Ah-choo!

In the early 1970's, after my husband, children and I had one bout after another of flu and colds, my next door neighbour told me to buy high dose vitamin c tablets, and give the family about 500 to 100ml daily, as a cold and flu prevention. As we were desperate by then, I bought the vitamins, and we have been taking them daily since. After my husband died at the end of 2001, I somehow forgot to replenish my vitamin C tbs. After I had had several months of colds my daughter came to me one day, threw down a container of vitamin C and said "now take them!" I have been taking them since without one single cold. I definitely recommend 500 mg to 1000 mg daily as a preventative.

Staff

Hmm, I currently need a remedy for a sore throat, as I have an unwelcome cold today also. I might try the sock around the throat approach - it's sure to keep people out of my office today, if anything...

A good way to avoid colds is to wash your hands after being in public places, as the viruses can live on surfaces such as tables, escalator rails, door handles, etc for days. In a family situation, the "cold-y" should try to avoid handling items the others use, after blowing their nose, etc. until after washing or wiping their hands. It's a very effective preventative. http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/cold-guide/cold-prevention-hand-washing

Ginger and Lemongrass Tea always a good one to clear the sinus and sooth a sore throat. Cold water helps a sore throat too i found

Good ol' vicks vapour rub rubbed on chest & throat. A good saline nasal spray helps to clear the sinuses too.

I've been faithfully taking a kiwifruit every day for seven years and not had a single cold or sore throat since, and that was after a life time of a dozen colds a year. I found the kiwifruit has more vitamin C than almost anything else and is full of potassium too. Tasty stuff with no tablets needed!

I totally agree about Vitamin C. No matter how you wish to take it, Vitamin C is an essential part to maintaining a healthy and strong immune system which gives us resistance to all the bugs out there. Vitamin C may also aid in recovery from colds/flus as well.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away! And as for comfort food, who could say NO to my Grandma's Apple pie!

I just received an e-mail regarding flu remedies rather than taking (drugs)like Cough syrup and antibiotics etc, Put vicks on the soles of your feet and cover with socks and then into bed, I mentioned this to a friend of mine and she has been doing this for years and it works.

Have heard of Vicks on the sole of your foot stops night time coughing but didn't know about the treatment of a cold...must remember that one :-) Also believe that it is impossible to catch the exact same cold twice since the common cold is a virus and our immune system remembers all viruses it encounters and protects against it. So... the older you get the less number of colds you catch ???

No, Trivie, unfortunately .....the more the viruses mutate.

If I can catch the symptoms early enough, somewhere in the prodrome, I have actually knocked out a cold with antihistamines. However, once the cold gets going, antihistamines are useless! My husband and I are users of megadoses of Vitamin C when our colds start...on the order of ...oh, lets just say LOTS higher than 1gm/day. I know it could be placebo effect, but this does seem to shorten the duration and lessen the symptoms; and usually seems to keep the cold confined to only one of us. We are also fond of taking a dram of very old single malt whisky at bedtime when battling cold virii. It might not help, but who cares?!

heaps of water ,, a couple of paracetamol , and a 'toddy ' then to bed !!!

Staff

Thanks everyone, for your cold remedies - it seems that Vitamin C is the answer, along with Vicks, ginger and lemongrass tea, apples and paracetamol! I've started having a Kiwifruit a day, and so far I'm as healthy as a badger. Now for that little drop of whisky!