I thought I'd ask for future reference and in case anyone else is interested....AND hopefully, people who know something about this will pass on their knowledge.
Do the "cold" preventive pills and sprays actually work to ward off cold viruses? I'm wondering if I should purchase some for future use, or if it's just a waste of money. And, if they work despite being on a biologic--or will they make my biologic less effective? I saw the stuff on the OTC medicine shelf at the store and have seen ads on TV, but not sure if it's a gimic. Also, I used to take "Extra C", but stopped taking it a few years ago when I realized my immune system was fighting me and it didn't need the boost of extra vitamin C. I'm thinking maybe it's a good thing to take, especially in the wintertime when there are so many viruses going around!
For over a year now I have used a (Boots Pharmaceuticals) Cold & Flu Defence Nasal Spray before I go out the house and especially in environments where I could breathe in other peoples sneeze/cough droplets. I always catch bugs on airplanes but have now gone unscathed on four flights as well as countless bus/train journeys.
I read that one of the factors that enables virus' to make it past the mucus membranes of the nose is when the membranes dry out such as in heated or air-conditioned environments. Just for moisture a saline spray does the job but when I saw these sprays, and spoke to the pharmacist, I figured a bit of extra protection wouldn't go amiss. Do they work? Well I've not had a head cold, not one, since using it. Do they do any harm? None at all. Takes a bit of getting used to squirting it up your nose, though.
Like Sybil I'm in to my vitamins in my food and am pretty good at packing in lots of fruit and veggies. I've just bought a Nutri-Bullet so that I can make fresh juices and smoothies .... in fact I've been so fanatic about my 'Bullet that three of my friends have bought them ..... I'm thinking of contacting the makers and asking for commission ;-)
Haha Sybil, I'm with you on stomach upset--other than when I've had IBS and got nauseous from the pain of my kidney stone and once when I had a weird dizzy spell. The last time I threw up from "stomach flu" I was 15 years old! I never catch that stuff--everybody tells me I must be a carrier with no symptoms. But, really, it's probably because I avoid people with that gross stuff. When my kids got it, I would be such a germ-a-phobe that I held my breath as much as possible when I was near them and sanitized everything in our house non-stop. There were many times the kids were sick when I couldn't sleep at night, couldn't eat for fear I'd get sick, and worried about them getting sick during the night and a big mess for me to clean up, which I felt like a saint that I could even deal with it--the severe phobia I had!
Luckily, I've always been cautious about bacteria in the kitchen and food, and our kids didn't get stomach bugs as much as some kids do.
I don't take vitamins, either.
So, hmmm, I'll think about whether to have that preventative stuff on hand. Jules, you seem to get good results from it. I definitely feel run down and thinking that a little cold caused this, is, wow, I want to do all I can to avoid colds in the future.