Feck

[Tiffany]

I am so freaking sick right now, it sucks. I searched around because I could've sworn there was a thread about this already, but couldn't find it. Anyhoo... what are your fave home remedies for when you are not feeling well?

Sore throat?
Congestion?
Aches/Pains?

I can't take a lot of the OTC cold stuffs as I still have to watch my daughter and can't be all loopy. That'll have to wait until my guy gets up from sleeping (he worked midnights last night).

Any ideas?

[Dodie16]

I hate getting sick. I'm a terrible patient too. I get really whiny, so I try to just stay in bed all day so I don't bother anyone.

I know a few home remedies that you can try: For a sore throat, you try gargling salt water or drinking hot tea with honey and lemon. Personally, I like the tea drink better. Just sip on that for a while to soothe your throat.

For body aches, you can try soaking in the tub for a while, but since you gotta keep an eye on your daughter, I don't know if that's an option... You can also use a heating pad and put in on your most achy part of your body. If you don't have one, you can do a makeshift one by filling a sock with dry rice and sticking it in the microwave for a while until it's hot, and then put it on whatever part of your body you need it most.

For congestion, I usually take a Mucinex for that, but you can also try some Vick's Vapor rub or pop in an Altoid. Altoids are those "curiously strong" mints, and I swear just eating one of those makes my sinuses so freaking clear! Doesn't matter which flavor you get, but I like the peppermint kind.

Hope you get to feeling better soon!

[Furore]

Anti-bacterial lozenges work great on my throat, as does switching from cigars to kreteks (mild anesthetic effect numbs the pain).

For aches and pains caused by jarring joints/taking a hit or a few in the wrong spots, a little tiger balm'll help. In general just chilling out and doing something that takes your mind off it is probably the best thing.

[Meier Link]

For congestion I suggest anything that is mentholated or if by chance you can find some wasabi and a cracker will help also. If your throat is to sore for a cracker just put a little on you finger / spoon and ingest.

For body ache, a heating pad after a hot shower + as much rest and relaxation that your kid will give you.

Tea's and water drank warm is always a good thing for a sore throat, avoid lactose products like milk, that will counter act what you have just done to help with congestion.

Also I know what thread you are referring too but I can't find it either. It was one that Chez made a while back describing the same symptoms that you are now. I checked around and could not find it but I am 99% positive that she was the thread starter.

[Gau]

God I hate getting sick. I drink Hot chocolate for my sore throat. For congestion I don't really think I have tried a home remedy. For aches and pains I use a heat pad if that counts, lol, and have chicken soup

[Merlin]

I don't believe in all the wives' tales and home remedy stuff because frankly it is usually a placebo effect. I take the brute force method which will make you feel like shit for a short time but you get over cold/flu/etc faster. It is so simple... drink lots of fluids with electrolytes in them. Lots of straight water is bad because it flushes all the nutrients out of you. Anything caffeinated is bad because it dehydrates you. Switching between water and Gatorade/PowerAde/Water with electrolytes helps clear out the evil baddies in your system.

People hear their doctors say that all the time and assume they are drinking enough or that it does nothing. It really helps. I'm not talking 8oz of water every few hours... no. If you don't have to pee every 30 minutes, you aren't drinking enough!

Also, a hot shower or sticking your head over a pot of boiling water (the steam) helps loosen up all the stuff in your sinuses. Just don't stick your face IN the pot... hah. I usually don't do that step because the water does the trick. Your nose will be running like Niagra Falls, but that's what you need, especially for a sinus infection. Bacteria is just festering in there... flush the bastards out!

Of course, who wants to feel "worse" to get better? People just want to mask it with pseuphedrine, cough syrups, etc. Slowing your body's natural healing process only makes it take longer. And no I'm not a crazy health nut. I've gotten more than my fair share of sinus infections, colds, flu, lower-lung pneumonia, bronchitis, etc...

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and I am not prescribing a treatment regimen. Each individual is different and should seek advice from their doctor before performing any 'home remedy'.

[OceanEyes28]

If you haven't heard of a neti pot, get one. I love mine. I got through allergy season without having to take a single pill. If I got a sinus headache, I could use the neti pot and the headache would be instantly gone because the irritating allergen would be flushed out.

I haven't been sick this year either (knock on wood). I use my neti pot often for prevention and I drink a lot of fresh fruit/vegetable juices (I'm not talking about V8, I'm talking about putting beets, carrots, celery, cucumber, apples, etc etc into a juicer and drinking the results). I'm pretty sure those two things have a lot to do with it.


If you're stuffed up, a neti pot won't really help you right now, but it'll be good for once your passages are clear again. And Merlin is right, steaming is great.

In college, I got the flu while rehearsing for a show. My vocal coach told me a few things about what I could do, and one of them was putting half a cup of ACV (apple cider vinegar) into some hot water, adding honey, and then drinking it. I had had ACV in water before, but not at that concentration. So I tried it. ACV smells/tastes like ****in feet anyway, but when you're sick, it's pretty foul. Still, I got through it a few times (it helps if you add some orange or cranberry juice) and I do think it helped. Something about the pH of the body and ACV being good for that.

Also, Traditional Medicinals makes an herbal tea called Throat Coat that I like for when I'm sick or just for an evening tea. It's great with raw honey.

And if you do have access to a juicer, that's a great way to get easily available nutrients, including vitamin C. If juice sits around for a long time, there can be some oxidization, so it's really best if you can drink it immediately.


Feel better, Tiffany!!

[Merlin]

I considered getting a juicer many times, but fruits and vegetables around my area are insanely expensive all year long. There is no "cheap" period for any particular fruit/veggy. It's just always obscene. I'm jealous of my grandparents who have a local grower nearby who sells them stuff for practically nothing. /sigh

But yeah, with a juicer, whatever you make you got to drink it then. From what I learned being a certified food safety inspector a few years back, it quickly turns into a haven for bacteria. It's the perfect blend to make not only you, but your not-so-friendly micro-organisms healthy.

I use to have this plug-in thing from the folks who make menthol rubs(it eludes me at the moment). But basically it was a menthol plug-in that was supposed to do the same thing but without smothering it all over you. Well for me it was useless. Even menthol rub doesn't do much for me so I don't bother with it anymore.

[Tiffany]

Thanks for the well wishes. I still feel like ass but its getting progressively better. I'm currently losing my voice though which has my guy in a good mood.

I've heard of Netti Pots but I've been too chicken shit to try them. We have the Throat Coat tea, and another one called Throat Comfort which definitely help... but I hate the taste of black liquorice so I have to gag it down quickly lol!

Merlin, no cheap fruits/veggies???? Wow. That freaking sucks! We have lots of farmland around the city so the prices lower at periodic times throughout the year, depending on what is in season. I have the Benelyn vapour plug thingamajig, doesn't do much for me but it helps my daughter when she's sick as she doesn't know how to blow her nose yet.

[Chez Daja]

Water, tea, soup, bed, video games. Rinse and repeat.

I'm terrible. Once I'm ill, I don't feel better for about two weeks. I rarely get ill, though luckily.