Hi Everyone,
Advice please! I’ve had a heavy head cold for almost 2 weeks now and I cannot seem to shift it. Unfortunately, I work full time and the lady I work with has been on holiday during the time I’ve been suffering, so I’ve been unable to take any time off work, which hasn’t helped. I do suffer with very bad fatigue anyway, but this cold is making me feel even more tired and lethargic with absolutely no energy whatsoever - I feel about 90, not 43! It really has been a struggle to get through the day. All I can think about is getting through the rest of today and tomorrow and then I can rest up at the weekend. It feels like the weekends just aren’t long enough to properly recover though.
Any tips from you lovely lot, as to what I can take or do to help me cope better would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks
Sarah
x
Hi Sarah,
Normally, I wouldn’t advise going to the doctor about a cold. A cold is a virus, and as such, doesn’t respond to antibiotics anyway, so pointless going to the doctor.
BUT, having said that, a normal cold lasts only about a week. If it lasts much longer than that, it’s possible you may have a secondary infection, which would respond to antibiotics.
So I’d give it another week. If it’s still not improving, I’d make a doctor’s appointment, and explain you have a cold that hasn’t cleared up in the normal timescale, and wonder if it might not be a cold after all. They’re a bit more hesitant with antibiotics these days (rightly so, in my opinion), so you might be told to wait still longer, to give it one last chance to clear up by itself. Or they might decide you have a throat or chest infection, and prescribe antibiotics right away.
Tina
hiya hun im a huge advocat of homeopathy and often use ‘Echinachea’ drops for all viruses tht i n my family n friends get. they are fab IMO but check with a Medic Professional first b4 using please. as it all effects us differently n we on all sorts of meds n they cud interact badly etc…other thn tht dose up on good old Vit C n Zinc and not forgetting Vit D.
God Bless
Anna x
I’m with Anna on this one. I have to use asthma inhalers but apart from that I like to keep it natural. I tend to eat lots of onions and garlic, chilli peppers, warming spices, citrus fruits etc. These can all help to expel mucous and ease coughs and colds. Cut out all caffeine and other nasties as these will lower your immune system even further while you are fighting off the cold. Echinacea is very beneficial. I have a leaflet I cut out of a magazine years ago called ‘Foods against Flu’ and it does work.
Having said that I have finally cleared a cough that started four weeks ago so you have my sympathy. I think the slow start to our summer has meant some nasty viruses are lingering around far longer than they should be. I toyed with the idea of seeing my GP but having been turned away with every other cold I’ve ever had decided to go it alone. It did eventually clear up but I did feel like it was taking forever 
One of my favourite drinks to ease a sore throat is to warm some blackcurrant and apple juice (mix it yourself) in a small pan with a stick of liquorice and a stick of cinnamon in it. Strain and drink. Or good old honey and lemon but make it yourself with proper lemon juice not the paracetomol based, sweetened ones you can buy. Yuk!
Hope you feel better soon
Tracey x
Ooh, forgot to say, to clear your head - you can’t beat inhaling with menthol crystals (they’re strong so only a couple in hot water) or good old Olbas oil. As you’re not ingesting them you can use it as often as needed. I usually sprinkle Olbas oil around my pillow so I can breathe all night to get a good night’s sleep which is essential to getting rid of a virus. You could also invest in the nasal strips to keep your nose clear if a stuffed up nose is a problem at bedtime.
Tracey x
I thought it was bad to boost the immune system, so Echinacea was a no for ms…I always used this and aromatherapy and have stopped since diagnosis so would love feedback.
Zoe,
Since diagnosis, I’ve always steered clear of echinacea - or anything that claims to be immune-boosting - for that exact reason.
I’m sceptical about whether they really do boost the immune system, but I don’t think I want to boost mine, and risk having it attack even more myelin. I won’t chance it, just in case.
Tina
There was a long article in the Guardian magazine last weekend stating (with plenty of scientific trial evidence) that most vitamin supplements shorten your life, rather than do you good. They described tests on echinacea which showed no difference from a placebo as well. My post got blocked when I put the reference in for this but you can find it by searching for guardian and stop taking the pills.
The vitamins the article was describing were Vitamin C, Vitamin E and the precursor to Vitamin A. In contrast, I know that you may have trouble fighting infections if your Vitamin D levels are low and if you have had a cold for two weeks, it might be sensible to get them tested (also it’s generally good for people with MS to avoid having low Vitamin D). Your GP should be willing to arrange this. You could start taking Vitamin D in a biggish dose (at least 5,000 iU per day) in the meantime but it will take a while to have an effect. Obviously, you should have the blood taken for the test before you start supplementing, so you don’t mess up the results.
The article was really interesting, thanks. For anyone else who wants to read it, have a look here-
Lifestyle | The Guardian - search for vitamins. The article is called Vitamins: stop taking the pills
I cannot post the link because the spam filter will block me
I have always drunk herbal tea containing rosehip and echinacea when I have a cold but maybe it only helps because I am cutting out caffeine? Or maybe it’s the placebo effect?
Tracey x
It’s zinc and Vit C for me. I work with children and I’m constantly bombarded by snotty children! I rarely get colds now and I used to get them all the time. Get well soon Sara x
my gp told me to take anti histamines and they seemed to work, so i must have had a bit of hay fever.
now i’ve got cold sore up my nose! and a big one on my top lip.
(gizza kiss)
carole x
Thanks for your comments everyone, as always very helpful.
I take Vit D & A but will start Vit C too. I don’t tend to drink much caffeine and stick to green tea for the most part and I also drink a lot of different juices. I think I just need to take it a bit easier and stop rushing around everywhere (well, as fast as I can rush these days!).
Sarah
x