Questions I Probably Shouldn't Share, #001

[athelind]

How much of this amazing green color I'm coughing up is because I'm drinking GatorAde of exactly the same hue?

I tried an experiment last night.

Normally, when I have a cold, I take a minimalist approach to medication, preferring to let my body dispose of the invaders in its own tried-and-true way. Most cold meds just mask the symptoms -- and the symptoms are, by and large, your body trying to Get Rid Of Nasty Crap.

If I have to work or be somewhere, I take generic DayQuil, strictly to be functional. If I'm around people, I want to mask the symptoms, since, of course, coughing and sneezing are also how Happy Mister Virus makes his merry rounds. If I'm sick on a day off, though, I just let things roll. I take Aspirin or Acetaminophen (or alternating between the two) to minimize the worst discomfort. If the coughing is so bad that it makes sleeping difficult, I'll take a tablespoon of honey, which has been showen to be more effective than most OTC cough syrups.

I have discovered the utility and effectiveness of generic Mucinex in Getting Stuff Moving; judicious use of that stuff seems to have reduced the "I'm not sick but I'm still coughing" time by several days.

Last night, I took generic NyQuil liquicaps.

I slept soundly and solidly, but the morning ... mildly crappy. I haven't quite decided if I actually feel worse than I would have otherwise; the sinus headache, mild dehydration, and gummy phlegm seem pretty much equivalent to what I get with Nothing But Aspirin Before Bed. Usually, I need a quart or two of GatorAde and a cup or two of Hot Liquid (caffeinated or otherwise). I'm lagged, mentally, but again, that's pretty typical.

I will note that the liquicaps produce a Morning After that's far, far less harsh than the alcohol-and-corn-syrup concoction of traditional liquid NyQuil.



Hey, I put it behind a cut! I even put "tmi" in the tags!

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Comments

[pen-umbra.livejournal.com]

Cough syrup will always be my utter last resort, as it makes me feel awful (but knocks me out when the physical misery would otherwise be too distracting for good sleep).

This past week I have been sitting here eating honey because I was craving it. I had no idea it was an actual folk-curative. o.o I guess my body knows what it's about better than I do.

If you've got what I got at the con, I hope it lessens its grip post-haste. It's pretty awful.