hello there,

does anyone know of the best way (using alternative medicine/homepathic remedies etc) to cure the common cold???

thanks in advance!!!!

Hi lee-ann,
As you know the common cold is a virus and not very easy to treat once you have it.Regular medicine is almost useless against viruses. I think the virus just changes so much---almost every few hours during the time you have it. It evolves from day to day until your system just kills it off.

I think the best thing to do is treat it at the first signs so you don't get the full effect and in essence abort it at the very beginning.

Keeping your immune system up helps --Greatly.I have found that people with high immune systems ---just don't allow the virus or germs to grow. That is why everone doesn't catch a cold.There are ways to raise your immune system with vitamin supplements. As you know we are all so different!!!
A very good homeopathic remedy to take at the first signs of a cold is: Arsenicum Album 30X taken every hour for 3 hours. This remedy helps alot of people but not for everyone. Homeopathy deals with each person's symptyoms.So, a single remedy is certainly not going to help everyone-- simply because we are all so different.

The first symptom my wife gets with a cold is usually acheing across the shoulders and upper back. Whereas, my first symptoms is soreness at the back roof of my mouth and Arsenicum does not work well at all.
I think the big problem is the stage your immune system is in when the cold first hits. It seems logical.

If it was simple---the problem would have been solved LONG ago???
God Bless----Harry

[This message has been edited by Harry (edited 05-10-2001).]

Hello Harry,

Thanks you so much for your response. You certainly make a lot of sense. In fact on the onset of my cold I immediately took drops of enhanced echinacea extract along with vitamin c and that certainly helped. My boyfriend on the other hand who still likes to take modern medicine like demasin is now sick in bed, so I guess that goes to show.

thank you and take care!!!

At the first sign of a cold, I use an alcohol-free echinacea and goldenseal combination extract, zinc, plus lots of vitamin C. I usually eliminate the cold by the second day. Avoid the over-the-counter medications.

thank you Michael,

that is very kind of you. No, would never use over the counter drugs at all. Many years ago I would have thought nothing of it. Quite recently I suffered from really bad flu and needed to work at the same time due to deadlines. I innocently went to the pharmacy as I had no time to see a doctor, and was given the usual common over the counter goodies. After a few days I thought I was going insane, I was feeling aggressive, irriated, exremely sensitive to noises and was acually hallucinating somewhat. I was quite scared and started to do some research on the internet. I was quite shocked to see what certain chemicals actually do to a person. One in particular is Phenylpropanolamine (PPA.) Well after finding out that this product and everything that contains this ingredient has actually been banned in Canada and the states, not to mention numerous court cases involved....I was exremely angry. Being South African, I found out that the controls here aren't as strict as it is for other countries.(talk about a third world country) Obviously some pharmacists don't stock the stuff, but unfortunately the majority seems to rule and they actually have displays of these products for people to grab and take home. Meanwhile when I researched another certain ingrediant found in Corenza C which I know for a fact is recommended by all doctors and almost evryone takes them, thinking it is just a strong form of vitamin C. In fact it has the same ingredient that has been compared to speed and club goers use to stay awake and to give them energy to dance etc. (Chlorprophenpyridamine or phenylephrine) When questioning a pharmacist about the product he merely said: yes its bad but usually you wouldn't use it for more than five days anyway. That made me so angry. I have actually seen reports on cnn and other news channels about young females dying from brain seizures connected to taking (even once off) products containing phenylpropanolamine. My brain felt extremely strange, I actally thought I was going to die, thats how bad the side effects were. By the way it was called degoran, the flu tablets I was taking containing PPA. Well I hope people are more careful when choosing flu remedies because the consequences are actually life threatening.

Thank you lee-ann. I wish there was some way that millions could read your message. Americans spend more than $1 Billion every year on over-the-counter medications. For this reason the medical industry contines to denounce herbal products. It pains me to see long aisles of this stuff sitting on shelves waiting for its victims.

Hello again Michael,

thank you for that, and its a real pleasure. Here too, people spend an absolute fortune. People have even become lazy to see their doctors first, they just go straight to the pharmacy and either just pick whats on show or ask the pharmacist. It's disgraceful!!! Thankfully South Africa is very big on alternative medicine in the form of herbal remedies, reflexology and so on. (And I mean the white population) In fact a lot of my friends and family won't touch chemicals and thats quite good to know. But still....we are talking about a whole world out their oblivious to the harms of modern day medicine and ignorant to alternative remedies. I am trying to do as much as I can to make people more aware of this huge problem, evening by writing to magazines and newspapers. I have even contacted a famous south african journalist with regrads to doing a cover story about it on television. I hope she accepts as it will educate thousands of people. Anyway Michael, thanks again for everything, for the support and advise. Please stay in touch and take care!!!

Harry:
Next time you get the symptoms of soreness at the back roof of my mouth, try using
Ferrum Phosphoricum hourly till the symtoms go away.

While living in PA, My wife was taking
Acomitum Homaccord made by Heel during the
winter. All her fellow employee's got sick, and she was the only one that never had to take a sick day. It's great stuff, but very hard to find.

thanks barewinds, I will certainly keep that in mind and track it down. Thanks

I do not know if you are still looking at responses, but to prevent a cold, prevent your system from becoming acidic.

Originally posted by barewinds:
Harry: Next time you get the symptoms of soreness at the back roof of my mouth....

Hi barewinds, normally I don't respond to typos, but this was just too cute for my California'd brain to pass up! Darn good thing, barewinds, that you and Harry don't live too close to each other, eh? Hope you don't mind my chuckle at your expense. Thx for the giggle!
http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/bouncing.gif http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/clown.gif

PS. lee-ann, with all this GREAT advice, I hope you and your guy are feeling better!




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Copper
Let Miracles Replace all Grievances

Hi Lee-ann,

Found your posts very interesting. It's great that your are so passionate about this issue, it's just so easy to not think and do as your told by docters. I am wondering what other remedies include this ingredient pp something. I have heard bad things about pseudoephedrine, which seems to exist in all otc col/flu meds. This might be a bit of the track but this is a prity dangerous ingredient too.