Best cold prevention remedy/potion?

[PNWguy]

The first aid cabinets at work were all completely stocked with a variety of OTC pain meds, bandaids, allergy meds, and something called Vita Cold...



Whenever I started feeling something coming on, like getting a scratchy throat, or aches, or eyes starting to hurt, etc. I would pop a packet of these and it seemed like it was 100% effective in either stopping the symptoms completely, or lessening the severity of whatever I did get.

Loved this stuff!

So of course, the geniuses in charge of the first aid cabinets decided to no longer stock them a few months ago, except for bandaids and emergency items.

I squirreled away a secret stash of them in my desk and just used the last packet.

Amazingly, I found them online on Amazon for about $18 a box after shipping and tax.

Saw that the old standby, Cold-Eeze, was much cheaper.

Seems to be a bunch of similar products available and was wondering what some of you use and how well it works.

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[Kruel J]

Thanks for the tip!

I generally just try to avoid other people all together.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Thanks for the tip!

I generally just try to avoid other people all together.

BINGO, especially sniveling children!!!!

 

[Kruel J]

BINGO, especially sniveling children!!!!

Even more so, sniveling adults!

 

[Caveman Jim]

Even more so, sniveling adults!

Who can't take care of themselves muchless anyone else so they send their sniveling children to school to infect everyone else....

 

[PNWguy]

Thanks for the tip!

I generally just try to avoid other people all together.

I work in a 8' x 16' room on a shared work station with two millennials for 12hr shifts. There are ten of us to cover the day and night shifts 24/7. We use Clorox wipes to wipe down our keyboards and work stations between shifts, but it seems like someone is always sick.

I had the best attendance record and had built up over 200 hours of sick time.

 

[bolus]

has echinacea, zinc and vitamin C. In studies, zinc is the only thing on that list that may reduce the length of the cold. Cheaper to get the zinc in the vitamin section (not the cold and flu section)

 

[Kruel J]

Who can't take care of themselves muchless anyone else so they send their sniveling children to school to infect everyone else....

Yep!

 

[Kruel J]

has echinacea, zinc and vitamin C. In studies, zinc is the only thing on that list that may reduce the length of the cold. Cheaper to get the zinc in the vitamin section (not the cold and flu section)

Ah what do YOU know?

 

[bolus]

Ah what do YOU know?

Want to know how to really waste money for a cold? take this stuff at nearly $1 a pill

https://www.amazon.com/Boiron-Oscillococcinum-Flu-like-Symptoms-Pellets/dp/B0078W0QOI

Read about how much of a rip off this stuff is here
Homeopathy: The Ultimate Fake

"Oscillococcinum, a 200C product "for the relief of colds and flu-like symptoms," involves "dilutions" that are even more far-fetched. Its "active ingredient" is prepared by incubating small amounts of a freshly killed duck's liver and heart for 40 days. The resultant solution is then filtered, freeze-dried, rehydrated, repeatedly diluted, and impregnated into sugar granules. If a single molecule of the duck's heart or liver were to survive the dilution, its concentration would be 1 in 100^200. This huge number, which has 400 zeroes, is vastly greater than the estimated number of molecules in the universe (about one googol, which is a 1 followed by 100 zeroes). In its February 17, 1997, issue, U.S. News & World Report noted that only one duck per year is needed to manufacture the product, which had total sales of $20 million in 1996. The magazine dubbed that unlucky bird "the $20-million duck.""

Boiron who makes it made ~$24,000,000 in profit in the first 1/2 of 2018. They make exactly zero products that work.


The pharmacy is filled with rip offs. From this diluted duck treatment to the Vita Cold which is charging 500% markup on zinc.

I would say that most pharmacies are filled with at least 50% rip offs ( and that includes many of the prescription meds as well) plus they sell cigarettes.

 

[Kruel J]

So just take Zinc? How much as soon as symptoms show?

 

[308]

I generally just try to avoid other people all together.

That and wash the hands often

 

[Joe13]

Cocaine, heroin, hashish or whatever you got.

Take as needed until your not snotty anymore













For the serious people it was obviously a joke so go un-wad them panties

 

[Certaindeaf]

My snake is oily enough.

 

[Stomper]

My wife swears by Emergen-C.... I think all of that stuff is (more or less) hokem. A well balanced diet, staying properly hydrated, maybe a "one a day" multi-vitamin supplement, along with being as physically fit as possible goes a LOOOOOONG way towards enjoying a robust immune system.

I'm almost NEVER (ever) sick, and on the rare occasions that I have been, it's only 24hrs and I'm back in the saddle.

 

[pharmseller]

So just take Zinc? How much as soon as symptoms show?

Can I just lick the sacrificial anodes on my boat motor?

 

[ferret427]

I have aways believed the best prevention is to let your kids play outdoors as much as possible. Get them in the dirt/mud. Swim in lakes and streams. Explore forrest, fields and scrubland from an early age. Let them get exposure to bugs and animals and birds.
They may get colds young, but will develop strong immune systems for later in life.
I haven't had the flu since 3rd grade, a fever in 25 years, and when I get a cough 1 or 2 times a year, it only lasts 2 or 3 days. I was a dirty, feral child...

 

[jbett98]

Beer will taste funny after taking zinc. You've been warned.

 

[PNWguy]

has echinacea, zinc and vitamin C. In studies, zinc is the only thing on that list that may reduce the length of the cold. Cheaper to get the zinc in the vitamin section (not the cold and flu section)

That's not what a cursory internet search revealed...

No slam dunk evidence, but there are conflicting results. Enough positive results to not be able to definitively say it has no effect. I understand the skepticism, but it works for me.

https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/cold-guide/echinacea-common-cold#1

Vitamin C, Echinacea, Zinc Best for Fending Off Colds, flu treatment

To see how well various alternative therapies have been holding up when it comes to preventing the flu and the common cold, the Canadian researchers scanned MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

They searched from January 1966 to September 2009, combining the key words/phrases "common cold" or "influenza" with the words "echinacea," "garlic," "ginseng," "probiotics," "vitamin C," and zinc. Clinical trials and prospective studies were included.

Not surprisingly, they found that vitamin C demonstrated the largest benefit for prevention when it came to fighting the flu and colds. They found inconsistent evidence for Asian ginseng ("Panax ginseng") and North American ginseng ("Panax quinquefolius). Allicin (a compound found in garlic) was highly effective in one small trial. They also noted that, overall, the evidence suggested no benefit from probiotics for prevention or treatment of the common cold.

As for echinacea, the researchers stated that "Echinacea purpurea" was the most consistently useful variety and was effective in fighting cold and flu symptoms in five of six trials. Zinc lozenges were effective in five of nine trials.

The researchers concluded that ginseng and allicin warrant further research. They stated that vitamin C can be recommended to all patients for prevention of the common cold. They also recommended the use of "Echinacea purpurea' and zinc lozenges for cold and flu treatment.

 

[ditchtiger]

Get a job working outside. I and those that do never get sick.