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Tips for dealing with colds

PurpleHippo

Member
Messages
19
Hi there. So this is the first time I’ve had a cold since being diagnosed with type 2. Now, usually I would drink plenty of orange juice, hot lemon and honey and eat Halls/Tunes to deal with the sore throat - but all of these have sugar in them!

Please could you share your top tips for making me feels less miserable and wretched? Im supposed to have an operation to deal with my kidney tumour next week and I was rid of this cold quickly, in the hope that they don’t cancel it
 
The honey, lemon juice etc is not necessary. Just warm drinks. Camomile tea is good.
 
There no cures for a cold, only ways to alleviate the symptoms, paracetamol and/or decongestant perhaps.
 
If you're old enough to remember the Beverly hillbillies comedy programme.
The character Nanny had a potion for colds and flu, which was drink the potion and after ten days, it would cure it.
Of course, a cold would usually last around, yes you've guessed it, ten days!

It's funny how, a cold cure has been investigated for well over a hundred years, and absolutely zilch, zero, nowt!
We have a pandemic and great advances in the medical treatment and prevention with the antiviral injections. And the new antiviral tablets.
 
PurpleHippo said:
Hi there. So this is the first time I’ve had a cold since being diagnosed with type 2. Now, usually I would drink plenty of orange juice, hot lemon and honey and eat Halls/Tunes to deal with the sore throat - but all of these have sugar in them!
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You can get sugar free strepsils (pink ones/box) to help the sore throat for £1 in the pound shop or more expensive in pharmacies, there is also some sugar free cough bottles also if you look out for them. Not medicine but cadburys do a highlights low sugar/carb hot chocolate which is lovely at this time of year to heat you up a little and it defo makes me feel a bit better. I hope you feel better soon. Take care x
 
And lots of TLC
 
I make a hot lemon drink with sweetener and glycerine - the glycerine helps soothe sore throats, you can buy it from a chemist or in the cake ingredients section of larger supermarkets..
 
Options do a lovely mint hot chocolate, it’s low carb & even better with unsweetened almond milk. I take zinc tablets to stop me getting coughs & colds, hope you feel better soon
 
I have always found a really hot curry as an excellent way of treating a cold from the inside out - gets things moving !
 
TriciaWs said:
I make a hot lemon drink with sweetener and glycerine - the glycerine helps soothe sore throats, you can buy it from a chemist or in the cake ingredients section of larger supermarkets..
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This! Although I'm sure I've head that very hot water kills off the vitamin C in the lemon. Maybe prepare with warm water. I also grate ginger into such drinks if I ever have throat issues.
 
I'm currently trying extra large doses of vitamin C, a 1000
And I'm sure a spirit of choice, brandy or whiskey in hot water with lemon juice helps too.

And Vicks on chest or Olbas oil on your pillow
 
I take Berocca to make sure I have enough vitamins to get over the cold quickly. I also take a spoonful of Manuka honey to help my throat fight off any infection. I realise this isn't a low carb or T2 friendly option, but having had so very many throat infections in the past it is more important that I get over a cold quickly.
 
Take a shot of brandy . Brandy has antibacterial components and its high proportion of alcohol helps to get rid of the cold, throat pain and coughing in no time. And it has no carbs win win.
 
When I used to get colds, I found several doses of single malt whisky at night was very effective.

I take booster shots every day and I have not a cold for years.
 
Oh and gargling with salt water for the sore throat too
 
When the clocks go back I probably triple my vitamin c intake , oranges by the hundreds either eaten or squeezed plus kiwi fruit I’m type 1 so probably not applicable to type 2s. I’ve not had a flu jab in about 30 years and never had the cold ( and I do realise that these are different ) I don’t count wee sniffles , paracetamol seems to be the go to remedy or things that contain it
 
Another vote for ginger here, if you like it (no point taking remedies you hate even if they are good) and if you like garlic, that is very medicinal too.
 
zand said:
Oh and gargling with salt water for the sore throat too
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Yes, it does help. Though gargling with either brandy , whisky or dark rum, is my preference. Especially if the gargled liquid slips down my throat.
Always stick with the “Feed a cold , but starve a fever” advice from my granny. Also have plenty of drinks Not necessarily alcohol, just lemon and ginger tea. If coughing have turmeric, and black pepper added to it. Just give in to the duvet days. Most important to avoid spreading it to others.

Best wishes for the surgery, @PurpleHippo. Is it possible that being nervous about it is making your cold feel worse? I always seemed to catch cold the week before due for surgeries. Anaesthetists always deemed it ok to go ahead, as long as no chest infection. Do let us know how you get on.
 
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