Teh illness - with bonus question for biochem peoples.

[andrewducker]

Spent this afternoon feeling increasingly shivery and dead of brain.

Have retired home to take medicine and watch Studio 60.

Question for all you smart-uns out there. Is it better to take lemsip (paracetomol+pseudoephedrine+pholcodine) in order to feel better, or does doing so prolong the length of the illness by preventing your body from dealing with it as it was going to?

Comments

[guyinahat.livejournal.com]

Only if you mixed 50/50 with bourbon.

[themongkey.livejournal.com]

It's better to take Night Nurse.

But to answer your question... if cold remedies actively interfered in a measurable way with the immune response I doubt they'd be able to keep that one quiet. Although some studies indicate fever may be a useful part of the body's fight against disease, so anything that works against that (e.g. paracetamol) could conceivably delay recovery.

In summary, then - hmm.

[andrewducker]

It was the fever bit I was wondering about...

But I think I'll take the medicine anyway - better that it take slightly longer and I feel less crap.

[i-ate-my-crusts.livejournal.com]

Take the drugs. Your body takes 3 days, usually, to mount a solid immune reaction (or it's already started its cascade, depending) and the only thing you can really do to help is stay warm.

[akicif.livejournal.com]

There may be all sorts of reasons for taking or not taking medication, but the "prolongs illness by preventing your body from sorting things for itself" is one of the most nonsensical....

I have to admit I favour the "hot locket", though: a measure each of Old Krupnik (honey vodka) and Citronowska (lemon ditto) in hot water - a dash of chili vodka is optional....

[andrewducker]

Well lemsip doesn't actually _cure_ you, it merely prevents symptoms (fever and coughing), and as themongkey already pointed out, fever is the body's self defense mechanism.

[akicif.livejournal.com]

Um. "some studies indicate fever may be a useful part of the body's fight against disease" .NE. "fever is the body's self defense mechanism".

There are also indications that fever is a side-effect of the immune reaction.

[octopoid-horror.livejournal.com]

In my experience, people who sit in bed for day saying how ill they are, sniffing and doing nothing take a lot longer to get better than people who continue with their daily lives (while taking medicine, of course)

[vereybowring.livejournal.com]

From long experience and experimentation the only thing in flu remedies that does anything is the paracetamol.
Take normal paracetamol and drink vitamin C of your preference.
Personally I drink ribena (assuming stomach settled), take paracetamol but alternating four hourly doses with ibuprofen and take multivitamin tablets also to bolster defences (although make sure you don't take them at the same time as the pain killers or the vitamins can be destroyed)

[robhu.livejournal.com]

I'm imagining you whipping these people as they toil away, producing vast riches for you.

[thadrin.livejournal.com]

Being picky its pharmacists, not Biochemists you want.

Still, as one of the latter (from the days when our alma mater still taught it) I know that those drugs treat the symptoms, they're not a cure. Anti-inflammatory stuff. Did you know Codeine turns into the same metabolites as Heroin? Codeine being an opiate.

In all honesty you're best off - as someone said - with a crap load of water and some rest. Vitamin C if you want, but bear in mind you'll be pissing any excess out. This is why those tablets you can get are a waste of time. Orange juice is good. In fact I'd imagine anything that would be a good Hangover cure would be a good choice.

Try my patented Cold treatment: 1 measure cheap whisky, 1 measure lemon juice, 1 generous dollop of honey, fill up with boiling water. Druink quickly as possible. Tastes good, has pretty much all you'll need in it and it works.

[laserboy.livejournal.com]

Take what you need to get through work. Rest as much as possible when not in work and drink plenty of fluids. I'm with N on this.

[meaningrequired.livejournal.com]

This is true, and people who get out of bed sooner when in hospital also recover faster!!

[davidcook.livejournal.com]

I generally don't bother with painkillers/pharmaceuticals for a cold, unless it's really bad. Normally I drink water and ginger beer (the proper stuff with actual ginger in, not ginger-flavoured soft drink), put extra spices on my dinner (garlic, chilli powder, etc), and use Olbas oil if I get clogged up.
(and since I had glandular fever, about 12 years ago, with constant high fevers for about two weeks, I haven't been too bothered by a day or two of fever during a cold)

[thadrin.livejournal.com]

Reminds me of a friend's cure:
Take a thumb sized piece of Ginger. Peel and slice thinly. Put into boiling water and simmer for about twenty minutes. Add brown sugar until it's drinkable and then drink it. Kicks your arse but damn it works.

[cairmen.livejournal.com]

If you have sinus problems, pseudoepedrine may actually be very helpful, as it'll reduce the chances of getting sinus infections.

I think.

Also, lots of fluid (because you'll be losing it at silly rates) and keep warm.

[surliminal.livejournal.com]

Is that the Studio 60 someone left for ME?

Lemsip rocks, esp with whisky as hot toddy, ignore everyone..

[soon_lee]

I'd go with the full-on Lemsip option, unless you're a masochist. Who cares if the illness takes a bit longer to heal (if that is indeed the case), the point is to not feel miserable while your body if fighting the malaise.

[soon_lee]

"...IS fighting the malaise"