How you deal with a cold and cough?

[JVT90]

For those of you on fluid restrictions, how do you deal with a cold and cough? The usual advice is to drink lots of fluids to get rid of the congestion. My husband has been on dialysis for a year and a half and thankfully it's the first time it's come up as an issue. 

[cassandra]

I always thought that non-D people have to drink lots while having a cold, cause they could get dehydrated. As being on D quite often means that there's not much peeing the chance of that is far less. However, I drink more (1 glass) when having a cold as I sweat more, blow my nose more so you'd loose more liquid that way.
Taking a cough mixture and rinsing your nose with salt water gets rid of the congestion.


Love, luck and strength, Cas

[JVT90]

Hi Cas, Thanks for responding. He's been taking cough medicine and the saline nasal spray. Thanks again.

[kitkatz]

Robitussin, Tylenol, Benadryl, are the meds I usually take when I have a cold.

An old remedy my Mom used was hot water, 2 tblsp cider vinegar, 1 tblsp honey. Mix well and sip slowly.

Hot green tea or chamomile to help him sleep.

My daughter recommends a netty pot for using with the nose.

[kickingandscreaming]

I second the Neti pot idea, but be sure to preboil the water as they have been found to harbor amoebas. (in tap water)  There is also a drugstore version of the nasal irrigator made my NeilMed that works well.   They sell little saline+packs to put in the water and that soothes and moisturizes the nasal passages.

[KatieV]

Cough drops and/or throat lozenges are a staple to calm my throat down.

My co-worker swears by this one: as soon as you start feeling sick, take a fresh clove of garlic, cut a pill-sized chunk (aspirin or bigger), and swallow whole. 

[Charlie B53]

I use a combination of things.

Take an old Afrin nasal snorter bottle.  Dump it OUT, rinse VERY well.   Make some Holy Water, i.e., boil the hell out of it.  Add a small pinch of salt. Fill that old Afrin sprayer.  Pour out the excess.  Make fresh every time you need it.  Rinse sinus as needed.

A large mug of hot tea.  Pick your flavor, they all work.  Add lemon, honey, Scotch, Bourbon, Brandy, to taste.  You can add or leave out whatever you like.  Take one mug morning and night.  That's not too much fluid intake, I hope.  I just skip my coffee those days.

Hard candies work just as well as cough drops, and are a LOT cheaper.  Ditto many peppermints.

That Scotch, Bourbon, or Brandy?  Take a small jigger every four hours, straight.  It burns like fire, GOOD, it's killing bad things in your throat.  Way less than an ounce an hour, you should never even feel the alcohol.  Make note, I said a SMALL jigger.  This is one of the RARE times I use alcohol for anything other than cleaning.

Vitamin C.  Big ones.  Take at least morning and night.  If your colon can tolerate it, take another at noon.  Some people will develop loose bowels when taking too much.  If that's you, back off one dose.

I spent about $75 for a quart of Eucalyptus Oil.  I add a drop to the water tank of my CPAP.  You can put a few drops in most any vaporizer and scent the air with Eucalyptus.  You can put a drop or two on a COLD light bulb before you turn it on, that will warm and scent a room.

There a are few OTC's that some find useful.  I skip most of them.  These simple and natural items do make a positive difference.  Most colds and flu's simply take time to run their course.  There is NO Magic Bullet for a cure.

Hope these are helpful for you.  They have worked pretty well for me for many years.

Take Care,

Charlie B53

[kristina]

After starting with my dialysis-treatments, I also started to get  flue-injection and - touch wood - it has turned out to be a lucky decision, except, that just before Christmas I developed a very nasty cold which looked as if in "wanted to develop" into a flue...
Fortunately I had a chance to rest a lot and so it went away and I feel very lucky that my body was strong enough to deal with this cold without me needing antibiotics ...
Best wishes and good luck from Kristina.

[Michael Murphy]

First thing I do is head to the pharmacy and buy tissue with lotion ( solves the red nose problem), afrin ( over use of this is not good, I only use before bed so I can sleep better)' NyQuil ( one shot before bed).  I can't over State over use of Afrin will make you feel worse bu one use each day will help you sleep better.

[Michelle2016]

Wash mouth with salty water before bed, and clean nose with salty water too.

[Charlie B53]

I can't help but wonder............because I easily forget, or get confused.

When I rinse my mouth with Bourbon, do I spit?  Or swallow?

[Rerun]

I keep water on the stove for steam and I go breathe it.