It's terrible

First a flat tire on Monday, and I think I am catching a cold now

I am at a customer's site, and in the little project room everybody is coughing and hacking up a lung. It's worse than a petri dish at the CDC

I used anti-bacterial lotion, washed my hands constantly and used paper towels to open doors

I absolutely hate catching a cold, and it's worse when on the road.

Hope that Zycam and Nyquil do the job tonight

You know the washing hands part is about the only part that helps. The anti-bacterial stuff doesn't hardly help at all since most of that stuff isn't caused by bacteria. Also, a MD once told me that anti-bacterial stuff is NOT good for you. It kills the good bacteria too.

Anyway, yes, it sucks and I have one now. Not too bad this time...at least so far. What the killer is that I got the first one in LA in Jan when it was 80 degrees and now I am in Florida and got another one.

At the first sign of a cold or cough, I take Airborne. Works for me.

For a moment I thought I worked with you. Almost everyone around me is sick, except myself (for now).

I've tried vitamins, fresh fruit, and regular exercise, but I can never avoid it each year. I even got sick during some years where I took my flu shots.

My workplace is a virus' wet dream. If all 8 people sitting around me got sick with a contagious virus, we could infect virtualy all of the US and a good part of Canada over the weekend.

What symptoms does it cure? Wallet too heavy? Not a sufficiently unhealthy dose of vitamin C in your system (okay, so the reduced dose schedule now only has 45 times the recommended daily allowance)? A grade-school teacher with no medical training hawking a possibly harmful placebo not wealthy enough?

Sorry to sound mean, but you, and many other people, are wasting your money. It's basically a vitamin supplement with a mega-dose of vitamin C.

You might want to read the following:
http://www.elpasotimes.com/apps/pbcs...603200320/1004

From the article:

"The "clinically proven" statements touted in the ads allude to the results of a small double-blind trial which imply that fewer cold symptoms develop among Airborne users than the placebo group. Keep in mind that this "research" has never been peer-reviewed and details on the study have yet to be released. However, its labeling states "this product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease."

The fact is that none of its ingredients, including echinacea, and vitamins A and C, has been scientifically proved to prevent colds. Moreover, Airborne, taken as directed on the package, which is one tablet every three hours, contains large and potentially dangerous levels of vitamins A and C. For instance, a mere three tablets a day, has 15,000 units of vitamin A, enough to possibly cause liver disease and dizziness and blurred vision. High doses of A are also dangerous for pregnant women, and over the long term could increase the risk of osteoporosis. Though each tablet contains 1 g of vitamin C, doses that exceed 1 g increase oxalate and urate excretion and may cause kidney stones. Consequently, after several years of criticism, the directions now read "up to three times per day as necessary."

I've have also tried many techniques to beat a cold while on a trip. Despite my many attempts the only thing that seems to work is lots and lots of liquids and rest - which doesn't come easy while on the road. However, they say a "positive mental attitude" can do wonders. I'll have to try it sometime.

The "nice" thing about getting something while traveling in a foreign country is that you can often walk in to a pharmacy and buy stuff over the counter that you'd need a prescription for in the US. I was in Quito, Ecuador for a few days in 03 before flying to the Galapagos. I had a sinus infection (okay, not exactly a "cold") flare up that I'd been dealing with a few weeks before the trip. My doctor back home had given me antibiotics for the original diagnosis, but I had used them up. I went to a pharmacy and loaded up on amoxycillin and codeine, fixed me up within 2 days and I didn't have to worry about being miserable for a week in the islands.

Maybe its the placebo effect, but at the first sign of a cold its major Zicam spraying time - nose and throat.
Seems to work for me...

NB: be aware of the allegations

This may sound a little obsessive, but when in the office during cold season I set my phone to ring every half hour. I then get up and promply go wash my hands. Before I eat or rub my eyes, I go wash my hands again. I also drunk a half gallon of water a day, take a regular multivitamin, and Ecenecia tablet. I clean my keyboard and desk with an alcohol swab daily or whenever anyone else who is sick uses it.

I haven't gotten sick in 4 years. Only detriment...my hands get pretty dry.

When I do get sick, I use Theraflu. Knocks me right out (night) and my symptoms are reduced considerably (day).

I am amazed about my co workers saying that the antibacterial cleaner would protect them. Last time I checked, those killed 99.9 of bacteria (or so they say) and 0% of viruses.

Oh you get sick OK, it's called OCD and they make drugs that can help that too.

Airborne, multivitamin, non-caffeinated fluids work for me most of the time. Oh and washing hands.