Things I Want When I’m Sick 2

Here’s a list of my favorite things I want when I’m sick or for treating common colds.

1. You can shorten colds with zinc. You must get zinc lozenges like these that adhere to the science. They take 30 minutes to dissolve in your mouth and supply 12-18mg of zinc to the surrounding tissues. This is clinically proven to shorten colds if you take it every 2 hours to prevent viral replication. Ideally, you should also take 3mg of copper with meals while on your zinc regimine. Because zinc is is an excellent chelator, it binds to copper, and can lead to an eventual copper deficiency if you don’t replace the copper in your diet.
   (Ref: Chris MasterJohn, PhD in Nutrition; https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/2016/12/26/zinc-definitely-fights-colds-youre-probably-using-wrong-kind/ )
2. Elderberry extract is also legitimately anti-viral, even for COVID-19. I love the flavor of elderberry so much I wish I could have an elderberry infused cocktail appear in my hand right now.
3. For a stuffy nose, Afrin is a miracle product. I sometimes alternate using it in one nostril every night before sleep as it increases my sleep quality even when I’m not fighting a cold.
4. If you like to use a saline sinus rinse, pick one with with a wide nozzle that creates a seal on your nostril, not one of the skinny ones. The nozzle shape makes all the difference in the world. If you can create a seal it is the most economical use of the saline liquid, and you can use the pressure to clear your sinuses out completely and be able to breathe again. For your information, saline has a pH balance that is soothing to your sinuses. Regular water is not a substitute for saline water and is quite painful.
5. A numbing spray for a sore throat.
6. I buy DayQuil for the day and add ZzzQuil to it if I’m going to bed (same as NyQuil).  Shout out to Walgreens’ Wal-Sleep-Z which has the best flavor, but it’s not available on Amazon.
7. Old school: For sore throat I also like Whiskey and Honey.  Whiskey is topically antibacterial, and so is honey. Honey is so hygroscopic that is steals water for itself on a molecular level, dehydrating bacteria….to death.  P.S. It is best to think about death when you’re sick. It makes you feel better.
8. For stomach cramps when vomiting, I wait until vomiting has occurred and then I immediately chew up 800mg of ibuprofen pain reliever tablets so that I can absorb it before I vomit again. I do that because that’s what I have on hand. But ideally you should have some fast-acting rapid-dissolve ibuprofen stocked for this occasion.
9. I also like lemon and Sprite when vomiting, because lemon Sprite tastes like lemon Sprite no matter which direction it is headed.
10. The Big Guns: For nasal congestion and/or runny nose, if you go to your pharmacist counter and ask for pseudoephedrine, you get the good stuff that they hide from you. You will likely be required to show an ID to purchase it, but it doesn’t require a prescription. For example, what you probably want is pseudoephedrine 120mg with a 12 hour release. This stuff works as a stimulant so it may not be good before sleep, but it makes you feel like a million bucks during the day. It is kept HIDDEN BEHIND THE PHARMACIST COUNTER. You aren’t going to find it in the isles. You’re probably sick and delirious right now so I’m adding emphasis. 🙂

I hope you feel better soon!