Preventing a cold

ApexMirage

I can feel my throat tingling in that telltale way that might as well be a sign that says "You're gonna be sick tomorrow"
I absolutely do NOT need this right now, what can I do to prevent it?
I've already had a few halls, some vitamin c and a bunch of water. Am I fucked anyway?

Geod

Get some Zicam and try that. It's worked for me, or lessened the symptoms whenever I feel a cold coming on.

ApexMirage

I'm having some honey & lemon and a grapefruit too. Fuck this =(

DragonPup

Geod wrote: »

Zicam

Zicam helps lessen it for me, too. I also pop a packet of Emergen-C.

Al_wat

I usually make sure I eat a nice hot and healthy meal. A hot shower might help.

If you smoke, don't for now.

RUNN1NGMAN

Make sure you're getting enough sleep too. Pop some Nyquil if you need to, but make sure you get AT LEAST 8 hours. It won't necessarily make a cold go away faster, but not getting enough sleep will definitely cause it to stick around longer.

ApexMirage

I took a DayQuil earlier. I've already eaten a meal that was hardly healthy, but I'll definately take a hot shower. Is NyQuil bad after DayQuil? I'm guessing it doesn't matter?

Cruix

I'm going to recommend Zicam as well -- seriously, if at all possible, go out and get some right now. It always works best for me if I start taking it as soon as I notice I may be getting sick.

If you can, get the kind that either dissolves or maybe a liquid kind so that it goes down really fast. The one downside to Zicam is that it tastes like soggy socks -- a testament to how well it works that I still take it.

As far as Day/Nyquil -- I took both yesterday, just wait four hours after you've taken the dayquil before you take the nyquil (as stated on the back of the bottle/box).

Neaden

There is pretty much nothing that you can do at this point. Trying to get excess Vitamin C will at best do nothing and at worst can be harmful. Getting a decent nights sleep is probably the only thing you can do that might make a difference at this point, and you would be better off doing it without Nightquil.
Edit: Zicam is the same thing as trying to overdose on Vitamin C. As a general rule anything that says homeopathic is bullshit.

corcorigan

Yes, eat and sleep well.

You could buy whatever supplements, but praying is cheaper and probably as effective.

BetelguesePDX

Drink warm, bordering on hot, liquids. Soup, hot chocolate, milk. Savor it, let the heat permeate in the back of your mouth and your throat. Works wonders for me.

VisionOfClarity

I use TheraFlu when I'm borderline and it makes me feel less crappy and suppresses my symptoms. I'm also a big fan of NyQuil (note: I NyQuil and can take it without being made drowsy). Definitely get a good night's sleep and I like hot lemonade as well.

DrFrylock

Vitamin-C-based and Zinc-based treatments for the common cold have been studied, and the results - when taking into account the full body of studies - are either that they are ineffective or that there is inconclusive evidence either way.

Homeopathic treatments (look for "active ingredients" with a number followed by an X and then some mumbly latin-sounding junk on the package like "10X E Pluribus Unum") are certainly bullshit.

The placebo effect is real, however, and simple dietary supplements can help you trigger or exploit this, I suppose, so it wouldn't hurt to take a zinc tablet or a vitamin C tablet once a day. Don't poison yourself and don't spend a lot of money.

Daxon

You'll have a real hard trying to poison yourself with an OD of Vitamin C though seeing how it's water soluble and any excess is automatically just diverted to your bladder and you pee it out.


Yay for expensive pee. You'd have to eat an awful lot of Vitamin C in a short period of time to poison yourself.