# Are you ill and how are you fighting it? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 27, 2006, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-ill-and-how-are-you-fighting-it/378092 "2006-10-27T11:09:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mittu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@mittu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mittu)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-ill-and-how-are-you-fighting-it/378092/1 "2006-10-27T11:09:58Z")
It’s that time of year again, everyone seems to be falling ill with some virus or other and as of yesterday I can include myself on the list. How many other dopers are off work fighting the flu and what tactics are you using to defeat this foul beast? Personally I am going for the simple bed rest and plenty of water. I have never had much success with the stupidly expensive medicines so for the first time I am boycotting them in favour of good ole H20. It seems to be going pretty well, I can stand up without falling over which is an improvement over yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-ill-and-how-are-you-fighting-it/378092/2 "2006-10-27T14:03:36Z")
My whole family (wife & 3 kids) has been stricken by an intestinal virus in the past few days. Yesterday, I began feeling the telltale squirmy stomach and had some runs. I said “Damn the Torpedoes!” and drank 4 beers last night. Today, I’m symptom-free, baby! Take that, all you mamby-pamby “avoid alcohol” weenies! ---
**Author:** ![Flea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d78d45/32.png) [@Flea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flea)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-ill-and-how-are-you-fighting-it/378092/3 "2006-10-27T19:47:54Z")
There’s a bad respiratory bacterial infection going 'round here. First it starts with a sore throat, then it progresses to losing your voice and a persistant, dry cough. Get on antibiotics stat. I already got that in the late summer. So far I’ve gotten my flu shot and treating my family to 1000 mg of Vitamic C a day and a steady diet of Tropicana’s Immunity Defense OJ whenever they start to feel droopy. So far, so good. ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-ill-and-how-are-you-fighting-it/378092/4 "2006-10-27T21:03:37Z")
HeeHee, here in the South, being ill is something totally different than being sick. When I’m ill, it means I’m in a foul mood. Like being ill as a hornet. Which I frequently am. 😃 I try to combat it with copious amounts of coffee. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2006, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-ill-and-how-are-you-fighting-it/378092/5 "2006-10-27T21:15:59Z")
I have something that works very well for me (YMMV) is a concoction of some herbs and pungent stuff ( garlic & onions) that has steeped in apple cider vineager for quite some time. If I feel something coming on ( as we’ve had a variety of epidemics here at Chateau Ujest lately) I take a shot glass of this stuff, mix with luke warm water and drink. I haven’t been sick in over two years since I’ve started this. I’m also a complete germophobe when illness starts and go to Defcon 5 status with the Lysol on a Two Times A Day Scrub Down All Flat Surfaces kinda frenzy. woooooooooooooooooooo!I really need to get a HazMat suit. I also have a cough and cold elixir made from a blend of Jagermeister\*, licorice root and some other stuff that I cannot recall at the moment. It beats the snot out of Nyquil, hands down. If you ever have a really bad cough and regular cough drops don’t do dick anymore, find the Altoid’s Licorice tins and buy it. Natural licorice (not the red or black candy) is a natural cough suppressant. These things are a bit spicey, so let them dissolve on your tongue. Works fantabulous. I would never lie to you. - I needed something with at least 70 proof alchohol in it and Jaeger was all we had on hand. Jaeger and Nyquil are nearly interchangeable, in my mind. I got the recipie from a **Rosemary Gladstar** book. It’s a bit Mother Earth Granola stuff and pretty off the map for 99.99 of you dopers out there, but I swear it works well for me. Please, have fun flaming me. ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2006, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-ill-and-how-are-you-fighting-it/378092/6 "2006-10-28T19:07:20Z")
Sinus infection here. Saline nasal rinse, decongestant and antibiotics are kicking it’s a\*\*! ---
**Author:** ![mittu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@mittu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mittu)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2006, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-ill-and-how-are-you-fighting-it/378092/7 "2006-10-29T13:51:00Z")
I thought I had it licked on Saturday so I went to a house party, big mistake. A couple of drinks and I felt like I had drank hundreds and had to duck out to crawl home (almost literally). So today when I woke up the whole thing is back with a vengeance, it wouldn’t be so bad but my driving test is on Tuesday so I need to get well fast!