand to drink it. Follow with a bowl of chicken soup (home-made of course), also very hot, an eat a link of hot, spicy Italian (Yea, that’s me!) sausage. More tea if desired to wash it all down. I guarantee, if you have a throat left after all that, it doesn’t hurt!
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HI @tervo, I love your mom’s remedies. I love both really hot tea and homemade soups. They are so good for your souls, aren’t they?
Although I love spicy foods, your extremely spicy Italian sausage link threw me for a loop. Is that your Italian heritage showing through? I will certainly try this when needed again.
I hope that you are all settled in to Florida for the holidays. Did you get the decorating done?
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Sorry about the typo – it’s “sure -fire”
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My dad swears by honey. I know that as soon as I tell my dad that one of us isn’t feeling well he will ask if we have any honey to put in some hot tea. It is soothing but I think at this point it has a calming nostalgic effect on me. Whether it works or not I will always have tea with honey when I’m not feeling well because it makes me think of my dad.
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Hey @colleensteele, yes, local honey is even better. I always have some local honey for allergies, and anytime we start feeling blah. Hot tea and honey is a staple in our home, too.
I sometimes catch myself reaching for the honey anytime I make hot tea. Do you, too, even when not sick?
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Yep, that’s my Italian showing, I may have married an Irishman, but my heritage is all Sicilian.
We are settled in FL now, and put our Christmas tree and creche up. Both will stay up until Jan 6. My husband Tim decorated the outside of the house with lights, and bright our tree down from the storage space so I could decorate it. He’s not much for putting stuff on the branches, and hanging the tinsel is ALL my job.
It’s so much easier to breathe here. The cold up north sucked the air right out of my lungs, I swear. Wearing a mask was a blessing, and wrapping a scarf around my neck an mouth also helped. But I hate all that winter stuff. This nice warm, sunny place is much more to my liking – and my breathing. AC I can handle!
Jen and Colleen, I must compliment you both on your excellent writing skills. I truly enjoy reading your columns and posts.
Wishing all of the participants in this Forum a Merry Christmas!
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Hehe, love, it @tervo, that Sicilian it is!
Your Florida home sounds so lovely. You paint a nice picture of you tossing off that cold-weather gear and getting ready for the sunshine. I had that same issue when visiting my late MIL in Ohio for the holidays. I would wrap in scarps, layers, etc., but that cold air burned my lungs.
My body prefers warmer temps and sunshine, too. Vitamin D does a body and mind wonders.
You are so kind with your support. I hope you and Tim enjoy a beautiful, sunny Christmas in Florida. Please keep us posted when you and Sally meet up, too.
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@tervo I think it’s nice that you and your husband each have your own part in decorating. I’m the primary decorator in my house and kind of wish Brian and the boys would take a more active role in it. But at least they always appreciate how I pull it all together and seeing their reactions makes me happy.
Thank you for reading our column’s and posts and for your kind feedback. We share with the hope that somehow we are helping others who are going through the experiences that we have. We are all in this together.
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Hey, y’all, I want to share my recent column. I wrote about creating my cold and flu toolbox. Because we already discussed this topic here, this is where I will share.
Check it out and let me know if you have any tricks that should be added to a cold and flu toolbox while managing PH. Do you use any of the remedies I shared?
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Jen, I remember some of those same remedies as you! I recall getting a shot of whiskey or sherry to help me at night. But my Mom had the be all and end all of cures for a sore throat with a cold. First, hot chicken soup, as hot as you can stand it. Then follow it with an entree of spicy-hot Italian sausage, and finish off with a hot cup of tea – let me tell you, if you had a throat left after that, it didn’t hurt anymore. And the sinuses were pretty well cleared as well. All I know, is it still works. If I’m not feeling well, I head for the chicken soup (not always the sausage these day) and the tea. And sometimes I drink echinescea tea for its natural antibiotic properties. That often helps me a lot and keeps me from actually needing antibiotic pills while at the same time keeping me hydrated.
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Hi @tervo, yeah, I think I recall you mentioning the hot chicken soup and Italian sausage. However. IDK if I would tolerate the sausage. But Manny did make me some homemade spicy chicken soup or Caldo de Pollo. I asked him to add extra spice because, like you, I know these old remedies help.
Hot tea, I love peppermint teas and ginger, and I also have the echinacea teas to help. I’ve also bought the immunity shots at Trader Joe’s with turmeric that I down daily for several days.
I had to laugh as I was picturing flames coming out of your little nose as a child, and your throat felt like it was on fire after all of that. But we do what works.
Thanks for sharing, Terese; I hope you won’t need these remedies soon. I hope you and your hubby enjoy a lovely Easter weekend.
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It’s that time of year again—flu season. Many of us will also experience colds during the upcoming months and the busy holiday season. Yeah, it’s so wild that it’s that time again! It seems that once we begin October, it’s all about the holidays, and then it’s a new year before we blink.
Have you all had your flu shots? Has anyone had trouble with colds or flu this season? Stay healthy, and let’s share some of our home remedies to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe!
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@jen-cueva my parents, Cullen and I have all had our flu shots.
My dad swears by honey. There is something to it. If anything, it’s soothing and coats the throat well, Cullen is allowed to take cough medicine for those with high blood pressure. It doesn’t work as well as regular cough medicine but it’s better than nothing.
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Hi, @Colleen. I haven’t had mine yet, but I plan to call and schedule it today. It’s ordered, so this should be my reminder.
Oh yes, honey is so good, especially local raw honey. Plus, it’s great in hot tea and lemon. If you like, a little shot would go with it, too. My late stepfather always relied on his “Hot Toddie” at night during the cold and flu season.
I can take plain Robitussin (guaifenesin), but Manny needs cough meds for high blood pressure, like Coricidin HBP. I’m working on a column about this topic, so if anyone wants me to share some of their comments in the column.
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@jen-cueva I have a funny story to share but NOT for your column! LOL.
Decades ago I was working for a Catholic Diocese and assigned to help welcome and direct Bishops attending a conference. I was so, so sick the day of, high fever and everything, but I knew they really needed me so I didn’t call out.
An elderly retired Irish priest took one look at me and said, “Oh dear! I think you need a hot cup of tea!” He went back to his living quarters and returned with a cuppa, which did sound good to me. I wondered why priests who overheard were intent on watching me take a big sip! It was a hot toddy at 8:00 in the morning! I was going to be working with Bishops all day! As I tried to catch my breath the priests started laughing because they figured that was what he handed me. I thanked him but politely declined!
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LOL, @Colleen , that’s too funny!
I would have fallen over. But I bet that hot toddy would have made you feel much better! 😂
Thanks for the laughs! -
@jen-cueva and he wasn’t upset that I didn’t drink it. He was happy to drink it for me! LOL!
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OMG, that’s too funny, @Colleen . All I can picture is a priest downing shot at a bar somewhere. LOL, I know this wasn’t in a bar, but it cracks me up.😂
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For generations, my family has passed down the same cold/flu/congestion/sore throat remedy. I remember my great grandmother, my grandma, my mom, and now myself, running for the medicine cabinet and the sock drawer any time any one feels they are coming down with something. Here is the old fashioned cure for pretty much anything:
Vick’s Vapor Rub: rub your chest, back, and neck and put some in each nostril.
1 hot wash cloth placed on your throat
1 long (wool if you an stand it and have it) sock wrapped around your neck, securing the hot wash cloth in place, pinned with a large diaper pin. Don’t wrap it too tightly 😉
Put on a sweatshirt, preferably with a hood. I remember my great grandmother had a wool shirt, but wool is soooooo itchy. A sweatshirt will do.
Drink a hot drink such as hot lemon and honey or my Grandma’s choice, a hot toddy. My great grandma chose something a bit stronger…
Go to bed and when you wake up, that cold/flu will be gone.
I hope my sons pass this down to my grandchildren. It works. If anyone tries this remedy, let me know how it works…. Thank you for reading my story♥️
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Hi, @Cindy Moser , Your remedies sound like something my late grandma would do. For example, she would have us put socks on our feet and rub the bottoms of our feet with Vick’s.
But the part about the hot cloth and sock on your throat is new to me, so that and the sweatshirt I could imageine, you would wake up drenced after sweating this all out, do you?
And grandma’s hot toddy, certainly brings back lots of memories. Some days I think she needed a drink after taking care of sick kids, and downed it. LOL.
Thanks for sharing these tips and remedies with us, Cindy. Of course we always catch cold and flu bugs, so this will be my next addition. I’ll let you know if and when it’s needed.
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@Cindy Moser I’m familiar with all of those except the sock around the neck. I’m guessing the idea is to sweat the cold out?
Personally I like Vick’s Vapor Rub but Cullen could never use it and even after transplant he won’t. He complained that the smell is too strong and makes it even harder for him to breath. How do our other PH members feel about Vick’s?
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I am not sure how the Vicks works, but it does. I guess germs don’t like it and run away. Lol I don’t remember if I sweated or not. I have not been sick at home for a long time and since a cold/flu is an automatic trip to the hospital, I have not had an opportunity to use this remedy. Fortunately, my son and my grandkids never get sick. However, we do have that jar of Vicks just in case. I wonder if there are any other uses for Vicks? As far as the hot toddy goes, it was kind of chill last night, so yes, please!
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Hi, @Cindy Moser. Yes, it’s so crazy how well Vick works; it has been practical for years. Also, it’s a blessing when your son and grandkids don’t get sick. 🙏
Hopefully, everyone stays healthy this cold and flu season. I’m glad you have that Vick’s handy. It sounds like a hot Toddie, too. Thanks for sharing and offering your experience.
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