Share your Home Remedies

[geebee]

Well I managed to get the sick bug (flu, cold, who knows) that is going around. Besides the proverbial chicken soup, what do you all do when you are sick to increase your comfort level and to feel better?

I know there are plenty of OTC meds out there but I am curious about the good old fashioned treatments.

Time to honor Mom's kind and thoughtful care.

Thanks.

 

[tommy]

Nasal saline irrigation. Sure's it's kinda gross, but think of it as washing a wound, except the wound is on the inside. I do it regulary to try to keep my allergies from flaring into a sinus infection. Well, I lost a bottle this weekend an was down for about 48 hours. Still NSI helped me come back quicker.

 

[WayneGM]

If its a cold....a nice "hot toddy" or glass of cognac or brandy.....the theory is to "sweat it out".....at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

If its the flu, I sleep.

 

[Mb]

Hot tea with lemon.

The "hot" steam loosens mucus, the acid in the lemon thins out the mucus. Plus lemons are loaded with anti oxidants.


Mb

 

[hensylee]

My ex is an M.D. He always told us to 'treat the symptoms'. He also said drink lots of water to keep hydrated (other liquids are good, but water is the best).

Chicken soup - light foods if your stomach is upset. Milk toast, poached eggs.

hot tea w/lemon - add liquor if you want, but I think that might upset your stomach-the booze, I mean.

bed rest and lots of sleep.

 

[Karlynn]

Bailey's?

I just try to drink as much fluid as possible. I find hot drink (tea) more soothing.

Feel better soon!

 

[Nancy]

I just had a houseful of relatives including little children. Most of them had colds, nasal stuff and chest symptoms. As they were leaving, I started to develop a scratchy throat. I had just read about Zicam and that it cut recovery from a cold dramatically. What did I have to lose?

I got the chewables, since it seemed to have gone further that just the nasal area. I did get a slight cold, but it did not develop into anything like my guests had. So I guess that works fairly well. Doesn't taste good, like most medications. I think it has large amounts of zinc, so I'm not sure how it interacts with regular medications. I didn't see too many warnings on the box. But check with your doctor to be safe.

I believe in warm liquids to keep things more liquid, and (pardon the grossness) coughing up any phlegm that develops so it doesn't go further down into the chest.

Saline nasal spray is wonderful to clear the nose.

 

[WayneGM]

I forgot to mention I also take Echanesia and vitamin C tablets at the first sign of a cold. I've read conflicting articles on whether this works or not, but IMO it seems to. Not sure if this would impact INR though as I don't have to monitor it.

 

[Susan BAV]

There's another wicked flu going around right now too; it was featured on the news a couple of days ago and I have two friends in their mid-30's that ended up with 911 calls and emergency room visits because of it. "Both ends" were going. The news said that it can be contagious a few days before onset and at least three weeks after onset, through ongoing contamination from the "south end." So, WASH, WASH, WASH!!! Because you never know how poorly someone else may not have washed...

For loose intestines, we have always used real cider vinegar. I like to chase a tablespoon of it with a swallow of water and repeat as many times as possible. It can work amazingly well related to all things headed south.

Echinacea (sp?) makes me get MUCH worse; I must be allergic to it or something. As a result, I avoid all the herbal remedies.

When I was little, my mom would make me drink warm jello from the stovetop. I don't know what the thinking was on that but I sure had nice fingernails a few weeks later!

I keep a couple of little bottles of unopened and unused Afrin in my medicine cabinet just for the rare occasion when my nose is too plugged up to breathe at night. It happens less than once a year for me and you can't use that stuff more than a couple of days in a row anyway but it's wonderful if I'm desperate; I don't know if it would mess with your INR though.

For sinuses, I repeatedly splash cold water on my face to help shrink all that swelling and I think that helps. Hot water on my face seems to make it worse.

My husband got bit by some evil thing, maybe a scorpion, up in the grove a couple of years ago and I found an onion poultice recipe on the web and prepared that for him and it helped immediately! It is amazing how many simple things can help even better than the prescription things!

I hope this illness is of short duration for you! Take care and drink a lot of fresh water!

 

[Karlynn]

If things have been "headed south" as Susan so eloquently put it , yogurt can help to restore the good bacteria that gets washed out with that "southern migration".

 

[Susan BAV]

If things have been "headed south" as Susan so eloquently put it , yogurt can help to restore the good bacteria that gets washed out with that "southern migration".

I can't spell that "D..." word. But I'll take eloquent!

 

[terryj]

If you drink alcohol, my favorite is Rock and Rye. Just ask at any liquor store and they have it. I mix it with honey and lemon and heat it as warm as I can stand to drink it. It always work. Maybe I just have enough that I don't care I'm sick anymore.

 

[Lynlw]

leg cramps

leg cramps

This isn't for colds but a 'home remedy" I just learned this week which seems odd , but so far working lol

I wake up alot of nights w/ leg cramps (especially after spinal blocks w/ steroids), I was doing all the extra calcium, potassium ect, but not really helping, I happend to be on another board and someone asked about the same things. and the thing most people had the best luck with was a bar of wrapped ivory soap put at the foot of the bed, under a fitted sheet. I figured what the heck I'd try it and believe it or not, I went from leg cramps 4,5 times a night to NONE, last night was the 3rd night in a row w/ not one little cramp.
after it worked i googled it and there is alot of info online smone say the brand doesn't matter , So if anyone has, them give it a try. (and YES my DH thought I lost it when he was out and I asked him to buy me one bar of ivory soap lol) Lyn

 

[Troy]

Grandma, 88, ALWAYS pushes chicken soup, she says there is "something healin' in it" She also makes a cough syrup of melted peppermint candy, honey, lemon juice and whiskey. When you lay down put Vick's salve (or regular mustard) on your neck and chest, then heat a wrag or small towel and tie around your neck. Breathing steam from a pot of boiling water. A lot of herbs interact with the coumadin. Before ACT I would also drink a lot of Ginger and Cayenne hot tea. Time and rest are the best healers. Your body is working double time to heal itself. Feed it the nutrients it needs and give it rest. I usually get sick when I forget to listen to my body.................

 

[MelissaM]

I am also a fan of fresh ginger tea. Slice ginger root into a pan (~10 slices), simmer with 3 cups of water for 15 - 20 minutes. Store excess in refrigerator. Good for settling the stomach, as well.

For clearing the sinuses, I take 2-3 drops of peppermint oil and drop it into boiling water. Inhale the steam. Very soothing.

Make sure there is a humidifier going full blast near the bed.

 

[geebee]

Thanks guys - I will be trying a few of these tonight and over the weekend now that my work week is over and I can pamper myself.

This might be worth saving into a booklet - maybe we can sell it and raise money for VR.com.

 

[Susan BAV]

Thanks guys - I will be trying a few of these tonight and over the weekend now that my work week is over and I can pamper myself.

This might be worth saving into a booklet - maybe we can sell it and raise money for VR.com.

That's actually a great idea! What could you call it, Gina?

"Patients' Potions?"
"VR.Com(mers) Compendium of Cures?"
"Happy Hearts Help Heal?"
"Heart Replacements - Home Remedies?" ("HRHR")
"Valvers' Remedies?"
"Valve Replacement Remedy Recipes?"
What else? I'm sure Ross might have some interesting suggestions...

 

[hensylee]

Nancy, daughter and I have been keeping ZiCam on hand for years. Our first was nose spray; it now comes in swabs. Each of us has our own bottle so we don't swap germs, but next time I guess we can get the swabs.

I have been looking for something to stop allergy nose drip and found ZiCam for allergies yesterday. I am not dripping today!

Lyn: I was on another site years ago (Dr Rich's forum) and complained a lot about leg cramps. One day another member came in, said he never posted, but he would post this once just to tell me how to remedy the cramps. He told us about the soap and I answered that I would try it and if it worked, I would marry him. All of us had a chuckle, including our dear Dr. I did try it and slept with not one, but TWO bars of ivory soap for the longest time. Never did find out who the guy was so I couldn't marry him. Whew!

 

[Lynlw]

Nancy, daughter and I have been keeping ZiCam on hand for years. Our first was nose spray; it now comes in swabs. Each of us has our own bottle so we don't swap germs, but next time I guess we can get the swabs.

I have been looking for something to stop allergy nose drip and found ZiCam for allergies yesterday. I am not dripping today!

Lyn: I was on another site years ago (Dr Rich's forum) and complained a lot about leg cramps. One day another member came in, said he never posted, but he would post this once just to tell me how to remedy the cramps. He told us about the soap and I answered that I would try it and if it worked, I would marry him. All of us had a chuckle, including our dear Dr. I did try it and slept with not one, but TWO bars of ivory soap for the longest time. Never did find out who the guy was so I couldn't marry him. Whew!

Isn't it weird AFTER it worked i looked online to see if I could find out Why it did, but noone seems to know they just know i works, I can't wait to tell my pain doc lol

 

[Nancy]

Sometimes I get that restless legs problem when I'm just relaxing watching TV. I found that if I put on support hose (TEDs) the feeling went away. I didn't wear them to sleep, but it did help when I was up or just sitting around.