Natural Remedy people?

~Dixie's_Mom~

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#1
Any pointers on getting rid of a cold? I get sick SO often with sinus infections. I have been to the doctor SO often in the past few months. I have been on 3 different antibiotics just in the past 2 months or so, and it finally knocked out my infection and here I am again with a sore throat, stopped up nose, coughing constantly, tons of drainage and coughing up stuff, headache from all the congestion, etc. now this just started Monday night, so is there hope to catch this before it becomes a sinus infection? I'm trying hard. I have been taking vitamin c (1000mg), Claritin(I always take that), using the neti pot once or twice a day, taking alkaseltzer plus daytime and nighttime, using nasocort/nasacort (nasal spray), and drinking tons of fluids (had probably 150-200oz of water yesterday). What else can I do? I'm so sick of doctors offices and antibiotics!
 

Barb04

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#2
I think you're doing everything you can do. I'm in TN and having the same thing happen ever since these bad storms came through. If I don't have the window open at night for some fresh air, I at least put the humidifier on to help.
 

AllieMackie

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#3
Spicy food for the sinuses.

I'm a fan of a strong hot toddy before bed. Tea, a shot of lemon juice, spoonful of honey and a double shot of whiskey. Some say it's "homeopathic" I say I sleep better. Be careful not to take meds with the toddy though, because alcohol.
 

*blackrose

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#4
And totally not a natural remedy, but you're sure the illnesses don't have an underlying cause? My sister was SUPER prone to colds, sinus infections and ear infections when she was younger. Like, it was bad. She was had them and could never shake them, even with meds. Turns out she needed her adenoids removed and once that was done...no more issues.
 

GoingNowhere

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#5
Okay take this with a grain of salt because I just bought this yesterday at the recommendation of my professor who is big into Chinese medicine ( he's an acupuncturist , but he uses herbs occasionally). He recommended olive leaf tincture to get rid of colds. Apparently it has anti viral properties. Look up olive leaf glycerite on amazon and you'll see reviews... Thats what I bought. I used two dropper fulls as recommended on the bottle and this morning I still have phlegm but it was not in my throat or nostrils, just behind my soft palate. Took two more this morning so we'll see! I'm crossing my fingers I found a miracle herb! Apparently it's best used at the very onset of a cold, but I'm hoping that it can help me rid myself of one too.

I bought it at the local natural foods store. They also sold capsules but I decided I may as well do what my professor had recommended.

It tastes like hay. I've been mixing it with a bit of water and I don't mind it, but it definitely isn't something you'd drink just because you like it!

I had previously tried gargling salt water ( and even snorting salt water... Yuck!), eating vitamin c/echinacea gummies, and using zicam dissolve in mouth tablets with zinc.
 

Beanie

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#6
This might sound crazy and it could be totally unrelated but... before I stopped eating gluten, I got sinus infections a LOT. About twice a year, and every time, it was guaranteed to turn into bronchitis. It would knock me out for a minimum of a full month. Since I stopped eating gluten (almost three years ago now I think?), I have only been that sick one time. Otherwise I will have like a day, maybe two, where I am not feeling 100%, I've got a sore throat or my head feels really foggy... and then bam, the next day I'm fine.

It seems weird to be related but I feel like it is, because that's the only thing that changed between when I was sick a lot and not being sick a lot. My co-workers here get sick ALL THE TIME and I never catch anything from them. The whole no-more-gluten-because-your-body-hates-gluten thing seems to have my immune system where it should be and it steamrollers over most illnesses.

I also think my immune system improved somewhat when I was working out regularly, but definitely not with the night and day change from when I stopped eating gluten. I know you mentioned trying a gluten free diet before, how did that go? Do you think it might be worth trying again?

Otherwise I agree with checking to see if there's anything else going on. I had an MRI done on my brain a few years ago for something unrelated and the doctor said I have chronic inflammation of the sinuses, which is probably what caused my problems. If my sinuses were already inflamed just as a normal state of being, any minor irritation was quick to cause major issues. (I'm not normally one of those who's on board the whole GLUTEN CAUSES INFLAMMATION bus, and I haven't had another MRI since to see if it has changed since I'm no mo' gluten, but that is another possibility.) It didn't really give me any answers to STOP from getting sick, but it at least shed some light on what was going on. He mentioned that if it continued, I might be a candidate for surgery one day, I don't even know what that meant because as soon as I hear surgery I'm practically running for the door, but it sounded like there was something they could do to reduce the inflammation.


For the immediate, the only thing I could take that would help even slightly when I was sick was Sudafed, the real stuff you have to get from the pharmacy, not the stuff you can pick up in the aisle. It wasn't very easy on my stomach but it was the only thing that could make me feel human again. Sinus infections are a serious PITA, I'm sorry!

ETA: I forgot - I use this for when the sore throats are killer, too. It doesn't resolve the issue but it did make it stop hurting for a few hours at least so I could get at least a bit of sleep (my sore throats would be so bad it would keep me awake at night.)
http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/p/quantum-herbal-sore-throat-spray-4-fl-oz-spray/qt-1043

It tastes like ass, no joke. SO disgusting. But it works.
 
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#7
I used to be the same way, had sinus infections and problems constantly. Doing nasal flushes 3-4 times a day and warm washcloth compresses in between a few times a day at the first sign of symptoms is what really turned things around for me.

I haven't had a sinus infection in years (knock wood). Although I haven't had a lot of problems I used to get a lot when I was younger in years so I suspect with age comes a better-trained immune system.
 

MandyPug

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#8
I used to get sinus infections a lot when I consumed a lot of dairy. Now i've cut it out almost completely and i've had like one cold in a couple years.

Gluten and Dairy seem to be pretty big culprits in chronic sinus congestion from what i've read.
 

Elrohwen

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#9
It's not exactly a natural remedy, but have you been tested for allergies and considered shots? I have mild seasonal allergies (less than many people I know), but getting allergy shots significantly reduces the number of sinus infections I get and I'm able to recover much faster from colds. Without shots I get 3-5 sinus infections per year, all with antibiotics and some with steroids to treat. On allergy shots, I get 1 sinus infection every 2-3 years. For me, it's related to my immune system response I guess and the shots seem to tame that. I'm also allergic to things that aren't particularly seasonal (molds, dust, etc).

I've also seen benefits from flushing my sinuses a couple times a day. The netipot didn't work for me, but the one that is a squeeze bottle works better. The netipot just flows and doesn't put pressure behind the water, so when my nose is really stuffed up it doesn't do anything. The squeeze bottle type puts some pressure behind the water and actually gets things out.

I would also recommend Mucinex since it loosens mucus and gets it out. During a sinus infection, Claritin can actually make things thicker and then it's harder to get out. I've had doctors recommend that I stop taking allergy medicine when I have a sinus infection.
 
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#10
I don't use a neti pot, either. I just get 30 or 60 cc syringes from work and stick a tip on them that is meant for nasal bordetella vaccines but works great for nasal flushes. It's astonishing the crap that flushes out with just a little bit of pressure. Gross.
 
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#11
Just to add what another person said, my sister used to get BAD sinus infections, very bad, had to be hospitalized bad once, turned out she had inhaled a piece of foam as a young child and it had lodged in her sinus, and grown fungus. Once it was removed and her body got rid of the toxins and what not she has had few infections or colds at all.
 

~Dixie's_Mom~

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#12
I didn't have a chance to read trough all responses, but I wanted to add a few things.

I have had both my tonsils and adenoids removed (at 10 years old) and had sinus surgery (at 17 years old) to remove cysts and polyps that were on my sinuses. I also had a deviated septum that was fixed. I went without sinus infections for over a year after my surgery but they are back now. Maybe I have more cysts and polyps? They can come back. I can't afford another surgery though. I don't have insurance and even with it, the cost would be astronomical. The only way I afforded mine before was finding a doctor that would do it pro bono and my parents only just recently paid off the last of the bills for the cost of the surgery room, lab work, etc, etc. Only the doctor was free lol.

Also, I don't actually use the netipot I should have been more specific. I call it a netipot but it is the squeeze bottle version.

Dairy does tend to make me more phlegm-y and I always drink tea instead of coffee when I'm sick because the milk makes me worse. I guess I should limit it even when not sick and see if it works.

As for gluten, that is something my mom has been trying to convince me of. She is convinced that I have Hashimotos if you've ever heard of that. She bought me a book on it that I have yet to read. I think I am going to go gluten free and see if it helps.
 

Elrohwen

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#13
Just wanted to add something about my allergy shot experience: I have been on and off shots for probably 14 years, so I've had a lot of opportunity to test the effects. Without fail, every time I quit the shots (usually because I move and am too lazy to find a new doctor) I end up with horrible sinuses within a year or two. Once I go back on the shots, I'm healthy again.

I've also had a bunch of sinus surgeries (6 I think?). Every couple years I had to get another one because the polyps and fungus stuff were back. Once I started allergy shots I never needed another surgery.

I've never tried going gluten or dairy-free. I just know that I wouldn't stick with either - I love them too much! I might consider it if the shots stop working though.
 

Beanie

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#14
If you suspect Hashimoto's, going gluten free will help but you will most likely also need medication. I know what it's like though... I have insurance, but it's not very good and I can't afford to use it. For months I have been thinking I need to have my thyroid checked too, but I can't afford to have it done. Plus if it IS my thyroid I know it will just result in more doctor's appointments while monitoring and trying to get the meds right, more stuff I can't afford. It sucks. =/ I feel you there. But if you think it's Hashimoto's, you should give gluten free a shot. One of the girls on Nerd Fitness found out she had Hashimoto's after she started eating paleo and now she eats a pretty strict auto-immune version of paleo, and I think she's been able to do a lot to control it without meds (although she is seeing a doctor too.)

I've never tried going gluten or dairy-free. I just know that I wouldn't stick with either - I love them too much!
It's amazing how something like no longer being sick all the time, not having to plan your life around food, and finding out that no, your toilet-hugging habits are in fact NOT normal, and how shockingly bad it is when you accidentally gluten yourself and you think "I used to feel like this ALL THE TIME and I thought it was NORMAL?!" will change your perspective on food. It's true that sometimes I still miss stuff. I wish I could eat Oreos. After the half this weekend, they had free pizza for the runners, I could smell it, everywhere I looked runners were stuffing pizza in their faces, and I wanted a piece of pizza SO BAD. But 99% of the time, it's just not worth it. Being healthy and strong... always worth it.
 

Elrohwen

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#15
It's amazing how something like no longer being sick all the time, not having to plan your life around food, and finding out that no, your toilet-hugging habits are in fact NOT normal, and how shockingly bad it is when you accidentally gluten yourself and you think "I used to feel like this ALL THE TIME and I thought it was NORMAL?!" will change your perspective on food. It's true that sometimes I still miss stuff. I wish I could eat Oreos. After the half this weekend, they had free pizza for the runners, I could smell it, everywhere I looked runners were stuffing pizza in their faces, and I wanted a piece of pizza SO BAD. But 99% of the time, it's just not worth it. Being healthy and strong... always worth it.
Now that I have the sinus stuff under control, I guess my health issues aren't bad enough that I could see myself really going gluten or dairy free. I do get a ton of headaches and I've heard it could help with those. My mom gets similar headaches and went gluten free for about a month and it didn't change things for her, so that is giving me an excuse not to try it for myself. Haha
 

~Dixie's_Mom~

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#16
Okay take this with a grain of salt because I just bought this yesterday at the recommendation of my professor who is big into Chinese medicine ( he's an acupuncturist , but he uses herbs occasionally). He recommended olive leaf tincture to get rid of colds. Apparently it has anti viral properties. Look up olive leaf glycerite on amazon and you'll see reviews... Thats what I bought. I used two dropper fulls as recommended on the bottle and this morning I still have phlegm but it was not in my throat or nostrils, just behind my soft palate. Took two more this morning so we'll see! I'm crossing my fingers I found a miracle herb! Apparently it's best used at the very onset of a cold, but I'm hoping that it can help me rid myself of one too.

I bought it at the local natural foods store. They also sold capsules but I decided I may as well do what my professor had recommended.

It tastes like hay. I've been mixing it with a bit of water and I don't mind it, but it definitely isn't something you'd drink just because you like it!

I had previously tried gargling salt water ( and even snorting salt water... Yuck!), eating vitamin c/echinacea gummies, and using zicam dissolve in mouth tablets with zinc.
Any news on this stuff?

I ended up just going to the doctor. Sinus infection of course. My an of action currently is to switch from Claritin to Allegra and also quit gluten and see if that helps any. We shall see!!
 

GoingNowhere

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#17
Sorry this took me so long to respond to! I read it and then kept forgetting to come back to it.

It's hard to say if the tincture worked or didn't - that said, it had no negative side effects for me, so the only real negative was the $10 price tag. That said, my cold is basically gone (though it's hard to say if that was juts a result of my body and time or if the tincture helped). It has great reviews for viral infections though, so I absolutely plan to keep it on hand and test it again in the future when I feel a cold coming on.

My concern is that it's possible it my cold stemmed from a bacterial infection instead of a viral infection and olive leaf apparently doesn't work particularly well for the former. While this may be way TMI, I've had yellow colored mucous above my soft palate in the mornings upon waking for quite some time now. Now it's going away in an hour or two after waking (and blowing my nose), but the mornings are still the same. Apparently the coloring of the mucous speaks to whether its a bacterial infection or not, and yellow is a sign of bacteria.

Anyhow, I bought a homeopathic remedy (kali sulphuricum) which I am now trying. I'm a science person, so it's hard for me to wrap my head around homeopathic remedies (which are so dilute that the active ingredient basically isn't even there), but again, for $7, I figured it was worth a shot. This stuff is apparently for sinus issues with yellow colored mucous. Who knows. I may have spent $7 on sugar pills - but hey, if it even works because of the placebo effect, I'll be happy.

As for the olive leaf, I haven't given up. This is the amazon link btw:
http://www.amazon.com/Foods-Olive-G...99501095&sr=8-1&keywords=olive+leaf+glycerite

As a side note - the olive leaf tincture tastes like hay.
 

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