<p>Now that the cold and flu season is upon us, I been going through our medicine cabinet and throwing away expired meds. I always have motrin and tylenol on hand. I’d like to know, what have you found to be effective in fighting colds, cough and flu? I like to attack the symptoms, but sometimes that means keeping track of 2-3 meds at a time!</p>
<p>Canadian Nyquil</p>
<p>It’s the same as the “old” Nyquil, before they stopped putting pseudephedrine in it. It may not actually do anything for the symptoms, but you care a whole lot less.</p>
<p>When I have a bad cold, I do best with just 2 advil and 2 benadryl at night. All the combination products scare me since I had a severe reaction once to Nyquil. For coughs, I find hot herbal tea (chamomile is my favorite) with a nice tablespoon of honey does the trick.</p>
<p>seiclan, I like chamomile, too. And a friend turned me on to green tea. I’m starting to like that for the day and chamomile for the evening.</p>
<p>Advil Cold and Sinus Liqui-gels. The only cold medicine everyone in our house will take. Packed a box in D’s college supplies and of course she has needed it. She was very happy she had her ‘magic’ pills.</p>
<p>Mucinex always helps me when I have a cough due to post nasal drip. Love that stuff!</p>
<p>American Nyquil. Does the job for me just fine! I wish I had some Vicodin, too, but alas, I haven’t hurt myself enough to earn any lately.</p>
<p>Ibufrobin, generic claritin and generic benadryl. Triple antibiotic cream and hydrocorticone cream. No cold/flu medications–they make me feel weird. I do use a neti pot though, best thing for sinuses.</p>
<p>I don’t like cold/flu meds. The last time I took something that was supposed to make be drousy it made me feel the opposite. Tylenol (or generic), ibuprofin, antibiotic cream, hydrocortisone cream and benadryl cream are in the cabinet. </p>
<p>When we were in Germany they would give you soothing teas for the flu.</p>
<p>What’s in my medicine cabinet? Bandaids and Neosporin. And some Tylenol, because I can’t have Advil anymore 
But I keep honey lemon herbal tea and a jar of honey in the pantry.</p>
<p>For bad sore throats: Cepacol spray/cough drops or the generic equivalent (active ingredient is phenol, I think). </p>
<p>I’ve never found anything to make a big difference in flu symptoms. But I couldn’t live without aspirin for a variety of other complaints, and it does help a small bit with the aches and fever of influenza. Fortunately, 2 of my 3 kids are now old enough to take aspirin without fear of Reyes syndrome.</p>
<p>Dh, an MD, says that if aspirin were to be discovered today, it could probably never be approved. I don’t like to think about waking up without it.</p>
<p>What I actually found on the linen closet shelf that is our medicine cabinet: about a dozen ace bandages, several gel-ice bags, two old knee braces (one from the ER, one custom), numerous forms and sizes of Band-Aids. (D has had a few sports injuries over the years.) What’s relevant to your question: Advil, Tylenol, saline nasal spray. And, like BunsenBurner, honey/lemon/tea in the pantry; I’m another one who doesn’t like cold/flu meds.</p>
<p>I have many of the same things others have reported, but I also have Vicks VapoRub. Makes me warm and helps me sleep. Not sure it really does anything to help me breathe, though (more of a placebo effect instead). The cat, who usually sleeps with me, won’t come near me when I have that stuff on.</p>
<p>We can’t live without Sudafed, the kind you have to sign your life away to get at the pharmacy. That and Tylenol PM and extra strength Tylenol takes care of my bunch (along with various zit creams, Ace bandages, gauze, bandaids, knee braces, arm slings, neosporin, deodorant, Crest pro-health, poison ivy relief, Listerine and assorted necessities of a family predominantly male.)</p>
<p>Another vote here for Vicks Vaporub, the non-greasy variety in a tube. It really helps stop coughs and makes it easier to breathe if one has nasal congestion. We rub it heavily over neck area and upper chest.</p>
<p>Oh, and I forgot to mention all the lice removing paraphenalia from the time my S had head lice for the entire year (the lice just jumped around from one kid to another the entire school year).</p>
<p>All I need is Vapo Rub and my Neti pot and I can get through the worst winter here : )</p>