My Annual... Get rid of your cold quickly rant.....

[Gistok]

OK... I was at my sister's for Christmas... and everyone of the little buggers was riddled with tropical ailments... they all had a cold. Great I thought... it's just a matter of time for me.....

Well I made it thru the weekend OK... but come Monday [[yesterday) morning... sure enough I started getting a stuffy nose and the usual cold effects.... and it got worse as the day progressed...

Since I hadn't had a cold in 7 years [[just the usual miserable annual sinus infections)... I had forgotten that I still had ZICAM in the medicine cabinet....

So I started taking the mouth lozenges right away. I used to get the nasal spray, but that was discontinued a decade ago because some folks lost their sense of smell. Anyway it says to take the lozenge every 3 hours... but since it's homeopathic, I go overboard and take them every 2 hours.... and even get up in the middle of the night to take another one.

Now... it's Tuesday evening... and although I was resting today... my sinuses are clearing nicely and I feel much better already with no drainage or cough.

I've been a big fan of ZICAM since it first came out... and before it was introduced I would have a cold for 7-10 days... now it's just 2-3 days... so I swear by this stuff.

ZICAM has Zinc ions... incomplete molecules that try to attach themselves to other [[for lack of a better word) cellular structures. They attach themselves to cold viruses... and that prevents them from multiplying... and then they die...

I swear by this stuff... and now I'll be going out for New Years... without any cold misery!!

[Jimaz]

I had a similar experience a few months ago. I developed a fairly serious case of the sniffles and took a few zinc lozenges and no more cold symptoms developed.

Of course the problem is not knowing whether you would not have developed a cold anyway had you not taken the lozenges. In my case I had been cleaning out a clothes dryer exhaust vent the day before which might have accounted for the symptom.

In general, I doubt it can hurt so I think it's worth keeping some on hand.

I don't think it works on the flu though. They're worried about an increase in flu cases recently because it has somewhat mutated away from what this year's vaccine was designed to combat.

Wash hands frequently and avoid touching eyes, nose, mouth and contaminated surfaces seems to be the best advice for the flu.

[Zacha341]

Good info! I'll have to try the ZICAM's. I have thwarted a cold at onset by downing Echinacea and vitamin C. And yes dirty hands is a big culprit for spreading germs.

I wash hands thruout the day and always the minute I set foot in my home. The rinse water runs a bit dirty as I wash and soap them clean [[and I don't do any manual labor) reminding me why hand washing at the end of the day is a good habit.

[Gistok]

Yeah ZICAM does not work on the flu, at least not that I'm aware of. And it's also not for sinus infections, which are bacterial in nature, whereas a cold is viral by nature.

For me the main differences between a cold and sinus infection is that a cold gives you more of a stuffy nose feeling, whereas with a sinus infection you are more prone to sinus drainage. But that's jsut with me.... things may be different for different people.

[sumas]

Placebos work great too, believe they do really work. Anyone ever notice that when really sick, book a dr appt. and instantly cured as you walk through the door to see them.