Two things that helped a lot during the recent cold, one an OTC medication, one not:
First, Mucinex. Yes, the stuff that's promoted on television with the icky little animated mucus guy. But it works. Because of my sensitivity to a lot of medications (including just about anything that can act as a stimulant, I've found through sad experience), "real" decongestants are off the table for me.
Mucinex is mostly guaifenesin, which is something from a tropical tree (yet another remedy we have to thank the Native people for). It has pretty few side effects and none of those seem to happen in me. My first real experience with the stuff was when I had a TERRIBLE sinus infection a few years ago and the allergist I went to at the time knew I didn't tolerate decongestants, so he gave me a prescription for this stuff. Its main use is for chest congestion but I find it works well on sinus congestion also.
It's not miraculous - it doesn't totally eliminate the horrible pounding congestion headaches - but it knocks them back to the point where I'm at least functional.
(If you scroll down on that link, it has a lot of other interesting uses too. I had heard of the one that Wikipedia nicely euphemizes as "use by women," my allergist had mentioned it was used off-label for that by way of reassuring me of the safety of the stuff.)
The other thing that's helped tremendously? Raspberry Zinger herbal tea. I don't know if it's JUST that it's a hot liquid (though the other teas I've drunk over the weekend didn't seem to help as much). It might be that the slight tartness/astringency of the raspberry that helps with the sore throat. Or it might be the hibiscus flowers (which are the main component of the "zinger" type teas); I know that in parts of Europe, mallow is used to treat coughs and sore throats, but I don't know if that's the flowers or not (I thought it was a syrup made from the root). But hibiscus is closely related to mallow and I suppose they could have some of the same properties.
I don't really care, though. It makes me feel better and that's what's important. And it's inexpensive, readily available, easy to make, tastes good, and has no bad side effects for me. (I suppose if you're allergic to hibiscus, chicory, or raspberry, then it wouldn't be a good remedy, but I'm not allergic to any of those things.) And because it's herbal, I can drink a lot of it in the evening and not have any trouble sleeping. (Well, except for the fact that I've drunk a lot of fluid...)
3 comments:
Guaifenesin in lower doses I've never had a problem with, but the one time I got it prescription-strength, I had a really sudden, creepy episode of muscle weakness. (I was in college, getting breakfast, and needed to ask a dining hall worker to lift the handle of the milk-thingy, which weighs, oh, 4 ounces or so. Lasted for long enough to convince me it wasn't a blood-sugar thing.)
No idea if that was a phase of the illness or the medicine, but I've been careful with it since. The raspberry tea sounds lovely though. I wonder if there's ginger in it too, that's another occasional "zinger" ingredient that's nice for clearing you up.
Yeah, the original doc who prescribed the stuff for me warned me about that. Apparently it is a very mild muscle relaxant. I've never noticed a problem but then again, I'm so tightly wound that probably something that's a muscle relaxant on "normal" people will just ratchet me down to "normal."
I do notice I have to keep up with eating while on the cold (it takes away my appetite) or else I get very weak and start feeling VERY crummy if I miss a mealtime. I guess I need more "fuel" while fighting a cold. (Fortunately, even simple stuff like an apple or a piece of cheese fixes it.)
Huh, never knew that. Makes total sense, then, that a more serious dose would have had an effect that a childhood full of Robitussin wouldn't've (especially when combined with the famously excellent healthy diets and restful ways of college freshmen).
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