Here are some non prescription remedies for colds and flu. Having CHF, I shutter at catching the flu. My wife brought it back from DC, she had taken the flu shot two weeks proir],she went to the doctor and reacted to the antibiotic, so here's what we used. Chelated Zinc 100mg Olive leaf extract Grape seed nasal spray 1% [Nutribiotic] Oil of Oregano Clear Lungs [chinese herbs] Astalagus [Immune] Old Indian Wild Cherry Bark syrup [cough] Garlic and onion soup Gypsy Cold Care tea [Traditional Medicinals] Echinachea tea. She had it four days, I tried to get it but it only lasted 24 hrs.
The flu is a viral infection using antibiotics is a waste of money. What we use is yellow dock (rumex crispus) tincture. It tastes like death but it works better than anything I have ever used. Canadian microbiologests tested it and found it to be very effective for flu. OGM P.S. If anyone wants to know I'll write down how you make it.
hi , this will be my first post on this site, yall are great, glad i found yall. anyway we have used elderberry wine to ward off viral colds and flus for the last 10 years with good results. elderberry is an antiviral, it will cut a would be bad cold down to two days if you catch it ontime and start taking the wine about 4 times a day. not talking guzzling either just a couple teaspoons 4 times a day. i usually do it less than that for a general cold, but for the flu or really nasty cold id take it that often. it works really well. even if you dont start taking it imidiately it still cuts down the sick days a lot. we will also take astragalus when available, thats some good stuff.
Elderberries and Influenza Elderberry tincture tested in the laboratory and in double-blind human studies cut the severity and length of Influenza A and B measurably and significantly IF taken at the onset of symptoms and taken appropriately. Laboratory documentation shows elderberry preparations prevent the influenza virus from replicating, thereby preventing an overload of virus in the body, thereby allowing the immune system to do its job of attacking the virus and neutralizing it. Studies do show elderberry preparations do increase some immune system cytokines which in large, overwhelming numbers can be damaging to human tissue, BUT opinions are divided on whether keeping the viral load low outweighs the relatively low percentage of a possible cytokine storm (which is the actual killing cause in known cases of infection by H5N1 known as bird or avian flu). Making elderberry tincture Use any sterilized, glass jar, preferably, quart canning jars for ease of storing, sterilizing, and filling. Fill the jar 1/3 full of dried elderberries (about 5 ½ oz) then fill the jar almost to the top with vodka, not less than 80 proof. Cap the jar securely, give a shake or two, and store in a cool, dark area for 7-10 days. After the 7-10 days, you can strain off the liquid and discard the berry residue. The tincture is now ready to use and tinctures, made with at least 80 proof alcohol, are stable and medicinally potent on the shelf for, conservatively, 5 years or so. Use elderberry tincture Since elderberries medicinal properties work directly on Influenza A or B virus present in the body it is NOT a preventative, so taking it in hopes of avoiding infection will not work. When an adult exhibits symptoms of influenza infection (sudden onset of high fever, dry persistent cough, weakness) take 2 Tablespoons of elderberry tincture every 6 hours for 8-10 days will do the trick. There will be a reduction in symptoms within 2-3 days of taking elderberry tincture but the virsus may still be present so take for the full 8-10 days just like taking an antibiotic for a prescribed treatment course. Reference: THE ABC CLINICAL GUIDE TO ELDER BERRY http://abc.herbalgram.org/site/DocServer/Elderberry-scr.pdf?docID=165
Don't forget vitamin C. Carlton Fredrick's flu treatment; 1000mg at onset of symptoms, 500mg every 2 hours, taken with lots of water. Some folks get the runs if they take too much C but my experience is this doesn't happen when you're sick; the body absorbs every bit of C it can get. When you feel better cut down the C or you will get the runs.
Recent studies show that the reason Vitamin C is so useful is because it makes you thirsty and you drink water to flush out the system. A fried of mine, (a marine corps, officer. told me that the way to get rid of any illness is to drink 2 gal of water with vitamins (thats vita mins) and pleanty of rest). Honestly it has worked every time.
I guess I never got back around to posting how to make the yellow dock tincure. So here goes. Yellow dock root needs to be frozen or boiled to bust crystals in them that over time can do internal damage. For a tincure you want to freeze it. I put my in the freezer for a few days. Then I cut it into small pieces and place them in a mason jar. Next put a cheap vodka in the jar enough to cover the peices of root. Put a lid on it and give it a shaking. Put in a warm dark area. Shake it 2-3 times a day for at least the next 2 weeks (you can leave it longer if you want). You can strain it or just leave the root in it. As long as you you keep it in a dark area it will keep forever. Take 1 tbls 2-3 times a day for an adult. For our daughter we give her 1 tsp 2-3 times a day. Since we started using this none of us have had flu systems for more than 24 hrs. OGM
CBMS, I've been looking at those recent studies and don't trust them. They all seem to be done by institutions funded by some big pharma company. There's a bunch of older, positive studies on C working to stop virus infections. I take lots of C when I get sick and don't get thirsty. Ozarkgoatman, if power goes off we won't have freezers. How long do you boil the root? What happens if you don't?
If you don't have a freezer you can freeze it in the winter as well. Depending on your location of course. To boil it your better off making a decotion (strong tea) out it. To do this cut the root into small pieces put one cup of root in 2 cups of water and simmer untill 1/4 to 1/3 of the water is gone. This won't store like the tincure will. But if you keep it cool it will stay good for a couple of days. OGM
Interesting info at http://www.blackelderberry.info/ on the anti-viral properties of black elderberry extract (Sambucol).
The yellow dock and elderberry info is very interesting. From what I have read having zinc helps because it makes it difficult for the virus to attach in the nasal cavity in the first place. FYI Ham is very high in zinc. I eat a lot of ham because I love ham sandwhiches I haven't had the flu since before I was eating all the ham sandwhiches. Also if I feel like a cold is coing on I do 1-2 shots of vinegar to kill anything on my tonsils before it gets further inside me and makes me sick.
