How I Beat the Flu in only 24hrs!
*A year ago, my blog was hacked into and so I had to start my website all over again. I was able to save some of my post which I will share about. This is one of my most popular post. It was written 2 years ago.
The flu is going around big time right now. Our whole family has been hit. I was 3rd in the family to be hit with the symptoms. For 8 hours I felt TERRIBLE! The worst part was the throbbing headache! I also had fever, body aches, fatigue, nausea and a little cough. I basically slept the whole day and took lots of natural remedies. I had already started boosting my immune system prior to getting sick since my son had it first. I do believe boosting my immune system had something to do with me getting over all of those major flu symptoms so quickly (only 24hrs for me), as well as that I am a generally healthy person and eat well. So needless to say, I will share what I did and also what I am continuing to do for me and my family to get over the flu quickly and if you want to read about our symptoms for each person and how long it lasted for each of us I will place that info at the end. I will also update it (as my oldest son is still going through a very mild case of it) and I will let you know if we get any other symptoms and what we are doing to heal quickly. That info will be at the very end. Keep in mind that antibiotics will not help treat the flu. Antibiotics only work against bacteria and the flu is caused by a virus.
I am not a doctor. I just want to share what helped me and my family get over the flu since it is so prevalent right now. There are many other natural remedies or other remedies out there which may work. I am just sharing what my family (me, husband, and 2 kids age 6 +4) JUST did recently to kick the major flu symptoms very quickly, to hopefully help others do the same. Everything I will be sharing about is natural and you can get the items at your local natural foods store or by using the links here on this blog post. If you have an infant (babies who are under a year old) with the flu that is a whole different ball game. You can still use most of the remedies in the children section below, but definitely be in touch with your doctor.
The thing I will suggest to anyone who may be reading this that isn’t sick yet is to boost your immune system and eat well!! Wash your hands A LOT and avoid touching your nose, eyes and mouth with your hands. Teach children to do the same. Pretty much everyone should be doing this right now since the flu is EVERYWHERE currently.
First, here are Flu Symptoms to look out for (you may or may not have all of these symptoms.):
Most people who have the flu (influenza) have a mild illness and don’t need to see a doctor. Common flu signs and symptoms include:
Fever above 100 F (38 C), though not everyone with the flu has a fever
A cough or sore throat
A runny or stuffy nose
Headache
Muscle aches
Chills
Fatigue
Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea (most common in children)
With some rest and self-care measures at home, the average healthy person can expect to get better within a few days to about two weeks. learn more here on the CDC website.
via Mayo Clinic
Please read the entire post. Towards the end I share what signs you need to look for that warrant a doctors visit.
Here is what we did to boost our immune system, knowing that we had been around someone with the flu:
Best to use at first signs of flu or if you have been around someone with the flu.
Oscillococcinum works naturally with your body to temporarily relieve flu-like symptoms, such as fatigue, headache, body aches, chills and fever.
Oscillo has been shown in clinical studies to help reduce both the duration and the severity of flu-like symptoms. It does not cause drowsiness or interact with other medications.
Elderberry Syrup– Rich in whole food vitamin C, you and your entire family will enjoy adding the delicious taste and immune-supporting properties of Black Elderberry Syrup to your daily ritual. Appropriate for both adults and children, it is made with 100% whole-food ingredients and is safe and effective for daily use throughout the year.
Vitamin D3 – Plenty of sunshine and a supplement like this one for adults and this one for kids.
Probiotic -For adults I like the Jarrow Formulas Allergen Free one, but you can’t find it everywhere. If you can’t find it. Any of the Jarrow Formulas will be great. This one is good for the kids. This time I used the Jarrow baby drops which you can get at your natural foods store as well. It’s easier for them to take. If your kid doesn’t care then the other one I linked is a powder and will do fine. You can add it to a sippy cup with fresh orange juice or water for toddlers and for baby you can add it to a bottle. The drops you can do the same or just put it on the end of a spoon and have them lick it off.
Remove sugars from your diet (except those naturally occurring in fruit.)
Remove dairy from your diet
Once you actually have flu symptoms it’s really quite the same plus a few things….
What I used to get over my flu in 24 hours-
Adults:
Oscillococcinum-Buy the biggest box you can get your hands on. You will need it and use it! You can take up to 3 of tubes per day so it adds up!
Wellness Formula -this has vit d, vit c and zinc in it along with natural herbs which are helpful for boosting immune system and healing quicker. So once you begin taking this you no longer need to take the other vitamin D3.
#1 Immune Formula
Supports interlocking components of the immune system, antioxidant defense, stress response, and cleansing and clearing of mucous membranes.
Bio-Aligned Formula™: goes deep to address multiple body systems involved with immune and respiratory symptoms.
**If you can’t get a hold of the wellness formula you can try to find something with Vit D, Vit C and Zinc and also take some Elderberry.
Vitamin C Spray (I only used this once since the wellness formula had vit c in it, but great to have on hand)
Probiotic -For adults I like the Jarrow Formulas Allergen Free one, but you can’t find it everywhere. If you can’t find it. Any of the Jarrow Formulas will be great.
Electrolyte Water-It’s important to stay well hydrated. If you can’t drink a lot at one time just take tiny sips throughout the day. You can get some from your local natural foods store. If you want something with some flavor you can try a “natural gatorade” called Recharge which is also found at your local natural foods market or this organic electrolyte drink by NOOMA. Nevertheless you should still drink some electrolyte water! Lol
Natural Vapo Rub by The Honest Company or if you want something a little stronger for you I like The Tea Tree Therapy Eucalyptus chest Rub. (I got mine from Wholefoods.)
Pure and simple – organic aromatherapy oils help to soothe and calm with organic lavender and rosemary oils
Helps support clear breathing with organic eucalyptus and tea tree oils
Helps relieve nasal and upper respiratory congestion.
What I used for my Children:
Oscillococcinum- Recommended for ages 2+ (although you can speak to your Naturopathic doctor about dissolving these pellets in just a tiny bit of water and giving them to your baby that way.)
Oscillococcinum works naturally with your body to temporarily relieve flu-like symptoms, such as fatigue, headache, body aches, chills and fever.
Oscillo has been shown in clinical studies to help reduce both the duration and the severity of flu-like symptoms. It does not cause drowsiness or interact with other medications.
Elderberry Syrup– For ages 1+ Elderberries are Rich in whole food vitamin C. You and your entire family will enjoy adding the delicious taste and immune-supporting properties of Black Elderberry Syrup to your daily ritual. Appropriate for both adults and children, it is made with 100% whole-food ingredients and is safe and effective for daily use throughout the year. Try the syrup it is very tasty and most kids do great with it. If they don’t as a last resort you can use elderberry gummies. For a boost of vitamin C for babies try this one.
Probiotic- This Jarrow Formulas one is good for the kids. This time I used the Jarrow baby drops (Perfect for babies + kids of any age) which you can get at your natural foods store as well. It’s easier for them to take. If your kid doesn’t care then the other one I linked is a powder and will do fine. You can add it to a sippy cup with fresh orange juice or water for toddlers and for baby you can add it to a bottle. The drops you can do the same or just put it on the end of a spoon and have them lick it off.
Natural Vapo Rub by The Honest Company
Pure and simple – organic aromatherapy oils help to soothe and calm with organic lavender and rosemary oils
Helps support clear breathing with organic eucalyptus and tea tree oils
Helps relieve nasal and upper respiratory congestion.
Mullein Garlic Ear Oil– I use this to help prevent ear infection since that is so common after colds/flu. It works amazing since my kids have never had an ear infection since using it! Nico had it once at 6 months after a cold (before I knew about this magical stuff!) and that was it in both of my kids. They are now 6 and 4 years old at the time of posting this.
Electrolyte Water-It’s important to stay well hydrated. If you can’t drink a lot at one time just take tiny sips throughout the day. You can get some from your local natural foods store. If you want something with some flavor you can try a “natural gatorade” called Recharge which is also found at your local natural foods market or this organic electrolyte drink by NOOMA. Nevertheless you should still drink some electrolyte water! Lol
Other tips:
Sleep on an incline to prevent mucus from going into the chest and to help prevent ear infections.
Take a steam shower to help with any sort of congestion.
For babies the Nose Frida is perfect for helping get the boogies out of their nose since they can’t blow their nose themselves.
For chest congestion: I like to do an onion poultice. I literally just cut an onion in half. Cut it up, sauté it in some oil or water, place in a sock, tie the end of the sock and place it on the chest. Be careful that its not too warm. Test it out on yourself before putting it on your child. I will create a video about this soon and will link to it when its done.
Slice a fresh onion and place bedside (this will help with congestion).
After your flu symptoms are over if you still have a lingering cough I like to use Boiron Chestal
Continue using the Garlic ear drops in your childrens ears to prevent ear infection! Especially if they have a lingering cough or congestion.
Continue using the immune boosting supplements I mentioned to help you as you continue to heal and to prevent secondary infections. This is very important!
Eat super healthy!! Lots of fruits and veggies!
Check out Heal.com (also an app) where you can schedule an at home Dr visit if you feel like you need to- I have nevwr used this app but my friend had great success with it and wanted to share. (not available in all areas)
What to eat and drink:
What you eat and drink is essential to helping your body heal. You may not feel like eating a lot and that is ok. What’s most important is to stay hydrated. Tiny sips are ok.
Remove all sugars from the diet (besides those naturally occurring in fruit)
Remove dairy from the diet (as this can be mucous forming)
Drink Green Smoothies (I use these super cute cups + straws for our smoothies)
Broth
Tea
Kombucha
Coconut Water
Fresh Juices (Orange, Pineapple or anything Green is especially good)
Homemade popsicles-Just use your favorite mold and add any fresh fruit juice. I have a whole post about homemade popsicles you can view here.
Sweet Potatoes (we love these roasted in the oven!)
Any fresh fruit or veggie that you feel like eating
And of course WATER! ( I use these water bottles for my kids and they are perfect to have bedside)
Also, a big part of healing is REST! I literally stayed in bed the whole day and slept most of the day! My body needed it. Please take time off of work and sleep as much as you need to. Plus you don’t want to spread your germs and give it to other people. There are some people (elderly, infants and immune compromised who the flu can affect at greater levels then the general healthy population.) So please stay home when you are not feeling well! Your body will thank you and so will others. Also just because you start feeling better doesn’t mean that you go crazy and hit the ground running. It is still important to rest and take care of your body. Go to bed early, try not to stress, eat healthy, hydrate and continue with your immune boosting remedies. You can still be contagious so it’s best to stay home for an extra day or so after fever is done.
You are contagious for about a week. 1 day before you have any symptoms and you stay that way for 5-7 days after you start feeling sick. And definitely if you have a fever you are contagious. You can read more about that here: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/flu/expert-answers/flu-symptoms/faq-200579
Other Helpful Reads:
How to treat a fever Naturally –Definitely read this post to help ease your worries about fevers.
Natural remedies for the whole family
10 natural cold/flu remedies to help you feel better sooner
5 ways to prevent the cold/flu naturally
FAQ
What about Tamilfu? Did you use Tamiflu?
We choose not to use Tamiflu due to the inherent side effects it has. When we can relieve the flu effects naturally and side effect free then we will choose the natural way every time. Tamiflu is an ant viral drug that some doctors may prescribe to you if you have had flu symptoms for 2 days or less. It is supposed to help with the flu symtoms. I have read all about the drug and it’s side effects and decided it’s not best for our family. Here are some of the side effects so you can make your own informed decision:
“Less Serious” Side Effects include:
Nausea, Vomiting, Diarrhea
Dizziness
Headache
Nosebleed
Eye Redness or discomfort
Sleep problems (insomnia or)
Cough or respiratory problems
Other Side Effects:
Serious skin/hypersensitivity reactions:
Cases of anaphylaxis and serious skin reactions including toxic epidermal necrolysis, Stevens Johnson syndrome, and erythema multiforme.
Skin rash or hives
Your skin blisters or peels
Swelling of your eyes, lips, tongue or throat.
Trouble breathing
Chest pain or tightness
Neuropsychiatric events:
Delirium and abnormal behavior leading to injury and in some cases fatal outcomes in patients with influenza who received Tamiflu.
Postmarketing Adverse Reactions:
Arrhythmia
Hepatitis, abnormal liver function tests
Seizure
Aggravation of Diabetes
Gastrointestinal Bleeding
Hemmorrhagic colitis
Hallucinations, anxiety, altered level of consciousness, confusion, nightmares, delusions
You can read more about the side effects and all about the drug here at my Source
When to go to the Doctor:
We try our best to avoid the doctor as much as we can and try and treat everything at home as much as we can. Plus most of the time there are lots of germs/sick people at the doctors and we don’t want to catch anything else. But there will be times where you feel like you need to see one and that is why they are there! The local doctor told us fever and symptoms can go as long as 10 days! And if you are not better within that time frame then you may have a bacterial infection or secondary infection. Most common are ear infections and sometimes people can get pneumonia, sinus infections or bronchitis. Also common is dehydration. So be sure to check with your doctor if you don’t seem to be getting any better, things worsen, if you are still sick after 10 days, or if you just feel like something isn’t right, then make a call to your doctor or get seen by one. They can check ears and chest to see if anything else has come up. If you have any pneumonia symptoms then please be seen RIGHT away.
Check out Heal.com (also an app) where you can schedule an at home Dr visit if you feel like you need to- I have nevwr used this app but my friend had great success with it and wanted to share. (not available in all areas)
What are the emergency warning signs of flu sickness (where you should see a Dr?)
In children
Fast breathing or trouble breathing
Bluish skin color
Not drinking enough fluids ( can cause dehydration)
Not waking up or not interacting
Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
Fever with a rash
In adults
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
Sudden dizziness
Confusion
Severe or persistent vomiting
Flu-like symptoms that improve but then return with fever and worse cough
In addition to the signs above, get medical help right away for any infantwho has any of these signs:
Being unable to eat
Has trouble breathing
Has no tears when crying
Significantly fewer wet diapers than normal
Source CDC website
People don’t actually die of the flu virus; they die from complications of the illness such as pneumonia or dehydration. This virtually never occurs in children and healthy adults. Elderly people are the most susceptible to complications. These complications usually don’t occur until late into the illness, not during the first few days.
There are generally only three situations that might necessitate a call to your doctor or a visit to the ER during the night:
High Fever
Most high fevers don’t require a call to your doctor after hours. Click here to help you determine if your child’s fever warrants a call to the doctor.
Dehydration
Most children will get mild to moderately dehydrated during the flu. Click on here to help you decide if your child is severely dehydrated and needs a call to the doctor or ER visit.
Severe Headaches
If your child has a severe headache with a stiff, painful back-of-the-neck and persistent vomiting. These could be symptoms of meningitis.
When to Visit the Doctor for the Flu in Children
Most children with the flu don’t even need to see a doctor. Here are some guidelines to help you decide if a doctor’s visit is warranted:
Fever more than four days – while this may still be just the flu, it’s best to double check with your doctor.
Moderate to severe dehydration
You have a gut feeling that your child is unusually ill
Severe cough with chest pain AND shortness of breath – This may mean pneumonia is setting in.
Dr. Sears advises: When it’s only “the flu” as with most viruses the fever fluctuates from very high to normal and your child feels much better when the fever is down. With more serious infections the fever usually stays high (above 102º) and the child seems sick or sicker during most of the illness – although this fever pattern clue is not always diagnostic.
Via Dr Sears
Read the artcle below for symptoms on Pneumonia:
https://www.webmd.com/lung/understanding-pneumonia-symptom
Call your doctor if symptoms of cold or flu do not start to get better with rest and treatment, or if the symptoms start to get worse.
If you think you have symptoms of pneumonia, don’t wait for symptoms to get even worse. Call your doctor. The same goes if you think your child has pneumonia.
Everyone who has pneumonia needs to see a doctor.
A helpful video:
OUR SYMPTOMS and Updates:
Gianni: First, my youngest son had come down with a fever and flu symptoms in the middle of the night on a Saturday while we were out of town in Oahu! And of course I didn’t have any of my natural remedies that I normally have on hand. We had to wait until wholefoods opened and my husband had to Uber there to get everything I needed. So all I could do for him was a cool rag on his forehead. 6 hours later I was able to begin the natural remedies. He endured the flu the longest of the 3 of us. He had 3 days of fever, 1 day of headache, body ache diarrhea and then he was fine for a day and then got a low grade fever again with a cough for 2 days. By day 6 he was all better minus a little lingering cough which can last a little while after a cold/flu. Through it all he was in good spirits and we made sure his lungs were clear and he stayed well hydrated. I do feel like if I had all my natural remedies right away he would have been over it much quicker. We are still keeping an eye on his cough and if a fever returns we will be taking him in to get his ears and chest examined. So far fever is gone, he is happy and playing and he is on the mend.
Update: Day 7 He is doing great, happy, still has his cough. I’m continuing with Boiron Chestal, Elderberry, D3, and garlic ear drops.
Quinn: My husband got it a couple days later. By then we had ALL started boosting our immune systems and he really didn’t get it bad at all. For a day or 2 he just felt fatigued with some body aches, and like his body was out of balance. (lucky daddy!)
Josefa: I was hit with it next. On a Friday morning, almost a week after Gianni got sick. Like I said I had a terrible headache, body aches, fever, fatigue and a little cough. By 4pm I was ok minus a low grade fever and just felt tired. I also have a tiny, tiny cough, but nothing crazy. By the next day I had pretty much recovered (minus a small cough) but my body still felt a little tired so I just drank lots of fluids, green smoothie and rested the whole day.
Update: Start of Day 3-I feel good, no major symptoms. I have a little cough and tired still. I will continue to rest, eat well and take my wellness formula + probiotic.
Nico: Last to get hit was Nico. Friday night as I started feeling better he got a low grade fever. So far that’s all he has. It is the next day now and he still has a low grade fever but no other symptoms. He is in good spirits and is playing just fine.
Day 2-He has a very low grade fever, has a little stuffy nose now and is playing and acting well…
a couple hours into the morning he had no more fever. Just a little cough and a little stuffy nose. woo hoo!
***I will continue to update this if anything changes***
Gianni 3 days after he caught the flu…
Nico the morning after his first symptoms and his first day of the flu and Gianni on his last day of the flu both drinking their immune boosting smoothies…
Me the first day of the flu (sometime in the am, No Filter lol)
Me 24 hours after the flu. ALL better-Minus a tiny cough (No filter and no fancy camera just ME, 24 hours after the flu and right after I wrote this blog post!)
I know those immune boosters and natural remedies sure did help us! Hope they can help you! I will be praying for everyone to have a quick and speedy recovery!
SIDE NOTE: I am not a doctor. I just want to share what helped my family get over the flu quickly since it is so prevalent right now. Everything I will be sharing about is natural and you can get the items at your local natural foods store. Please check with your own medical team before trying any of the remedies here and use at your own risk.
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