The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Elderberry, Vitamins C and E
Posted by Cl (Florida, US) on 01/20/2015
★★★★★
Everyone in my family had strep and flu, I was just beginning to feel bad. I read somewhere on this site that Elderberry tea would help, and Vitamin C and Vitamin E. I could not find the Elderberry tea so I got Sambucol Elderberry Extract, I took a teaspoon a day with a small amount of water in it like the box said (The internet said take 3 times a day for 5 days, however I only took it once a day and it worked), I also took 1500 mg of Vitamin C Chewable and 400IU Vitamin E a day along with that, and it knocked it out by day two, I was trying to avoid the strep, right before Christmas when I took my granddaughter back to the doc for a second strep test. I had not been sick at all, but my throat that morning a felt a little scratchy, but I ask the Doc to run a strep test on me while I was there and it was positive, which she put me on an antibiotic, however I never ran a fever or anything with my strep so I think the home remedies helped there and I never did get the flu. I made sure I did not take my Vitamin C within 4 hours of taking my antibiotic.
Now everyone is getting the flu again and I felt like I was trying to get it so I started back on the Elderberry, Vitamin C and Vitamin E. I also do the Emergen-C orange or raspberry if I don't have the chewable C with me and it works really well.
Essential Oils
Posted by Christina Gonzales (Us) on 03/19/2017
★★★★★
FLU SYMPTOMS So I came down with these symptoms after taking care of several people in quarantine for influenza type A. No, I didn't go to the doctor, it is an uncomfortable waste of my time, sitting on a hard plastic chair for 8 or 9 hrs. awaiting a diagnosis with a prescription for modern medicine that I cannot afford. Okay, symptoms: aches, fever, chills, stuffy head, severe headache, nausea, vertigo, ears popping, waves of intense abdominal cramping.
What I did about it. I diffused these "flu bomb" essential oils into my breathing space non-stop, Oregano, Lemon, Frankincense, Thieves (thieves is a mixture of 10 drops of rosemary, 15 drops of eucalyptus, 20 drops of cinnamon bark, 35 drops of lemon and 40 drops of clove).
The other things I did, at first I religiously rubbed Lansinoh (its a cracked nipple cream over the counter at Walmart) on the inside of my nares, this helped with the drippy nose, I also used ZICAM, this did not work this time like it does for the cold virus! So I finally ditched it after a few days, this is also how I figured out I must have the flu and not just a cold/sinus infection.
At times I rubbed pure Shea butter inside of my nares, this seemed to really calm down the itchy, drippy symptoms. Lemon on my temples and rosemary on the back of my neck helps with the headaches. Then, last night, I rubbed several essential oils onto the soles of my feet, making little 'sections' and I am not even sure of where to put anything as I am not trained! But I must say, when you are miserable, you will do Anything.
Big toe, frankincense, second toe, anise star, third toe, clementine, fourth one ravensara, pinky toe, nerolina, section under pinky cedarwood-himalayan, next section over in a sweeping back and forth style, lime essential oil, then litsea, caraway, niaouli, lavender, finally sweet marjoram.
I slept without waking for 10 hours!! I felt a little headachy this morning, but nothing like yesterday! Still a little congested, I started using coconut oil inside my nose, actually sucking it up as high as I can get! I am much better now! I am still diffusing the first ingrediants I listed earlier all day, and I will more than likely put more oil on the bottom of my feet tonight.
Fermented Brewer's Yeast
Posted by Adrienne (ID) on 11/25/2023
★★★★★
Fermented Brewer's Yeast or Saccharomyces cerevisiae
It's about time I submit this wonderful preventative and cure for colds and flus to Earth Clinic! I am pushing 80 years old and have not had either a cold or the flu in eight years! That is because I was getting viruses about three times a year, and sometimes it would take me weeks to get back to normal. That's no fun and so I started looking for anything that would help. I remember taking Elderberry and medicinal mushrooms and perhaps something else, Vitamin C, but I was still getting sick often enough to cause me to keep looking. Then, one day I discovered Epicor which is fermented brewer's yeast. The story on the website, Healthy Origins, said that someone in the company that makes the fermented yeast to put into cow feed got to wondering one day why it was that the people working inside, like office workers, were using sick leave more than the people out in the factory working with the yeast. Eventually, it was discovered that the fermented brewer's yeast they were working with, probably inhaling, was the reason. It increases natural killer cells. It may do other positive things for the immune system, as well. All I know is I don't get sick anymore! Yay!! I hated dragging around feeling awful while still having to get my work done. Occasionally, I will have an off day and wonder why. If I feel off the next day I go, "Oh-oh, am I trying to get sick?' So, I increase the dosage of one capsule a day to a bunch. I take a couple every time I think of it which probably has added up to ten or twelve that day. That's just what I do, it isn't in the instructions, but the day after that I'm back to normal. I'd like to add that a few years after I discovered Epicor, I noticed it started appearing in combination supplements offered by other companies. It's now an ingredient in digestive supplements because apparently it also helps the digestive system.
Feverless Flu
Posted by Gean (Salina, KS) on 05/07/2009
I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced a strange 3 day "flu" with normal temperature (98.6 ). It's going around here, and I just came out of it. Extreme tiredness and weakness, some chills, sore throat for exactly 3 days, with no fever (taken with a liquid metal thermometer under the arm, adding 1 degree). I figured it was viral because of pain in the muscles around the eyes when I moved my eyeballs. If it was a common cold it would last longer than 3 days. I was practically on bed rest for almost 3 days. Others are also coming down with it. My son, age 12, got it first and we treated it aggressively right away with Echinacia/Goldenseal 900 mg, GSE (15 drops in gel cap 3X a day), Oregano oil in capsules (full capsule 3x a day), vitamin C, and sleep, and his lasted about one day. I was out of town away from my supplements when it started so I was several hours too late. I had just never experienced the weakness/tiredness/slight dizziness without fever before, and I trust my thermometer. Strange!
Flu Shots
Posted by Bradshad (North Providence, Rhode Island) on 01/19/2013
Every once in a while I watch the scam artist show called Dr. Oz. So a panel of 4 people were on the show and he asked if they would tell people to get the flu shot. 1st guy worked for the CDC so you know his answer (yes), 2nd was a Dr.that worked with him (yes), 3rd was a man with a brain and said negatives outweigh the positives, and 4th lady said she does not but if you are over 65 years old possibly. Then Dr. Scam said he thinks everyone should get it. I'm just an average evryday person and I just like everyone else can go to the CDC website and read that mercury, aluminum, formaldehyde, Msg, binders, fillers, are in the vaccine just to name a few. When I asked a friend of mine who is a College Professor and a Naturopath, also an engineer, he said the flu vaccine crushes the immune system. Poison. And then after after getting the vaccine its only 60% effective. More people than ever are getting sick from it. My kid got the vaccine, broke out in hives the next morning and 3 days later got a upper respiratory infection and missed 5 days of school. Great. Stay healthy all.
Flu Shots
Posted by Mollie (Riverside, California, Usa) on 01/08/2012
I have a friend (female) in her 80's. We were discussing my fear of flu shots and she told me that she and her husband who has had a triple-by-pass have been taking flu shots regularly for about 20 years and have not suffered from the flu in 20 years!
She lives in southern California U.S.A. This lady told me that not getting the flu is a must for her husband due to his triple-by-pass surgeries.
My husband and I have been terribly ill with the flu since November and are now just getting over it.
This makes me wonder if flu shots might help some people? This coming October my husband and I are going to get flu shots to see if it helps.
By the way we are seniors.
Replied by Ds
(Nwa, Ar)
01/19/2013
Replied by Teresa
(Nc)
02/05/2016
Garlic
Posted by Suzanne (Abbotsford, Bc Canada) on 09/18/2011
★★★★★
I always knew that raw garlic was good for you, but I didn't know how to take it in a way that wasn't offensive. One day I researched it, and here it is: when you feel like you're coming down with something, crush a whole clove of raw garlic, allow the allicins to develop for 15 minutes, then swallow whole or in pieces, if necessary, without chewing. I do this just before bed, chase it with a hot drink of water, lemon juice, a little baking soda, maybe some ACV and honey to taste. I don't smell, I don't burp it up, and by morning I feel great again. Then, just to be sure, I usually do it another night or two. Other friends have tried it, and it works for them too. This stuff is amazing!
Garlic
Posted by Kathryn (Owings, Md.) on 03/05/2009
★★★★★
I was so sick of being sick that I got up and took one strong garlic capsule an hour (from hepapro) and started colon cleansing Sonne 7 and 9. It worked. This garlic capsule is worth eating 10 garlic cloves that is how strong it is. I also hydrogen peroxide ears.
Garlic
Posted by Dorothy (Canutillo, TX) on 01/27/2007
★★★★★
Garlic is what helped me overcome symptoms of the flu. I was home and had a fever of 104 and the chills and was aching all over. I just felt like it would be better to die than to deal with these flu symptoms, when I had remembered what a friend from church had told me; "Try raw garlic when you start to getting symptoms of a cold and it will cure you." So I thought I couldn't feel any worse than I do already. I took a tooth of garlic and began to chew it up (NASTY). It nauseated my stomach so I got me a drink of water and began to take SMALL SIPS which settled my stomach. Then I lay down and fell asleep for about 2 and a half hours , when I awoke the fever, chills and aches were gone. I just had a lot of congestion. So, I took some more garlic the next day but this time I cut it into small pieces and chewed some and swallowed the rest with sips of water. The next day I was well completely. It was great. I am a true believer in garlic as a cold cure. Thank you God.
Replied by Perci
(Quantico, VA)
01/22/2023
★★★★★
Garlic, Onion, Horseradish, Cayenne, Ginger
Posted by Naturalhealer (Brooklyn, Us) on 11/20/2010
★★★★★
The following is a cure and even prevents the flu and colds:
Blend equal parts of: garlic, onion, horseradish, hot pepper (cayenne), and ginger. Soak it in apple cider vinegar (best when soaked for at least 2 weeks) and strain. Take a tsp of this mixure (somewhere there is a guarantee that by using an ounce you will be cured within 48 hrs) every 2 hours. I have treated the flu OVERNIGHT with this, and constantly see the cold virus dealt with easily with this. While the Western medical community says there is no cure for these viruses, I beg to differ. YB, PA-S
Garlic, Pepper, Chili Pepper
Posted by Brandi (St. Louis, MO) on 11/11/2008
★★★★★
Cough/Sore throat: I have a really bad flu, I read some of the remedies. I didn't have most of the stuff. So I got a mug of hot water, mixed in several shakes of garlic powder, black pepper, and a little bit of the red pepper that comes with your chinese food, swirled it up and am now sipping on it. My throat was really sore, but now only hurts when swallowing. My cough is not as deep anymore. This stuff is gross and spicy, but it is better than nothing. (Or at least better than Dayquil.)
General Feedback
Posted by Reinhold (Gatineau/ Aylmer, Qc,canada ) on 07/21/2011
I live in Aylmer. My mother (in Germany) always made Holunderbeerensuppe, what they called a soup made with them to clean the blood, for general health. I still have the original Kneipp Handbook, take ice cold baths all year round, garden outdoors a lot without much clothes on, and barefoot, Yoga, Acupuncture, eat mostly raw food and fruits, (right now I love mangoes) and apple juice, make my own apple/grape vinegar & vine, yoghurt. I never get/got colds or influenca or throat, for many, many years now.
Ginger
Posted by Susan (Knoxville, Tn) on 10/28/2014
★★★★★
Just using the powdered ginger from the grocery store spice aisle worked for me in one dose in 2009 when the H1N1 flu was going around. My son had gotten it and coughed right in my face when I tucked him in bed (I couldn't get him to take anything like ginger for it - he was too young and spit it out), so about 2 days later, I suddenly had a runny nose and little tickles in my upper chest - felt like tiny bubbles popping in my chest. When I realized that what I was feeling was the flu, the ginger remedy I had seen here popped into my head (thank you, EC - love your site and you are my first go-to for so many things now! ) Going with what I had available, I used 1/2 tsp of the powdered ginger and made a tea with it, heating up a mug of water and then stirring the powdered ginger in with a bit of sugar. It didn't taste too good but I drank it and had to swirl the mug around to get the leftover powder on the bottom of the mug into my mouth. Within an hour, the symptoms were all gone. I was extremely relieved, because I had a really nasty virus about a year earlier, that I had gotten pneumonia from, and it had wreaked havoc on my upper respiratory area where the flu was trying to take hold and I was still suffering from recurring chest congestion every time I got a cold at that time. So I was extremely worried that the flu would land me in the hospital, given my pre-existing chest issues. I was SOOOO relieved that the ginger worked to get rid of it so quickly. I had read that ginger has over 100 antiviral components in it, but dry ginger may have fewer of those than fresh ginger, but I would say definitely don't overlook the dry, powdered version if it's all you have!
Ginger
Posted by Lawrence (Kingston, Jamaica) on 04/29/2008
★★★★★
Sucking on a .5 sq. inch piece of dried ginger cures my sore throat and other cold/flulike symptoms at their onset. You have to however bear the hotness as much as you can,until the sensation is gone. I have not suffered from a cold or flu for the last 10 years or so. For more aggressive forms, a total water & juice fast for 2 or 3 days straight does the trick for me. My roomate had a bad flu recently, it never touched me. When ending the fast, eat only raw fruits and veggies for a day or so. Notice how the gradual resumption of cooked food lowers your mood and vibration.
Ginger
Posted by Earth Clinic (USA)
★★★★★
This ginger tea is one of the most powerful teas to clear viruses and toxins from the body. Here's an old Chinese recipe that is very beneficial.
Chop into small pieces 2 inches of fresh ginger and add to a pot of water. Add the rind of one orange and one cinnamon stick. Boil for 10 minutes and drink hot. You will be able to tell how well this tea clears toxins from your body by the changing scent of your perspiration (for the worse).
