Any suggestions for a head cold

[Jennywren]

took cold and flu tablets yesterday and was quite frightening the effects they had on me , didn't sleep all night , really anxious , funny heartbeat , upset tum , turns out these all side effects of one of ingredients so no more of them , any one any ideas ? No tablets tho.Got head cold sore throat and sore chest

 

[Mark T]

My GP always says to me to stick to paracetamol and a decongestant. Although I usually add to that some sugar free throat lozenges as well.

The only exception I make to this is when I have a really bad cold, where I take night nurse caplets to help me sleep (but there are issues with those and driving the next day ).

 

[Amigo]

I bought myself one of those (pretty cheap) facial spas when I had a rotten head cold and the combination of the steam and a drop of Olbas oil really helped to free that awful congested feeling in the head and tubes. Plus it's good for the complexion! Some of those flu preparations raise the blood pressure so I can't take them.
And obviously keep an eye on your BG levels but you'll be doing that already.

Agree only paracetamol, hot drinks and rest help though a hot whisky toddy assisted too (without the honey).

Get well soon jennywren😳

 

[Robin]

Have you tried good old fashioned steam? It's what my mother always used to make us do, and now even my GP recommends it! DIsappear under a towel with your head over a bowl of boiling water ( not so close that's it's uncomfortably hot) for ten minutes or so, several times a day. It stops things bunging up and lingering, though it can make you more streamy in the short term, it's supposed to shorten the length of the cold. You can add Karvol or a couple of drops of tea tree oil if you want, but it's the steam that's the most important bit.

 

[Robin]

Oops, Great minds think alike, Amigo.

 

[Amigo]

Lol Robin! 🙂

I found the;
Visiq Facial Steamer £14.99 from Argos really easy and safe to use. I managed to burn my nose using the bowl and towel method! 😱

 

[HOBIE]

Gallons of water ! Hydrate 🙂 Good luck

 

[KookyCat]

All of the above plus sudafed nasal spray (don't worry if the tablets that caused the reaction were sudafed, I can't take those without palpitations, nausea etc, it's a different ingredient) great for stubborn sinuses and loosening a cough. Hope you feel better soon 🙂

 

[Mark T]

...You can add Karvol or a couple of drops of tea tree oil if you want, but it's the steam that's the most important bit.

Karvol has been discontinued. So either Obas Oil, Vicks (although that's messy to clean up after) or Tea Tree

 

[AlisonM]

A hot toddy (whisky, lemon juice, honey/sweetener and hot water), kills all known germs.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

One of my favourites if I'm feeling grotty with a headcold (though I don't do it often because of the carb count and general BG upheaval) is the following in a mug:
The juice of a lemon
The juice of an orange
Top up with boiling water
Stir in the tip of a teaspoon's worth of honey
Add a glug of whisky/whiskey

Absolutely marvellous!

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Ahaaaah Alison! You beat me to it - and with the new fancy forum I even got a notification that you had!

 

[grovesy]

You can get steamer that are cup size, and have a face mask, I bought one in my chemist under a fiver.

 

[Jennywren]

Thank you for all your suggestions , I will give them a try , typical ain't it I work in a school and for the past 2 weeks have been on half term , cos due to go back tomorrow , I go and come down with something

 

[AlisonM]

Ahaaaah Alison! You beat me to it - and with the new fancy forum I even got a notification that you had!

Tee hee. I swear by it. I take it at bedtime and it knocks me out for a good night's sleep which is vital in fighting infections. I don't worry about the BGs at times like that, it's more important to deal with the infection (IMO).

You could also use eucalyptus oil in the steamer, I find that works well in the absence of Karvol.

 

[DeusXM]

First Defence (or the cheaper and equally as effective Boots own-brand version) squirted up your hooter every couple of hours. It doesn't solve the aches and fever but it decongests your nose and in my experience shaves a good few days off your cold.

 

[Lindarose]

Lol Robin! 🙂

I found the;
Visiq Facial Steamer £14.99 from Argos really easy and safe to use. I managed to burn my nose using the bowl and towel method! 😱

Brings back memories of my attempt to steam as a teenager. It was to cleanse and beautify! I dipped my face too low and it touched the boiling water and burnt my chin! Ended up with a nasty embarrassing scab! 😳

 

[TheClockworkDodo]

R takes Echinacea - you can get tincture or lozenges as well as tablets, and the active ingredient is just Echinacea so only a problem if you react to members of the daisy family. I daren't risk it because I react to so many things, but he gets over colds really quickly so works well for him.

Honey for me - I can't tolerate alcohol so just have bread & honey, with extra insulin. And redbush tea or fruit tea for extra hydration.

If you want a chemical-free nasal spray try Sterimar - it's just salt water, and there's one for congested noses and a different one for allergies.