Echinacea - does it work? Or anything else?

[SixImpossible]

I started working in an infant school just before October half-term, and since November I seem to have caught every cold going. I don't think I've had more than a week between colds. (Thank goodness it's only been colds so far. Not caught any D&V bugs, touch wood.)

Ironically, I'd been volunteering at the school once or twice a week for 5 years before I was employed, and never caught so much as a sniffle.

Is there anything I can do to protect myself? Do I just have to tough it out until I've caught every single child's bug?

[SixImpossible]

Sniff?

[badRoly]

I don't know BUT anecdotally, my friend, my Mum, dh and dc1 have all this vile flu like bug in the past month.

I have been drinking a fruit tea with echinacea in and have had nothing more than one half blocked nostril.

I wouldn't like to say if it's coincidence or if the tea has helped.

[MuttersDarkly]

Manic hand washing, as in singing twinkle twinkle little star a few times for each wash, plus the use of an expensive alcohol hand gel helped me. My skin nearly fell off, but I did catch fewer humdingers.

I tried Eccinacia, didn't seem to make any difference, except to my purse.

I feel for you. The first few years of working with smallies can be something of germ obstacle course. There were days when all I really wanted was a HazMat suit with an independent oxygen supply.

[serendipityspeaks]

Sometimes it just takes time to build up immunity as mutterdarkly said. I love echinacea and it seems to work for me. I also eat loads of satsumas, about 5 a day if I feel a cold coming on, but only because I crave them. I also find that reiki sessions have helped with a persistent chesty cough and bought of sleeplessness.

[Patatas]

Try berrocca, my dh and I swear by it. Not teachers but have young dc and we were catching everything, we have been having it daily for 2 years now and barely caught a sniffle.

Dh prefers the effervescent drinks, I prefer the tablet form.

[daisyeatyourpeas]

I overdose on vitamin c at the first sign of a sniffle and seems to do the trick. Eventually you will build up an immune to the germs etc. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger and all that! !!! The joys of teaching the little ones!!!!!

[KnockMeDown]

I find that zinc supplements really help me to ward off viruses, especially taken with vit c.

[Adarajames]

You need to take vit c and zinc together as otherwise you pee out the extra vit c, but works far better with zinc in the mix

Suppliment selenium is also meant to be very good for improving immunity to colds / flus etc, and I also take sambucol (black elderberry) liquid at first symptoms and can head it off before gets me

I make my own 'witchy' potions of various herbs traditionally used for colds / coughs etc and find they can head off or shorten the length of suffering; various friends now ask me to make teas up for them too and they all give good reports

[SixImpossible]

Thanks for your suggestions. I've bought Beroca VitC+zinc (my god it tastes foul) and selenium, and I'm huddled up under the duvet sipping hot sambuccus toddy. I have a black sambuccus in my garden and I made elderberry vodka last year - perfect excuse to drink it!

[SixImpossible]

Hazmat suit sounds good. The little dears cough and sneeze and snot all over the place.

[MuttersDarkly]

I'm drinking water and sulking becuase DH stole my last ice lolly. My throat hurts, my bones hurt, my nose is like a tap and my chest is bound with spiky steel bands.

Pretty much I think I want morphine. Mainly for the oblivion.

Bloody Germ Factories AKA Any Large Group of Kids

DS is responsible for bringing this latest lurgy to my door. All that high fiving and bodily contact when blocking each other on the basketball court.

And then he comes home and BREATHES ON ME !

I am going to buy a HazMat suit and just live in it.

[43cupsoftea]

Tough it out. You'll have an impenetrable immune system in 6 years.
I had a cold every 6 weeks for the first 6 years of teaching. They merged into one another so I understand what you are going through. Supplements never worked for me, plenty of sleep and lots of water helped. I was told to put cinnamon in my coffee, which was lovely but not sure if it did anything for my immune system!

[SixImpossible]

Sleep? What is that?

And as for drinking plenty, yes, well, theoretically it's highly desirable. Necessary, even. Just one problem: what goes in must come out. WHEN?!?! There isn't even time to get a cup of tea and your coat on fully between class and playground duty, let alone the opportunity to empty tanks.

Hmmm...Hazmat suit would probably have inboard waste disposal facility.

[toomuchicecream]

I'm afraid my solution too is to just wait it out. My first winter in a school I had a permanent cough/cold/yuckiness from October to March. When I started teaching there would be several times a year when I would warn my year 5 or 6 pupils it was a day to behave because I was ill and so had a short temper. 10 years on and I haven't had to do that for ages - despite moving to teaching infants. I don't take any supplements at all, but eat a (hopefully) healthy diet of proper food and drink plenty of water.

[43cupsoftea]

Ah, the other benefit of working in schools. A cast iron bladder. And one that you could set your clock by .

[FabulousFudge]

Thorough hand washing every opportunity you get and try to get enough sleep. Get well soon.

[needtodestress]

My classroom is furthest away from the staff toilets!!!! Also bless their 'wet cotton socks' also furthest away from the children's toilets as well!!! Poor little yr1!!!! Year 6 oh they are next to the toilets!!!!! I am so glad that thankfully we have plastic chairs!!!!!

On a serious point why else do we have holidays? To spend them ill in bed as those bugs catch up with us!!!! I thankfully touch wood seem to have become immune to most things but when it does catch me it's as though all of it comes with avengance!!!!! I swear by vitamin c and zinc.

[Doowrah]

Was recommended Allicium or is it Alicia? Basically a garlic supplement...to support immune system and treats viral stuff as well. I have had the evil cold on off since before Christmas. I too am desperate now...I am on day one of the Allicium, will let you know how I get on.Good luck..