Anyone else dealing with cold after cold?

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Originally Posted by Trek420

Glad to see I'm not the only one. I've had a cold for over 2 weeks. It feels like different colds: sore throat, no it's congestion no .... it's sinuses no .... it's a cough no .... back to the sore throat.

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I was having a lot of this, back and forth, on an doff, never really going away.
Then I checked my vitamin C intake and found that the measely amount I was getting in my big multi-vite every other day or so was not much at all. So I bought some 1000mg tabs of C, started taking 1 per day... and within 48 hours I felt 95% better, and it's still working 3 weeks later. All that nasty gummy sinus stuff and sore throat went away pretty fast.
Maybe a coincidence....maybe not. Cheap enough and safe enough to try it out though! :)

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Originally Posted by OakLeaf

Keeping my fingers crossed, but this MAY be the second cold I've been able to knock flat with black elderberry extract. It's been trying to catch me for two days now and despite EXTREME stress, the kind that would usually have me in bed with bronchitis, so far I'm holding it off. Touch wood. Last time I was willing to allow it might've been a fluke, right now I'm convinced black elderberry is THE stuff.

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Ditto.

Honestly, I usually get a couple of colds a season at least, mostly because I suck at sleeping. This year? Not so much as a sniffle yet (knock on wood). And what am I doing differently? The ONLY thing is my elderberry tincture. I still suck at sleeping, I'm still training (now publicly too since I joined a pool), I still work with the same people and I still have the same stress levels. And, I would venture a guess that I'm actually not eating nearly as many fruits and veggies this year as in the past because I now actively try to avoid eating things that are out of season and grown far away.

There have been a couple of situations where I *thought* that maybe a cold was settling in...but the next day, all symptoms are gone. This has happened three times already, too. I credit the elderberry tincture.

What brand elderberry tincture do you buy, or do you make it on your own?
I have reactions to everything (including vitamins), but I have been reading about this for years. Oakleaf, have you had any of the side effects, i.e. from the diuretic aspect or stomach issues?

I've taken Sambucol syrup, which is standardized, and now I'm using Quantum Health liquid extract (alcohol/water), which is not standardized but still seems like you get more for your money. I haven't had any side effects from either, even when I take them on an empty stomach.

I make my own. Organic dried black elderberries and vodka (30 days, darkness, shaken every third day & then strained). And, instead of the cheap vodka that I bought to make it, I ended up using good stuff so it's actually kind of smooth. Throw some sugar in there and it might actually taste pretty good (I didn't, but I could see how it would improve it)!

I did notice the diuretic effect at first, but I think my body has adjusted to it. Is that even possible? I've had no stomach issues at all and I usually take mine first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. I follow it up with coffee to kill the taste in my throat, too.

Last year was the sickest year for my family. Between me and my family we were all sick about 4 times each last year.

This year I am trying to be more preventative by using Triaminic's Cold and Flu tracker to get a idea about the infection rates in my area, then I plan countermeasures to keep my family from getting sick during this flu season.

I became aware of this little app at work since my job started a campaign with Triaminic about a year ago for their National Sick Day Guidelines campaign. Last year was a nightmare and I don't want to be in the same situation this year.

Does anybody use a Neti pot? I don't get colds with any frequency, but I do seem to get a sinus infection every year/other year or so. I had one over Christmas and, while I purchased a Neti pot this go-around, I haven't used it yet. I just need to get over my nervousness about pouring water into my nose!

Ever since I started working from home, stopped using mass transit (because I moved to a city with essentially none), and basically became a very happy hermit, I have not gotten any colds. Wait, I did have one at Thanksgiving...

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Originally Posted by indysteel

Does anybody use a Neti pot? I don't get colds with any frequency, but I do seem to get a sinus infection every year/other year or so. I had one over Christmas and, while I purchased a Neti pot this go-around, I haven't used it yet. I just need to get over my nervousness about pouring water into my nose!

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I'm thinking about getting one to combat the effects of having chlorinated water in my sinuses every couple of days from swimming. I've never used one before though, so I don't know if it'll help or not.

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Originally Posted by indysteel

Does anybody use a Neti pot?

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Yep- love it! Actually, I use the Sinus Rinse bottle (http://www.neilmed.com/usa/products.php), mostly because I'm uncoordinated. I've managed to chase off sinus infections that normally would have required antibiotics.

The whole "water in the nose" thing does take a little getting used to. I found that it's easier to neti in the shower- that way, I don't have to concentrate on hitting the sink with the waterfall or have tissues and towels handy.

Give it a try. I think you'll find that it makes a difference.

There was a whole thread about sinus irrigation a year or so ago. Do a search on "neti pot."

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Originally Posted by OakLeaf

There was a whole thread about sinus irrigation a year or so ago. Do a search on "neti pot."

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Thanks!