What do NSDers take when they get colds? I have a cold and think it's turning into bronchitis. So far I've just been drinking lots of hot apple juice and hot OJ
Any known brands of cough syrups, losenges etc that might be safe?
Is this a good time, bad time, or neutral time for doing an apple fast?
thanks,
Peggy
I think the time zone is my reason for being awake - is yours the cold?
I didn't get colds when i was taking Naproxen - as a general rule. This is my first winter med-free for a few years so i don't know what to expect. Basically i'll be annoyed if i get them as i am MUCH healthier.
I have just started taking two Zinc+VitC tablets each day.
Treatment for me is usually VitC and Echinacea with Codral-type pills only for really nasty infections. I also swim in the sea and "breathe" salt water back through the nasal passages. Steam inhalations are good. Basically all activities that keep a good circulation help as long as they don't take too much energy - needed to fight the bugs.
I hope you stay healthy enough not to get any virii...
NSD is good for colds as we do not eat all that mucous producing starchy stuff - bananas are the absolutely worst item to eat with a cold.
Any time is a good apple fast time, but here they are fresh at the moment. I avoid winter fasting as the demand for heat energy from food is so high - one feels so hungry.
As they say "Feed a cold, starve a fever" fasting may not be the best course of action.
Ted
proAS_KickAS
Hi Ted,...
Thought I should jump in here just to mention there are dangers for those of us with auto-immune disease by taking Echinacea. It boosts the immune system and therefore can initiate flares. The one and only time I took Echinacea was immediately prior to my first iritis attack (which has continued to haunt me now for over a decade). This was no coincidence. 1 year later, the warnings about this connection appeared in the news, but for me too late. I would be extremely careful and strongly consider avoiding it altogether.
Take care,
mig
Peggy,
Lots of good suggestions already. I would add that getting extra rest is also valuable. As far as activity goes, if your symptoms are neck and above it is recommended you may continue normal workouts if you feel up to it, but if it enters the chest, as yours has, then rigorous exercise such as running is contraindicated. I myself increase fluids, use cool mist humidifier, and avoid OTC meds other than Tylenol! I usually don't seek antibiotics unless there is green nasal discharge for more than 7-10 days, or if bronchitis is productive of green sputum (who wants pneumonia?), or if high fevers are persistent.
Hope you improve soon!
LindaG
Echinacea is not a good idea for those of us with the compromised immune systems. Zinc lozenges that you disolve on your tongue seem to work well for me. I drink lots of hot tea with grated ginger root, lemon, and honey, and I make some hot and sour chinese style soup. I don't know exactly what it is with the soup but it makes me feel better. I take a broth base and add tamari soy sauce made with no wheat, a little apple cider vinegar, sweetener like honey or fructose,(if you add sweet to any spicy food it tempers the spice) ginger and maybe a touch of horseradish*( or wasabi powder) or maybe a few flakes of red pepper...be very careful with the red pepper and it can be omitted.Then I add some sliced fresh vegetables or salad greens and some tofu and heat them thru but don't cook them down. You could add a little chicken to it too. This is a good way to get greens into you if you are thinking you can't possibly face anything nutricious while sick, and it's chicken soup without the noodles.
I also like to drop a cherry flavored mentholated cough drop into a cup of tea and sip it slowly. This has the advantage anyone within ten feet of you knows you're sick from the smell of the cough drop wafting on the air.
I don't mess around with serious chest colds, it's the one thing that will get me to a doctor fast because I can't breathe well with asthma anyway and then to add coughing to my stiffened ribs... whhhoooooo not good.
*watch out for prepared jars of grated ginger and horseradish that they do not contain other things you are trying to avoid, while easy to use, the horseradish jar I have has sulfites in it as a preservative and the ginger jar has corn syrup. Oops.
Thanks for your thoughts Ted! Re why I was awake at 2 a.m. - in part due to muscle spasms in my back, partly the cold, and partly because I'm a night hawk.
I hadn't thought of Zinc so I perhaps will try that. I think all the hot juice yesterday meant too much sugar and possibly more active klebs as a result. Re your not getting sick much - me either - seldom ever a cold, never a flu, but the occasional bronchitis attack in the winter. I guess that's one of the benefits of an overactive immune system!
cheers,
Peggy
Mig,
You raised a good point re Echinacea. I've read the same thing re avoiding it if you have auto-immune disease. Echinacea actually makes me very sick to my stomach (presumably I'm allergic) so I already avoid it.
thanks,
Peggy
Wind_rider,
Thank you for your many good ideas. I was wondering what to make for dinner... I think I'll try your broth, I've already got all those ingredients on hand except for the chicken. I like beaten egg dropped into soup so will use that instead of chicken.
hi Linda,
I'm so cheap I have never purchased a humidifier but perhaps it's time to break the piggy bank since you are the second person to suggest this. I'm chasing my 19 month old around the house which along with stretching is about all the exercise I can take. He's been the best therapy so far - he runs and gets my slippers when he sees I'm not wearing them and tries to put them on my feet... and this morning he went and pulled the frying pan out of the cupboard and handed it to me (I typically make us both scrambled organic eggs for breakfast!).
Thanks for your note,
Peggy
Hi Peggy,
You have lots of advice already, I just get through from such a long serial of Cold
and finally go to find a doctor cause it's been stay too long, make my voice weird and afraid of pneumonia.
Apparently it's only a common cold, happened because of the bad weather and I've been tired of working so nothing to worry about. He prescribe me common paracetamol.
At home, I took lots of Cinnamon Ginger Tea and Chicken Broth, most of the time it helps if the cold isn't the heavy one. Plus you need to take more rest, I realized that my cold stay long because I don't have enough rest.
Take care,
Sinta
Thanks for that Mig, i'll check it out.
In reply to:
my first iritis attack (which has continued to haunt me now for over a decade).
That's one big flare....
Iritis made me go strict NSD and it worked - i have had two mild "niggles" since August - used only two drops Prednif. per day for a few days till it eased away as gently as it came. Before it had become three weeks of blurred vision, dry eyes and stress. I've never had more than superficial pain and no redness at all.
Those recent episodes could correspond to the Echin, but i'd have to be convinced on that so will look for the articles.
Ted
proAS_KickAS
Hi again Ted,
From what I can remember, I actually read a warning to this effect listed right on the label of a bottle of Echinacea. Here is all I could find in a brief search:
Botanical Contraindications and Drug Interactions
By Ian Lloyd, BSc (Pharm), Chartered Herbalist
ECHINACEA
There are three species of echinacea (E. angustifolia, E. purpurea, and E. pallida) that are used medicinally. Extracts of echinacea exert several actions on the body's immune system: increasing phagocytosis, increasing production of interferon and interleukins, increased production of white blood cells and other non-specific immunostimulatory actions.3,6,7Echinacea extracts do have some direct antibacterial properties. However, this is not considered to be significant.3,7
There have been no documented cases of drug interactions with echinacea products.7 Due to its stimulation of the immune system, this botanical directly opposes the effects of immunosuppressants.7
People with allergies to daisies or sunflowers may experience mild allergic symptoms while taking echinacea products.31 It is generally considered to be contraindicated in systemic and autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, tuberculosis, and multiple sclerosis,5,11 although, there is no clinical evidence or case reports to support this.7 It is considered to be contraindicated for AIDS and HIV patients because it can enhance secretion of tumor necrosis factor and alpha-interferon. This may lead to depressed CD4 cell levels and increased HIV replication.11Echinacea products are thought to be contraindicated in tuberculosis because they contain arabinagalactan constituents that may be similar to arabinagalactans found in Mycobacteria cell walls.11 These arabinagalactans are associated with the suppression of the lymphocyte response observed in tuberculosis.11 Again this evidence is considered empirical.
And this from Pub Med:
Herbal medicinals: selected clinical considerations focusing on known or potential drug-herb interactions.
Miller LG. Department of Pharmacy Practice, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo 79121, USA.
Herbal medicinals are being used by an increasing number of patients who typically do not advise their clinicians of concomitant use. Known or potential drug-herb interactions exist and should be screened for. If used beyond 8 weeks, Echinacea could cause hepatotoxicity and therefore should not be used with other known hepatoxic drugs, such as anabolic steroids, amiodarone, methotrexate, and ketoconazole. However, Echinacea lacks the 1,2 saturated necrine ring associated with hepatoxicity of pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may negate the usefulness of feverfew in the treatment of migraine headaches. Feverfew, garlic, Ginkgo, ginger, and ginseng may alter bleeding time and should not be used concomitantly with warfarin sodium. Additionally, ginseng may cause headache, tremulousness, and manic episodes in patients treated with phenelzine sulfate. Ginseng should also not be used with estrogens or corticosteroids because of possible additive effects. Since the mechanism of action of St John wort is uncertain, concomitant use with monoamine oxidase inhibitors and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors is ill advised. Valerian should not be used concomitantly with barbiturates because excessive sedation may occur. Kyushin, licorice, plantain, uzara root, hawthorn, and ginseng may interfere with either digoxin pharmacodynamically or with digoxin monitoring. Evening primrose oil and borage should not be used with anticonvulsants because they may lower the seizure threshold. Shankapulshpi, an Ayurvedic preparation, may decrease phenytoin levels as well as diminish drug efficacy. Kava when used with alprazolam has resulted in coma. Immunostimulants (eg, Echinacea and zinc) should not be given with immunosuppressants (eg, corticosteroids and cyclosporine). Tannic acids present in some herbs (eg, St John wort and saw palmetto) may inhibit the absorption of iron. Kelp as a source of iodine may interfere with thyroid replacement therapies. Licorice can offset the pharmacological effect of spironolactone. Numerous herbs (eg, karela and ginseng) may affect blood glucose levels and should not be used in patients with diabetes mellitus.
Sounds like a pretty complex issue, but I'm primarily influenced by my first-hand experience. Hope this helps.
mig
Hi Peggy,
I have yet to have a cold with NSD.... actually have not really had a cold since January 1998. Eat healthy, take some supplements and I believe having AS and a ready at arms immune system precludes me from getting colds anymore.
Take care,
Tim
Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it - Helen Keller
Hey Peg hope your feeling better!
I don't get many colds and I think it may be the vitamins I am on but when I do feel a cold coming on I use Zicam Homeopathic nasal gel. It's the same idea as the zinc lozenges but it will get into your system quicker and without the stomach upset that the lozenges can sometimes cause. I was amazed that Zicam worked for me as not even some of the most powerful drugs doctors had me taking would work
. I don't even use it more than a day or two and my cold is gone!! Best to use it at the first sign of any symptoms.
Anyway, give it a whirl
peace
Kathy
"The most beautiful stones have been tossed by the wind and washed by the waters and polished to brilliance by life's strongest storms."
Thanks again Mig - i also posted on Arjan's thread re immune stimulation and colds. I'm happy taking no immune stimulants, am doubtful about so-called immune modulators and see no reason to not take immune stimulation when disease threatens or happens.
In reply to:
There are some who claim immune-balancing properties for Echinacea, and even recommend it in auto-immune disorders. My own experience has shown that those with auto-immune disorders can benefit from Echinacea. I believe it does have such a wide range of activity it can be of benefit in different ways for these folks. Some say it can, and in a few cases has, temporarily aggravated such problems.
Avoid herbs that stimulate the immune system such as Echinacea, Zinc, Cat's claw, and olive leaf.:
Above two portions of what's out there on Google "echinacea auto-immune". Most literature is anti, however i'd be worried about anyone telling me to not take zinc because it may be worse for me than a zinc deficiency. I take it in the winter for colds and flu with Vit C and not as a general supplement. However, i remember that Copper is antagonistic to zinc and that a copper bracelet does actually seem to work for many arthitic conditions so maybe copper absorption helps to shut down excess immune activity via lower Zinc!!?!!
It's all a big complex question and balancing act as usual.
Ted
"There are no specific diseases; just specific disease-conditions". Florence N.
I'm on LSD but when I get a cold I just take Dayquil and Nyquil. I swear by it at least one or two weeks out of the year.
My biggest problem with a cold is postnasal drip....which makes me cough/have a sore throat/feel nauseous, the whole nine yards. The Dayquil/Nyquil combination really dry up my sinuses, which basically makes me feel pretty normal.
I am not diagnosed with AS, but one thing that intrigues me is I *only* have to take Dayquil/Nyquil for a few days, and I never miss work for a cold. I am more likely to miss work from head/back pain. I just don't feel bad enough to miss when I have a cold, and usually my back/neck/TMJ pain disappears....so in some respects I actually feel better when I have a cold.
The same cold that knocks others out for days (coworkers, my mom) is just minor irritation to me. I have read that these are some markers of autoimmune issues.
Rox
SURIYAH!!!
Images courtesy of
http://www.tekkenzaibatsu.comhttp://www.geocities.com/artisan1998.geo/index.html