FOR REALS?!

[laceblade]

Okay, so seriously, I can't remember ever feeling this congested. My throat doesn't hurt when I swallow, but when I try to use my voice, I sound like chain-smoking grandmother or a soft-spoken 12-year-old, depending on how recently I've coughed. I spent most of the day blowing my nose, but now it's like I can just feel two heavy weights, on the center of my chest and behind my nose, into my throat. I just started taking some Comtrex, which has gotten rid of some of my more terrible colds in the past.

Does anyone have good home remedies, or advice? It's raining and I don't want to go outside, :(

Currently, my remedies have been: Wash my sheets so that I can try to sleep better tonight, Not go to tomorrow's Liturgy meeting, Not go to Ballroom Dance if I still feel this poorly, and elevate my upper body at night with lots of pillows (even though it made me wake up a few times last night).

Any good foods, body contortions, or simple advice are welcome!

Comments

[sasha-feather.livejournal.com]

I have years of experience with sinusitis... my problems usually aren't in my chest, but I think the same stuff applies:

--steam. stand in the shower, take multiple showers a day, put water on the stove to heat up and humidify the air.
--decongestants such as sudafed, though the side effects sometimes get to me.
--OTC painkillers such as ibuprofen, aspirin, or tylenol. They will help with inflammation and body aches.
--hot liquids such as tea and soup. Make sure you drink enough H20, because that will help thin out the gunk.

Hope you feel better soon!

[mystickeeper.livejournal.com]

Tea! A good suggestion! I'm not sophisticated enough for "real" stuff, but I do have a lot of bag tea. I went downstairs, and found some lemon tea that's caffeine-free (I don't want to be up all night!). Apparently, this stuff has extra vitamin C in it, too.

I look forward to tonight's shower, for sure.

I was taking Tylenol on Saturday when my body ached, for sure. I'm hesitant to mix it with the Comtrex, though, since I don't really know what I'm doing. Luckily, the body ache stuff has passed!

Maybe I'll bring soup to work with me tomorrow for lunch. I should make sure to drink lots of water, too.

Thank you for the good advice!

You're welcome

[sasha-feather.livejournal.com]

You know, it's OK to call in sick to work and get some extra rest. :)

Tylenol is pretty mild and safe-- as long as the Comtrex doesn't have acetometaphin in it already, you can keep taking tylenol if you want to.

[lavendersleeves.livejournal.com]

And nyquil or something similar to make sure you get enough sleep at night. Uninterrupted sleep is really important.

[antarcticlust.livejournal.com]

Sounds like laryngitis. Don't cough, if you can - that irritates the larynx more.

I like Thera-Flu (lemon), which packs a punch both for sleep and wakefulness, depending on the formula. My personal favorite home remedy is hot water, lemon juice, honey, and cayenne pepper, nice and hot. You'll figure out the right ratio for your taste, but it should be nice and lemony. It's actually pretty good - tastes like a hot, spicy lemonade.

Feel better soon!

[mystickeeper.livejournal.com]

It takes me forever to reply to comments, but your water/lemon juice/honey/cayenne pepper sounds like something I might try next time. I did end up going with some citrus tea that had spice in it, though, so maybe it was similar.