Pots And Getting Sick ?

[kalamazoo]

I'm getting sick, sore throat and stuffy nose. I'm curious how you all deal with sickness. As far as if you can take any medications or symptoms changing? When I'm sick my heart rate elevates by like 20 bpm, its not fun and I usually only have a fever at night. I hope these sickness is just a cold or something mild as I really get run down with sickness or any sort.

[SeattleRain]

I hope you feel better soon!

I drink water like I breathe air when I'm sick - at least a gallon a day. It's not a mystery why every doctor in the world tells you to "drink plenty of water" when you get sick. It seriously works. You won't be sick nearly as long and you'll feel better while you are.

Past that, I buy into the natural remedy spiel. I down 3 - 4 cloves of garlic a few times each day - especially if I have a cold where my throat is sore or scratchy. I'll mix the minced garlic into something and eat it.

Of course, I take Vitamin C and Zinc along with it. The Zinc you have to be careful with because if you're sensitive to it, you can get really nauseous. I think Zinc is the closest you'll get to clinical studies that show it can reduce the duration of a cold. Some people swear by it, along with Echinacea. I've never tried that so I can't comment on it. I also heard of honey and cinnamon having an "anti-viral" effect but I think it's a bit anecdotal - and I haven't tried that either.

Lastly, I avoid all sugars, grains, dairy and meat when I'm sick. Only vegetables (but no starchy ones like corn, potatoes, etc) and maybe a small whole fruit each day (like an apple).

I also read a study that shows mild exercise (walking around, staying moderately active) is better than staying in bed all day (unless you're really, really sick).

Keep us updated with how you're doing. Feel better soon, champ!

[bebe127]

Kalamazoo,

As I'm sure you already know, always check with your dr. before trying anything. I agree with SeattleRain about the water; drink plenty of it. Don't know about the other, but would be willing to try the next time I am sick.

I have always been told to stay away from OTC cold remedies as they can have an affect on blood pressure and of course if you are on any other kind of meds, it wouldn't hurt to check with dr. or pharmacist for any drug interactions. I was told that I could take Mucinex if needed as that doesn't mess with BP (again, I would always check with your dr. first)

Hope you get to feeling better soon Drink plenty of water!!!!

[Gerrik1]

I agree with the last 2 posts, keep hydrated is very important and NO OTC meds. Those cold meds can really mess-up your B/P and Pulse rate. If you get worse call your MD. It can get scarry if a POTS pt gets dehrdrated and to sick. Feel better soon.

[jknh9]

I just got over a horrible cold myself. Vick's on the chest always helps me, and I drink a lot of herbal tea (especially ginger), green tea, and chicken broth. This last time I took several different OTC meds (Advil Cold, Vick's NatureFusion, Benadryl, etc.), but the biggest thing I noticed was just getting tachy. I took two Benadryls one night to help me sleep, but they didn't knock me out. Weird. I also took vitamin C drops and zinc drops, although as SeattleRain said, I got pretty nauseous on them. I found a Chinese herbal tea specifically for cold & flu, and I believed that helped a bit. Beyond that, I can only recommend a quiet place and PLENTY of extra-soft tissues if your nose becomes a faucet like mine when you're sick. Try to walk a bit and do stretches to keep the blood moving, too.

[looneymom]

Hang in there and drink your fluids. My son has the flu so I have been alternating water and gatoraide. I also use the Freddy's Fruit Pops. He cannot do the vitamin C drops either, so our doctor said to give him more vitamin c in tablet form. Hope you feel better.