Feel less grotty today thanks.
It's just the endless stream of catarrh.
Have cut down on dairy, stepped up fruit & veg intake but still there are oceans of it coming out.





Is that Brian Cox thing repeated?
Might brave the teeth and watch it.
EDIT - its on BBC2 Tues at 7pm. Will record it.

The c stuff is finally coming to an end for me, slowly, its been six weeks for crying out load - a friend recommended a homeopathic remedy called Kali Bich 30, so I am taking it and so far it seems to be working - or at least improving the siuation. I read the list of stuff to give up when you have cattarh - it is endless, includes caffeine and alcohol, dairy wheat, give me a break. Although I have gone gluten free, and have noticed a vast improvement with bloating issues, but not sure if that is because of lack of gluten or the fact that it cuts a lot of carbs out of your diet, I have two slices of gluten free bread with my egg in the morning and that is it as far as carbs are concerned.

The programme is well worth a watch, some totally stunning space images - with which I am just a little bit obssessed right now. I find Prof Cox just a little sexy teeth 'nall

I was seriously into Homeopathy for a while. Studied it quite a bit. Found a good Homeopath to consult, too. She gave me a personal 'first aid kit' of remedies for colds.

And I remember Kali Bich. It's for stringy catarrh.

There are SO many different homeopathic remedies and the trick is to treat the PERSON not the symptom, because one catarrh remedy may be good for you but not for me because we are so different - and I found that by the time I or the Homeopath had figured out the exact remedy for the current set of symptoms, the cold was on it's way out naturally anyway.


Now I'm more into old fashioned things.

I now think once the nasties have entered your system all you can do is try to ease symptoms because the cold will 'have it's bout out' no matter what. You need to be psychic and take the remedy before the cold has taken hold, but you don't know it's taken hold until you feel lousy!

I know that dairy products create extra catarrh. I switched to Soya milk years ago for this reason anyway.

And I make sure I eat lots of Onion, green veg and fresh fruit when a cold starts.

And I know that sniffing Lavender Oli drops or Olbas Oil drops on a tissue constantly helps reduce the inflammation in the sinuses etc and helps you feel less miserable.

I find Vicks First Defence taken asap four times a day for a few days [even after symptoms subside] is really good.

And I know that salt water gargle or cider apple vinegar gargle eases a sore throat and cough.

Root ginger eases all of the above.

And staying in a constant warm temperature and resting and taking lots of fluids is about all you can do.

Feel MUCH Better today.

It's just that catarrh which I am still unappreciating!

Wow, thanks for the info.

Don't know too much about homeopathy, except Arnica which I keep by for bruises and strains - Nux Vomica, over indulgence - Aconite - and I visited a Homeopath years ago who seemed to think I was a Sulphur type so I keep some of that handy. Apart from that it's Rescue Remedy.

My favourite two part treatment for colds is a) a saucepan on the stove to steam with salt, tea tree oil and eucalyptus in then b) ginger, lemon, honey and whisky with hot water. I can't take those over the counter cold remedies because they all contain pseudophederine (sp?) which I seem to have a sensitivity to, gives me palpitations.

1. Glad you're feeling better chita
2. My fave is to take copious amounts of vitamin C as soon as I get the first hint of a cold. If I use the effervescent type (which are relatively pleasant to drink) I up my fluid intake for a bonus! It doesn't always work, but it does often enough for me to swear by it.
3. 'Twas indeed smug git who went. S/O was him (4th) and Sam (3rd) with 5th-placed Johnson going straight through. What a week to have a s/o bounce! To be fair, both SG and Sam Ditchwater (as in 'dull as'...) made errors, and JB's, while relatively basic, was skated beautifully.
4. Iirc that leaves Chloe 'model and presenter' Madeley as the only one who hasn't been in a s/o. Can't wait to see what MS makes of that...

I have a Kaz steamer.
Plugs into the mains, has a plastic mask thing which slots on to the base where the water goes and is heated. You rest your face on the mask and inhale the steam.
You can put drops of Olbas, lavender etc in it.

I swear by that.

The homeopathic thing is really tricky to get right when it comes to colds.
Purely because every damn cold virus is different and there's about 200 of them.

Once you find out what kind of person you are - you should be able to take that remedy, so if you are a Sulphur person you should only need that.
But then there's all the 'does the person feel better for such and such or worse for such and such.
Like - we could both tick all the boxes for having a sulphur personality and we could both have a cold, but I could feel better for being in the fresh air and you could feel worse for it - so one of us could benefit from one remedy and the other might not.
Its bloody hard to get the right one.

This is why I've looked to natural foods etc.
For example one of the supposedly best homeopathic remedies for hay fever and runny noses is made from onions.
So rather than take a pill made from diluted onions, why not eat fresh onions to get rid of the cold?

Makes you wonder.

Tried the Vit C route but it plays havoc with my digestion

Wouldn't mind if Johnson won, yes I know, it's a skating competion - oh get over yourself already, yes, I'm talking to you Jason, although how someone who sports a flat cap on prime time TV as I suppose a fashion statement can dare to criticize anyone is beyond me, and breathe, none of these ar*ses can skate worth a sh*t and I like Johnson so there

The model and presenter and her parents, I am assuming they are a package bore me. I should like Sam but yeuch and Brianne looks like a 50 something who has had work done and is mutton as anything.

To be honest that is what kind of put me off homeopathy, it was all too complicated and made my head hurt. But I am convinced if you get it right it works. Quite a while ago, lord 20 years, I took a tumble on the ice and really whacked my thigh I slathered it in Arnica cream and the next day no bruise nothing - my friend, who was with me, was incredulous, in fact so impressed she is now a practising homeopath, but apart from first aid, I really think you need to consult a professional to get the best results.

Thankyou darling.
The sneezing came on last Thurs. Lasted a couple of days. Felt a bit grim Friday and Sat night at work, but slept much of yesterday.
Today, after a bit of nose blowing I'm starting to feel ok again.
The other half has man flu. So I can't say the same for him.




I'm not convinced about Vit supplements really.
Much of the vit c supplement gets pooed out anyway.
And although zinc is marvellous, too many pills can cause other probs.

So I'm thinking that our parents and grandparents had it right.
A balanced diet gives you all the natural vitamins you need.
And if you feel a bit crap just have more leafy greens and fruit than normal to help fight the nasties.





Can I non appreciate that the horrid skating show hasn't finished yet?
I don't watch it, but I still hate it.

yeh but at thirty quid a session and the amount of time it takes to find the right remedy, its too bloody expensive.


See, with a headache, or a bruise etc its not so hard to pinpoint the remedy.
Its the cold virus which is tricky because there are just so many different strains of it.

For example, my Homeopath settled on a 'constitutional' remedy for me to take twice a year to 'top up' my immunity, but when I got a cold, it wasn't that remedy which I would need to have.
It would depend on whether the cold started with a sore throat or a sneeze or a fever or..........
And by the time the correct remedy for that particular cold was decided upon.........the cold was on its way out anyway.


So I gave up on it.

Peoples!

I am a great believer in prescription drugs.

If you'd been brought up by Granny Gump who had been brought up by Great Granny Gump and subjected to 'natural remedies a-go-go' you would hug your box of 'Lemsip' and be thankful.

Try having a raw peeled onion wrapped in a sweaty sock around your neck at bedtime as a 'cure' for tonsillitis.

I was seriously relieved to be offered a tonsillectomy at age 23..well who wouldn't....

I just stocked up on Vicks First Defence.
On offer at three quid a bottle instead of the usual six-ish quid.

Sod the homeopathic stuff. I'm sticking with the shop bought stuff.


{after my chat with kassieq I dug out my Kali Bich. and guess what.................I'm still snotty.}

Go with the drugs..you know it make sense.

These guys in their laboratories didn't spend decades finding all these wonderful cures just for the fun of it...YES! YES! I know there's copious amounts of money and chemicals involved but they do WORK!

You can rub as much goose fat on your bosoms as you like
for a chest cough but you can't beat a damn good dollop of Benylin for clearing the old tubes

I do that as well, take the effervescent kind and paracetamol. As you say it normally works well. However This Bliddy Winter every littlle thing is attacking me and I feel like the only cure is a vet with a bullet

I find cough bottles make the cough worse, love Lemsip though it helps me sleep and as a functioning insomniac I like things that get me to sleep. Chita I did not know you were ill. Am sorry and glad it is getting better, hope you did not have to cancel any work.

The dancing thing, I have done a turnaround and for some reason I now like boring Sam. Mainly because he can skate and Johnson cant and the nickleodeon girl is now quite smug as well. The presenters child I am sorry, I just keep seeing her smug parents

I think it's still that bug I had where I lost my voice the other week. I don't think it entirely left my body.

I'm ok, crunchie, just felt a bit grim a few days ago with sneezes and nasal catarrh that seems to be trying to break a world record for how much can be produced by one nose.

Sniffing Olbas Oil has reduced it loads.


Discussing it just led to us talking about Homeopathy versus Vicks and stuff.

Hope all you sick people get well really soon an I have tried to go down the natural/homeopathic route many times but the old prescription drugs just tend to hit the spot harder/faster/better.

After years of Granny Gump's remedies and superstitions (don't cut your nails on a Sunday) to name just one...it just made more sense

I'd like to non appreciate Pizza.


Whenever I eat them I seem to get the trots.

So I'm boycotting them.

Oooh superstitions!

One of my Mum's barmy ones was "never look at a New Moon through the window."

And another was if you go into someone's house but don't sit down, you have to leave the house through the same door you entered through.

Yes, always leave a house by the same door you entered by, don't look at a new moon through glass,
never cross on the stairs, don't wash you hair when you have a period, always burn your nail clippings in the fire, say 'white rabbits, white rabbits. white rabbits' as your first words on the first of the month and pinch and punch the first person you see, if you accidentally knock your elbow on something bang the other one on the same place to avoid bad luck, never let a woman be the first to cross your threshold on New Years - has to be a man - preferably tall. dark and handsome carrying gifts (well yes, like they're thick on the ground at any time,let alone New Year's Eve)
...I could continue...

Now you mention it, I recognise most of them too.




Never put new shoes on a table.

If you see a solitary magpie, salute it and say, "greetings mister magpie how is your wife and your babies."
[What if its a female magpie you see??????? ]


If you spill salt, throw a pinch over your shoulder - but it has to be thrown over your left shoulder.




Never drop a pink saucer on the night of a full moon. [OK I made that one up. ]

Ah yes! The salute the magpie thing.
Where we used to live there were tons of them - I used to be saluting all the time...and counting..

One for sorrow,
Two for joy.
Three for a girl,
Four for a boy,
Five for silver,
Six for old,
Seven for a secret never to be told,
Eight's a wish,
Nine a kiss,
Ten is a bird you must not miss
Anyone else remember the kids' TV programme 'Magpie'?

I do,
but the Magpie counting for me is

One warns of something bad to come.
Two bring good luck
Three is a successful journey
Four means wealth
and five or more is the Devil himself.

Scottish, so to get out of that I send son out of the back door after the bells. He rings the bell and comes back in the front door. He is a 6"2 former blonde who has darkened and quite a good looking chap (though I may be biased)

Mrs Gump, think it is a northern thing, my gran dragged us off to the herbalist (a stall on the market for f*cks sake , she didn't believe in shops either) at the first sign of anything untoward and thought doctors were the devil incarnate.

Just back from Zumba and all hyped up and ready to go. Tonight at 10.30 there is a comedy on 5*Freeview 30, which is taken from a twitter account I follow called Sh*t my dad says, it is very funny, I am going to give the show a try even though it is starring William Shatner who is 2nd only to Charlie Sheen in my hell no I'm not watching him stakes.

I wish I could care about anyone on DOI, quite happy if they all fell through a hole in the ice.

I was gutted Noel didn't win the dance for comic relief thing, who were the twits who won and how come they are celebrities when I have never heard of either of them. The thinner grinning idiot got on my nerves. NOEL WAS ROBBED.