Any tips for getting better before I get on the plane in a few hours?

If not, any tips for surviving being sick on a plane? I really don't want to be "that girl" hacking all over strangers.

I've already had tons of fluids, and I'm chewing vitamin c tablets as I type. Nothing seems to help. Really.

It's a phlegm-y cough that just won't quit.

-- Anonymous, May 16, 2000

Answers

Are you congested at all? If so, be very careful. Several years ago I flew not long after having had a bad bout of allergies. When the plane started its descent, I began to get a tingling feeling between my eyes. At first it was similar to when your arm or leg is asleep, but it soon felt like somebody was stabbing my sinuses with an icepick. Not fun.

I later learned that you can relieve that pain by holding your nose & blowing, but for a while I thought I was going to die.

Good luck on your trip.

-- Anonymous, May 16, 2000

STEAM STEAM STEAM.

i'm serious. it's wicked hot outside, but you need to breathe a shitload of STEAM.

try to get some tussonex, if you can. i find it's the best presc. cough medication around.

good luck

-- Anonymous, May 16, 2000

Vitamin C has been shown to be absolutely useless for colds.

Your best bet is a double dose of something like Robitussin and then lots of throat lozenges. I wish I could remember the brand I use, but they contain some kind of anaesthetic that makes my tongue numb (and presumably helps numb the throat as well).

I suppose it's too late now, but if coughing is a real problem you can get your doctor to prescribe something stronger.

-- Anonymous, May 16, 2000

Take something that will knock you out on the plane. You won't remember a thing.

-- Anonymous, May 16, 2000

nyquil, pamie. you'll wake up on saturday!!! =o)

-- Anonymous, May 16, 2000

Find yourself the most powerful decongestant you can, and take twice the recommended amount before you get on the plane. You do not want to be congested on a plane.

Also, about the holding nose and blowing thing: that works okay normally on a plane, when you're not sick. However, once I had a head cold and tried that, and somehow wound up giving myself an ear infection. So if you're sick, I would not recommend that as a way of clearing pressure in your ears. Chew a lot of gum. And did I mention the decongestant?

-- Anonymous, May 16, 2000

I was sick on the plane to NYC a month ago. Having a stuffed up nose on the plane is setting yourself up for serious pain. Your brain and scull need to decompress during the plane's descent. Be sure you have your runway clear for that or you may explode in mid air.

-- Anonymous, May 16, 2000

Word on the pain... it took two days for my ears to pop.... Now THAT was pain!

-- Anonymous, May 16, 2000

I have no advice, Pamie, only sympathy. I'm just starting to get a cold, and I have to get on a plane on Saturday. That should be loads of fun.

Nasal spray isn't good for you, but it might be a good idea just this once -- use it right before you get on the plane so your head will be clear.

-- Anonymous, May 16, 2000

My dear, once you HAVE a cold, Vitamin C will do nothing for you except maybe help relieve a sore throat. (I just wrote an article on this, strangely enough, and the doctor I interviewed said this was one one of the most wide-spread myths in healthcare. It does help PREVENT colds and, you know, scurvy or whatever - just won't cure one.)

Keep up the fluids and listen to Jeff - knock yourself out with something for the plane. Nyquil, the heroin of cold medicines, would be a good choice. Or, why not whiskey?

-- Anonymous, May 16, 2000

I second the nasal spray vote, in moderation, because it can be addictive. You may want to consider your personal tolerance to over the counter cold medicines. I am very sensitive to the side effects of most of them. Instead of making me sleepy, I feel like I have take piles of speed. Not a fun feeling and, if you are nervous and jumpy about flying, you may not want to give your self any more anxiety, especially in a confined space. Also, my dr. suggested avoiding any antihistimines (the ingredient in most over the counter cough medicines) because they are extremely drying and the plane is such a dry environment already, it may make you feel worse. My doc recommended the little red sudafed or generic equivalent, which is a decongestant, not an antihistimine. You will have a runny nose, but your head will probably not explode. Good luck! I've flown sick and it is never a picnic.

-- Anonymous, May 16, 2000

here are some remedies i've tried over the years:

raw garlic and grapefruit: the garlic supposedly kills germs and the grapefruit (use juice) makes you sweat. this one works great for the ONSET of a cold, be prepared to be shunned for a few days due to your body odor.

shot of wasabi: so painful you feel better for an hour. when i say "shot" i don't mean a wimpy dab on the finger. squeeze some into a tablespoon, drink a little water, and swish it around for awhile. gross but fun, if you like torture.

chicken noodle soup with jalapenos and garlic: YUM! mr. teetz makes this for me when i get sick. take one can of campbells chicken noodle, 1 bulb (not clove, BULB) garlic, and two jalapenos (feeling brave? use a habanero or two instead.). Chop garlic and jalapenos. Add to soup. eat. with crackers, preferably. feel better. this one clears the nose, soothes the throat, and the steam from the soup helps your lungs.

fresh horseradish and lemon juice: and you thought the wasabi was gross? this is awful. grate up some fresh horseradish root, mix it up with some fresh lemon juice. poor this hideous concoction into your mouth and let it SIT THERE for as long as you can stand it, or until you feel your sinuses let loose. stand over the sink and let your sinuses drain. ohhhhhh lordy.

let me again remind you, pamie dear, not to fly with a stuffed-up nose. the condition everyone is describing is called ear blockage, and a painful condition it is indeed. i got it for the first time when i was 10, and i thought i was going to die until my pilot dad explained what it was and helped me relieve it. often, ear blockage is helped by placing a hot towel over the offending ear.

happy trails!

-- Anonymous, May 16, 2000

I'm starting to think infections may spread via my mouse - down the lines from your sites (Pamie and Beth), because I woke up this morning feeling very rough.

No real advice Pamie - just see if you can get anything to help you sleep on the flight, instead of having to cough and hack through it! Flying sucks (I know, I'm flying the 24 hour trip to NZ and back for one week with my family), and nothing sucks more than having a cold.

Dave Van's right on the Vitamin C as far as I know - it's one of those old wive's tales. But hot lemon and honey will help a yucky throat.

-- Anonymous, May 16, 2000

I heard zinc tablets work to fend off a cold (but don't take them on an empty stomach). The only other thing I'd recommend is lots of rest between now and then. "It takes 3 days to get a cold, 3 days to have a cold, and 3 days to get rid of a cold." or so they say.

-- Anonymous, May 16, 2000

Day Quil and a vaporizer filled with Vicks.

-- Anonymous, May 16, 2000

Since I currently am having a bout with allergies (and I live close by in Houston), I'll give you my cocktail.

I take Claritan-D, the I take an additional decongestant like Guifenisen or Sudafed.

Then a couple of hours later, take a Dimetapp. Just the Dimetapp doesn't work. I have to take my other Rx stuff too.

I also take an Advil or something to get rid of my headache.

The clencher, though is this. Go to the store and get yourself on of those colored-gel eye masks, usually used to stop swelling. Freeze it. Put on face - becareful you don't frost bite your skin, but somehow freezing your sinuses helps *so* much - the best thing. If I don't have my gel thing, I'll take a bag of ice and put a papertowel between it and my face and lie down. Takes about 20 minutes and isn't comfortable at first, but after about 4 minutes, you'll emerge from your misery. And you'll feel good for a couple of hours afterwards.

Good luck.

-- Anonymous, May 16, 2000

zinc tablets.

i'm famous for getting hellish colds that won't go away unless I trek it out to the doctors and get on medication.

my parents swear by a steady regimen of zinc tablets, vitamin c, and lots of fluids for colds.

it works, i swear.

my grandmother was a nurse and taught me a little trick to getting phlegm out of your lungs quicker, you'll need Eric's help for this. I hang over the side of my bed laying on my stomach and have my boyfriend pound on my back, around my shoulderblades. Not real hard, just enough to jostle the phlegm around.

-- Anonymous, May 16, 2000

When your ears start to hurt ask the flight attendant for a hot wet wash cloth and a plastic cup (a paper towel and a foam cup works too). Put the cloth in the cup and put the entire contraption over your ear. It looks funny but it hurts.

Do not try to pop your ears, you can definately get an ear infection from that.

Also really strong mints clear my ears, try smint or altoids. I don't know why but it works.

-- Anonymous, May 16, 2000

I meant it works funny but it works. It gets rid of the hurt.

-- Anonymous, May 16, 2000

Tylenol Sinus Caplets, maximum strength, non-drowsy formula, plus two sprays of Afrin in each nostril, before you fly. No question. Got this straight from my Doc. A few years ago, I did the fly-with-a-cold thing, and had a stopped up ear for several months afterwards, no kidding. No fun at all. Now, at the very hint of a sniffle on the day I fly, I use the above combination, and have had no problems since I began this regimen. If you cannot delay this trip until you are well, which would be my first recommendation, run out now, and buy these drugs. And make sure you take the Tylenol Sinus meds long enough in advance so that you're already unstuffed before you fly. Same goes with the Afrin. If your trip lasts longer than 4 hours, you might want to repeat the Tylenol. The Afrin should last 12 hours, though with a cold, it may not seem like it.

For the cough, try the Robotusin that most matches your cough profile. They apparently make about 10 different concoctions, and amazingly enough, they do seem to work if you get the right one.

Good luck, and remember, YMMV.

-- Anonymous, May 16, 2000

Umm, I don't have a cold/flying remedy, but what always helps me get on an airplane is a double vodka tonic followed by a Xanax chaser. Now everyone is going, "O-kay, look at the pill popping addict.". But, I have had serious problems with flying, like the window falling out in my lap, not just the inner pane I could stick my whole f*cking hand out the plane, that drinking alot helps me get through. The best of Luck to you Pa

-- Anonymous, May 17, 2000

Pamie,

I strongly second Jan's comments. Get a nasal decongestant, take the pills an hour or two before boarding. If you don't, you will run the risk of tearing your sinuses. Not pretty. Don't mix that with alcohol, either.

-- Anonymous, May 17, 2000

Suck on Zinc lozenges and drink Jack Daniels! Whisky kills germs and is good for sore throats. No scientific data to back that up, just a warm feeling in my belly! Good luck!

-- Anonymous, May 17, 2000

When I moved to Edmonton, I was sick for a month. A MONTH!!! It was the altitude (Every time my ex comes to visit his parents, he gets a cold-- coincidence? I think not). I was sick for two weeks before I moved, too, so it was a six-week cold. I thought I was going to die. I tried everything. I chewed zinc tablets, used every cold medicine and home remedy available, including a noxious concoction involving maple syrup, hot water, cayenne pepper and honey (I think). It made me gag. I went through a dozen medications before I found anything that worked.

Finally, what worked for me was NyQuil (for the congestion) and Echanacea. OK, I spelled that wrong. But it worked. Or maybe, after six weeks of trying to kill me, the cold gave up.

I've been cold-free for almost a year now. Whenever I start feeling a tickle in my throat, I take that stuff. Just stay away from the liquid, because it's gross. Try the caplets instead.

-- Anonymous, May 17, 2000

Pamie,

I also swear by zinc. You can get zinc throat lozenges (often combined with Vitamin C) at most any drugstore nowadays. I heard about the zinc from my aunt, who is a professional singer who cannot afford to get or stay sick for very long and has to take very good care of her throat. The first time I tried zinc lozenges was the only annual cold in my entire life that didn't turn into a miserable, weeks-long, full-blown sinus infection requiring antibiotics to get over. That cold lasted only about three days. I've used zinc lozenges for every cold since then, and so far, so good. These days, I start using those zinc lozenges the moment I encounter even the earliest symptoms of a cold and don't stop until the cold is gone. Note that the zinc lozenges have a sort of nasty metallic taste that gets really old VERY quickly, but I figure it's worth it if it gets me over my cold faster. I haven't seen or tried it myself, but my cousin says they now make zinc nasal sprays, too, and he recommends those.

My singer aunt also recommends (as do I, now) Throat Coat Tea (made from Slippery Elm bark), available in boxes of tea bags from some grocery stores, pharmacies, and health food stores. This is made by a company called Traditional Medicinals, which produces a whole line of teas using traditional natural remedies to address various health problems. Throat coat is great stuff for soothing a raw, sore throat. I've also seen and tried Slippery Elm bark tablets, which are basically just lozenges, but I prefer the tea myself. However, during travel, the lozenges are easier and often more practical. One of my co-workers has loose slippery elm bark that she uses to steep tea when she has a cold, but I have no idea where she gets the stuff--probably either a health food store or a specialty tea store.

Some people also recommend echinacea tablets or echinacea tea to help boost your immune system. I use these sometimes because I figure they can't hurt, but I haven't noticed any great effects, and am not really convinced it does anything at all.

After I once flew from New York to Houston and back with one of the above-mentioned full-blown sinus infections, I decided I'd almost rather die than ever go through that again. I've since heard of a product called Ear Planes, which are earplugs specially designed to slowly equalize the air pressure in airplanes. Supposedly they are great for people with ear problems that cause severe pain during the altitude change in planes, and also work well for small babies who don't yet know how to pop their ears to ease the pain. I found them (in children and adult sizes) at my local chain drugstore, but haven't had the opportunity to use them yet, so I can't vouch for how well they work. However, their web site (http://www.earplanes.com/) says they are "intended for people with sensitive ears or people who must fly even though suffering with a cold, allergy or sinus condition."

Lastly, I've used Nyquil successfully, too. I've managed to survive some other colds on airplanes by taking Nyquil (during the day) about half an hour before I got on the plane so I would just sleep through the whole trip. Works pretty well, but I don't recommend it if you need to be awake enough to get off a plane at a mid-way stopover destination, or otherwise need to be alert. When I have a cold but am not flying, I generally use Dayquil during the day and Nyquil at night, with regular doses of zinc lozenges and an occasional cup of Throat Coat tea throughout. Plus, I always stop taking my regular allergy prescription medications (Claritin-D and a nasal inhaler) while using over-the-counter stuff for colds, as I am afraid of potential drug interactions and have found that the nasal inhaler generally aggravates my situation during a cold anyway.

Good luck on your flight. I don't envy you!

-- Anonymous, May 17, 2000

First, try to buy "Ear Planes" which are these weird little plastic thigns you put in your ears to stabilize the pressure on planes. I have severe sinus problems and these are the only things that help. Not all airports have them, but many sell them at the various concession stands. If that fails and you have bad ear pain because the pressure and the cold double team you, take paper cups, poke holes in the bottom, then place a papertowel soaked in hot water in the bottom of the cup and place over your ears. It works the same way, and you'll look like a freak and giggle madly which will make it all suck less.

-- Anonymous, May 17, 2000

Two somewhat bad traveling sick stories.

A couple years ago, my family and I were traveling from Virginia to Florida via my dad's friend's private plane (my dad's friend flew it). Anyway, whenever I travel, I get bad allergies for some odd reason, so I was already congested (this was on the way home). So we flew and as we were landing my ears started to get to point where you have to pop them. It hurt like HELL. But they didn't pop...for. two. weeks. I was half deaf for two freakin' weeks. Of course, this was also two weeks before I started high school in a brand new place...so it was torturous.

Also a couple years ago, I went on a multi-day debate trip. My friend Mike was there and he had a cold...so he started taking zinc...which made him queasy. I think we were eating at Olive Garden when he saw a dead frog in the parking lot and threw up. We still make fun of him for the zinc tablets:)

-- Anonymous, May 18, 2000

Is it the fear of flying that's causing the illness? Well. There are bars in every airport in the world, right?

Just get loaded up before the flight, and you'll be knocked out the whole time or else you'll be the most interesting person on the plane. Depending on what kind of drunk you are of course...

-- Anonymous, May 18, 2000

Whenever I have a cold that gets so bad I feel like I'm going to die I chop off one of my fingers. Yes, it's drastic, but it is better than dying. It works! Within a day or two the cold will start getting better. I swear by this method.

[This message brought to you using IBM's voice recognition software.]

-- Anonymous, May 23, 2000