Urgh, I hate being sick. I’m lucky enough that I can often go a couple years without coming down with anything. Well, my couple years is up.
Anyone have any suggestions for the best medicine for just a straight-up sore throat where it’s burns like crazy when I swallow?
Normally, when I get sick, I just nuke it with Thera-Flu, but at this point, it’s clearly limited to my throat. No need to jump straight to the nuclear option. I’ve got a mild fever, but I’m not stuffed up, no real headache, no nausea. Aside from the usual – plenty of rest, stay hydrated – anyone have any advice on a basic sore throat treatment? Is there a such thing as “just sore throat” medicine? I’ll drag myself to the drugstore and ask a pharmacist later, but before that, I figured what better place to turn for medical advice than Qt3?
Chloraseptic is the stuff you spray on the back of your tongue to dull the pain. Tends to work well for me. If you’re having post-nasal drip, then a decongestant should do well.
Nothing seems to work for me. Gargle with saltwater, try this over the counter throat spray that tastes terrible and does nothing, etc. The doctor just gave me his best ‘nuke it from orbit’ antibiotics and it was gone after a day or two.
So obviously I am of no help, other than I can tell you what not to take. And that’s Ginger Ale. I love the stuff, but holy shit does it irritate a sore throat.
Edit: Ah yes, Chloraseptic, that’s the stuff that did pretty much nothing for me. Maybe you will have better luck.
I’ve always found gargling with warm salt water to be a lot more effective than Chloraseptic or any other anesthesia sore throat medicine. About a teacup of warm water with a teaspoon of salt. Some folks use baking soda instead of salt.
My grandfather uses Listerine instead of salt water, and it does work well.
Chloraseptic doesn’t work for me, I generally drink orange juice when I have to drink something, otherwise I suffer with dignity. And whine. Lozenges are okay too, more effective for me than chloraseptic.
When I got sore throats in highschool, I would open my dad’s liquor cabinet, gargle briefly with about a thimbleful of vodka, and then swallow it. The alcohol would numb my throat enough to get through the morning.
Cup of hot (dark) tea
Juice from a wedge of lemon
Dollop of honey (eyeball it)
short shot of whiskey (or whisky, whatever your preference/what you have)
I usually limp through with many of these various methods. If it starts to hurt like you are swallowing glass each time you swallow and it is keeping you from going to sleep, you have strep and a couple shots in the ass will fix you up.
You shouldn’t take the menthol ones too often but I find sucking on lozenges or hard candy without menthol help soothe a sore throat. And I take over the counter pain killers and sip tea. I had a cough that lasted about two months and made my throat raw, and not much seemed to help except lozenges and tea and then not very much.
There’s a couple of bug going around ranging from a sinus infection to a sore throat thing that gets worse, which I just got over 2 weeks of. So if you’re still feeling it on Monday, you should visit your doctor. I know 3 people besides me who’ve had it and they all got the z-pack anti-biotics which fixed them up - I was too dumb to go to the doctor, thus the two weeks of hell.
From one doctor, this years crop of flu vaccines were crap and these things, which aren’t as bad as full on flu but linger for a long time, are rampant. And the sinus infection one is contagious even when you’re not having a fever.
when menthol fails you gotta take these candies that come in grey plastic containers. they claim to last 5 hours which they don’t, but they last at least 2 hours so they work really good. I’d tell you the name but this is one of those occasions I imbihed a bit so I’m more mentally deficient than normal. BTW loved that Swedish movie good stuff.
I try not to take them cause the whole point of coughing is your body trying to get rid of crap. you’re supposed to sniff and cough and spread germs and feel miserable. is that too catholic of me?
Remember, the active ingredient of most cold remedies is alcohol!
