Being sick: medicines and food

It's been a week already, and I'm onto my last dose of antibiotics, but not only has my condition not improved, the symptoms have seemingly gotten worse. It's rather frustrating, especially since I've spent more money on this particular occasion than for previous bouts of similar sore throat/cold/cough conditions. Although this blog is not intended for health advice, I shall list the things I have tried and what they are for, in case some readers are also unfortunate enough to be suffering from the same condition and might find this information useful: -

1. Ventolin puffer/syrup: Salbutamol. Largely used in asthma, but also used in some other respiratory conditions, including bronchitis, for bronchodilation. In my case, the bronchodilation is to help stop the coughing - but it didn't work for me at all. Best to opt for normal over-the-counter cough syrups instead. Ventolin Syrup is available via prescription only. (Note: not routinely recommended for cough relief (use only on medical advice), nor does it replace the need for preventers in asthma, due to the desensitisation of the receptors in your airways that will occur with overuse.)

2. Pholcodine (e.g. Benadryl Dry and Tickly Cough): A cough suppressant for dry, unproductive coughs. The other non-herbal alternative is dextromethorphan (e.g. Robitussen Dry Cough Forte), but if you're taking mood-alterating medications, pholcodine is the safer option for you.

3. Dimetapp Cold and Flu Elixer: Contains brompheniramine and phenylephrine. These 2 ingredients work to decongest your nose and dry up nasal secretions. (Note: should not be used by those taking mood-improving and blood pressure-lowering medication, as well as other medications that also have a sedating or drying effect.)

3. Soluble Aspirin (e.g. Disprin, Aspro-Clear): an anti-inflammatory drug that is commonly recommended by doctors for sore throat conditions. The idea is to gargle the prepared solution, so that some is absorbed locally to help target pain relief at the site. For those with high blood pressure/other heart conditions, I'd spit out the solution after gargling, or, even better, gargle instead with...

4. Warm, salty water: fill a cup with water and dissolve about half a tablespoon of fine salt (or more, depending on the amount of water). Gargle a few mouthfuls at a time, for as long as you can each time. I usually opt for this, but was so desperate that I tried the aspirin. The result? It's really gross, and doesn't work (but I'll admit I gave up after one go). Back to the good old salty water.

5. Difflam cough lozenges: has antibacterial and antiinflammatory properties. Flavours sound nice, but tastes gross and has a numbing effect, even though I bought the ones without the local anaesthetic in them. Better to stick with the honey-centred Butter Menthols (non-medicated and are essentially lollies, but I find that the honey helps to soothe the throat... as honey does). Note: with cough lollies containing menthol, please do not take too many, because it can dry out your throat and make you cough even more. Also, the sugar-free lozenges can cause a laxative effect if you have too much, due to the artificial sweetener. Like you're not suffering enough from the sore throat already.

6. Vick's honey-flavoured Cough lozenges for dry cough: contains dextromethorphan (see above). Tastes gross and does nada for the cough. Better to try to the syrup and a non-medicated soothing throat lozenge that tastes better.

7. Sambucol syrup and throat lozenges: contains black elderberry extract, and the lozenges also contain vitamin C and zinc. First off, I have to clarify that I am not a strong believer in complementary medicines, not because I'm narrow-minded, but because strong evidence of clinical effectiveness is lacking for the majority of them. However, when you're sick, you generally lose your pragmatic senses and are willing to try almost anything under the sun that just might help you feel that wee bit better. Sambucol is all the rage at the moment, as it supposedly can halve the duration of influenza by half, if you start taking it within 48 hours of symptom onset (syrup and capsule form). I have yet to see the clinical studies reports for myself, but decided to try it anyway, to cover all possible causes of my illness. I started it after the 48 hours, but I'm willing to accept any placebo effects. Unfortunately, the syrup has thus far done nothing for me, as my symptoms, as previously mentioned, have worsened. The lozenges are pretty much useless for soothing the throat, no thanks to its gummy lolly form, which tempts you to chew it. Even if you just suck on it, it doesn't last for long. They're tastier than normal cough lozenges, but please don't take more than the recommended dose, as an overdose of zinc can be dangerous.

8. Nature's Way Kids Smart VitaGummies multivitamin and vegies/omega-3 fish oil: for overall wellbeing. I'm taking these to help boost my immune system, though I normally take the multivitamin in this range anyway. Before you say "Why on earth is she taking kids vitamins?", yes, ideally, you'd want to be taking the adult formulations, if you're an adult, to ensure you're taking the right amount for you. However, I'm one of those people who have tried and failed at taking multivitamin tablets, because of the size, smell, and taste of them. Even the adult formulation in this brand's gummy range smells and tastes bad. The kids gummies, however, are shaped like gummy bears (and are shaped like fish for the omega 3 gummies) and taste just like lollies. Better to have some in you than none, right? Of course, an adult would have to take waaayy more of these than what is recommended for a child; however, take note of the vitamin A content and do not exceed the RDI (Note: Do not take these when you're pregnant). I normally take about 3 gummies daily. The fish oil gummies taste nothing like fish oil, which is what I love about them. One of the obvious negatives with the gummies is the sugar content (they are sugar coated), which is what makes them taste so good, so we have to think about dental health and sugar intake, especially for those with high blood glucose levels. The other is that you have to keep them out of reach of children, because they do taste just like lollies and kids can't tell the difference. The bottles have child-proof screw top lids, but kids are very smart and have great dexterity these days.

I'm sure there are a lot of people out there like me, who would like to but can't take multivitamin tablet supplements for some reason or other, may it be problems swallowing or a dislike of the taste. If you're one of them, and gummy lollies don't float your boat, there is something else I've used in the past, which I'd found to taste okay when mixed in a glass of orange juice (if anything, it adds a bit of zing to it). It is a multivitamin powder called Base Jump, which was formulated by a doctor who practices next to my oral surgeon's clinic. I got it for free after I had my wisdom teeth removed, to aid a speedy recovery. I had a look at the website just now, and read that apparently it can be used to replace sodium bicarbinate in baking as well to optimise taste and improve the glycaemic index! I'm usually a bit skeptical about claims made about benefits of certain vitamins, but since a surgeon created it, and my oral surgeon provides his patients with it, I think it's safe to recommend it here (Note: contains phenylalanine. Consult a doctor for advice first if you're pregnant or have any sort of vitamin/mineral dietary restrictions). Here's the web address, in case you want to read more about it: www.basejump.com.au.

Dosing up on meds and vitamins

Of all the above things that I've tried, I will recommend only the salt water gargle and the multi-vitamins and fish oil. Of course, it comes without saying that with all supplements, they will only be of benefit if you're lacking them in your diet. Having said all that, do note that different people can respond differently to the same medication, so if your medical professional advises you to take one of the items in the above list, please do not assume that they are trying to sell you an ineffective product. 

Edit: After taking the pholcodine last night, I still coughed but less so than on previous nights without it, so it is worth a try, if you're after something to relieve a dry cough.

Besides the taking of over-the-counter pharmacy medicines, another everyday thing that has changed for me is the type of food I eat. Now, I know that everyone has their own beliefs about what kind of food to eat when they are sick, depending on family, culture, or just what they've found is best for them when they're not feeling 100%. For my family, when one is sick, whether it be a sore throat or an upset tummy, bland food is the answer, with the most popular food choice being plain congee. For that very reason, I made myself some tonight for dinner.  



Sick people's food



Making congee is very simple. Just add half a cup of washed rice to a medium-sized saucepan, and fill almost to the rim with filtered water. Bring to the boil over high heat and keep stirring constantly to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Keep at it until the rice is cooked and starts to disintegrate - think risotto with too much liquid - about half an hour or so. You can alter the ratio of rice to water, depending on what sort of consistency you want. I prefer mine to be more watery with the rice more disintegrated, so I use less rice. Whatever you do, make sure you don't overcook the congee, because it will become a glue-like paste!

To the plain congee, I only seasoned it with a bit of salt to improve the taste, and topped it with julienned fresh ginger, shallots, and a few cracks of fresh black pepper. I'm sure raw ginger does not appeal to many people, but it's supposed to be good for colds and tastes really good when mixed in hot congee - really! Providing you add enough salt, etc, plain congee actually tastes quite pleasant. If you prefer your congee more flavoursome, you could add meat (e.g. chicken, pork or fish) to the congee 3/4 of the way through cooking time. Duck congee tastes amazing. But remember, plain is best when you're not feeling well, especially when strong flavours make you feel nauseated.

What are the foods that you eat and prepare for your family on sick days?


Disclaimer: Contents of this blog regarding health are my opinions only and do not replace advice from a medical professional.