If the cold comes on quickly, take homeopathic aconite in the first 24-36 hours. If you feel achey and fluish, take a product called oscillocoscinum, also homeopathic. Both should be repeated 2 times. Avoid menthol--it will antidote.
Drink lots of fluids, take vit C--1 gram every few hours, zinc, and any other known antioxidants that you like.

I know I'll probably get some flak for mentioning the homeopathic stuff--some think it's voodoo-- but it really works if you take it at the very beginning of a cold.

The idea of sweating it out was recommended to me by an acupuncturist and it worked, too. Especially when I ate many cloves of garlic and drank scotch straight up in a steaming bath.
No vampires around me that day!

Best of luck!

I don't know the answer. What I do know is my husband doesn't eat as much garlic and onion asd I do. I cannot remember when I last had a cold, He has one every year. Maybe genetics?

Normally, I would echo the vitamins and echinacea, but not if your trip is that close. In my experience it can take anywhere from 3-10 to shake a cold once it comes on, even with antibiotics. Don't fool around. This is cutting it pretty close. Go see your doctor and get some antibiotics. Some symptons can prevent you from being permitted (fever), plus, the earpopping or difficulty swallowing could be brutal, not to mention congestion with the plane's poorly circulated air. Getting plenty of sleep and water is crucial.
I love to joke "drown-a-cold-starve-a-fever", and I will warm up with a mug of lemon-honey with whiskey, so I hate to be a spoilsport, but doesn't alcohol actually impede the body's healing abilities?

Ooh yes, Orcas, to make you feel better, warm salt water -gargling and using a nosedropper- so simple & it works!
Canuck- how are you feeling?

I am laughing - the reason I clicked on this thread is because when I read the title, I thought it was about some sort of catastrophe like a fraud or a scam that someone was trying to get the word out about. Like, jump on the bandwagon and help us stop "this" cold in its tracks! Kind of like Mike Myers in View From the Top, I was putting the em PHA sis on the wrong sy LAB ble! LOL

If it IS a true "cold" then save your money and your time by going to the doctor and "getting antibiotics" as was suggested above. Colds are caused by viruses against which antibiotics are absolutely useless.

Reading some of these posts makes me realize why Dionne Warwick and the "Psychic Friends" were as successful for as long as they were!

crepes, I thought the same thing until I opened it.

Probably best to go to the doctor, but this often (not always)works for me. I put vapor rub all over my chest and neck, put towel around it, drinks lots of water, lie in bed with lots of blankets and sweat for 8 hours or so. It seems to clear it up . . . sometimes.

Any cold medicine - Coricidin for example will stop symptoms in their tracks if taken early enough. But also ZINC ZINC ZINC. I always start two weeks before a trip a regimen of echinacea, vitamin C, zinc, and my all-around favorite, Emergen-C, the fizzy drink in a packet which I then continue to take once I arrive to avoid jet lag and the cold I invariably got on the plane. Good luck - there's nothing worse than cold on vacation.

...unexplanable but this works for me....from a health food store-Grapefruit Seed Extract...It is liquid and I had chronic annual sore throats and one Doctor I went to about 10 years ago suggested I buy some...I haven't had the sore throat since ! I did start to get a cold a couple of weeks ago and began putting a few drops in OJ or Gatorade (it is very bitter) and poof, it only lasted a couple of days...I have many family members swearing by it now too, it has a ton of uses...again, I can't explain it-but it works !!

the cold and I are battling it out and we're a wash right now. It's not gone but it's not here full force either. I loaded up on echinicea, vit. c, some zinc capsules. Made the mistake of grabbing some Advil cold pills last night and they must have been the non-drowsy kind because I was up most of the night and feel horrible today. Early to bed tonight, lots of fluids and hopefully tomorrow will be better!

My cold is gone now, but how the hell do I get rid of this sore on my lip.
I am sure fluids won't help...
Muck

Canuck, if you had taken the Hennessy you would be feeling fine already.

Coldeeze & hard liquor (several shots of brandy or extemely hard stuff in a row)

The stuff never did anything for me and now, when one of my show biz friends tries to convince me this crap still works, I'll send them this:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/28/he...rtner=homepage

Zycam. Cannot explain efficacy of this product but it works for me, apparently it does contract something in the nasal passages (it is a nasal spray) and dries up mucous production. Doesn't do a thing for chills and fever, but ibuprofen takes care of that.

simple - ginger tea!

<Health Canada has banned almost every other decongestant>

Sorry to "hijack" canuck, but what gives with the above? I had a bad reaction to combo of aspirin and otc antihistamine so am doubly interested in the reason for the withdrawal. Thanks and hope your cold was derailed.

I have no idea why this thread was resurrected, since canuck has been back from his/her trip for almost one year!! And, BTW, Zicam really does work, esp when used at the very first sign of the cold.

A recently published study indicates that echinacea has no effect on colds whatsoever.

What's worked for us is Airborne.