Upper Respiratory Infections (viral)

[Jo777]

I had the same ick, in fact this year I've had an URI chest-centric viral infection 3 times.. I'm sick of it- literally. The joys of working in an office swarming with children. This last go round that I'm just over now started, and basically ended in my chest/throat. Cold-eze lozenges if started early I swear have saved my ass a few times- may be placebo, I don't care, power of belief or real- I think they help. I did take 400mg ibuprofen ever 6hrs for my throat, and it relieved that.. my inhaler was put to use when needed, and I also would take 2-3 Primatine tabs a day.. ephedrine and guifenisen which helped tremendously with chest congestion, and also with the dragged out blahs (watch out with ephedrine and coffee or any other stimulants (Sudafed or ADHD meds) you may be taking.. it is a speedy combo which can make you feel worse if you are really drained.) The Primatine tabs really kept my ears and nose open as well. Other than that.. sleep.

 

[Sheanie]

When I had my last URI, vitamin C did not work to knock it out before it took hold. That is the ONLY complication I've had with the DS: the inability to take mega doses of C (4,000-6,000mg a day) to kick a cold or flu before it takes hold. Mr Sheanie and I had used that Linus Pauling trick for decades and never got sick.

So when I finally got dead dog sick, this is what I learned. Mucinex is a miracle, it's almost pure guafenissen. That shit cuts mucous like magic. And it comes in a 12 hour dose. Only problem is you can get twitchy or jittery on it, same as Sudafed. So use that instead of Sudafed, not with. For nighttime coughing (the tickle that won't go away) don't use Codeine cough syrup, it's useless. Instead, use Benadryl and a hot steam vaporizer with an eighth teaspoon baking soda in the water, and even some vaporizer Vicks liquid. Run that an hour before you go to bed. If you don't have a hot steam vaporizer, go buy one. You will thank me later.

Now, if you smoked, or if you already have asthma, go get your inhaler prescription refilled, and use it. It will lessen the coughing spasms so you're less likely to pull a groin muscle. You're welcome. I also pulled a ribcage/sternum muscle, which hurt with every single breath for a week.

Ibuprofen. It's therapeutic for inflammation. Tylenol and the rest are not.

Write down when you take each med, along with the day AND date. Because we might be grown-ups, but we still do stupid stuff, like take too much too soon.

I hope you feel better soon, Diana. Your Charles sounds just like my husband. My condolences. I feel your pain.

 

[DianaCox]

And now, having mostly dodged the worst of the viral bullets aimed at my chest, the pollen levels around here are through the roof. The weather was so lovely - and it had gotten so warm in the house yesterday afternoon - that we opened the windows for the first time all winter, and slept with them open. The house feels and smells great - fresh and unmusty/dusty - but I'm sneezing my head off.

It is clearly pollen related - and apparently, my "only" allergy of fall leaf mold has evolved to include spring allergies as well. Either that, or there is so much pollen it is physically triggering sneezing - even my eyes feel gritty. These trees are EVERYWHERE in our neighborhood - they are beautiful, but overwhelmingly pollen-creating:
:

(Liz - I linked internally this time ....)

And of course, there are also maples, aspen, sycamore and cedar all over the place as well.

But - it's not snowing! Even if it looks like it.

 

[Sheanie]

An allergist once told me allergies are like a bath tub. When the tub gets full, it overflows, no matter what allergens are flying around. So there may not be a huge "trigger", just the proverbial straw that broke the camels' back. Here in Michigan we get the cottonwood trees snowing in late spring. The fluff is highly flammable. My brother used to light it on fire where it gathered on the edge of the driveway. It also blooms when my other allergens are out, so I've associated it with allergies.

You take Singulair? That, along with Astelin spray, seems to knock my allergies out. I also take Allavert daily year round.

 

[DianaCox]

Agreed - I'm not very allergic to anything, but once I cross the threshold, and my allergies are set off, I become allergic to things I'm not normally allergic to - like the cats.

I try to avoid allergy meds - they make me either sleepy or wired in an unpleasant way.