Is there any medicine that actually helps symptoms of a cold?

[Tortoise]

Just got rid of one cold, now seem to have another one.
Nose is dripping and have violent sneezes! Paracetamol don't really make me feel any better! Does any cold medicine work? I have had enough of feeling crap!

Beechams flu, the one in syrup form always makes me feel better
just swallowing the liquid makes me feel like it's burning all the germs in my throat dead as it goes down

Drink lots of fresh orange juice. Vitamin C tablets.

Hot water with honey and lemon and brandy or whiskey if wished.

Cold and flu capsules can help a bit.

Olbas oil.

Vegetable soup or a curry. Or Wagamamas Yasai itame with loads of fresh coriander.

Thanks.
Will try Beechams flu .

May have to look into vit c tabs as i don't like juice. I only drink water.

Will maybe make soup tomorrow too if i have time.

Decongestants help at night if you have that vile blocked nose not letting you sleep scenario (I know whereof I speak ). Otherwise I am yet to find anything. And I know it's a virus and you can't cure it and all that, but frankly if I did find something that zapped it, I'd be mainlining the stuff at the moment.

No blocked nose yet MI. Just the opposite! It drips every time i bend down! Sudofed spray is good for blocked nose.
Only thing so far which helps the drippy nose is rolled up tissue shoved up each nostril!

Decongestants will also dry up the drippiness. Believe me, I have had many a few decades of crap sinuses and am intimately acquainted with all the pseudephedrine family.

Try Lemsip max strength capsules. I am not a fan of the lemsip drinks but these capsules seem to do the trick. Good for sore throat, runny/blocked up nose and headache!

I'm a teacher and have survived quite a few days when I really should have gone home on these

Right, will try the spray now and see if it helps the dripping. Thanks.

Spray has done bugger all. I can't believe how violent my sneezes are! Think i will just try to get some sleep if i can.

With the right treatment, you can get rid of a cold within seven days.

Untreated, it can hang on for a week.

Abandon all pyretics! and sweat it out! stay in bed if you can and sleep as much as possible

paracetamol just delays your recovery

also all that that everyone mentioned, Vitamin C and lots of hot liquids

you'll be better in two days

Whisky, lemon juice, cloves, honey and cinnamon, with a bit of hot water.

Dunno if it helps with the cold, but after a few I'm generally past caring.

Big fan of Nightnurse here, at least you don't feel crap from lack of sleep on top of everything else. Hope you're feeling ebtter soon xx

I used Beechams Honey and Lemon last week and was actually quite surprised how well it worked.

Got rid of my sore throat for a few hours at a time and the grogginess wasnt as bad.

First Defence nose spray can stop you getting a full-on cold if you take it once you get that barbed-wire-in-the-throat feeling.
But not once it's kicked off properly, so that's actually no use at all to you... sorry....

Hi, just interested to know why paracetamol delays recovery - mainly because I was taking it last week, but did recover quite well for a day or two, and now feel bad again

Day nurse will get me through the day - nightnurse is ok - but will knock you out overnight and I can't stand the grogginess the next day (but others deal with it fine!).

I feel your pain - have been sneezing constantly today and it is driving me nuts!

windowsandwalls - I think the theory is that the fever is necessary to help your body throw off the illness. Taking paracetamol reduces your fever => slows your recovery.
Haven't got time to go internet searching right now, so cannot comment on truth of this.

But come to think of it, you don't get a fever with a cold anyway, right?

You may well have an allergy to something, deadly nightshade vegs (toms. potatoes aubergines etc.) or dairy. The most effective treatment IME is a good echinacea; take a lot as soon as you get the symptoms it's magic!

I devel;oped a nasty cold and a friend gave me Contac . Don't normally take anything like that but ....it worked. Stopped drippy nose and I felt well.

I got some lemsip max strength liquid. Had to take something. Hopefully will help.
Wish i could stay in bed for the day but no chance of that.

Nurofen Cold & Flu is expensive but amazingly effective.

I am very prone to colds and tend to get very painful sinusitis with it.

This is the only medicine I have found which can get me back to work without feeling drowsy.

Night Nurse is great for getting a good nights' sleep but makes you feel sluggish the next morning.

I hope you feel better soon!!

Thanks.
Lemsip max did help but now nose is getting worse again and slight headache. Have hour and half before allowed next dose. Better than just paracetamol though.