cold remedies???

[lee-ann]

hello there,

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

thanks in advance!!!!

[Harry]

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).]

[lee-ann]

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!!!

[Michael01]

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.

[lee-ann]

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.