Don't know if this is ok to place here, but what if anything do you do for cold and flu's.

I'm in Australia, normally i do nothing, but on Sunday night i was coughing allot, then Monday i woke up with a fever and server coughing, i remember the doctor say once you can take Panadol, so i have taken 2 tablets ever 6 hours since Monday (i think), it seems to have helped, maybe placebo.

So what do you do, i know its probably odd for some of you, but its winter for me.

Encase its an Aussie thing, Panadol is a headache tablet that has 500mgs of paracetamol.

I find hot Lemsip (hot lemon with paracetamol) helps a lot if I have a sore throat with any cold/flu, and helps with aches if it is a flu. Also I've found it can calm things down enough to stop it getting worse if I take it just at the beginning of when my throat gets itchy.

I haven't really had a cold or flu for the last two winters though (maybe a touch of a cold once or twice, but barely noticeable).

Fingers crossed for no swine flu or nothing noticeable - but it's possible one might have it without realising. Even now in summer there are people with the sniffles here in Ireland and its entirely possible some people actually have swine flu. Going to the doctor isn't free here like in the UK for most people, so I'd expect diagnosed cases here to be low. It's about €60 for an ordinary GP visit (i.e. not including the cost of any prescription), and even with health insurance you have to pay that usually - it's only those on low income or unemployed who get a medical card for free care.

I thought about trying those, when i was a kid mum would make lemon and honey with hot water.

Yeah we have that here, PBS based on the UK version.

I usually try anything, but I'm worried about how long you can take Panadol for, how long does it say you can use them lemship for?.

Menthol is a godsend when you have a blocked head. Gum, sweets or whatever, if it has menthol in your head feels a little clearer.

I would also say cough sweets are great.

I think you should only take Panadol for up too two weeks. Lemsip tastes nice but never really does anything for me. I usually just take various types of cough medicine/syrup bought from pharmacies.

Really methanol?, isn't that what drag cars run on.

I wish i could find something for a blocked nose, i have tried Vicks inhalers but they don't seem to do jack.

I have also been doing some research, and it seems its 8x500mg tablets, 4 days in a row for fever, 10 for pain, and i remember it was Tuesday i started so i better stop.

Does anyone use herbal stuff, I'm pretty open to herbal remedies.

Chicken soup and alot of rest, sounds cliche but it always works for me. Catch up on some TV.

Really methanol?, isn't that what drag cars run on.

I wish i could find something for a blocked nose, i have tried Vicks inhalers but they don't seem to do jack.

I have also been doing some research, and it seems its 8x500mg tablets, 4 days in a row for fever, 10 for pain, and i remember it was Tuesday i started so i better stop.

Does anyone use herbal stuff, I'm pretty open to herbal remedies.

Methanol is an extremely toxic substance. Menthol is in a sense a herbal remedy as natural menthol is an extract of peppermint. It is indeed just about the only thing for a headcold/blocked nose.

Paracetamol is pretty much a poison. The body can't actually cope with much more than the recommended dose, which is why here in Ireland now shops can only sell one paracetamol product at a time and indeed the computer systems in the supermarkets have been modified so the check-out can't check more than one paracetamol product. Also the larger packet sizes aren't sold anymore and the high dose ones come in smaller packets.

I wouldn't recommend taking it for more than couple of days. I try to minimise use of it myself - often I'll not use it for headaches unless it's a bad one. Apart from anything else this ensures it has some effect when you take it (the pain relief won't be as good if you take it too frequently). Also, don't drink alcohol if you're taking paracetamol, it lowers the safe dosage limit.

Aspirin doesn't have the same problem (it's mostly beneficial), but it has so many effects that it too has to be used sparingly and indeed it's not suitable at all for some people. However, due to its various beneficial effects, it may be specifically recommended to some people by their doctor.

All in all, drugs are a tricky business and natural substances aren't necessarily better (some indeed essentially *are* drugs).

Oh i misread, yeah well its been about 4 4 1/2 days of maximum use, so i'm stopping.

My mom make this stuff called 'Master Tonic'. This stuff was soo bad, hell kicked it out. But seriously, It hurts like heck going down, but cures almost anything. Excluding cancer and the like. ~LW 8~

I like to take a hot, wet washcloth and let my face soak. It helps to clear out all the junk in my head

Really methanol?, isn't that what drag cars run on.

I wish i could find something for a blocked nose, i have tried Vicks inhalers but they don't seem to do jack.

Two Peppermint oil drops in very hot water works pretty well. Unless it's a really bad clog. ~LW 8~

I like to take a hot, wet washcloth and let my face soak. It helps to clear out all the junk in my head

That works too.

Lots of interesting remedies.