Opiates for cold or flu?

[Bob Sacamano]

While we hear the adage of the current state of medical evolution that insists "we have not found the cure for the common cold," I can not but wonder.

My conjecture is that an opiate of the stronger nature of oxycodone would surely subdue if not eliminate discomfort; therefore, in virtue of this, can not the ministration of a strong opiod be considered a cure for most intents? The crux of this determination, in my opinion, must be the following: do opiates impede the overall convalescence of a cold/flu sufferer?

Here is my shortlist of trials:

1) Opiates can cause or exacerbate a dry, sore throat.
2) Opiates effect on the immune system may hamper/impede recovery.
3) Opiates may possibly affect nasal and chest congestion.

These are my preliminary contraindications. I currently have the Flu, and am eager to observe if my hypotheses are plausible.
Others, feel free to comment or add your own.

Post-Script: In my opinion, people who discontinue a long-term regimen of an opioid are more vulnerable to catch a virus. Throughout at least a week following cessation of a strong opioid, I believe that one's immune system is compromised. From cessation of a chemical the individual's constitution has become dependant on, the body is under significant stress; and therefore the body must transfer its resources from the its autoimmune system to restore chemical equilibrium.

Insofar as the former may be plausible, thence I hereby wish to proceed to the issue that opiates administered to a person with a cold or flu incurs a beneficial, neutral, or deleterious effect.

 

[Psychedelic Jay]

Deleterious, It allows for a more rapid infection.

 

[phatass]

well why would there be codeine and in some cases hydrocodone in cough syrup...

 

[Psychedelic Jay]

Because not all coughs are cold or flu related.

Sore throats can be a culprit, it soothes the pain as well as stop irritating cough.

But abusing opiates or using powerful analgesic opiates during a cold, or other infections is not recommended unless unmanageable pain is there, even then it's short term.

 

[ro4eva]

When I had the flu I took some Percocet (at normal prescribed dosages) and I felt much better.

The APAP reduced my fever and the Oxycodone reduced the aches and pains significantly.

One time I had a very severe flu and I was hospitalized. I had a high grade fever as well as severe aches and pains all over. I was given 1mg of IV Hydromorphone (Dilaudid) every 3 hours along with 500mg of Tylenol (orally).

 

[Psychedelic Jay]

These are normal dosages. Also, you were under medical supervision. Junkies would not be the same as you would, as their immune system is near screwed, and little infections turn to big ones fast. Most do not stop using (or increase usage) during sickness, leading to a even higher chance of serious infections.

 

[onmyway]

you actually need your cough reflex when you have the flu. furthermore, high doses of opiates can cause pulmonary edema. this is asking for bronchitis/pneumonia if you ask me.

 

[dokomo]

I know that a good dose of tussionex always makes me feel better when I have cold or flu....

 

[Violenza666]

LOL.. everytime I have the flu or a cold I use opiates and it's gone fast too.

 

[nekointheclouds]

It should also be pointed out that there is a big difference between a cure and a drug that treats your symptoms. In cases of colds and coughs, opiates help you feel better, but you are not actually getting better. They dont fight your infections, if thats what the real problem is.

It could be said that because they make you feel so much better, they you can rest more easily and that would help you recover more quickly. I notice a big difference in how well I can sleep if I am sick and have cough syrup with codeine vs. non codeine stuff. But that is no guarantee that i will get better faster.

 

[SPC123]

As onmyway said, you might want to be able to cough up the crap in your chest. Opioids (particularly codeine and hydromorphone) are strong antitussives. They will supress your cough reflex. This might be nice for a time, if you have a painful cough. But over the long run I would think you'd want to cough up whatever is in your lungs.

As for cure, like neko said, it's not a cure if all it does is ease the symptoms. Otherwise you might as well claim morphine as a cure for cancer.

 

[Pinknarcotic]

I know this is old, but when I searched google it came up. So therefore it?s still being read and relavent.

Opiates absolutely help with colds. The only time I use opiates it when I?m sick as shit with cold or flu. It takes it right away almost to a point where I no longer feel as if I have a Cold but just some slight allergies.

Just needed to add this here. As soon as they hit my system, my sinuses open, my cough stops, my throat doesn?t hurt. I feel less foggy.

Do not over do them though. Just like you don?t overdo cough medicine. Or you trip.

 

[Michael1706]

I know this is old, but when I searched google it came up. So therefore it?s still being read and relavent.

Opiates absolutely help with colds. The only time I use opiates it when I?m sick as shit with cold or flu. It takes it right away almost to a point where I no longer feel as if I have a Cold but just some slight allergies.

Just needed to add this here. As soon as they hit my system, my sinuses open, my cough stops, my throat doesn?t hurt. I feel less foggy.

Do not over do them though. Just like you don?t overdo cough medicine. Or you trip.

Well codeine is prescribed for coughing. Opiates suppress coughing and takes away the pain you feel when sick.

If you have a bad bronchitis with a lot of that green shit coming up when coughing it's better to only take it at night and take an antibiotic. Opiates suppress coughing but when it's real bad that shit needs to come out from your lungs during the day.

 

[JessFR]

A treatment is not a cure. You still have the cold. If it were a cure, you'd be back to normal once the medication wore of, you're not. So not a cure.

But yes, opiates do a great job of alleviating cold and flu symptoms.

 

[Michael1706]

Yeah maybe I should have emphasised that it doesn't cure a cold or flu. But often there is no need for other medication apart drinking a lot of tea and resting in bed.

And while resting and sitting it out it can help with the sleeping part, the coughing and especially if you have a flu it can help also against diarrhea.

 

[Limpet_Chicken]

Antibiotics won't help with a viral infection. Only if there occurs a bacterial infection secondary to the initial viral one.

And in the case of flu, especially with the more highly lethal types, the types that tend especially to target the young and healthy, and kill disproportionately this demographic, it might not be such a bad thing to have SOME immunological response dampening. Such flu strains kill via a cytokine storm, when its the young, healthy strong folk that its knocking off in particular, that can be due to this, because they have stronger immune systems, and when the flu kicks production of proinflammatory cytokines into overdrive, this means a proportionally larger excessive response, which damages the body, causing pulmonary oedema etc.

And certainly for a cold I'd not want to be without opiates, or the flu for that matter, personally. They really do make all the nastiness go away. And I'd definitely not be without at night. And when I need to work. I can't be constantly coughing up passages from the koran, and pouring fluid from my nose and barking hoarse torrents of vulgarity, aching to my bones and feeling weakened and as if somebody had gone inside me with a potato peeler and shaved off a few layers from each and every nerve ending and poked my spinal cord and the lining of my brain with the pointy end of it repeatedly whilst I'm wearing a gas mask.

You ever sneezed while you are wearing one? its really not pleasant. All that nasal mucus only has one way to go, and that means rebounding back to hit you in the face, and you end up covered in slime and having to leave the lab to get rid of it, since you can't right leave it there, ew. And I bet after a while even if you did it would really irritate your face as well. Gets overbearing and stuffy enough when one is healthy, after pulling 12-24 hours at a time with only a few short breaks when they can be spared, if they can be spared.

Bad enough just getting hot and sweating, being blasted in the face with a gout of greenish yellow phlegm and slime, that just...it doesn't even bear thinking about. I sure as fuck have no intention of going without opiates, plus some clonidine to dry up my nose, plus some honey and lemon etc., sometimes if one has a project on the go, it isn't going to wait for man nor beast, nor love nor money, its going to do whatever it its going to do if not finished, and that often is something you don't want it to be doing, such as degrading etc.

And if its something to put dinner on the table then there is nothing for it for someone in such a situation. Folk need to eat, pay their bills, and a dose of the lurgy is just so draining and debilitating.

 

[Michael1706]

Yeah I know antibiotics (=anti life) only kill bacteria as they are own living beings whereas a virus needs a host to invade and do the damage from there.

Otherwise AIDS would be easily defeated.

Great answer though

 

[JessFR]

It's definitely something worth repeating over and over. Way way too many people get antibiotics for a cold and it's well worth making people more aware the problems of antibiotic overuse.

 

[Michael1706]

It's definitely something worth repeating over and over. Way way too many people get antibiotics for a cold and it's well worth making people more aware the problems of antibiotic overuse.

Yeah nothing against antibiotics if you get a bad cold (bacteria) and you are in a bad state. They are live savers but have been overused to the point you can get multi resistant bacterial cultures in hospitals.

Or if you use the same kind of antibiotic more than 1-2 times per year.

The best CURE for a cold to me has been tea made of fresh salvia leaves. The normal salvia of course :D
Salvia has by far the strongest antibacterial effect of all herbs. Other ones might have better anti inflammatory effects but for a cold especially bronchitis. I swear by Salvia

 

[Limpet_Chicken]

There are antiretroviral drugs used for treating HIV, that can with HAART (highly-active antiretroviral therapy, using combinations of several antiretroviral drugs to avoid resistance building up and keep viraemia as suppressed as possible)

But HIV is a rather difficult one to deal with, because it also infects, and lies dormant in, macrophages and T-cell populations, as a reservoir population of virus that can become reactivated and facilitate reinfection processes. Macrophages normally engulf pathogens to be digested and destroyed, they phagocytose cells infected with the HIV virus, and therein the virus is able to hide, right there inside the very white blood cells which are meant to capture then kill pathogens, stashing itself away hidden in order to slither back out from the little holes its parasitized in order to hide that population of dormant virus from immunological surveillance.

Also HIV is a retrovirus, retroviral pathogens, unlike most viral diseases,actually integrate their DNA into the nuclear DNA of the host organism.