5 Proven Cold And Flu Remedies That Can Prevent Or Make Your Illness Vanish!
Last Updated on 12/19/2025 by Nicky
Hey y’all,
Colds seem to follow me on every vacation I ever go on! And the flu decided one year it was best to show up during my Christmas break.
Do you struggle with colds, the flu, and sinus infections showing up at the worst times?
There truly is no great time to get a cold but it seems to me sicknesses purposely chooses to make an appearance right before a big event or occasion.
I myself am just getting over a cold and because of that I wanted to share some things that you can do to actually keep from getting sick in the first place.
Yes, that’s right. Colds don’t have to be an eventuality. Doing these 5 things really quickly actually works. I have either done them myself or I have heard of other people doing them.
Finding Cold & Flu Remedies That Actually Work
Have you ever read a long list of remedies that supposedly work but there’s no anecdotal evidence on whether or not any other humans have had results with those remedies?
When I have a cold, I want to read about remedies that actual humans have tried that really do help you breath better, or shorten your cold, or get rid of them completely.
But when you start researching remedies, you can’t seem to find any that you know sure worked for someone.
They just seem like they could potentially work but you’re not sure if they do.
Not with these remedies. And even if these remedies don’t make your cold completely vanish, they can greatly shorten the duration of your illness.
I also have a post about remedies that work to help relieve a stuffy nose (aren’t they the worst?) that have really worked for me. So if you’re extra miserable be sure to check that out.
What I Do Once I Find A Remedy That Truly Works
What I do is once I find a remedy that truly works for me, I write it down in my digital glowup and fitness planner & journal.
I have a section in there for a health journal and I track my illnesses, my fever readings, what remedies worked or didn’t work, the date I got sick, and any other important information I can think of.
Tracking my colds, flus, stomach upset, or period cramps helps me pinpoint why a certain issue might be happening or help me notice patterns. If my stomach hurts every time I eat a certain food, I may not make that connection on my own.
But when I record the times that I’ve had stomach issues and see “Hey, my stomach hurts every time I eat cheese”, light bulbs go off.
Then I can make changes in my diet. Doing this has been a game changer for me and it’s just one of the many things I love about my digital glow-up and fitness planner.
Track your healthy habits in a way that actually sticks — Click the pic above to learn more about this planner!
You can get your own copy of this Trello digital planner by clicking here!
Want to read this later? Click the link to save this to your Pinterest boards!
5 Proven Cold And Flu Remedies That Actually Work
1) Take a cold medicine, but not just any cold medicine…
There’s about a 2-hour window where, if I start feeling sick, I can take cold medicine and my cold never forms.
Once my throat feels scratchy and sore or I start sniffling, I can take cold medicine once or twice, and literally the symptoms disappear.
The cold medicine I’ve taken that I have seen the best results with is Tylenol Cold & Flu Severe.
Oh my goodness. I used to think all cold medicine was the same. But then I got the flu, and I took Tylenol Cold & Flu and found relief in minutes.
I couldn’t believe it. Now I keep it in stock in my personal pharmacy. I have about 4 or 5 of the Tylenol Cold & Flu Severe packs on hand personally because I don’t ever want to run out. It is that good.
Cold crisis averted. You can take a look at this amazing medicine by clicking here.
2) Sambucol
Sambucol has Sambucus, also known as elderberry, as its active ingredient, which is used to boost your immune system.
You can take Sambucol or elderberry capsules every day to boost your immune system.
However, you can also take Sambucol once you start feeling sick and take it every few hours (according to its instructions) until your symptoms are gone.
Sambucol comes in chewable tablet form and syrup form.
I personally prefer the tablet form, but the syrup is not horrible … just really thick. On second thought, just get the tablet form of Sambucol like the one here. You’ll thank me later.
3) Take your vitamins
Momma wasn’t playing when she said to take your vitamins. Yes, they make a difference.
Probably not as much of a difference after you’re sick, but before you’re sick, they can stave off a sore throat and stuffy nose.
Take them on a daily basis to make your immune system as strong as an ox. The best immune-boosting supplement I’ve found is called Wellness Formula. This was another lifesaver this year when I was sick for about two months in the winter.
I recommend taking this on a daily basis, so you hopefully won’t get sick.
You can read all of the lovely reviews for Wellness Formula here.
(Update 2025: I’ve been taking Wellness Formula for the past 3 months or longer, and I have not gotten sick. That may not seem that long but in my world that’s like 3 years.
4) Stay hydrated
I didn’t always believe this remedy was a thing.
Then I saw a video of someone saying they had the flu and they kept drinking tons of water, and their flu was gone in 2 days.
The flu can last for 2 weeks.
That is pretty incredible. They didn’t take any medicine. Why does water help? Besides water just helping almost everything, water is also said to do this:
“Staying hydrated can boost your immune health, too. Water helps your body produce lymph, which carries white blood cells and other immune system cells.”
My suggestion would be to have a refillable water bottle like the Owala Free Sip water bottle to make staying hydrated super easy and convenient!
5) Baking soda & Apple Cider Vinegar
“1/2 tsp baking soda + 1 tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar in 6 oz of water once in the a.m. and once 1 hour before bed.”
I read about this on Earth Clinic and I’m a believer. I know how amazing apple cider vinegar is. This combination can help shorten the duration of a cold.
If you don’t know the benefits of apple cider vinegar with the mother, then click here and weep for not knowing about it sooner.
Your life just might change. This remedy has anecdotal evidence that humans have used it with positive results. You can read about it here.
Bonus tip: get some rest. Getting extra sleep when you’re sick works wonders. Trust me on this.
My Own Personal Protocol To Keep From Getting Sick (Summary)
This, of course, is not medical advice, and I am not a doctor of any kind, but I will just share what I do as a quick recap, and you can decide what works for you.
So what do I do if I am sick and miserable with the cold or flu? I stack these suggestions together.
All the links to the products are below, so you can get them quickly and easily.
Here is what I do personally:
– I keep a water bottle like the Owala FreeSip with me at all times to stay hydrated
– I keep Tylenol Severe Cold & Flu packs and Sambucol in my own personal pharmacy and take them within 2 hours of any symptoms I feel. I keep several packs of these products on hand, so I don’t have to scramble to get them when I’m sick.
– I take Wellness Formula on a daily basis.
– I take apple cider vinegar with the mother and baking soda to help shorten the duration of my illness
– I try my best to get at least 6 hours of sleep a night.
What remedies work for you? What have you tried that knocks your cold or flu out in record time? Please help everyone and share it in the comments.
Medical Disclaimer: While Healthy As You Can strives to provide the most accurate information, anything you read on this site is purely for informational or entertainment purposes and should NOT be considered medical advice or as a replacement for a doctor’s care, diagnosis, appointment, advice, etc. I am not a medical professional at all. Any information, tips, or ideas that you try as a result of reading this blog is tried at your, the reader’s, own risk.
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