Do flu and cold “remedies” just prolong the agony?

Surely all those things are dealing with the symptoms, not with the cause (viral or bacterial) so I doubt it’d make any difference - except that you’d be more uncomfortable.
Don’t know whether it really helps, but for a cold I take high dose fizzy vitamin C tablets, too. Plus hot honey and lemon, 😋
I do hope you will feel a lot better soon.

I don’t think any of the medicaments mentioned will cure but do alleviate so have nothing helpful to suggest. Sympathetic vibes I can do but doubt they will help! Get well soon.

This sounds like the dastardly bug which is going round my family and friends.

One AS had it for three weeks, gave in and visited the pharmacist who immediately prescribed antibiotics. AD feels better for a few days and then wakes up back to square one. Other son and family are just cracking on with similar symptoms.

Whatever it is, it is a nasty little so and so.

I hope you feel better soon 👍

I would take the afternoon off, succumb to bed for a few hours and see if that shifts it.
You have been struggling too long now.

Brandy and Netflix……

I resort to homemade hot toddys. Honey, freshly squeezed lemon juice, boiling water, and a large slug of whisky or brandy. These, along with paracetamol, make things a little more bearable. It has just taken us over a fortnight to get over the one we've had.

I've had this for over two weeks and nothing seemed to work, now on day 16 and quite an improvement, although still tired.

Hope you feel better soon.

RosiesMaw2
I hope you feel better soon. Taking those things will certainly make you more comfortable. Going cold turkey sounds like a double punishment. I find that taking medication or not taking medication doesn’t affect the time it lasts.
Shame you can’t go to bed. Rest gives your body chance to heal and limits the spread of the germs.

Building up your immune system is the only thing that will work, and even then your body will react to an infection with the symptoms you describe. This is your body naturally fighting the infection- give it a helping hand with anything you like but I think you are wasting your money.

Fresh air, moderate exercise, a healthy diet and a good night's sleep is the way to go for me.

Have you tried Sambucol which is made from black elderberries and is anti viral? You can mix it with orange juice and spices to make a really soothing warm drink or just take it neat. I would also take paracetamol to help lower temperature and reduce aches and pains. The other important thing is to get plenty of rest so that your body can concentrate on the fight against the bug.

I thought the annoying mucus machine (sorry, but that is what it is) had finally given up this morning after three weeks but no! It wasn't Covid.

Feeling better last Friday, I went for the flu jab but thst seemed to make things worse, aching, tummy upset and still an irritating cough.

Paracetamol, Bronchostop, no matter what, I think it just has to run its course.

I shall start on the Vitamins D and C now.

I don’t think any of the things you’ve mentioned Maw will prolong your virus. They are merely to help alleviate symptoms.

Since I had my Covid and flu vaccines, not together, but only a few days apart, I’ve had an asthma flare up of a horrible hacking cough. I’m not ill with it, just got the cough. I’m currently debating trying to get some steroids to calm it down, but don’t know if I can be bothered with the ringing up farce every morning, since the Practice removed the ability to book an appointment online - even if it was always two weeks away.

I had the razor throat Saturday, headache with runny nose Sunday, joined on Monday by multiple sneezes, that’s all gone now and I’m left with the 40 cigarettes a day cough. It’s an annoying, but loose cough and will go, I’ve not lost any sleep and haven’t had fatigue.
I took paracetamol for the headache and have been drinking lots of water.

I swear by beechams cold and flu tablets they get rid of my symptoms of a nasty cold very quickly with extra vit c and rest

My friends daughter, who is a Chemist, swears by echinacea to reduce the length of a cold. I got some, but didn’t think it made any difference,

There was once a comedy on TV where it was alleged someone had found the cure to the common cold, the instructions were to take it every day and the cold would be gone in 10-14 days!! 😂

I’m halfway through week two of this!

Keep taking the pills/hot drinks/brandy and rest up!

We have this nasty thing here too. It’s a sneaky bug because it started with a tickly dry throat which went on for five days then decided to ramp up on Tues. DH felt very ill yesterday took himself off to bed with a high temp.
We’ve just been taking paracetamol. I found some strepsils in the cupboard which are soothing and trying to drink plenty of fluids. Sounds like it goes on a while.

We have had this awful cold virus thing too. To be honest keep taking anything that helps is my advice but get lots of rest. I’m just feeling better after two weeks but very tired still. It is a nasty one.
Hope you feel better soon and everyone else who is suffering.

I got so fed up with colds dragging on for weeks that I started taking a gentle iron with vitamins called Feroglobin, another time I took Metatone. Each time it seemed to help.
Look for a tonic in your nearest pharmacy or buy one online.

There is a really unpleasant respiratory infection doing the rounds. I suspect the Queen has it because she has just been signed off duty for a week - and she has top doctors and medications available at the wave of an arm.

We picked it up 3 weeks ago. Usually I am through these infections in a week, but this one lasted over a fortnight and towards the end of the third week I still feel really quite weak and whimpsy. DH, who has underlying medical problems, has been really ill, with it spreading to affect his bladder. So far he has had three home visits, one A&E referral and two visits to the day hospital, with another one tomorrow.

So if you are anyone around you are already medically compromised, be very wary of this bug.

M0inca What on earth is this horrible thing. We’ve done covid tests today but both negative. You and your DH especially, have been very ill by the sounds of it.
I’ve never know my DH to have a chest infection before, but this virus has really got hold of him. We’re both in bed at the mo he’s very hot and restless trying to sleep but can’t for coughing, he can’t have any more paracetamol for a couple of hours. I’ll be ringing the GP in the morning. Hope you both feel better very soon

I had covid in 2022 and since then any slight sniffle turns into a bad cold and then a chest infection. I've had six lots of antibiotics in 2024 and I think I need them again. The trouble is GP is obviously reluctant to keep giving me them so by the time I get them I'm really unwell. I've had xrays and sputum tests and they can't figure out what it is. I'm sore from coughing and tired as I can't sleep. I am so fed up of it and I do sympathise OP it is miserable.

No the lemsips and other things just eased the symptoms. Don't take to bed but rest as much as possible

Cold medications alleviate symptoms but do not lengthen, cure or anything else. I had a couple of nasty bugs last winter and needed antibiotics as it turned into pneumonia the first time, I couldn't do anything all even drive and the GP had to come my house. The second time I took my temperature every day and as soon as it went up I saw the doctor and stopped the infection before it had time to worsen. Ibuprofen and paracetamol didn't bring my temperature down once it turned into a bacterial infection so I would just take whatever makes you feel a little bit better but keep an eye out for fever.