Zinc Lozenges Stopped Bad Cold

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harllee

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Two days ago both DH and I had symptoms that we were getting colds--stuffy nose, sneezing, some coughing, etc. Normally it takes us a week or two to get over colds and usually mine goes into a sinus infection. I had recently read an article that reviewed cold remedies and it said that one of the few things that seems to work was zinc lozenges IF taken in the first 24 hours. I rushed out and bought some. For the next 24 hours DH and I took the maximum dose (6 zinc lozenges each). Today we both woke up feeling fine, no cold symptoms. It guess our symptoms could have been something else (like an allergy) but what ever it was the zinc sure knocked it out. YMMV:dance:
 
My brother and a friend claim that zinc works for them. But I have tried the zinc lozenges for a few colds and have not seen any change in the duration and the taste gets to me after a couple of days. But it is worth trying.
 
If anyone tries zinc for cold symptoms, don't use a nasal spray form.

Many people have lost their sense of smell from that.
 
You missed the opportunity for a pseudo-scientific experiment. Next time, only one of you should take the zinc lozenges. The other could be a control. Then in the future, reverse who gets the zinc. Do this 100 times or more and tell us the results. Thanks!

Also, no chicken soup for either of you.
 
Yep, I have been taking zinc lozenges when I feel a cold coming on for a while now. It usually (but not always) knocks it out before things get worse. Before I bought the zinc lozenges that I have, I read an article that talked about what form of zinc works best for this, and as I recall, it was zinc acetate. So, the lozenges I bought are zinc acetate from Life Extension, 18.75 mg of zinc per lozenge. You have to suck on lozenges for most of the day for this to work well. Anyway, here is the abstract of one study that talks about this:


https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21769305
 
I'm finally starting to get over my cold symptoms I have had since last Monday. Sometimes a bad cold can really knock you down. I did not know about Zinc lozenges. It's certainly something I will consider. It sure is hard to beat lots of rest and staying hydrated in battling a cold, but it is nice to know there may be something that might help accelerate the recovery.
 
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I've tried Zicam Pre-Cold spray a couple of times (you spray it in your mouth). Seemed to help a lot. The cold did not get bad, and in about three days it was over.
 
RAE said:
Yep, I have been taking zinc lozenges when I feel a cold coming on for a while now. It usually (but not always) knocks it out before things get worse. Before I bought the zinc lozenges that I have, I read an article that talked about what form of zinc works best for this, and as I recall, it was zinc acetate. So, the lozenges I bought are zinc acetate from Life Extension, 18.75 mg of zinc per lozenge. You have to suck on lozenges for most of the day for this to work well. Anyway, here is the abstract of one study that talks about this:


https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21769305
Click to expand...

Excellent article - thanks for linking - you are right - Zinc acetate with >75 mg dosage per day showed a significant reduction in the length of the cold.
 
I have always been a skeptic on such things, but a few years ago I tried the zinc lozenges and they really to help to ward off the severity and length of a cold if taken at the first sign of symptoms.
 
LOL! said:
You missed the opportunity for a pseudo-scientific experiment. Next time, only one of you should take the zinc lozenges. The other could be a control. Then in the future, reverse who gets the zinc. Do this 100 times or more and tell us the results. Thanks!

Also, no chicken soup for either of you.
Click to expand...

Yes, this! But, be sure to involve a non-related third person who, like both of you, doesn't know which of you got the zinc and which the placebo, and who will record outcomes and write the paper and later apply for the NIH grant for the more difinitive study. :)

EDIT: Didn't see the NIH study reference above. So, ah, nevermind...

-BB
 
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I use Cold-Eze or zicam brand lozenges. It seems to shorten my cold, however, only if I take them at the very first symptoms, and continue as directed on the package. I am on day 5 and pretty much over this last bout. If I don't catch them on time, I am usually miserable the full 10 day for so.
 
I haven't had a cold in years. Actually I can't remember the last time I had a cold.
 
braumeister said:
Any idea when they'll let you out of solitary? :D
Click to expand...

I went from 1999 till 2013 without a single sniffle. The only reason I picked up something in 2013, I figure, was because I took a train trip to the East Coast in March. The tale end of the regular cold/flu season. It was a mild 3 or 4 day cold. I had another similar one 2 or 3 yrs ago.

I really don't know how I went so long. Sure I usually get a flu shot but there were 3 or 4 yrs in there when I didn't. I wash my hands a lot in Winter too.

I don't spend much time in places with lots of people either. That's probably 90% of the reason I don't pick up any germs. I just stay away from the most likely disease vectors.
 
I've been taking zinc at the first sign of a cold (usually a dry or scratchy throat for me). I buy the tablets in the vitamin section of the store. I think they are less expensive than the lozenges.
 
OP here, I am surprised at the number of you that don't get colds. I get at least 2-3 a year and am otherwise very healthy and I take the flue shot. I try to wash my hands in the correct manner and very often and when I cannot use hand sanitizer. However, I am often in large crowds--church, sporting events, music events, dances, etc. I am also occasionally around kids and I know they are germ carriers. I would not be happy if I just stayed home. Anyway, I have stocked up on the zinc lozenges and I will take them at the first sign of a cold.
 
I subscribe to avoiding crowds = avoiding germs. Places that scare me are airports stadiums and public restrooms. I basically play the game 'dont touch anything' when travelling through the airport and onto the plane. Lord knows how little they deep clean those planes. Ive gotten pretty good to the point im thankful the TSA wears gloves...just wish baggage check and Terminal agents wore gloves too. Thats basically the three highest risk ' touch points' as long as you avoid restrooms and door handles. Maybe I should be the one wearing the gloves lol.
 
Zinc works for both me and DW. It seems to reduce the severity and the duration. Sometimes it even will kill our colds in a day if we get to taking the Zinc asap. It really doesn't seem to make much difference if it is in the form of an "Airborne" fizzy drink, generic Zinc lozenges or other forms. When overseas, I've even used OTC small medicine-type vials with rubber seals that you push a straw into. Zinc works for us.
 
Zinc didn't seem to help me with colds, but I've noticed that since I've started getting flu shots I get fewer and less severe colds.

Or maybe I've had so many colds over my lifetime that that I'm getting to the end of the list of available viruses.
 
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