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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 2/13/2011 2:19 AM (GMT 0)
I have a hard time getting over and not causing a flare of my CD when I catch a bad cold or flu. I am currently on Predisone 10 mg and do have HBP..Are there certain herbal remedies, over the counter meds, or prescription medication that are better?..I am trying to get over the flu with the CD acting up!! uuurrgg!

Thanks so much,

Cindy
Posted 2/13/2011 1:13 PM (GMT 0)
Whenever I start to get sick, I immediately start taking the Zinc lozenges. Cold Eeze sells then in most drug stores but the generic works fine for me. I take one every few hours and my cold is gone in no time. I hope you are feeling better soon!!
Posted 2/13/2011 6:24 PM (GMT 0)
It seems that we as Crohnies get everything worse. Make sure you are drinking lots of fluids. I can do the coldeze some but have to be careful as they can upset my stomach some. Since I started taking Vit D3, it has helped alot with my immunity, and (knocking on wood) I haven't been sick since I started it. Hugs!
Posted 2/13/2011 6:51 PM (GMT 0)
And there is so much going around. My teen got bronchitis...and yesterday I was taken to the dr because I couldn't breathe I was coughing so hard...bronchitis here as well. It seems that everyone is sick ..that time of year.

I have not had any luck with the zinc because of tummy upset..I try and increase my vitamin c intake, and just drink lots and lots of water to flush out the cold/flu. And eat lots of chicken soup.. hope you feel better soon.
Posted 2/14/2011 5:06 AM (GMT 0)
My husband was nice enough to share his cold germs with me last week. I asked him on a scale of 1-10 how bad he thought it was. He tells me a 3. Uh huh, for him it was very mild. But for me I felt HORRIBLE. I didn't sleep for 3 days, all stuffy, sore throat lasted forever! I also have HBP and on my last cold I ended up seeing my doc because the cough got so bad in my chest. Well I had been taking tons of Sudafed and he was so mad at me. I guess my heart rate was through the roof! I asked what I could take and he gave me some Nasonex, and told me to get Afrin spray over the counter. I can only use the Afrin spray at night, and only for a few nights (guess it can have a nasty rebound affect and make you dependant on using it). But oh it works so nice! lol Might want to talk to your doctor about it, see if that's a good option for you.

But yes, I always catch everything much worse then everyone else! No one understand why I get so upset when I've been exposed to a cold or flu. They just don't get how miserable I can feel!

Posted 2/15/2011 2:22 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the response! I went out and bought some D3 & Emergen-C..I did break down and called the doctor for some antibiotics..I am trying to figure out how much of this D3 I am suppose to be taking?
Cindy
Posted 2/15/2011 3:17 PM (GMT 0)
I would start off with 1,000-2,000 units. And then if you can in about a month have your doctors run a Vit D test and see what your levels are. I currently take 5400 units a day, and my test results are always right in the middle at 50. Good luck!
Posted 2/15/2011 4:03 PM (GMT 0)
Whoa! Slow down!

Cindy, have you had your vitamin D levels checked? Do you even know if your levels are low? I would NOT start taking mega doses of vitamin D without consulting my doctor. Patients taking take OTC supplements and/or herbal/alternative meds without telling their physicians is a huge problem in the medical community.

Vitamin D toxicity http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vitamin-d-toxicity/AN02008
" The Institute of Medicine currently recommends that children and adults up to age 70 get 600 international units (IU) of vitamin D daily." and
"... therapeutic doses are given under the care of a doctor. "

Nanners, I'm surprised you recommended this. This is quoted from your "Gentle reminder" post. hhttps://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=17&m=2029037
" None of us are medical doctors and should not be giving ANY kind of medical advice...
Best to keep "advice" general rather than specific, and avoiding things like specific treatment recommendations,..."

To me, your recommendation of 1000-2000 units of Vit D looks like a "specific treatment recommendation", but I could be wrong.

A patients's doctor should be aware of any/all over-the-counter supplements he/she takes, as some can also have an adverse reaction with some prescription medications.

Good luck, Cindy
Jan
Posted 2/16/2011 4:25 AM (GMT 0)
I can see that my post from this morning has been viewed over 25 times since I posted. No one else commented.

So, it's OK when a moderator tells a poster what to take, how much to take, and even how long to take it before consulting with her physician - ? ?

"I would start off with 1,000-2,000 units. And then if you can in about a month have your doctors run a Vit D test and see what your levels are."

baffled
Jan
Posted 2/16/2011 4:37 AM (GMT 0)
What kind of reply are you looking for? I mean, really...Nanners said what she felt she wanted to say...and you did the same. I'm not sure what's left to say that hasn't already been said???
Posted 2/16/2011 4:45 AM (GMT 0)
Re-read the "Gentle reminder" thread.

I appears to me the moderators are cracking down on certain people for "giving too much information."

I wanted a moderator to acknowledge that the street runs both ways. No one should be telling another poster what medication to take.

Just my humble opinion.
Jan
Posted 2/17/2011 3:05 AM (GMT 0)
The problem with herbs is that most doctors don't have a problem with you taking them if you feel they can help. They just don't recommend anything or a dosage. Some vitamins do hinder absorption of medication so doctors want to know what you are taking. I heard so much about D3 I wanted to try it and wanted a safe dosage recommendation. In the past, I have tried different herbs, tea, or diets from this board. I find it helpful conversation about alternative measures, which I don't get from the medical profession. I appreciate information from other CD patients on drugs that they may have taken or knowing the side effects one may have experienced. Getting a CD diagnosis with all the problems that go along with it, the board is for knowledge and support. The diet, symptoms, and drugs are a huge maze newly diagnosed people have to deal with along with feeling so sick and isolated. I hate to see people getting fussy, but I know there is such thing as legal liability,too..

Cindy
Posted 2/17/2011 3:46 AM (GMT 0)
There is a lot of good evidence that Vitamin D will help with preventing the flu. I would think that you need to stick with it though because once you get sick it's too late. The FDA has or is raising the amount of Vitamin D intake that is considered safe. I take 1000 in the morning and 1000 in the evening. I used to get repiratory and sore throats a couple of times a year. Since I started taking Vitamin D I rarely get sick and then not as sick. Twice I quit taking it and twice I got sick. Hope that this helps the OP and YES you must always consult your doctor before taking suplements and medications.
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