Quote Originally Posted by itself View Post
I have even tried the eucalyptus drops in boiling water. The Nyquil is not touching this and it usually does. I hate medicine!!

And I want to go for a bike ride....
Is it a dry cough or is there mucus? (I really hate the word "mucus." I also hate having it...)

If the m word is involved, and you're otherwise feeling strong, a bike ride might actually help. Before I started taking daily meds for asthma, I used to get bad coughs every time I got a cold. One year as I was recovering from a cold in June-July, I went out for a long bike ride and found that all that heavy breathing worked wonders for clearing my lungs. It was very unladylike and generally gross, but I coughed up lots of stuff, and it helped me get over the cold once and for all.

These days, I focus on decongestants to minimize post nasal drip. I do not like the side effects, especially if I need to take Sudafed, but sometimes it's necessary. I will also sleep sitting up, or semi-sitting-up propped up on lots of pillows.

For a dry cough, if it's really bad I will take a cough suppressant at night. Those drugs leave me loopy for days, so I only take them if they're really necessary.