robjame

Nobody has mentioned Buckley's Mixture...
The rule is if you cough again you have to take another swig. Works every time!

tcreath

I came down with a cold on the last day of our trip to Ireland this past February. Luckily it didn't develop until that evening. The next day I awoke, took a couple of Dayquil (I always bring small doses of medicines with me when I travel) and felt relatively fine at the airport and during the flight. However, as our plane started to decend I felt pressure in my ears like I could not believe, and the pain was almost unbearable. Long story short, I ended up with a double ear infection because of my little cold, and my doctor told me to take Sudafed every single time I fly when I have a cold or even feel one coming on....something I will mostly certainly do!

Tracy

slangevar

melissahi - was it Humex? I just got over a cold in Paris and Humex was a HUGE help after I ran through my meager stock of TheraFlu.

I'm another Airborne believer, btw (but only if it's taken at the onset of symptoms). I believe it contains echinacea, which my sister and I swore by when my father had cancer and we needed to be virus-free when we were around him. I was happy to see that study recently that confirmed the herb's (herb?) effectiveness.

Sue4

I'm bookmarking this for the ideas. I had a doozie of a cold on my May trip to Normandy - I'm sure I caught on the plane (not the first time that has happened). It didn't stop me from much, but I sure needed LOTS of kleenex!
I also bought some cold remedies from the pharmacist, which helped with the runny nose, but the cold last almost the whole 2 weeks I was there.

I'm beginning to think a mask on the trip over might be the best bet! I have heard that some people wear them on flights from the Far East.

MelissaHI

You know, I'm not sure. It was a box with pills--I had to take a designated pill in the morning, at lunch, and at dinner, then a smaller round one when I went to sleep. Humex sounds vaguely familiar.....

USNR

I use an old treatment (not a remedy) I learned in the service.

2 shots of whisky
1 hot shower
put on clean clothes -- everything but your shoes
crawl into bed for 12 hours
sleep

slangevar

That's what Humex was like, only the pills weren't different sizes (just colors). Three pills during the day and one fantastic pill at night.

They don't seem to have the same pseudoephedrine concerns that we do in the states. I hate having a pharmacist say to me, "You can either have the Sudafed OR the Claritin, but not both." I'm sorry... do you understand that those medications do different things? So I can either be prepared for a cold on my trip OR I can combat allergies. Great... wonderful to be living in a free country.

SeaUrchin

I think it is because certain cold medicines are made into meth so some OTC drugs such as nyquil changed their ingredients so they would not be regulated to the pharmacy section.

AnthonyGA

I think water is used to make meth, too. Maybe purchases of that should be restricted as well.

GranthamMommy

I was on a business trip to Australia for two weeks and midway through I had a terrible sore throat and was feverish.

I did what I do at home. Go to the local drugstore and ask the pharmacist what he/she recommends. Works every time along with a day of rest. If I'm not feeling better after two days, its probably time for a doctor.

bigtyke

I have not tried it yet, but a radio doctor that I respect has been touting 'Blockade' which is supposed to prevent a virus from entering the cell. It is also based on elderberry - like the Sambucol I recommened earlier

hypatia

I used to swear by coldeze but the last time I used it I lost my sense of taste for one day. Then I saw on the news that zinc nasal sprays had caused permanent sensory loss of taste....Im not going to take it anymore....

tcreath

I had an extreme reaction to Afrin, a nasal spray, a few years ago and absolutely refuse to take anything that goes up my nose because of it. That was horrible!

Tracy

robjame

I tried Cold FX twice when I felt a cold coming on.
It worked for me. I was a skeptic but what can I say.

Saira

I think the best thing to do is to sleep and rest and maybe take baths, read, watch TV, have soup. Most important: relax. I got sick while traveling to Rome years ago and was so, so sad. It was my first trip there and we had only three days before getting a flight to Athens. I think it was allergies and fatigue and then feeling sick to my stomach from allergy meds. I only began to feel better when I allowed myself to be sick without getting upset at myself , to relax, to sleep, to miss out on seeing Rome, and to relax. It wasn't the end of the world to get sick. Since then, I've been to Rome many more times, even stayed for two months a few years ago.

Saira

Sorry, is this an old post?

kenav

Saira

Yes,this is an old post, but still relevatnt.

I'm going to Paris and Barcelona in three days and I feel a cold coming on. Boo hoo.

Mine always start with a sore throat, and that's what I'm feeling - tickly thing in the throat. Tried Zican once or twice (losenges) and thought it made the virus last longer!!

Am determined to go. Have to give a seminar at a conference in Paris and then to Barcelona for fun (supposedly).

Don't want to be sick, that's for sure.

Saira

Lots of chicken soup and gargles with salt water and please allow yourself to rest and relax. Stress always makes it worse for me. : ) Best wishes!

kenav

Anyone know how long a virus - like the cold - remains on surfaces? (So that it's contagious if you touch it.)

SeaUrchin

Just last night (at home) I woke up at about 3AM with a scratchy throat, all the symptoms of a cold coming on. I got up and took an Airborne tablet and an Airborne throat gel and woke up perfectly fine this morning. It really does work if you take it at the first sign of something awry.