Confessions of a Fugitive Mind
November 12, 2007
TheraFlu to the Rescue
I've been fighting a cold since Wednesday afternoon. It started with sudden and serious post-nasal drip, then progressed to a pressure headache and sore throat before I could get any relief. At the local pharmacy, I pondered my medication options. How do you know which of the six dozen different varieties is best for you anyway? The little plastic cards for the controlled drugs are a bit intimidating and successfully deterred me from buying my first choice: Aleve Cold & Sinus. Hot, tea-like TheraFlu for Colds sounded perfect for my raw throat, so I gave it a shot.
The verdict: it's great. It really does soothe a sore throat and the dissolved decongestant seems to go to work much faster than those in a traditional pill. The dosing is still tricky, since it wears out half-way through the night and I wake up feeling congested and raw. But the first cup in the morning fixes that quickly. It also reminded me that I like tea, and that hot beverages, other than coffee, are better for a sore throat than sparkling water and soda. The only downside I see so far is that whatever decongestant it uses really dries me out. Within a day or two my lips were chapped and my skin started to feel dry and papery. Even with extra water/tea intake to stay hydrated.
I think the congestion is finally breaking and my symptoms easing, so I've stopped taking the TheraFlu for now. I may fix a cup tonight before bed, and I'll probably buy a few more boxes for the next time I need it. The only way it could get better is if they made it in other flavors, like chai or mojito.
Posted by criminal at November 12, 2007 3:38 PM