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Original poster

At the first sign of a cold, what do you take and does it work?

71 replies

Lottapianos · 04/01/2020 20:44

This house has been like a flipping sanitorium for the past week, and I had a horrible cold mid December as well. Fed up of it. I eat well, lots of fruit and veg, generally get enough sleep and drink loads of water. Have tried taking echinacea and vitamin C as early as possible, both did sod all. Generally in good health and am fit and active

Is there any way to avoid getting colds and bugs, or are they just part of life and no way around it? All advice gratefully received

OP posts:
Betsy86 · 04/01/2020 21:57

Also here to sing the praises for Vicks First Defence! Worth every penny!

Rebs94 · 04/01/2020 22:18

As soon as there is any sign of a cold, I have learnt from my in-laws to cut up a clove of garlic very tiny and mix it with water and drink! I may not smell nice for a couple of days but it definitely keeps colds at bay for us!

BonfireStarter · 04/01/2020 22:19

Chopped raw garlic cloves, swallowed with a glass of water. Works brilliantly. Best to chop it and leave to air for about 15 minutes before taking it, apparently it's most potent that way.

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General health
orangeisnotmycolour · 04/01/2020 22:21

Night nurse and day nurse

DilysMoon · 04/01/2020 22:26

Manuka honey, lemon and ginger drink. Also a spoonful of the honey. Early night. Lots of water.

Daftapath · 04/01/2020 22:26

High dose vit C am and pm for a few days.

Have also tried First Defence but don't always have any

ditsybag · 04/01/2020 22:30

I swear by First Defence. You do have to take it regularly as directed and KEEP taking it for a day or two after symptoms subside. It makes my throat feel sore which is annoying but haven't had a full-on cold in quite a while now.

Puta · 04/01/2020 22:30

I take:

A week off work
To my bed
It easy

The drugs don't work for me. Best cold medicine is Baxters beef consomme with a slug of sherry.

TheChosenTwo · 04/01/2020 22:32

Nothing. I didn’t realise people routinely took things at the first sign of a cold - how would you know it was a cold if you just had a sore throat or a random sneeze anyway?!

CircleofWillis · 04/01/2020 22:32

Massive overdose of vitamin C here as well. Studies show that the early stages of a cold are the only time Vit C actually works.
doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD000980.pub4

Delatron · 04/01/2020 22:39

The Boots own version of First Defence doesn’t sting like buggery and seems to work just as well. I have it by my bed as quite often it’s the night I’ll feel the scratchy throat.

Huge doses of vitamin c. Raw garlic. Echinacea drops in water and gargle with it.

Hadenoughofitall441 · 04/01/2020 22:43

Usually use lemsip cold and flu tablets. Usually goes in 2/3 days.

DarklyDreamingDexter · 04/01/2020 22:44

Gargle with salt water and take high dose vitamin c with zinc. It usually helps me minimise, if not cure/prevent a cold.

highupoverthere · 04/01/2020 22:45

Vitamin D is a very good preventative. Start in August.

pooboobsleeprepeat · 04/01/2020 22:47

Echinacea completely fights it off if I take it at the first sign.

kinsss · 04/01/2020 22:47

Throw a Lemsip into a hot whiskey and go to straight to bed. Sod the pearl clutchers who say they shouldn't be mixed!

Might not cure the cold, but sure gives a great night's sleep!

Nanalisa60 · 04/01/2020 22:50

Take two Echinacea, two flu plus, and vicks first defence, and get in my bed.

chillichutneysarnie · 04/01/2020 22:56

Sorry, but I'll never understand the First Defence thing - how can you tell if it works because something didn't happen? By this logic I could say that I haven't had a cold for a couple of years because every time I think I'm getting one I've stroked a ginger cat and it went away. It's just really clever marketing IMO.

floffel · 04/01/2020 23:04

Eat this - www.wagamama.com/our-menu/ramen#kare-burosu

Go to bed early. Rub Vicks on chest and back and bottom of feet

Drink hot toddy

EmeraldIsle81 · 04/01/2020 23:10

Steak pie with broccoli, mash and a dod of HP sauce, always does the trick

pinkclouds333 · 04/01/2020 23:17

I gargle with red wine - tried it as an experiment - it seems to work 😂🍷

MamaKarmaLlama · 04/01/2020 23:20

Black Elderberry. Superb. I take it regularly and haven’t had a cold for a year.

SaltedCaramels · 04/01/2020 23:38

Vicks first defence taken at the first sign of a sore throat and repeated every few hours. To the person who asked how we know it works - a tickly throat always used to develop into a cold but 95% of the time it doesn't if I use first defence. But you have to take it within hours (minutes!) of the first sign of a cold for it to work, in my experience.

Myimaginarycathasfleas · 05/01/2020 00:14

Echinaforce tablets (echinacea) at the first sign. Rather than just mask the symptoms it kick starts your immune system.

PickAChew · 05/01/2020 00:16

I drink a ton of water. If it's beyond keeping hydrated and I get proper bunged up then I use a nasal spray to make sure I at least get a decent night's sleep.