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How do you stay sober when you have a cold?

PriestTheyCalledHim

PriestTheyCalledHim

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Joined
Oct 7, 2005
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OK long story short I have a cold. What are some natural remedies for colds since I don't want to take cough syrup as it has alcohol and DXM in it? I take lexapro and apparently the DXM even in low doses can interacts with the lexapro and I saw a website that said not to take Ibuprofen, Aspirin, or Aleve or Sodium naproxen.

I'm not going to quit taking lexapro since I'd only do this under the guidance of a doctor and by the time I slowly tapered down I'll be no longer sick, and I do not have access to a doctor since I just moved to a new area.

I have been getting rest, drinking hot tea that I put honey or has dried lemon into, and I take a multi vitamin daily that has zinc in it. I have been drinking a lot of water and fruit juice as well, ginger and honey tea I make, and eating tangerines.

Does anyone else here avoid taking cough syrup when they are sick because it has alcohol and DXM in it?

If this thread is better suited for healthy living feel free to move it there. Have a safe and happy new year everyone and a wonderful 2014.
 
You have a cold....man up and ride it out clean <snip>

edit: Good work on the natural remedies though.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Also, there are plenty of cold remedies without dxm.

Personally I wouldn't count the pharmaceutical alcohol as a relapse either.
 
If you're worried about the interaction between the Lexapro and cold medicine your best bet is going to be to call your doctor. Personally I absolutely hate taking cold meds and just do what you've been doing (staying hydrated, resting, etc.). I usually just ride it out. I hope you're feeling better soon, being sick isn't any fun. :(
 
I just had to unapprove 7 posts in this thread because they were off topic and not helpful to the OP. They did not address the question at hand and were insulting. If you guys are just going to bicker or not have any useful/helpful advice to give to the OP, please do not even bother posting in here. Consider this all your informal warning. Knock it off.

On Topic: OP, what are some of the symptoms that you have? Are you sure it's a cold and not something more? If symptoms such as a sore throat last more than 3 days, I would suggest going to your doctor or a walk in clinic to rule out any other possible illnesses.

When I have a cold, I never use cough syrups because they make me anxious. There are alcohol free and DXM free products that are available, however. If you have a persistent cough, I'd suggest going to the doctors because they can give you better cough medication than what is available OTC, just be sure to clearly state that you do not want anything with alcohol/DXM. Benzonatate (tessalon perles) is a medication that is commonly prescribed for cough. It is a non-narcotic gel cap that has antitussive properties which last for about 7 hours or so. I HIGHLY doubt one would become addicted to it because all it does is numb your throat basically. I'm not sure of the interaction between Lexapro, but since it's Rx only your doctor would hopefully not prescribe it if there is an interaction.

For the common cold, there is no cure for it unfortunately. You'll just have to ride it out :( If it's the very start of your cold, try taking some Vitamin C, zinc, and echinacea. I was able to knock out a cold by taking Vitamin C and it only last about 3 days and I just had congestion. And of course, rest, plenty of water, and soups with clear broth. Hope you feel better soon!
 
Yeah, I still take nyquil and other cold medicines as needed. I won't consider it a relapse unless i drink to whole bottle in some sad attempt at getting fucked up.

Also, ibuprofen, aleve, aspirin.. really? there's no relapse there even if you eat the whole bottle. Just a broken liver, no high...
 
caseface99 said:
Also, ibuprofen, aleve, aspirin.. really? there's no relapse there even if you eat the whole bottle. Just a broken liver, no high...
Click to expand...
I think the reason for the warnings about mixing nsaids with SSRI's is the risk of bleeding. But in small doses I think would be ok. In the case where OP is running a fever, could use acetaminophen in lieu of these. Then again, with a common cold you don't normally get a fever, or aches and pains. More or less just a runny nose and itchy throat. PriestTheyCalledHim, how you feeling now? Do you have any other symptoms?
There is a bad flu virus going around, I have heard particularly bad this year in the US. Just my luck because I usually get the vaccine every year but not this season though. Hope you're feeling better! <3
 
^^ Don't get the flu vaccine.

I'm not getting into why, because it could start an off topic argument and derail the thread, but just trust me - at least google search for negative effects of flu vaccines. I haven't ever gotten one and never will, and (coincidentally) I haven't had the "flu' since i was 5-6. (22 now)

Anyway, hope you're feeling better OP. I know it's easy for our minds to use any little reason to tell us to use, no matter how minor. Just don't give in - this too, shall pass.
 
^ Totally agree with you about the flu vaccine, Case. My job forces us all to get vaccinated every year and I cringe every time :\
 
It's a common cold all of my roommates have it as we all gave it to each other. I'm feeling a lot better now than I was when I wrote the first post but I've just been resting a lot, taking hot showers, forcing myself to eat, and drinking lots of water. It's not the flu and I got the vaccine for that.
 
The season of giving, eh? :)

Glad to hear you're feeling better!
 
When i have a cold I usually just stay home and let it pass. If it's really bad I go to the doctor and get a checkup done to see if I need certain medications. How to stay sober? I watch tons of movies and tv series =D
 
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