10 Cold and Flu Home Remedies

Hydrogen Peroxide Sniffing Method!

Posted by Grant (Lafayette, Colorado) on 04/21/2007
★★★★★

I have been using the following method to treat all colds for the past 15 years, and since first trying it, use nothing else to treat colds. I use the cap from the peroxide bottle and put 1/4 cap of peroxide the rest of the cap is filled with water dripped from the faucet. I put a finger over one nostril and sniff the mixture up the other nostril. I repeat this with the other nostril. One cap full (1/4 peroxide 3/4 water) usually will treat both nostrils. When the solution drain down the nostril passage to the throat I spit it out and blow my nose. Guess what? Instant relief then and there not ten minutes later but then and there. When you blow your nose you will be amazed at what come out. This is especially great for head colds,but also sore throat and stops coughing colds as well. I usually only have to do this twice at about 8 hour intervals. After that or by the next morning were talking, what cold? I have not tried using the inhaling through the mouth method since I have discovered that the cold always appears to be in the nostril passage. Even the sore throat symptom is in the nasal passage between the nose and throat and you will feel where it is when the mixture drains down the nostril passage. If you find that a 1/4 peroxide to 3/4 water too strong, i.e., stings too much, use slightly less peroxide and more water. I sniff rather than spray the mixture as I found that spraying does not atomize and coat the entire nostril passage as well as when the mixture is sniffed. Try it and you will also be amazed.

Vitamin C

Posted by Raeofsun13 (Colorado) on 12/25/2018
★★★★★

For colds, this cure has to be done at the first feeling you have a cold. Dose 2500mg every 30-40 minutes until the symptoms subside or you hit bowel tolerance. Bowel tolerance is defined as loose stools or gas. I have done this numerous times and have dosed as high as 30,000 mg in a day before hitting tolerance. The next day, I feel fine. I have been taking Vitamin C for years: 10,000 - 15,000 mg a day is my typical dose. Each person is different and has different needs, our bodies do not produce Vitamin C. During times of stress our body needs more age well. Haven't had a cold in years since I started on Vitamin C daily.

Here are some articles...

Robert F. Cathcart, III, MD - google Vitamin C Protocol

Linus Pauling - google Vitamin C

Frederick R. Klenner, M.D - google Vitamin C

Amazing book by Irwin Stone can be found on this site - https://vitamincfoundation.org/stone/

http://www.doctoryourself.com/vitaminc.html

http://www.doctoryourself.com/klenner_table.html

http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v02n01.shtml

http://www.orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v14n12.shtml

Apple Cider Vinegar, Cayenne

Posted by Danaran (Naples, Fl) on 04/29/2018
★★★★★

1 Mug boiled water

1-2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV w/ "The Mother")

1-2 Tablespoons of raw honey

1/4- 1/2 teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper

Amount of each ingredient should equal tolerance to the strength of the tea. I don't mind spice but you can start with mild strength. ( EX: 1 tablespoon each of ACV and raw honey and 1/4 teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper)

Drink as hot as you can. Repeat 2-3 times daily. This removed all the phlegm in sinuses and throat and had me feeling better in a few hours.

I felt better within 24 hours. Hope this helps!!

Mama's Thai Pumpkin Soup

Posted by Mama To Many (Tn) on 11/19/2017
★★★★★

Okay - I have another recipe for colds and immune support. I am so excited when I find a way to get goodies like fresh ginger and garlic into recipes that actually taste amazing. My husband and I LOVED this one. I think I will be making it often this fall. And it is super simple!

Thai Pumpkin Soup

Blend:

1 14 ounce can pumpkin
1 14 ounce can coconut milk
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 ¼ teaspoons sea salt
¾ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic
2 Tablespoon fresh ginger root

Blend in vitamix (or regular blender if you don't have one).
Heat on stove until hot. Or put in a crock pot on low for 2 hours.

~Mama to Many~

Apple Cider Vinegar, Cayenne

Posted by Mememe (USA) on 06/03/2012

Glad you are feeling better. Just want to point out that if it took you another 7 days to feel better... It might just have been whatever it was running its course. It would be kind of hard to say it was the prescriptions if it took that long to go away I would think. (mo) Just a thought.

Fasting

Posted by Randy (Jersey City, Nj, Usa) on 02/15/2011

I respectfully disagree, organicmama. I've had great results fasting for 1-4 days on various occasions. specific to colds and flus, I occasionally lose my appetite at the beginning, and that is the cue for me to take a short fast. shortens the duration of the illness. unless there is malnutrition involved, the body has plenty of energy stores. a short fast clears out toxins and sets the body to 'reset'. additionally, nothing helps my ibs problem more.

Garlic

Posted by Trixie (Inverclyde, Uk) on 11/06/2010
★★★★★

When I feel a cold starting I take a whole bulb of garlic. I either put it in soup, omelette or make a liver flush smoothie with orange juice, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, ginger and cayenne pepper(you'll either love it or hate it). Next day my cold has gone.

Turmeric

Posted by Velvetnap (NY) on 10/23/2010
★★★★★

I just got over the worst cold/flu that I've had in years: think gallons of snot, sore throat, cough, fever/chills. Turmeric saved the day. I tried the tomato juice remedy and it definitely took the edge off, but I didn't really consistently get better until I added turmeric to the recipe.

Basically, my recipe is (makes enough for 1 day):
2 small or 1 large clove of smashed fresh garlic
1 rounded teaspoon of ground turmeric (organic works better, I tried),
As much cayenne as you can handle without burning yourself. You want it to really heat you up but not burn your stomach.
2 teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar

Simmer those ingredients on the stove in as much water as you would like cups of the brew. 2 or 3 works well. Then sip, gargle and steam your face with the hot brew as you go. You can always dilute if it's too strong. THIS REALLY WORKS. Keep in mind that cayenne and garlic both are stimulating and can actually make you irritated or angry, no kidding; so be aware of that. The turmeric will work wonders on it's own but best with some amount of all three.

I also sipped 1-2 teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar in a large glass of water 2x/day. way better than nasal decongestant. Amazing. (you can skip it in the recipe if you do this)

I've basically completely recovered from the cold but am still taking the tumeric to help with chronic issues that I have. This stuff is amazing, something about producing white blood cells. Feel better! Earth Clinic Rocks!! Chris

Garlic

Posted by Diane (San Jose, Ca) on 11/09/2009
★★★★★

Eating raw garlic shortened my cold to about 2-3 days. On a Thursday morning, I woke up with an awful sore throat and congestion. By Friday evening it had become a full blown cold, so I went to this site to look for remedies. I decided to try the raw garlic by mincing up 3 cloves and eating it in a tortilla with cream cheese. This was just my way of making it palatable to eat. The only side effect was garlic breath, so you might want to eat it at night. By the next morning my sore throat was better and my congestion was minimal. That evening I was able to go out and felt almost better. My cold ended up lasting from Thursday morning until midday Saturday, which is about 2 1/2 days. Usually I have symptoms for up to a week, so this was amazing. I also advise taking lots of vitamin C. The best part is I did not even need cold medicine at all! Very natural and inexpensive.

Hydrogen Peroxide in the Ears

Posted by Anne (Chicago, Il) on 09/24/2009
★★★★★

H2O2 in ear for colds: I get sick almost every month, usually with a bad cold during, or right after, my period. I tried H2O2 in my ears right when I was getting that familiar tingle in the back of my throat and tired feeling I always get before a cold. I used about a half a capful of 3% hydrogen peroxide poured into my ears, one at a time, lying on my side and let it sit and fizz for about 10 minutes each before dumping it out. The itchy feeling started disappearing right away and the next day I wasn't sick as I was sure I would be. I normally get sick for a good week or two when I do, so I was really glad it worked!

Onion

Posted by Gabriela (Pahoa, USA) on 02/01/2008
★★★★★

When I had a cold or the flu in the past, my body could never get rid of it. I always got bronchitis and always had to take anti-biotics to finally stop it all. One day I said to myself with TOTAL determination: I will not allow to get a cold again, because my body can't fight it. Since then I have had only one cold (in 10 years). That one I cured with the juice of one large organic onion per day(made in the Champion juicer) and mixed with fresh orange juice. I had to drink this for 2 days only and was fine again. I regard onion juice as a natural anti-biotic.

Hydrogen Peroxide in the Ears

Posted by Kingq (Chonburi) on 04/11/2016
★★★★★

Works great for me. Have used this remedy two times in the past 3 months. If only I could convince my wife to try it on herself and our son.

Hydrogen Peroxide in the Ears

Posted by Kalki (Kerala, India) on 07/08/2011
★★★★★

I had put hydrogen peroxide in my daughter's ears for mild earache and at the end of 10 mts of fizzing in each ear, she could hear better and the ache was gone. Usually we have to go to the clinic to get them cleaned.

The bonus is that I did it too too and it cleared up my cold. (The first drop you put it in is a bit of a shock and the unfamilair tickly feeling when it fizzes takes a bit of getting used to. ) I had a stuffed nose and itchy throat which normally leads to a chest infection. I had mucus (greenish in the beginning and then clear later) coming down into my mouth from the nose area for three days afterwards. It was a totally new experience for me, feeling the back of my nose from the inside (I can't explain it better! ) and I was wondering what was happening. It was only after my daughter told me that H2O2 is used to cure colds also that it clicked.

So here's a fan of hydrogen peroxide - for earaches, wax and colds.

Lemon Syrup

Posted by Rob (Kentucky) on 11/10/2024
★★★★★

LEMON SYRUP.

From Mrs. De Forrest.

Pare off the yellow rind of the lemon, slice the lemon and put a layer of lemon and a thick layer of sugar in a deep plate; cover close with a saucer, and set in a warm place. This is an excellent remedy for a cold.

From the Book: The Home Cook Book of Formula's, by J. FRED. WAGGONER 1876

COMPILED FROM RECIPES CONTRIBUTED BY LADIES OF CHICAGO AND OTHER CITIES AND TOWNS: ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE HOME FOR THE FRIENDLESS, CHICAGO.

Lemon syrup can have several health benefits, including: Lemon syrup can help treat allergic skin conditions and hay fever. Lemon Syrup is commonly prescribed in children to treat symptoms of allergy such as runny nose, sneezing, itching, swelling, congestion, and watery eyes. It may also help in the treatment of asthma and skin allergies. The peel of the lemon contain almost 10 times more vitamin and mineral content than does the juice. This was a popular home remedy for sore throats back in the 1800's.

Lemon Simply Syrup – Modern Version Recipe:

Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients
– ¾ cup water

– ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

– 1 cup granulated sugar

– ¼ cup (more or less) fresh lemon zest from the peels of the lemons you just squeezed

Instructions
– Put water, lemon juice, sugar, and lemon zest in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.

– Once boiling, lower heat and let mixture simmer for about 10 minutes, until syrup has thickened (note that it will continue to thicken as it cools).

– Strain syrup into a bowl, leaving the zest behind.

– Keep syrup in bowl or pour into a sterile airtight mason jar and place in fridge to cool completely before using.

Dosage: Give one teaspoon to children freely as needed. Adults take one tablespoon

Black Elderberry Syrup

Posted by Veronicac (Tx) on 10/11/2020
★★★★★

I work in different schools for a large school district. I used to get sick a lot. Now I order dried elderberry off Amazon or other websites and make my own syrup. When I feel a sore throat coming on, I take about a tablespoon once an hour. It usually either knocks out the cold completely or cuts the symptoms and time down considerably. You can make a batch and freeze it for when you need it since it can ferment in the fridge if kept too long. There have been studies done that prove elderberry's therapeutic efficacy.

Even my husband, who doesn't like the taste, will ask for it when he is getting sick. It's the only thing I've found that actually works.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Posted by JT (USA) on 04/02/2020
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Hello, My wife and I swab our ears and nostrils with 3% hydrogen peroxide any time we feel a cold coming on and she hasnt had a cold since 2014 and I havent had one since 2016 ( I felt it coming on that night and stupidly waited til the next morning to swab, LESSON LEARNED ). Now I always swab right away.

Vitamin C

Posted by Susan (San Francisco) on 03/01/2020
★★★★★

I woke up with the beginnings of a cold Friday morning. I generally take 1,000 mg of Vitamin C every hour every day. I started taking it (1,000 mg) every half hour and from the hours of 1:30pm – 4:00pm I took it every 15 minutes. I went back to every 1/2 hour after I started getting gassy. I did the same thing on Saturday. Today is Sunday and I'm back to my usual schedule of 1,000 mg every hour and I don't have a cold anymore. The Ascorbic Acid got rid of it FAST. FYI – I'm a 65 year old female and I've never had the flu. I've always gotten colds (bad ones). This is the first cold I've had where I hardly felt like I had one.

Colloidal Silver

Posted by Art (California ) on 01/14/2017 2521 posts

Timh,

Yes, I find the ultrasonic humidifier quite effective and more than capable of delivering an effective dose in just minutes. The oral method is great for going after blood born pathogens, but colloidal silver needs to come into contact or "very close proximity" to pathogens in order to be effective so oral intake is not likely to be very effective for many respiratory issues, but it may be helpful in some cases where pathogens are increasing beyond the respiratory system in which case both methods applied at the same time may be a better option. One problem with an ultrasonic device is that it can cause CS to agglomerate so only small amounts at a time may be a useful thing to do and throw out whatever isn't used.

For people who are using antibiotics, but are having minimal effect or the effects are diminishing, there are quite a few studies suggesting that CS may have synergy with certain broad spectrum antibiotics and in some cases may reverse "resistance" that has developed to a specific antibiotic. Here is a link to an abstract of this type of study:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26970828

Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces. 2016 Jun 1;142:392-9. doi: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2016.03.007. Epub 2016 Mar 4.

Silver nanoparticles strongly enhance and restore bactericidal activity of inactive antibiotics against multiresistant Enterobacteriaceae.

PanáÄek A1, Smékalová M2, VeÄeTMová R3, Bogdanová K3, Röderová M3, KoláTM M3, Kilianová M2, Hradilová Š2, Froning JP2, Havrdová M4, Prucek R2, ZboTMil R2, Kvítek L2.

Abstract

Bacterial resistance to conventional antibiotics is currently one of the most important healthcare issues, and has serious negative impacts on medical practice. This study presents a potential solution to this problem, using the strong synergistic effects of antibiotics combined with silver nanoparticles (NPs). Silver NPs inhibit bacterial growth via a multilevel mode of antibacterial action at concentrations ranging from a few ppm to tens of ppm. Silver NPs strongly enhanced antibacterial activity against multiresistant, β-lactamase and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae when combined with the following antibiotics: cefotaxime, ceftazidime, meropenem, ciprofloxacin and gentamicin. All the antibiotics, when combined with silver NPs, showed enhanced antibacterial activity at concentrations far below the minimum inhibitory concentrations (tenths to hundredths of one ppm) of individual antibiotics and silver NPs. The enhanced activity of antibiotics combined with silver NPs, especially meropenem, was weaker against non-resistant bacteria than against resistant bacteria. The double disk synergy test showed that bacteria produced no β-lactamase when treated with antibiotics combined with silver NPs. Low silver concentrations were required for effective enhancement of antibacterial activity against multiresistant bacteria. These low silver concentrations showed no cytotoxic effect towards mammalian cells, an important feature for potential medical applications.

--------------------------

The following abstract suggests that similar synergistic effects are likely in animals as well:

Vet J. 2016 Mar;209:174-9. doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2015.10.032. Epub 2015 Oct 22.

Enhanced antibacterial effect of antibiotics in combination with silver nanoparticles against animal pathogens.

Smekalova M1, Aragon V2, Panacek A3, Prucek R1, Zboril R1, Kvitek L1.

Author information

Abstract

Antibiotic resistant bacteria are a serious health risk in both human and veterinary medicine. Several studies have shown that silvernanoparticles (AgNPs) exert a high level of antibacterial activity against antibiotic resistant strains in humans. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial effects of a combined therapy of AgNPs and antibiotics against veterinary bacteria that show resistance to antibiotics. A microdilution checkerboard method was used to determine the minimal inhibitory concentrations of both types of antimicrobials, alone and in combination. The fractional inhibitory concentration index was calculated and used to classify observed collective antibacterial activity as synergistic, additive (only the sum of separate effects of drugs), indifferent (no effect) or antagonistic. From the 40 performed tests, seven were synergistic, 17 additive and 16 indifferent. None of the tested combinations showed an antagonistic effect. The majority of synergistic effects were observed for combinations of AgNPs given together with gentamicin, but the highest enhancement of antibacterial activity was found with combined therapy together with penicillin G against Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae. A. pleuropneumoniae and Pasteurella multocida originally resistant to amoxycillin, gentamicin and colistin were sensitive to these antibiotics when combined with AgNPs. The study shows that AgNPs have potential as adjuvants for the treatment of animal bacterial diseases.

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I am curious as to what type of colloidal silver you are using and if you are making it or buying it? What color if any could you compare it to? Is the CS crystal clear even if it has color? How many parts per million is it? Is it capped?

Thank you!

Art

Neti Pot with Peroxide and Sea Salt

Posted by Mama To Many (Tennessee) on 08/04/2016
★★★★★

Over the weekend I could tell I was starting to get a head cold. Because I really hate having a stuffy nose, I decided to attack that issue first and foremost. In 24 hours I used the neti pot 4-5 times. I boiled water and cooled it to warm. I added a capful of hydrogen peroxide and 1/4 teaspoon sea salt to the warm water in the neti pot.

I also used peroxide in my ears several times and had a mug or two of hot vinegar tea. (Apple cider vinegar, honey and hot water.)

The cold completely fizzled out. I think the neti pot nipped the whole thing in the bud.

Ideally for a cold I would have taken extra vitamin C, zinc and gotten more rest. But I had a house guest, a busy weekend and probably had less sleep than normal.

The neti pot takes a bit of getting used to, but the wonderful feeling of clean sinuses makes me want to use it.

Always boil and cool water (or used distilled water) when using the neti pot to avoid risks of bacteria and parasites in the water causing trouble much worse than a cold!

~Mama to Many~