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Flu galloping through my office today


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We have about 20 people in my office. Five of them have children sick with the flu. Today we had 6 folks go home sick from work. They were dropping like flies. The boss said she was sick of barfing folks. The other boss was spraying Lysol in each persons office as they left sick. A few of them called the Dr.'s office to get appointments and some of them were told not to come in..the waiting rooms were full of people and loaded with germs. Apparently all our local pharmacies are out of Tamiflu too. I am lucky I have never had the flu ( I think I must have a natural immunity). I am concerned if DH gets it though with all his health issues. I am also glad that I am out for the rest of this week so my exposure will be limited. yikes

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I hope it stays away from your house! I really do not want the flu this year. I'm going to stay away from people as much as I can. It's not always easy but with lots of places like Wal-Mart and my grocery store staying open 24 hours a day it makes it a little easier to shop when 'normal' people are in bed. And there is always Amazon too. I can do my banking, what little I do, at the ATM machine. Our library has self checkout and I can use the outside drop box. I have plenty of stamps for bill paying so I can use the P.O. drive up box. Sheesh, I sound like a hermit.

 

I read this week where Oregon or Washington, can't remember which, were having quite a bit of avian flu already.

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For me flu and respiratory infections are my worst nightmare. DS had major thoracic surgery a couple years ago so his lung function somewhat compromised now. The worst part? because of the surgery, he can no longer take Tamiflu. Luckily he has the constitution of an Ox and is rarely ill. I'm the one who goes down with stuff...

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Echinacea the flu herb. Have it on hand all the time and start taking

at the first sign of flu symptoms. For that matter start taking it if you work

or are in contact with someone that has the flu......

 

One caution on Echinacia...if you're a smoker you are NOT to take it!

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We saw on the news that they have a notice on the walls of several hospital waiting rooms (and doctor's offices) that say "if you have fever, coughing and other flu like systems, please wait over here" and they're directed to a sort of "isolation" area. Think they're afraid of something? All of our shopping is done, we'll be driving around taking in the Christmas lights tomorrow night and taking a hike in the woods at a state park...not going to be around people during this crazy week! We'll be attending the Moose Lodge for our New Year's party so hopefully all at our table will not have any bugs! We don't have a choice on seating, just had to reserve seats at tables that were still available. One of the things we try NOT to consume in large quantities during the holiday season's are SUGAR and alcohol. I personally believe they both lower ones resistance and only open the door to the flu season.

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:sniff: ....ahem..... Aw, no! I've got a bit of plugged nose this morning. Not too unusual for me with chronic sinus....and furnace roaring with MINUS 15 degrees last nite. Hoping that's all it is. I don't feel terrible..... Taking the immune system booster herbs.

 

Live Nativity with my goats tonite. Supposed to be warm(ish) and turn a bit nastier Christmas nite and Friday. Tonight will be my last exposure to people for a while...but I suppose the sick will begin coming in to see their chiropractor. DH takes more preemptive herbs, etc in the cold/flu season. I've been keeping him up to date with what's being posted here. DON'T want to pass it to my older parents. But they get out WAY more than I do.

 

MtRider .... hope not! hope not! We RARELY get microbe-type sick. :pray:

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What is the danger of smoking and echinacea? Have not heard of that .

 

Here is more info on Echinacea

http://en.mr-ginseng.com/echinacea/

 

Don't recall just where I heard about this caution, it's been years ago. If I remember right, it's got something to do with something that nicotine destroys??? Probably would be something to research...IF one is a smoker and decides echinacea is something they want to take?

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I didn't hear about the smoking and Echinacea but I did read a long time ago that you aren't supposed to take it longer than 2 weeks at a time. I don't remember why though. It might have been because it looses its effectiveness on your body over time. Darn memory. I'll see if I can find anything about that.

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Well that was quick. I found it right away. I won't post the whole site just the part about not taking Echinacea all the time. It did have to do with it losing its effectiveness.

SNIP:

How should echinacea be taken and what is the proper dosage?

When and how much echinacea to take depends on your individual immune system and the medical reason why you want to take it. Best to seek dosage and timing advice from a naturopath or medical doctor knowledgeable about herbal medicines. For example, there are conditions in which you wouldn’t want to hype up your immune system, such as illnesses presumably caused by an overactive immune system called “autoimmune diseases.”

Studies on the safety and efficacy of echinacea in adults suggest the following dosage:
•300 milligrams three time a day for a total of 900 milligrams a day.
•The dosage in children has not been studied as much, but a sensible amount would be one- half the adult dose for children ages six to thirteen, and one-quarter the adult dose for children under six.

Some people take echinacea all the time to prevent colds and flu, and others take it just for a couple of weeks when they feel the first signs of a cold coming on or if they have been exposed to a contagious viral infection. While there is no scientific evidence that taking echinacea daily for months is harmful, theoretically, taking any immune booster for too long could cause it to lose its punch or could stress the immune system. Another theoretical concern is that any drug that tampers with the genetic material of a virus cell (as echinacea does) could also affect the genetic material of cells in the body or could cause viruses to change genetically and become more resistant and more virulent.

Because of these concerns, taking echinacea as a preventive medicine during the cold and flu season (two weeks on / two weeks off) may be unwise, as there is no scientific basis for this popular regimen. Instead consider the following:
1.When you feel a cold coming on or have been exposed to a contagious virus, take echinacea for two weeks, then stop.
2.When you are under stress because of life changes (positive as well as negative)–pressures at work or at home, travel, or any other situation that affects your emotional or physical health– take echinacea for a couple of weeks.
3.When entering a situation that challenges the immune system, such as the beginning of school in September, entering a new daycare situation, or exposure to any other new group of people that increases your contact with germs, take echinacea for two weeks.

http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/feeding-eating/family-nutrition/foods-to-boost-immunity/frequently-asked-questions-about-echinacea

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Heads up Mt.Rider. It isn't recommended for people who have MS because of its effect on the immune system. I found this on Webmd:


Echinacea

Can you get echinacea naturally from foods?

There are no natural food sources of echinacea.

What are the risks of taking echinacea?

Side effects. When taken at normal doses, echinacea causes few side effects. Some people have reported symptoms like upset stomach, headache, sore throat, drowsiness, and rash.
Risks. Although rarely, echinacea can cause allergic reactions. Some can be serious. If you have asthma or an allergy to certain plants and flowers -- like ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds, or daisies -- be cautious when using echinacea. Taking echinacea by injection is dangerous. Check with a doctor before using echinacea if you have an autoimmune disease like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, MS, or if you have HIV.
Interactions. If you take any drugs regularly -- particularly drugs that suppress the immune system -- talk to your doctor before you start using echinacea supplements. There is also some concern that echinacea could cause liver problems in people who are also taking certain painkillers (like Tylenol), antidepressants, blood thinners, sedatives, and other drugs.

Given the lack of evidence, children and pregnant or breastfeeding women should not take echinacea unless their doctors have approved it.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/lifestyle-guide-11/echinacea?page=2

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I saw an ad on TV for Tamiflu today. I thought about asking my Dr. for a prescription just to have it here in case. She is pretty good about stuff like that. At the end of the commercial they said it may cause nausea and vomiting. Sheesh, might as well just ride out the flu and save the money. For me, the worse part of having the flu is the nausea and vomiting. I can deal with the other stuff...for a short while. My lungs are in pretty good shape, I can stand to lose a few pounds the hard way but the upset stomach will do me in every time.

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DS1 is now working retail, so that exposure is unavoidable. He doesn't like taking preventatives, either, and he's too old for Mommy to make him. :( DS2 is more easily persuaded, but his GF is taking potent medications and can't take any herbal unless all of her doctors (who can barely agree on anything at all) agree to it.

 

So I'm mapping out a rotation for myself: two weeks echinacea, two weeks megadoses of C, two weeks elderberry syrup. Is there a fourth one to link in to the rotation, to keep repetitions further apart?

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Heads up Mt.Rider. It isn't recommended for people who have MS because of its effect on the immune system. I found this on Webmd:

 

 

Echinacea

 

Can you get echinacea naturally from foods?

 

There are no natural food sources of echinacea.

 

What are the risks of taking echinacea?

Side effects. When taken at normal doses, echinacea causes few side effects. Some people have reported symptoms like upset stomach, headache, sore throat, drowsiness, and rash.

Risks. Although rarely, echinacea can cause allergic reactions. Some can be serious. If you have asthma or an allergy to certain plants and flowers -- like ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds, or daisies -- be cautious when using echinacea. Taking echinacea by injection is dangerous. Check with a doctor before using echinacea if you have an autoimmune disease like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, MS, or if you have HIV.

Interactions. If you take any drugs regularly -- particularly drugs that suppress the immune system -- talk to your doctor before you start using echinacea supplements. There is also some concern that echinacea could cause liver problems in people who are also taking certain painkillers (like Tylenol), antidepressants, blood thinners, sedatives, and other drugs.

 

Given the lack of evidence, children and pregnant or breastfeeding women should not take echinacea unless their doctors have approved it.

 

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/lifestyle-guide-11/echinacea?page=2

 

Uhmmm...is nicotine a drug? One that suppresses ones' immune system? Either way, it's not something we'd be taking without much precaution (and neither of us are smokers) :-(

Edited by The WE2's
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DH [herbal, nutritional, chiro] says

 

--- Echinacea UTILIZES the Vit. C in your body. So....you probably should be taking [natural] Vit C whenever you take it.

 

--- Nicotine depletes Vit C...somewhat.

 

--- DH is NEVER in favor of manufactured, so-called "Vit C". [the research shows nasty results]

 

 

As for MS...if you believe it is an autoimmune disease [and I have questions about that ...or at least my version of it] then it would be contra-indicated to hype-up an immune system that's already on overdrive and devouring itself. IF you buy all that....which I don't. MY EXPERIENCE [not speaking for anyone else] has been that I can take natural immune system stimulants just fine to ward off any incoming microbes. As I've stated before, we RARELY get sick. That's how we do it!

 

This morning I was feeling heavy nose congestion/scratchy throat... always my first symptoms of anything. I immediately began taking a natural formula which is, in part, an immune system stimulant. Several times today and I feel much better tonite. Did the Living Nativity with goats but also very active day getting prepared to move goats, etc.!!! I'm better but still feel a bit 'off' so will continue to take more this evening and tomorrow morning. [thanks for reminding me.] Then we'll see if that's enough. I can tell easily by now, when I need to take something....and it has to begin immediately! Playing 'catch up' with natural products is not as effective.

 

MtRider ....heading off to take more immune stimulant. BUT that may not be the case for everyone with "autoimmune" diseases. MY experience! :shrug:

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Don't know Ambergris. I really don't know a lot about herbs and vitamins etc. I'm just starting to get interested in herbal teas though. One thing I do know is Zinc is supposed to be really good for colds. There are lozenges you can get to suck on like a cough drop or vitamin pills. It's also the main ingredients in Zicam. There was a problem with the nasal swabs and some other nasal application with Zicam. It seems it destroyed some peoples sense of smell. Lawsuits happened and that sort of delivery was pulled from the shelf. Although there is still the nasal spray. They also have melts now. I think if I were to use Zicam now (and I have and liked it) I'd go with the melts or zinc lozenges. They are usually hanging beside the Hall's cough drops. http://www.pharmapacks.com/products.php?product=Halls-Defense-Zinc-Drops-Harvest-Cherry-25-Each&gclid=CNmT56uw4MICFSQLMgod9jYAZw

 

Here is a picture of the Zicam melts with a promo code. Don't know if the code works.

http://www.zicam.com/our-products/cold-shortening/rapid-melts-citrus.php

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But many herbs are more like food. We never build up a tolerance to protein, carbs and fats. We may get more than we need but herbs are realllly very different than pharmaceutical products. Many herbs are what is called "precursors" to the actual substance we need.....and the body will naturally produce if given the correct "building materials". The Pharm-created substances are much more likely to be a replica of the actual substance that the body will produce....and sometimes the replica is just not QUITE the same. [like real Vit C and the replica]

 

MtRider ........

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I’ve just started to become interested in herbs and supplements so I have NO answers but plenty of questions. I’ve read where a lot of common herbs thin the blood and can be deadly if you are on blood thinners or are facing surgery. I’ve seen where a lot of herbs can be hard on the liver. Maybe they are processed in the liver? I know people who are on certain cholesterol meds aren’t supposed to consume very much, if any, grapefruit or grapefruit juice. My MD told me it was because the meds are processed in the liver and grapefruit interacts with it and other meds too. Who would think something as healthy as grapefruit could harm certain people taking cholesterol meds? Glad my Dr. warned me or I would never have known. http://www.healthline.com/health/high-cholesterol/grapefruit-and-statins#Connection1

A couple of websites I’ve taken notice of concerning herbs are:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/herbal-supplements/art-20046714
http://www.csicop.org/si/show/herbs_are_drugs/
http://www.herbsaredrugs.com/

I guess the bottom line is to know exactly what you are taking and why and to be aware of ANYTHING else you are taking whether it is prescription or over the counter. Just because something says it is ‘natural’ doesn’t mean it is safe. And with all meds...more isn’t always better. If it’s strong enough to help, it’s strong enough to harm IMHO. Just trying to be safe here.

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