Collective non pharma flu remedies 2012/2013 flu season

I have just gotten sick myself, so you all may have to bear with me.
I thought it might be nice to collect all of the wonderful non pharma remedies that people have used on this flu in one place. I have seen many scattered across the boards, so please feel free to link to any post or thread that contains pertinent information.

*Disclaimer* I am not a licensed practitioner of any kind. I have merely been treating myself and my family to the best of my ability through the years.*

My most severe symptoms have been the tight chest and semi inability to breathe. I am a smoker, and it is to be expected, but it is scary.I have been using my hyland's homeopathic phosphorus to clear my cough and it seems to work nicely. I also put together an herbal tea this morning consisting of yarrow, mint, clover, labrador tea and rosemary.

Since the flu is a virus, antibiotics won't touch it, focus on anti-virals instead.

According to Bartram's Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine by Thomas Bartram,

ANTI-VIRALS. Herbs that contain Vitamin C or stimulate it metabolism in the body. Vitamin C has a broad spectrum viricidal action which is often overlooked for accute infectious diseases. Aloe Vera, Balm, Boneset, Burdock, Echineacea, Elderflowers, Elcampane, Eucalyptus, Garlic, Goldenseal, Liquorice, Marjoram, Pulsatilla, Queen's Delight, St. John's Wort, Thuja, Wild Indigo, Yarrow.

I can't find it in either of my go to herbals, but I know that I have read that rosemary is also anti-viral in action, according to Bartram's it is still a good anti-septic, anti-spasmodic which is also helpful to calm exhausted muscles, from coughing or vomiting.

Aromatherapy may be helpful, especially to those who cannot keep anything down. Eucalyptus is a good one to rub down congested areas with, it helps to open airways up, lavender is soothing, calming and smells wonderful. Tea Tree oil is a powerful purifier, it may be a good way to try and rid a sick area that still contains a person of the contaminants.

I have seen several people suggest colloidal silver, it is an excellent medicine! Thanks for reminding me of that one! I have some upstairs but have only ever used it under extreme circumstances due to cost.
I had chronic bronchitis years and years ago when I was homeless and in high school. I carried that with me for over a year when a wonderful kind person, who I really miss, kept me at her house and treated my with gallons of juice and colloidal silver. In a week I was healthy again. The stuff works!!!

Steam and vapor rub (or eucalyptus oil) are excellent to open airways right now. I have used this on a regular basis. I crank up the shower to full hot and leave the room for a minute to slather a nearly naked child with vapo rub, we then sit in the bathroom until my son is breathing better. It helps every time and is great for those midnight wakings.

Even a simple mint or chamomile tea loaded with lemon and honey can ease the chest congestion and make it easier to breathe.

I wish I had more for you on the nausea and vomiting, other than stay hydrated, I have never found anything to help me personally. I am the lucky one that puked for 9 months of each pregnancy.
Theoretically though, ginger and mint are both helpful. Sipping on ginger ale can at least keep you hydrated. Another odd one that helps others is mint candies, little starlight mints, or sucking on leftover candy canes has always helped the little ones. I have even found minimal relief with this over the years. People think I am strange because I always have peppermint candy canes hanging in my kitchen.

I know there is more, but my head is starting to throb again, please add as you see fit with links or info.
(I am a sucker and fall back on my coffee and ibuprofen for headaches, and the anti-inflammatory action of the ibuprofen helps with the rest of the aches too.

This sounds like it is getting worse, I only hope this helps someone.
Good Luck!!

Good thread idea! I'll tuck it away in my subscriptions and pray that I never need it.

OP, I hope you're feeling better soon.

I hear that oil of oregano is also good as an antiviral. Chamomile sure helped the family through this last viral outbreak.

reply to post by antar


Thanks! I can't believe I forgot that one! It is sitting right in plain sight here too.

And Thanks for adopting me too If you ever make it to AK u2u me and I promise to take you fishing.

i dont think it is the flu.

the whole world does not get the flu at the same time. it is just not the way it happens!

reply to post by 0mage


It does seem harsher than normal, but I know most of the state gets it almost at once up here.
I have been watching this though, it honestly seemed to show up right after hurricane Sandy when people started complaining of the persistent cough that wouldn't go away. I hope to God it's only a crappy flu! I actually came down with the H1N1 twice the winter that went around, I was in bed for almost 3 weeks. Hopefully this is not as bad.

Grandma's remedy,

1- moonshine
2-lemon juice
3-horehound candy
4-coke syrup

Mix it and heat it until the candy is dissolved, down it and go to bed with lots of blankets.
It basically sweats the bad stuff out of you. I have used it for nearly 50 years now. It works 80% of the time.
( you can use whiskey but moonshine is best)

Duerrs active honey
I don't know if you can get this active honey outside the uk but it is amazing. I used to suffer with recurring tonsillitis, 4 courses of antibiotics wouldn't work and the doctors didn't seem to care. The last time I had it lasted for 4 months of misery and agony. I tried everything to find some relief (including manuka honey) but nothing worked until I came across this stuff. Within 10 minutes of taking it my tonsils were feeling a lot less on fire and by a couple of hours the infection had gone (I won't give you all th gory details but it involved enough green oosy stuff to make the dr flinch when she finally got passed the swelling to have a look!). Now I drink 1/2 a squeezed lemon with a teaspoon of this every morning and I haven't had any trouble since and that was 2 years ago. Now when ever me or my kids start to feel rough we just take a spoonful of this and it clears it all up. I also used it on my dogs when they had kennel cough recently and it cleared it up in a couple of days. If I have flu I stick a couple of soluble aspirin in the drink and down it to help with the aches. My dad used to call me the sickly child but I haven't really been Ill now for a couple of years. I don't know why it works better than manuka at twice the active level, but it does so I don't question it all the active duerrs range seem to work equally well too.

reply to post by jimmiec


That reminds me of another that people I know swear by, though yours sounds more pleasant, I may have to try it tonight.

I don't remember exact portions, but essentially you slice an onion and soak it in a jar of honey and liquor and just let it sit in the fridge. He swears that a tablespoon would cure just about anything, and if it didn't eating one of the onion slices did. This is from a sweet backwoods gentleman of about 80 years old.

Olive leaf extract and grapefruit seed extract, are good to take when getting sick. I've heard also honey, boiled onions, elderberry, and cinnamon are good to combat sickness too.
I usually double up on those Emergan-C packets ( raspberry is the best imo). A double dose 3x a day should kick a cold out in 3 days.
I'm not sure about the flu. I'm having my kids take good multivitamins - not the Flintstones kind- and good probiotics everyday.
Also Vitamin D drops when they are not exposed to the sun.
Hopefully we can avoid the flu.

I used to do a similar thing but with a few cloves of garlic instead of onion. I'm not sure if it worked or if it just scared the germs away, lol! The Chilean honey is much nicer and much, much more effective!

To boost immune systems, more herbs on all the home cooking. Basil, oregano, rosemary, parsley, ginger, peppers, garlic, etc.
Avoid packaged frankenfoods if possible.

Ginger is good for nausea, either bits of the baking sugared type, or steeped in tea.
Drink lots of tea, preferably without milk, any type of tea. The warm liquid helps to pee the virus out of your system, and the teas are full of antioxidants.

Have little bits of salty foods to keep your electrolytes up. Not too much salt though.

Avoid artificial sweeteners, use stevia instead.
Also avoid sugar.

reply to post by woodsmom


She had a cure for Gall stones too. Kinda nasty but a better alternative than surgery.

1 gallon of water
1/2 gallon of vinegar

Don't eat anything, drink 1/2 gallon of water. Follow that with 1/2 gallon of vinegar. Follow that with another 1/2 gallon of water. Don't drink it all at once,even the water. Just don't eat anything during the treatment. According to her it works, i have never had to try it myself. Sounds pretty nasty.

reply to post by jimmiec


We adults had a far weaker strain and I wondered if it was because we were nipping the brandy during that time.

reply to post by woodsmom


We plan on coming down in the spring to buy plants for the business. I will U2U you.

Keep Onions in your house always.
At first feeling of a cold, Slice the onion and breath in the vapor for a sporadic 15 minutes.
Then slice the onion up put it in a pan about 1 inch of water and bring to boil,
Breath in the steam for a few minutes and put the pot bedside and leave it in the room for a few
days. This works every flu season and for common colds and sinus ailments.
Onions are a natural antibiotic.

reply to post by Purplefowler


Thanks for the info on the honey, it is hard to tell if we can find it in the states with the way they feel about us feeding ourselves real food at the moment, but I have a few places I can ask around.

I have never been able to try, or even make, the onion remedy.

I did mess up a batch of honey lemon jelly this year that never set. I figured I would use it with a few herbs as cough syrup if I needed too, maybe that will work with the shine recipe instead of the onion. Thanks for reminding me of that one too. I have so many goodies at home that I forget about them when I need them. I hate being sick, but better me than the kids. Although I can think straighter when treating them.

I wish I could go to bed

reply to post by Lil Drummerboy


I do this with spruce boughs, it disinfects the whole house, I put them in a pot of water on the woodstove with some oils, and it smells so good. Thanks for everyone's input here!

reply to post by antar


Please do!! I would love to meet you.

reply to post by Purplefowler


I just bought a bunch of honey off Ebay. It has the pollen in it,raw honey. I looked for Duerrs but did not see it on Ebay. Raw honey is great for you. My mother used to make homemade biscuits, a little honey and her biscuits were sooooo good. My mouth just started watering just typing this.