Streaming cold - any useful non-pharmaceutical remedies?

[CoffeeAndOranges]

Got a streaming head cold and am off work feeling very sorry for myself as I can't really take anything that will make much difference - usually I blitz a cold with Lemsip max/night nurse but I think even standard Lemsip has too big a dose of paracetamol in.

Am drinking hot lemon, honey and ginger which is nice on my throat and had olbas oil on my pillow last night - anyone got any other suggestions?

High dose vitamin C - the massive ones that effervesce in a glass of water - does seem to limit the symptoms a bit

It doesn't have too big a dose of paracetamol, it has 1000mg which is the equivalent of an adult dose of two tablets which is absolutely fine to take. However I don't think you can have lemsip due to the other ingredients.

Take two paracetamol and make some hot lemon and honey (tastes nicer too!).

Oh ok Jeff I don't know why I assumed it would be too much. Will need to take a walk down the road to get more lemons so hopefully the fresh air will help too.

Thanks for the vit c tip, marmalade !

You can take some paracetamol, coffee but if you really don't want to...try garlic, astragalus, vitamin c and Echinacea with goldenseal. All immune boosting and helps to coat the mucous membranes.

Hope you're feeling better soon?

I don't think you can take Echinacea in pregnancy.

Honey with lemon, drink lots of fluids, and sleep! Take paracetamol if you have a headache or fever. Good luck, colds suck when you're pg, I'm trying to get rid of one myself!

Elderberry extract (in Sambucol which is sold in supermarkets). Wear a scarf to keep your throat warm. Keep your nose warm too if you can! Blast it with a hairdryer for a few minutes to kill the cold virus!! (I kid you not)

Drink as many steaming hot drinks as you can manage.

rub mentol on your feet and underneath and pull socks on, even better to do it at bed time. Tip garnered from MN

It's not the paracetamol that's the problem with lemsip, it's the phenylephrine. Some of them have big caffeine doses too but that's not a huge issue tbh. I'd be wary of herbal preparations - some are not ok in pregnancy!

hot honey and lemon with a paracetamol, then a tea/coffee is basically lemsip without the contraindicated stuff. I add grated fresh ginger too - about a chunk the size of the end of your thumb.

If you nose is all stuffed up then a couple of menthol crystals in very hot water, lean over it with a towel over your head and breathe in the steam (does sort of blow your head off a bit but it works.) crystals can be obtained at most pharmacists.

Ultimately, there's not much you can do to shorten a cold (vitamin c and since are supposed to take about a day off the duration) you might find it knocks you harder than it would when non pregnant so really, rest and fluids!

Eat something spicy. The chilli will clear your sinuses for a bit.

To quote peanuthead on another thread:

Yes you can take it - it's an immunomodulator not an immunostimulant and decent trials have shown no birth defects and no negative outcomes as compared to a control.

I took it throughout my pregnancy and had absolutely no problems.

Of course, it's own personal choice and if you wish to take herbal remedies whilst pregnant, it I always advisable to check with your mw/gp first.

Thanks for all your tips, I feel really pathetic and know if I wasn't pg (31 weeks) it wouldn't be a big deal. Will have to try the tip about the menthol and socks!!

Made a vat of really hot african peanut soup (Oh She Glows website/cookbook) the other day - it's amazing and really does help clear the pipes.

I think my Lemsip thing is totally psychological - deep down I know it's better to have the lemon, honey & ginger (which I have anyway) and a paracetamol, and I know Lemsips taste rank but somehow they make me feel better.

Going to enjoy a good walliw today and not go back to work tomorrow if I'm still not feeling right. Not had a single sick day off during this pregnancy so far, so I can cut myself a bit of slack. Always good when you ring in sick and actually sound ill!

walliw? Wallow!

I am newly pregnant (4+3) and the DH gave me his cold. I'm not impressed, as I never get them. Thanks for all the tips in this thread! I'm drinking hot water, honey and lemon now and it's helping a lot