Cartwright's Cold Cure

I posted this last year, but since I just earned a cold last night and I'm going through it again, I thought I would share with my brethren. Like "Granny" on the Beverly Hillbillies, this isn't a cure, but I swear that it cuts the cold duration, and it reduces the symptoms very quickly.

Zicam or zinc lozenges every 3 hours. I had one at 8:30 last night, at 11:30, woke up at 3 a.m. (not intentionally, but I do that), had another, at 6 a.m., at 9 a.m., and again at noon. This is a real key to attacking it early. I recommend doing this at least 2-3 days. I'm torn whether it has any impact after that time or not. If you're lucky, the cold will be 90% gone by 3 days anyway.

Bombarding vitamin C. Yeah, I know you urinate most of it out. But I believe in it. I usually take something like the Emergen-C drink about 3 times a day. I don't remember what that is, but it's something like 3000% of the recommended daily amount.

Neti-pot. Congestion or runny nose? Get that out. Use a neti-pot, saline rinse aggressively. Helps tremendously with the symptoms, reduces swelling of the nasal membrane, loosens the gunk in there. For years this was recommended to me, and I thought it was the most disgusting thing ever, and refused to do it. I finally was so desperate, I thought I would try anything, and bought it and tried it. I don't use it prophylactically, but any time I have a sinus issue, whether allergies or a cold, sinus infection, etc., I use it up to about 4 times a day.

During the day, I will also combine that with a 12-hour sudafed, and that works very well together. It will keep you up at night, so I do not use the sudafed at night, although I have tried the 24-hour version, and it sometimes isn't too bad. But I'll also wake up sometime and feel "wired" when using it, so I fell back to this.

At night, **if needed**, I will use a saline spray to relieve the congestion, if the neti-pot isn't enough.

There you go. Cartwright's Cold "Cure." No, it isn't a cure--but it will make you feel better more quickly.

Thanks for the post, Darrell. I'm a real baby when I get a cold--not quite as bad as this guy, but close:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-qra604RbU

So anything I can do to get over it quicker, I'll give it a shot. And hope you feel better, too.

I can't take sudafed, screws up the prostrate plus keeps me awake nor does it help me.

The zicams I take, but never tried the nasal thing.

Since I began taking annual flu shots a number of years ago and with a daily dose of aspirin, i seldom have any cold, flu or allergy symptoms. My doc also told me if I wanted to take a daily tablet of zyrtec to have at it. I backed away from the daily zyrtec, but keep it with me at all times. The minute I feel any swelling in the nose, face or throat or develop a runny nose, I pop one and feel much better in about an hour. I don't know what if any co-relation there may be, but I am not about to change anything.

I feel 90% better after 2 days. This is what it does. But...the one bad thing about zicam or zinc lozenges is that all food tastes awful because of that metallic taste. Really screws up eating for several days.

Well, I had a chance to try this Friday. I started feeling "puny" with a low-grade fever, body aches and a scratchy throat, so went and grabbed Zicam and 500 mg Vitamin C chewables. Was prepared to go Neti-pot if I felt congested, but that never developed. Took the Zicam every 3 hours and pounded the Vitamin C, and started feeling a little better Saturday. By last night I was over whatever was trying to get me. So thanks for the tip, Darrell--aside from the metallic taste, everything worked out great.

Glad it worked, BEvans. I believe in this very strongly. It has to be done just as you did it. I do not think it will fail.

Neti-pot if you are either congested, or runny nose, or if your membranes are swollen. Generally that happens to me every cold I get. So I do that without fail, but there's no reason (in my mind) to use it unless you have one of those conditions.)

I had a great time in Memphis, outdoor at soccer matches watching both my son and my nephew from New Orleans, who was playing in the same tournament, and going to the Grizzlies game. I would not have had a great time had I felt poorly. The recipe saved me.

In fairness--and I'm not sure if I mentioned this above--but generally, it makes me like 90-95% in no time. It's that last 5-10% that may linger on, but I can live with that. (OH--and I OFTEN slow down my consumption of the zinc after 2 days because I am feeling better, and it messes with my taste. So that may have something to do with it, too.)

Good article on the use of zinc (spoiler, use the lozenges only, allow them to dissolve slowly, and make sure they are at least 13 mg). They say you aren't supposed to have more than 40 mg in a day, but it is ok for a short period, like the 3-5 days you'd be taking the lozenges during the cold.

They WILL lessen the severity and shorten the duration of the cold.

Zinc is often touted as a way to fight the common cold. But while research suggests it does work, there are some caveats. Tod Cooperman, MD, president of the independent testing group ConsumerLab.com, provides the scoop:

Zinc helps treat—not prevent—a cold

Popping zinc within 24 hours of the start of symptoms helps shorten your sniffle, according to a 2013 Cochrane review. The authors say significant effects were seen at doses of at least 75 mg (the equivalent of three or four lozenges) per day, taken as long as your cold lasts. How does it work? The theory, according to the Mayo Clinic, is that zinc may keep cold viruses from multiplying.

http://abcn.ws/1zHVWmo