I’ve got flu (maybe the other thing) that won’t go away. This has been going on since before Christmas, maybe six weeks.
I’m classified as having Heart Failure and take the “usual” daily meds - Asprin, Atorvastatin, Entresto, Bisoprolol and Dapagliflozin.
For various reasons, mostly because it’s all but impossible to see my GP, I’m reluctant to ask for antibiotics. I’m just sitting it out, avoiding exercise and doing my best
My question though (and I’m not asking for medical advice) is how to deal with a good friend of mine who is extremely persistent in pushing homeopathic remedies on me. She’s the sort of person who finds it difficult to agree to disagree.
Are there any “magic water” remedies for flu that any of you have found useful?
Thanks,
Henry
Written by
HenryTudor
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Antibiotics will have no effect on flu, as it is a viral infection. Keep fluids up and keep warm. I find aspirin brings my temperature down, or paracetamol, but check with your pharmacist about over-the-counter treatments.
I don't know any cure for a hardened homeopathy fan.
Thanks for the reply. It is also my understanding that antibiotics will not help. Some years ago, as result of my meds the pharmacist wouldn’t let me have any otc cold/flu remedies. I am fed up though. I also agree with your last sentence rofl.
Flu is generally a viral infection but when it goes on that long it might be worth ensuring that you have not developed a bacterial condition like bronchitis etc. After 6 weeks its defenitely a good idea to see a GP for a full check up.
It's pretty simple , I've been there.Positively and softly point out the facts.
I know you care for me and you are just suggesting this to help me . There's a big difference between what people whom are generally healthy can try to help improve their health and what people like me with long term health problems that have no " cure" and require essential medications can use, and most homeopathic and over the counter supplements can't be used alongside the medicines people with medicated chronic health problems really need to maintain their health.
If they still insist , and start down the "big pharma" conspiracy theory pathway. Again , politely say I know it can work for you but there is information out there that you can look up that shows it can't work for me . We are all different and have different needs , I hope you can accept that I need one thing , while you need another .
And l hope you won't mind us not discussing this in future because it can make me feel bad about the fact that I need to take medication and I'm sure that's not what you intend to do.
Thanks for the comprehensive response, much appreciated and extremely well put.
My friend Jane used to be a nurse and her husband is a doctor/specialist dentist. However, during lockdown they fell down a rabbit hole and subscribe to every conspiracy theory going. Big pharma, WEF, forced you know what, anyone left of Trump is a communist. I’ve not had the courage to ask Colin if he believes the conspiracy theory that there are giants living in the centre of the Earth (that’s a real corker).
I had a text just this morning (hence my post) from Jane suggesting another magic water and I don’t know whether to ignore it. Notwithstanding that I’m going to copy and keep your very articulate general advice. Thanks again.
You could email the reply above back to her, then you avoid having to have the chat face to face and hopefully she won't keep sending you naff stuff , which I know from years of being around one friend really do begin to wind you up.I have had a few anti big pharma friends whom basically stopped talking to me even though I said what I wrote to them politely, they really did not like the idea that I wouldn't just take their advice.
At the end of the day though, after feeling sad at first, I realised it was no great loss. We all need positive friends that support us not Fairweather friends whom make us feel bad for trying to keep well.
My daughter had a potential mother in law whom as well as being an antivaxxer , whom believed in the power of prayer water believed the theory that the moon has a big hole in it which affected our daily health. She eventually broke up with the boy , so I think she had a lucky escape. And so did I , you won't believe how hard it is to nod politely and try to change the subject in those circumstances, I was dreading the possibility of a few decades of family occasions and the dinner conversation I would have to endure.
It always stuns me when people with some medical training fall down these Big Pharma rabbit holes, they are all people should no better as they've seen the positive effect of conventional medical care first hand. And quite often the negative effects of people using allegedly harmless natural or alternative therapies as well.
Thanks Bee. Yes, my friends are born again evangelicals. Likewise I don’t understand how trained medical people can badger us to read RFK jnr’s book. Apparently Andrew Wakefield was setup by the GMC.
Colin and Jane are part of a wider group of good friends. They’ve been friends for nearly 50 years. Whilst they see Colin and Jane for what they’ve become they don’t want to throw that away. That’s why your level headed advice is especially helpful.
No one should read RFK Jr's book. How can a rational person who has been a heroine addict for 14 years now be an antivaxxer & who is responsible for hundreds of African children getting polio?
Hi Henry Sorry to hear of your issues and good you have some helpful responses here. With regard to Homeopathy I have been using this service recently and after time (for my problems) I have found very useful.
My point is I have High BP exacerbated by stress and homeopathy has helped with this. My homeopath is a nurse and she discusses any medication first. She has told me Homeopathy is mainly for emotional problems anxiety etc which works hand in hand with NHS.
this if for the next time you get a cold, it won’t help shorten the symptoms, In my view!!
If I have the first sign of a cold I use Vicks First Defence nose spray and I take an echinacea tablet. Eighty percent of the time the cold goes away.
If you discuss those with a pharmacist they might be able to reassure you on the combination of these and your medication . I don’t find that Ech shortens a cold once it has got a grip, though.
Yes, thanks, I have also found echinacea and First Defence helpful to stop a cold early. I’ve not come across the echinacea tablets and haven’t been able to find the liquid since my last bottle ran out. I’ll see if I can get some tablets.
I suspect it’s actually covid I have/had because I’ve completely lost my senses of taste and smell. I’m also still, after 6 weeks or so, coughing up phlegm from my lungs. I want it gone.
Probably is that. I had it last year March and I’m still struggling with a cold on and off and the phlegm thing every morning. I’m wheezing now so my cardiologist told me to get my gp to give me an asthma pump. It just feel like my cold is relentless at times. It disappears then reappears again. I’ve tried the rubs, honey and lemon with ginger tea but nothing seems to get rid of it. The pump has helped with the wheezing though.
I have heart failure too and on the same types of tablets like you but also atrial drug.
You can get all the A.Vogel brand range of Echinacea on Amazon, just check that you can use them with your other medications or health issues ( or if you can use them but only if you leave 4 hours between your essential meds and your herbal remedy).
If you're still coughing up phlegm after 6 weeks you may have a bacterial chest infection that needs antibiotics (even though the original infection was viral). Please see your Dr.
Years ago I used to use a combination of pure essential oils in a steam inhalation, and on a hanky to sniff , at the onset of a cold. I would not dream of suggesting them to people with our problems as the most innocuous seeming things can clash with our necessary medication, just look at the cautions on the back of OTC cough remedies.I can't phrase it as eloquently as blearyeyed has.
The only thing I would suggest, and it's a bit of an old wives remedy, is for a persistent cough, it won't cure but can soothe, is blackcurrant tea. Simply a generous teaspoon of blackcurrant jam in a cup of hot water, sip it while hot.
Thanks for that and, yes, we have to be vigilant. But, wow, thank you for the suggestion re blackcurrant jam. My wife swears by hot Ribena or lemon juice and honey in hot water (sometimes with whiskey, but that’s another story). It’s one of my Sainsbury’s shopping days so I’ve put blackcurrant jam on the list.
Or ribena or Cvit and have a drink like your wives.I'm going to show my age now , but I remember when Cvit and Ribena was mainly sold at the chemists , and it had medical instructions on the back of the bottle for his much to put in a drink and how much you could have a day!!!
I miss how easy it used to be to get Rosehip syrup as well, that's something else we used to take throughout winter or when we had a cold. Not sure how much it helps but it tastes lovely😆😆😆
I also have HF and take the same meds. I contracted an unpleasant virus over Christmas, by New Year’s Eve I was feeling rotten and concerned I might develop pneumonia. I contacted my surgery at 7.30am and was seen by a paramedic at 11.15 and prescribed antibiotics. Now recovered. Excellent service.
folk who believe in homeopathy and other alternatives are not likely to be persuaded by level headed arguments. Just thank them for their obvious concern and say you are making different choices. Meanwhile abx might be useful if you’ve developed a secondary bacterial infection
And pelargonium syrup has some evidence that it works for cold and flu symptoms
I have first hand, close up experience of Homeopathic zealots and the damage that they can do. What follows is not anecdotal.
A lady I knew personally studying to be a homeopathic doctor, got cancer, refused to go to a normal doctor until too late, needlessly died. Left behind 6 kids.
Another lady I know personally studying to be a homeopathic doctor had severe bleeding issues and refused to go to hospital until the very last minute. A blood transfusion saved her life. She acknowledges she wouldn’t have survived without the transfusion, but has claimed that subsequent homeopathic treatment is the reason she has survived since. Go figure. They won’t ever change their minds.
A practising senior homeopathic doctor I knew personally wasn’t very well on a number of occasions, obviously refused to go to a normal doctor.Had two strokes and died. I often wonder if Afib was on their death certificate, because this would have been found after the first stroke.
I lost a newborn granddaughter, who might have survived if the midwife’s advice had been taken, instead of relying on the telephone advice of the homeopathic doctor mentioned above. The police were actually involved in the aftermath of this.
All the above is verifiable, tell your homeopathic zealot friend very strongly to go away.
The funny/not funny thing is that another friend in our circle of close friends is a homeopathic doctor but isn’t evangelical about it and has taken the recent vaccinations offered. She also never presses homeopathic remedies on me, even though she owns a health shop that sells them.
I ignore the friend who is always pestering me any time I’m poorly but don’t know at what point it’ll be seen as rude.
Before I directly quote the NHS for you on homoeopathy, my opinion is it is a complete scam, with 0% scientific evidence of efficacy. Here is what the NHS say:
"The most recent review, carried out by the EU in 2017, concluded that there was no evidence to show homeopathy is effective as a treatment for any health condition.
There's no evidence behind the idea that substances that cause certain symptoms can also help treat them.
Nor is there any evidence behind the idea that diluting and shaking substances in water can turn those substances into medicines.
The ideas that underpin homeopathy aren't accepted by mainstream science, and aren't consistent with long-accepted principles about the way the physical world works.
For example, many homeopathic remedies are diluted to such an extent that it's unlikely there's a single molecule of the original substance remaining in the final remedy. In cases like these, homeopathic remedies consist of nothing but water.
Some homeopaths believe that, as a result of the succussion process, the original substance leaves an imprint of itself on the water. But there's no known mechanism by which this can occur.
Some people who use homeopathy may see an improvement in their health condition as the result of a phenomenon known as the placebo effect.
If you choose health treatments that provide only a placebo effect, you may miss out on other treatments that have been proven to be more effective."
Thanks for the comprehensive explanation. Some people simply believe what they want to believe, especially religious zealots. (My friend is also the latter).
We use GELSEMIUM, and we find it very effective. It's not usually available at our local Holland & Barrett - which is rather small. You may need to get it online.
Also, we have great faith in the elderberry extract SAMBUCOL.
I would advise you to ignore the cynical comments about "water" and "placebo effect". You have nothing to lose by trying Gelsemium, except your 'flu problems!
Even at the ultra low doses in homeopathy and those micro doses used in some recent testing Gelsemium is contraindicated for people on beta blockers and antihypertensives, because it has a potential of causing arrhythmias, hypotension and bradycardia, so again , it's one of those OTC treatments which may well be ok for the general population to experiment with but it's not suitable for trying out for people with heart and blood pressure conditions generally.
Unwise to take homeopathic treatments. Some treatments can cancel medical medication, so unless you have all the knowledge stay away, and I do use homeopathic treatments. My brother also had a bug he eventually went to see a Dr(very rare) he ended up have 3 courses of antibiotics and Dr saying you should of come sooner. Keep trying to get to see your Dr.
Hi Henry, (great name by the way VIII) I would suggest a few things. I would suggest talking to your Doctor or Chemist about antibiotics (over the phone if you wish) as you might be putting a strain on your heart especially if you have a cough which might not be Flu but a chest infection.
With regards to your friend I have had many discussions with the medical people and whilst we and they agree that homeopathic remedies do work for some there is always the risk of them conflicting with your medication. You can read the possibility of this on your sheets enclosed with your medication or in many heart papers from BHF and others. I would say to her if you want to let her down gently that your Specialists say it can be putting you at risk if you mix the two I would hope she understands that.
I caught flu in hospital having just had my 3 procedures as part of my OHS. My wife also caught it. They put me on Tamiflu and saw despite reluctance from our doctors surgery my wife managed to get a prescription for the same and it managed to clear up in 4-5 days. Worth checking though as it may only be effective as the flu is setting in.
Hello, HenryTudor. I am sorry to read that you appear to be suffering from long-term flu-like symptoms. Your posting has 2 questions: one asking how to persuade people to stop trying to convince you to take alternative remedies, and the other was asking for recommendations for remedies to ease your flu-like symptoms (were you joking, though, about that latter one?). I am a retired NHS Qualified Nurse, who had a 45 year long career. I was taught to check for side-effects of medicines, and look for evidence from reliable sources. My schooling was in sciences, and so I was initially sceptical about alternative remedies, and treatments. However, I have long-term experience of the effectiveness of homeopathic medicines, for myself, family-members, friends, and pets. There is thinking that homeopathy remedies can only work as placebos, but that explanation cannot apply to animals and very young children. I am very logical, and sceptical, in my thinking. I am not into conspiracy theories, and I take the medicines prescribed for my heart, and my prostate conditions, and for others. When the three-month chesty cough was about many people that had I suggested taking an appropriate homeopathic remedy stopped having those symptoms, very quickly. Homeopathy is more effective when the remedy chosen is tailored to the symptoms, rather than the disease or health condition. It can be very individual. I took a special surgery appropriate combination of homeopathic remedies before, and after, my heart bypass op, which I think caused me to only need pain-killers for a few days after the op. I did not need any antibiotics, despite the surgical wound in my sternum taking a fortnight to fully close, because of violent coughing and sneezing. Just as well, as I am allergic to penicillins, and some other antibiotics have caused unwanted side-effects.
Thank you for your well thought out and articulate reply. I might try to get an appointment with my GP in the next day or two if I don’t detect an improvement.
Slice up a fresh lemon pour boiling water over stand for about 20 mins add some honey, seems to help me get better. Also I found some honey and lemon sweets with anachacia don't know how to spell it, from savers they really helped with the cough nothing else worked
Hi, I have used homeopathic remedies for colds, flu, healing, and as a preventive against flu. They work for me, interestingly homeopathic remedies are very precise, We use Gelsemium for colds, but other remedies may be suitable for other people. We also use herbal medicines, and would take garlic (fresh or tablet) as an anti viral, also Astragalus and Echinacea are effective for colds, flu, and as a preventative. We find all these complementary medicines very effective, generally without side effects. We see a Naturopath who combines all these disciplines and is very effective. Give 'em a go 1,000 years cannot be wrong.
poor you! Alas antibiotics don’t work for viral infections such as flu. Drink hot ginger tea — grate fresh ginger into hot water; add lemon juice and honey ( vegan honey exists if you’re vegan) and keep warm and rest. Wish you better soon.
The reason that I think that homeopathy is nonsense is, if water has memory, we would all be dead. Think of the radioactive waste, chemical, biological, & nerve agent weapons dumped around the world. Beaufort's Dyke between Scotland & Ireland is a prime example, leaking it's contaminants into the coastal waters.
Stick to the paracetamol & vitamins C & D, & keep hydrated & warm.
Good evening, Henry. I will try to respond your concern about homeopathy. Is your good friend a qualified clicician from homeopathy institution. The basic thing that I know about homeopahy is that it may not do any good but at the same time, it does no harm. The science of homepatrhy lies that more diluted the product, the more potent it becomes. I have tried ny best but do take advice from conventional medics. Regards.
Thanks. I have two friends “involved”. Jacqui is a qualified homeopathist and owns a health shop. Jane has worked off and on for Jacqui on a part time basis for nearly 50 years. Jane is the one who is always twisting my arm to go over to homeopathic remedies. Jacqui lets people decide for themselves. And to be fair to Jane she always tells me to discuss her recommendations with Jacqui. So, good and ethical people, but Jane is rather too evangelical.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
question please ref Kalms or similar 
None of us know where this is going. Nontheless this is interesting
Flu vaccine 
Advice on how to stay calm
bicuspid pre op advice 
