MNHQ needs your avoiding/surviving winter sniffles advice and tips.

[AbbyMumsnet]

It's that time of year when the lurgies hit with a vengeance. So, regardless of whether you've survived unscathed so far or spent New Year's Eve under the duvet, clutching a hot water bottle, we'd appreciate your advice/tips etc on how to avoid colds, sniffles et al - and how to lessen the impact if you or your family does get hit by a horrible bug. What weird concoctions do you take? Cider vinegar? Sambucol? Whiskey? Do you swear by echinacea or some other strange herb grown in a yurt? And what happens in your home if ebola, sorry, we mean man-flu, strikes your poor partner becomes ill? Do world's collide? Do let us know your thoughts.

Thanking you kindly.

Garlic is hopeless too.
And propolis.

NOTHING WORKS for me.

Harumph.

We've been reasonably cold free SO FAR...

I think taking a good multivit all year round makes a difference (eg multibionta) PLUS a Vit C and Zinc capsule.

Agree with hot baths.

I also don't go along with taking paracetamol based remedies to lower your temperature. My reasoning being that your temp goes up for a reason, ie to kill germs in your system. (I'm aware that I may be going against popular opinion and the entire drug industry on this one though )

I'm also not sure about medications that 'dry up' mucous, surely the mucous is produced to flush the germs out of your system Am prepared to be corrected though.

Encourage your children to pick their noses and eat mud pies. Possibly even garnish their pies with bogies or is that a step too far?

Alternatively, hang garlic around everyone's neck and give them each a cup of hot lemon and honey.

(Betchya really keen to come over for supper now eh?)

elderberry extract is just marvellous

kiki superfood
it's expensive and tastes like licking out the bottom of the veg compartment in your fridge when you haven't cleaned it for 3 months
BUT
works wonders at stopping you getting run down, or boosting you up after a cold

When somebody gets cold / flu - air through the house daily ( obviously don't sit ill person in the draft !!!) Napisan / germ spray the obvious places - loo handle, bathroom door handle, Fridge door handle.
When dh ill move out of bedroom into kids room/ spare room so you can get sleep - snoring is worse and of course you need to run and get them lemsips, tissues etc as they are 'dying'.
Dc probotic youghurt daily
Adults - Probotic vits, Vit C +zinc.
DC snotty noses saline drops / spray - great for those non nose blowing toddlers- snot suckers if needed.

Selenium is low in our soil apparently and we could all do with s top-up.

Has anyone mentioned that taking v high doses of vit c and b is the opposite of healthy?

Britons don't need Vit C supplements. We don't really even need to eat fruit, as all our Vit C comes from the potatoes in our diet.

The fruit we eat should be the indiginous varities, such as apples, plums, pears, etc. And even then, I wouldn't sweat it.

A spoonful of honey a day will keep a lot of viral infections at bay. It's one of nature's most powerful antibiotics.

DH and I got the flu vaccine, had to pay for it but went ahead as DH is a contractor, cost £20.00 each. Didn't get DS done as he would have needed 2 jabs and couldn't face it. He got the fly over christmas we didn't so definitely worth while.

"all our Vit C comes from the potatoes in our diet." Speak for yourself, tater lady!

And I trust you mean that honey would keep bacterial infections at bay if it's an antibiotic?

Though I'm in agreement about vit supplements in general - folic acid being a honourable exception in my case - I know Linus Pauling was big on vitC, but I thought that research was rather discredited?

That said, the power of placebo is pretty extraordinary, and I guess that's an important factor in cold remedies, so long as they don't actively harm.

Vit C def helps fend off infections & the UK min daily requirement is only 60g, FGS. When you're ill you need loads more than that & probably don't feel like stuffing yourself with fruit all day either.

Taking it doesn't prevent infections but when you've got one it helps a lot.

here

Yes, saw that - need to read the Cochrane review - hold on ....

OK: REVIEWERS' CONCLUSIONS: The failure of vitamin C supplementation to reduce the incidence of colds in the normal population indicates that routine mega-dose prophylaxis is not rationally justified for community use. But evidence shows that it could be justified in persons exposed to brief periods of severe physical exercise and/or cold environments. Also, the consistent and statistically significant small benefits on duration and severity for those using regular vitamin C prophylaxis indicates that vitamin C plays some role in respiratory defence mechanisms. The trials in which vitamin C was introduced at the onset of colds as therapy did not show any benefit in doses up to 4 grams daily, but one large trial reported equivocal benefit from an 8 gram therapeutic dose at onset of symptoms.

Interesting, but not cut-and-dried. I guess they'll do more research

That was from 2004 - here's the 2007 conclusion:

hirty comparisons involving 9676 respiratory episodes contributed to a meta-analysis on common cold duration during prophylaxis. A consistent benefit was observed, representing a reduction in cold duration of 8% (95% CI 3% to 13%) for adults and 13.6% (95% CI 5% to 22%) for children.Seven trial comparisons involving 3294 respiratory episodes contributed to the meta-analysis of cold duration during therapy with vitamin C initiated after the onset of symptoms. No significant differences from placebo were seen. Four trial comparisons involving 2753 respiratory episodes contributed to the meta-analysis of cold severity during therapy and no significant differences from placebo were seen.

Not sure 8% is worth the money, tbh.

heard a thing on the radio earlier saying amount of sleep is a big factor

here

an uninterrupted night's sleep is best...

that'll teach me to read the whole thread before posting Habb

yes i was...

hollow laughter does seem like the only possible response though doesn't it

Gosh, I'm snotty (not literally) today, aren't I?

oh i didn't take your comment as snotty

it's a wonder I'm not more snotty atm though if uninterrupted nights are required to keep colds at bay...

Open your windows every morning to blow fresh air in. This won't help your cold but will at least encourage you to breathe deeply and feel slightly better.

Face the fact that it will all be over in five days and retire to bed with paracetamol/ibuprofen/tissues/fluids.

If you get the vomiting part of the virus or are prone to vomiting when sick, know this: a potty is not necessarily big enough to contain your vomit if you are sitting on the loo with the trots at the same time as bringing up your lunch at the other.

Buy soft tissues and loo roll, do not skimp on these things - there is nothing worse when you have a sore nose than blowing your nose of chipboard type paper .

Vaseline works wonders for sore noses but you can get something called 'no sore' in a green tube from pharmacists which works even better and smells quite mediciney!