Feeling rotten, chuck me your favourite home remedies for colds and flu please!

[HomeIsWhereTheGinIs]

Hi all

A conversation with nhs direct about OTC medication yielded nothing, and I'm feeling a bit sorry for myself with a headache and sore throat. With lemsip out, what's in? My friends mother used to make us drink water that an onion had been boiled in (boak), anyone got any others? Otherwise I'll just keep swilling litres of mint tea!

Ok so not homemade but I'm resorting to paracetamol, it at least takes the edge off.

Earl Grey tea with honey and lemon (but careful if you're minding your caffeine intake) or hot blackcurrant squash.

And paracetemol.

My dh made me lemon fruit tea last night with honey. Really soothed my throat and stopped me coughing for 5 minutes.

Keep taking paracetamol, it does make you feel slightly less crap.

This is my second cold within 2 months - I would kill for a lemsip right now, so I know how you feel!!!

A hot toddy: a generous slug of whiskey, half a lemon squeezed in and hot water. Stir it up with a cinnamon stick and drink.

Warning - my grandad poured this into his ailing donkey's bran mash one Christmas Eve, and the next morning she gave birth to a baby donkey. So drink at your own risk

Why no lemsip?

Because of the decongestant

You can take Tyrozets for your sore throat - I used them when pregnant. Here's the manufacturers info which states they're safe for pregnant women:

www.mcneilproducts.co.uk/assets/PI/Tyrozets.pdf

Feel better.

I've been drinking bottle green spiced berry hot cordial which has been nice with my cold, and it tastes almost like mulled wine too

Here's a clickable link:

www.mcneilproducts.co.uk/assets/PI/Tyrozets.pdf

Yom I've been taking decongestants...it doesn't say not to on the packaging!

Grated root ginger in a hot lemon and honey drink will heat up your throat and help it.

If you can stand to, chewing a clove of raw garlic will help.

Curry for your dinner.

3 x 1000mg of vitamin C and 20mg of zinc should help to shorten the duration.

Sent too soon - meant to say hope you feel better very soon.

Boots own brand version of Lemsip has only paracetamol and is safe to take in pregnancy. And homemade hot lemon and honey. But tbh the only thing I've found to really work is time!

Thank you all! Pink bell, you intrigue me strangely old fruit! I have been searching for something akin to mulled wine!

I have terrible sinusitis and this helps a bit... Put Vicks on (liberally ) then stand in a really hot shower until it is all steamy and inhale!

Second what chocoluvva said - raw garlic! It's more palatable sliced thinly and eaten on buttery toast.

Also hot water + honey + lemon juice + cloves (the cloves help with the sore throat). And a really really hot shower to try to steam sinuses open.

I hope you feel better soon , I had a horrible cold when I was about 24 weeks and I REALLY missed ibuprofen (and medicinal cognac)...

You have my sympathies op!

Honestly the best remedy is rest, keep warm and sleep.

I found hot drinks and baths and paracetamol all helped.

Can I please do a minor hijack? I'm 38 weeks, lost my plug so could be any day and I have the most horrible tickly cough that talking sets it off so labour will be a nightmare. anything that might work other than honey and lemon? Tried that

I get at least one bad sinus infection a year so am paranoid when I get a cold that it will turn into an infection, which I can't take anything for now I'm pregnant. I had sinus pain last week but used a neti pot for saline rinse (tricky to get the hang of and looks pretty disgusting) but seems to have done the trick

Well Shelly the advice is generally not to take decongestants in pregnancy. Up to you what you actually do, of course.

Glycerin for a tickly cough? It's the main ingredient in tickly cough mix, without any decongestant or paracetamol etc added (so you can watch your dosage)

Is Glycerin ok then Viking? I thought all cough mixtures were out. Thanks, I'll pick some up tomorrow.