I am going on holiday in 3 days and of course my body decided a couple days ago to catch a cold…right before my long awaited holiday!!
Any tips on how to get rid of it asap? Speed up the recovery somehow?
I have flu/cold medicine with paracetamol, caffeine and phenylephrine hydrochloride, however I have stopped taking it after 2 doses (of two capsules each) so I can allow my body to do what it needs with no obstruction before I go away…
I am resting (sleeping until I feel rested. I have free days before the holiday so can sleep as much as I need), eating light meals, plenty of drinks and soothers for the dry/sore throat
Does taking medicine to relieve symptoms prolong the actual healing process? Or am I suffering for no reason right now?
Please, any help is appreciated, I’m desperate here 🙏🙏
I have good and bad news for you. And they’re the same piece of news - no matter what you do, the healing process will take the same time. You can’t really speed it up, but treating the symptoms as they appear won’t make it go slower either.
So while the cold is going on, focus mostly on your comfort and well-being. Based on what you said in the OP and across the thread (“I noticed my symptoms gradually start about 3 days ago”, “I am going on holiday in 3 days”), you’ll probably be fine for the holidays.
[Off-topic: you probably selected “bot account” in the settings, didn’t you? You’re being marked as a bot by Lemmy.]
If it’s a bot he should make sure Windows Defender is running and look for some reputable anti-malware programs.
Sorry, but as a language model I cannot install anti-viral software for a cold.
Beep boop
I have just woken up and notice my symptoms have noticeably weakened!
And yeah, I got a DM from a moderator saying the same thing about bot account. I have unmarked it when I posted it. The API auto marked it when I did some testing with this account
Fluids! Fluids! Fluids!
Honestly just gotta let it run its course - treat the symptoms and don’t let yourself suffer. But the one thing I personally dislike is the combo drugs, as a rule of thumb it’s better to take individual meds instead of something like nyquil/dayquil - it can just get messy with appropriate dosing. Just see what’s in those combos and buy the individual meds if you can - not the end of the world if you use the quils but I think it’s just better overall.
To answer your question though - no, taking meds to manage symptoms won’t prolong the illness. It might make you more likely to physically exert yourself and then make the healing slower but that’s likely gonna be negligible.
Fluids, eat, and rest. Hope you get better soon!
- Rest and sleep to allow your body to recover.
- Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids.
- Inhale steam or take a hot shower to relieve congestion.
- Use saline nasal irrigation to clear nasal passages.
- Gargle with saltwater to soothe a sore throat.
- 0Consider over-the-counter remedies for symptom relief.
- Drink warm liquids like herbal teas or broths.
- Vitamin C and zinc may help shorten cold duration (consult a professional).
- Avoid irritants like smoke or allergens.
- Practice good hygiene to prevent spreading the cold.
Source: ChatGPT
Saw some research results a few years ago, they were testing whether vitamin supplementation helps with recovery from cold. Vitamin C did nothing, some of the vitamins of the B group were helpful. I’ll try to find the paper later.
Well, at least it say “may help” so, it was honest at least 🤣
First of all, get a Covid test, and if positive, cancel your trip. Sorry but stuff happens. Go after you recover. For a cold, consider same approach, though very large vitamin C doses apparently help some people.
Thank you for saying this!
Also, if positive for covid seek a paxlovid prescription if available. It’s an effective treatment that can reduce illness time and severity but has to be taken early in your illness. Same with a flu test and Tamiflu if positive (though less likely to be flu right now depending on where you live).
Add zinc with the vit-c.
This should be the top answer. Works like a charm for me.
the old adage still holds true… you can rest for 7 days and recover, or take this medicne and be good in a week.
I mean as long as it doesn’t actually prolong the illness, all good with me lol
Taking the medicine makes it much more bareable
Rest, treat the symptoms as needed, some evidence maybe that zinc might help early on for shortening the cold maybe… but maybe not.
Really, just needs to run it’s course
I always drink freshly pressed juice of one lemon two days in a row and feel better. Maybe it’s imagination but I do it for years now everytime I have a sore throat. Hope you get better soon!
Medicine does not prolong the healing process. The only “beneficial” side effect is the fever, but there isn’t hard evidence that it’s better or worse to bring down a fever (unless you hit 102°F or higher). If you choose to let your body do its thing and burn down the house, just avoid acetaminophen (Tylenol).
Colds often take up to a week or more to pass, so there’s a chance that you won’t be better in 3 days.
Vitamin C and vitamin D3 are also good for your immune system.
just avoid acetaminophen
Why?
Looking it up, I only see indications that acetaminophen is included in pretty much every pain or flu drug so if you’re already taking something for your cold, you’ve probably already taken acetaminophen and don’t need any more.
For more clarity: the amount needed to overdose on acetaminophen is quite low, you can enter liver failure quite easily if you overdo it. People have been known to sometimes take more acetaminophen when they start feeling the resulting liver pains, making the problem gradually worse, and sometimes ending up dying from it.
So, if you’ve already taken acetaminophen as part of some medication, it’s not just that you don’t need to take more, it’s actually dangerous if you do.
Acetaminophen is a fever reducer
(I’m sorry, I haven’t been on in awhile but saw that you didn’t get an answer)
I’ve found that sweating like mad helps clear the cold faster. Like put on a ton of jumpers and go for a brisk walk. Or sleep with way too many blankets. DRINK A LOT OF WATER!
Slightly worse advice: get drunk before going to bed (that’s one of the things that make me sweat).
Oh I’ll be getting drunk for sure on holiday…
(My symptoms have weakened this morning, hopefully it’s all recovery stage from here and the peak has passed)
