Cold lingering...Natural things to boost?

[ValiantJoy07]

I think I have gotten a cold around this time of year every year for as long as I can remember. I think allergies contribute. I think my stress level is often higher at this time of year starting back into the school year growing up, more outside activities... We tend to be busier in the fall for some reason. :think

In the past I almost always got a very bad case of bronchitis and asthma flares around now, I ended up in the ER and on all sorts of steroids. I haven't had any issues with that for YEARS. But this year...adding a baby + sleep deprivation + recovering from pregnancy/birth. Well, I am having a hard time bouncing back from this cold, I can feel things slowly settle into my chest. :nails

I am on a good multivitamin, some extra vitamin C, and a B-Complex but I just started back on those (I had run out when DS was born and I forgot to tell DH [he orders that stuff] and so I wasn't taking any thing during an extreme time of stress :doh :doh my brain just wasn't working.

So I'm on that stuff. What else can I do to help repository recovery and fight infection?

I'm drinking lots of fluids, raw honey, resting (off my feet) as much of the day as I can, doing gentle exercises to help my lymphatic system push the gunk out.

Any herbs (nursing friendly) that might help?? Is colloidal silver safe when nursing? I am considering doing that for a few days...

[mamacat]

People always say elderberry syrup?

[Maedchen]

Elderberry is really good to take it shot sized a couple of times a day when sick.

Zinc helps build the immune system too. It take a while to build up and help, but it was the only thing that seemed to help when my immune system was wiped and I could not get out of bed with a bad case of mono.

[Quiteria]

I'm not sure about silver. I've read that it collects in the testicles and I forget where else. Not that you have testicles, but :hunh The fact that it was somewhere reproductive would make me leery of using it while nursing. and makes me leery in general of using it internally. On the occasional skin deep abrasion, maybe.

For me, I finally figured out that my annual October bout of bronchitis is leaf mold. All those fallen leaves getting rained on and laying in clumps waiting to be raked up, then stirred up by everyone raking and leaf blowing. Oh, and I'm allergic to hay, too. If you weren't nursing, I'd recommend an antihistamine. Since you are, I guess I'd recommend trying not to be the person in charge of raking the yard, and don't go building any scarecrows, consider skipping hayrides if you're still sick, etc. Get as much sleep as you can.

I'd recommend steaming your lungs in a nice hot shower, maybe running a humidifier. Maybe find out whether it's safe/nursing friendly to take an expectorant (guifennesin without any cough suppressant). If you can elevate your head a little to lessen the mucous dripping into your chest, that might help some, too, but not much.

[2sunshines]

this time of year, when anyone is showing signs of sickness, we add elderberry syrup and cod liver oil.

[ValiantJoy07]

I'm not sure about silver. I've read that it collects in the testicles and I forget where else. Not that you have testicles, but :hunh

:spit :lol

---------- Post added at 04:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:23 PM ----------



For me, I finally figured out that my annual October bout of bronchitis is leaf mold. All those fallen leaves getting rained on and laying in clumps waiting to be raked up, then stirred up by everyone raking and leaf blowing. Oh, and I'm allergic to hay, too. If you weren't nursing, I'd recommend an antihistamine. Since you are, I guess I'd recommend trying not to be the person in charge of raking the yard, and don't go building any scarecrows, consider skipping hayrides if you're still sick, etc. Get as much sleep as you can.

I'd recommend steaming your lungs in a nice hot shower, maybe running a humidifier. Maybe find out whether it's safe/nursing friendly to take an expectorant (guifennesin without any cough suppressant). If you can elevate your head a little to lessen the mucous dripping into your chest, that might help some, too, but not much.

I really think this is it, along with allergies weakening my immune system/weather changing triggering a cold (because everyone else in our family is fighting it on some level and the poor bub sounds all raspy and hoarse. :( )
But I think it is an outdoor allergy. I was feeling so much better today, the house has been closed up all day and then I went outside and now my nose is running again. :doh

I have been taking a half dose of benadryl at night to help the tickle in my throat. It has never impacted my milk supply (I tend to make too much anyway) so this has been fine and kept me from coughing from the tickle at night. :phew

I've been on my vitamins for 5 days now and I'm really starting to feel them, I don't feel perpetually starved like I was...Still have a good hearty appitetite but not "I'm going to cry hysterically if I don't get a GIANT meal NOW" every 2 hours like I was. :O

---------- Post added at 04:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:28 PM ----------

this time of year, when anyone is showing signs of sickness, we add elderberry syrup and cod liver oil.
I have dried elderberries (from Frontier) in my amazon shopping cart, I was wondering if I used them to make my own syurp if they would have all the benefits even though they were dried (does the drying process remove the good stuff?).

:think

[Quiteria]

I hesitate to say this to other nursing mothers in case their experience is different, but as another mom who deals with oversupply to begin with, I've been able to take Claritin without problems. Again, I hesitate to suggest it...I don't know how early in life I've done that, or for how long, etc., but I would rather take it than a ton of steroids, antibiotics, albuterol, etc., etc., so I've generally taken it with caution as needed in hopes of heading off bronchitis.

:think Come to think of it, the years in which I didn't get out as much have been the years with less symptoms. There is something to be said for having the house closed up during this season. :o

[MegMarch]

I think the recipes I've seen floating around for elderberry syrup call for dried?

I take that, vitamin D gummies (they are tasty if nothing else) and try to eat lots of garlic.

[ECingMama]

http://www.amazon.com/Lypo-Spheric-Vitamin-Bioavailability-Professionally-Phospholipids/dp/B000CD9XGC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1445221663&sr=8-1&keywords=lypospheric+vitamin+c

---------- Post added at 08:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:27 PM ----------

I hesitate to say this to other nursing mothers in case their experience is different, but as another mom who deals with oversupply to begin with, I've been able to take Claritin without problems. Again, I hesitate to suggest it...I don't know how early in life I've done that, or for how long, etc., but I would rather take it than a ton of steroids, antibiotics, albuterol, etc., etc., so I've generally taken it with caution as needed in hopes of heading off bronchitis.

:think Come to think of it, the years in which I didn't get out as much have been the years with less symptoms. There is something to be said for having the house closed up during this season. :o

It immediately dried up a friend whose children weigh 25+ lbs by one. She has a great supply. It was awful for her.

[2sunshines]

I have dried elderberries (from Frontier) in my amazon shopping cart, I was wondering if I used them to make my own syurp if they would have all the benefits even though they were dried (does the drying process remove the good stuff?).

:think

I have no idea. I'm lazy. I just buy the finished product from vitacost. :shifty

[deena]

It sounds like you've found the root problem. :cheer

My two cents :twocents. ZINC!!

[houseforjoy]

I use dried elderberries

[daughter_of_faith]

Dried elderberries are great for making syrup. We get ours from Mountain Rose Herbs. :)

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[bananacake]

I don't do elderberry, but tons of C & D. Almost always works for me! Except the rare times it doesn't :shifty

[ValiantJoy07]

I don't do elderberry, but tons of C & D. Almost always works for me! Except the rare times it doesn't :shifty
I did all the vitamins but apparently REST is also important :doh I ended up in bed with mastitis and 3 days of bed rest and really intentional supplements I am finally feeling better-ish all around. Not out of the antibiotic woods yet, but fever free and working (or not ;) )on it.