Man Flu

[Nick]

What is going on? What is wrong with Beechams Powders FFS?

[Bar Wench]

Flu? Remember we were talkin' about it? 

Big barney at GROWLER Towers has ensued.

Got me Echinacea tablets, and the pharmisist says I can take them regulary.
Mrs GROWLER says I can't as they boost your immune system, and that can cause problems for the future....apparently, so she sez like, according to the Gospel Of St. Mrs GROWLER like.
She's advised me to confirm this with a herbiologist or summat.

She talks mucho shite...imo...sometimes/most of the time, so I'm stuffing me face with them. 

Just got to get the garlic tablets now.

To confuse you further they are sort of both right. You can take them regularally as suggested however, you are also recomended to have rest periods. As they can lose their potency over time. Sort of how an alcoholic needs more and more drink to get drunk. Which is why Mr Wench and I tend to take them when those around us are ill or we start to feel ill and then after a couple of weeks stop for a couple of weeks minimum.

Yup. I can see the logic in that, and will adhere to YOUR advice.

Mrs GROWLER reckons you should ONLY take them at the first signs of an impending cold /flu etc. Too late then imo.

Again there are two schools of thoughts on that. One is in the prevention camp and one is in the lessening of the effects of the cold. Mrs Growler's school of thought is in attempting to lessen the symptoms rather than stopping the whole thing altogether. It is also worth noting at this time that prolonged usage of it aswell as voiding the benefits can cause liver damage. But I'm not too sure what they mean by prolonged usage.

I would suggest one tablet a day, one vit C and one zinc. NO MORE! Whilst I do take herbal supplements and yes, consult a homeopath, I don't think enough research has been done into the long term effects of taking massive dosages of these things and so I prefer to err on the side of caution.

If you are confused, pop into your local nutty health food shop. Whilst they do talk a lot of bollocks (and smell a bit dodgy) they do tend to have a rough idea of dosages and if not they normally have a big book behind the counter to consult. IMHO pharmacists don't really have enough knowledge in alternative therapies to be the all knowing king on the subject.

[Nick]

If you are confused, pop into your local nutty health food shop. Whilst they do talk a lot of bollocks (and smell a bit dodgy) they do tend to have a rough idea of dosages

Wenchy speaks! I am sure we can trust her! 

[Just One More]

Careful with those health food shops Growler...

A couple were 85 years old and had been married for sixty years. Though they were far from rich, they managed to get by because they watched their pennies. Though not young, they were both in very good health, largely due to the wife's insistence on healthy foods and exercise for the last decade.
One day, their good health didn't help when they went on a rare vacation and their plane crashed, sending them off to Heaven.

They reached the pearly gates, and St.. Peter escorted them inside. He took them to a beautiful mansion, furnished in gold and fine silks, with a fully stocked kitchen and a waterfall in the master bathroom. A maid could be seen hanging their favourite clothes in the closet. They gasped in astonishment when he said, 'Welcome to Heaven. This will be your home now.'

The old man asked Peter how much all this was going to cost. 'Why, nothing,' Peter replied, 'remember, this is your reward in Heaven.' The old man looked out the window and right there he saw a championship golf course, finer and more beautiful than any ever built on Earth..
'What are the greens fees?,' grumbled the old man.
'This is heaven,' St. Peter replied. 'You can play for free, every day.'

Next they went to the clubhouse and saw the lavish buffet lunch, with every imaginable cuisine laid out before them, from seafood to steaks to exotic deserts, free flowing beverages. 'Don't even ask,' said St. Peter to the man. This is Heaven, it is all free for you to enjoy.'
The old man looked around and glanced nervously at his wife.
'Well, where are the low fat and low cholesterol foods and the decaffeinated tea?,' he asked.
That's the best part,' St. Peter replied. 'You can eat and drink as much as you like of whatever you like and you will never get fat or sick. This is Heaven!'

The old man pushed, 'No gym to work out at?'
'Not unless you want to,' was the answer.
'No testing my sugar or blood pressure or...'
'Never again. All you do here is enjoy yourself.'

The old man glared at his wife and said, 'You and your f....ing bran Flakes. We could have been here ten years ago!'

[GROWLER]

If you are confused, pop into your local nutty health food shop. Whilst they do talk a lot of bollocks (and smell a bit dodgy) they do tend to have a rough idea of dosages

Wenchy speaks! I am sure we can trust her! 

Well I know who I'd rather trust out of the two of you.

Not everyone talks Nickshite ALL of the time you know.

Got me slightly worried about these potential liver problems now though Wenchy.
Why is nowt straight forward?

I'll go and see a nutty herbiooligist person as suggested.
I still feel absolutely 100% btw.

[Snoopy]

Growler me old bear with a sore head ~ nothing is ever straight forward. All medications (prescribed or homoeopathic) are a risk to some people. A small amount of aspirin every day is said to help prevent blood clots and thus prevent stokes and heart attacks ~ however aspirin, taken regularly, can cause internal bleeding in the stomach. The question is ~ which is the greater risk?

All the medicines I take (and they are a mixture of prescribed, homoeopathic and occasionally slightly illegal) carry a risk. The secret of it all is to strike a balance between what makes you feel better and what does not. Many of the drugs recommended and prescribed by well meaning and highly experienced doctors for my ailments have had such a bad effect on me that I have ended up in hospital ~ equally a remedy suggested by Wenchy has helped a lot as has a homoeopathic tincture recommended by my cousin who is a homoeopath.

Meanwhile it is said that the Royal Family all take certain honey products on a daily basis (Royal Jelly) and that they all swear by the health benefits of this homoeopathic boost to their immune systems. You seldom hear of a member of that family with a cold or flu and they do seem to be living to a ripe old age. Like them or not (and that is another debate) they are on the whole as healthy and vigorous a bunch of OAPs as you are likely to find. The Queen Mother got past 100 and her daughter looks like going the same way. (Perhaps a few nips of the gin bottle helps).

My one thought throughout has been to try to help myself by listening to all comers and discarding those that either don't seem to work or those that clearly do not suit my system.

[Bar Wench]

If you are confused, pop into your local nutty health food shop. Whilst they do talk a lot of bollocks (and smell a bit dodgy) they do tend to have a rough idea of dosages

Wenchy speaks! I am sure we can trust her! 

Well I know who I'd rather trust out of the two of you.

Not everyone talks Nickshite ALL of the time you know.

Got me slightly worried about these potential liver problems now though Wenchy.
Why is nowt straight forward?

I'll go and see a nutty herbiooligist person as suggested.
I still feel absolutely 100% btw.

I wouldn't worry too much about the liver problems. I only mentioned it as you were talking about necking the stuff! I think the problem comes when people think, well one dose is good so fifty must be fab! Just because it is a herbal rememdy rather than a drug doesn't mean that one should completely disregard the dosage recomendations without having discussed it with someone who has a degree of knowledge in the subject.

Go see a nutty herbiologist, although I may seem as though I know what I am talking about I'm really only an enthusiastic amateur who relys a lot on the web, her own various nutty herbologists and a knowledge of what has worked for me.

I will say that for the past five/six years I have been laid low with every bug going, often putting me in bed for a week. Meaning that my average sick leave over a year was over 20 days and those were actual sick days not sickies. Since taking the vitamins and the echinacea when needed and seeing a homeopath I haven't had a day off sick since March. Plus various other bodily issues have been sorted. No "proper" doctor was able to help but the nutty herbologists have me feeling fitter and healthier both in mind and body than I have for six years. Even sceptical Mr Wench is beginning to think there may be something in it.

[Snoopy]

Of course there is something in it ~ My Afghan suffered badly from arthritis in his latter years and on the suggestion of the vet, who could do nothing for him, I tried homoeopathic medicines (Rhus Tox 4). He was like a dog reborn and lasted, without any joint problems for several more years.

The dog had no idea what he was being given every day. My conclusion then is that it works.

I have mentioned this before (perhaps in another place) and I recall Darwin saying that he had similar experience of this medication.

[GROWLER]

P'raps Mrs GROWLER does talk a bit of sense then....only I could never admit it to her..... as she says similar to you.  
Strange in'it? I can take on board what you say and see some reasoning, but when Mrs G speaks I simply dismiss it all as Mrs GROWLERshite.

She's heavily into natural medicine, and in fact practices acupuncture.
I am however her worst nightmare of a 'customer', apparently, so she says.
 Disobedient...alledgedly .... and needle shy, but that's because I'm convinced that she uses me for 'darts' practice, and gains some sadistic pleasure out of causing much physical suffering,to add to all the mental torture she puts me through like.
All denied of course naturally, but it bloody hurts like hell when she stabs me, so much so I won't let her perform her mystical powers on me anymore.

Must have a look at this honey that Snoops is going on about. Spread it on a butty like?

[Snoopy]

Royal Jelly ~ very expensive ~ it is the jelly that the bees produce to feed only to the Queen Bee.

http://www.simplysupplements.net/product/333/new-royal-jelly-750mg/

£17.99 for 180 capsules and it doesn't spread on bread.

[Bar Wench]

P'raps Mrs GROWLER does talk a bit of sense then....only I could never admit it to her..... as she says similar to you.  
Strange in'it? I can take on board what you say and see some reasoning, but when Mrs G speaks I simply dismiss it all as Mrs GROWLERshite.

Of course she talks sense but because she is your wife you can't listen to her!  It's the same with kids and parents and wives and husands. Because there isn't the emotional baggage with a friend or stranger you are far more likely to take their advice than someone who actually does love you. Doesn't make sense but what does.

Although, it does sound as Mrs Growler probably does know what she is talking about. If she is already involved in the alternative medical community she is probably far more knowledgable about these things than I am! Not that that will make you listen to her anymore than you already do! 

[Snoopy]

  Wives, Sense, These words are not logical Captain.

[Bar Wench]

And thus my point is proven! 

[GROWLER]

P'raps Mrs GROWLER does talk a bit of sense then....only I could never admit it to her..... as she says similar to you.  
Strange in'it? I can take on board what you say and see some reasoning, but when Mrs G speaks I simply dismiss it all as Mrs GROWLERshite.

Of course she talks sense but because she is your wife you can't listen to her!  It's the same with kids and parents and wives and husands. Because there isn't the emotional baggage with a friend or stranger you are far more likely to take their advice than someone who actually does love you. Doesn't make sense but what does.

Although, it does sound as Mrs Growler probably does know what she is talking about. If she is already involved in the alternative medical community she is probably far more knowledgable about these things than I am! Not that that will make you listen to her anymore than you already do! 

No she bloody well doesn't, and now you're as good as admitting you don't either!
I'm 'urt...deeply.

I can't take anything that she says seriously.  
Some sort of mental block, and this ultimately leads to problems as I do everything the exact opposite that she recommends, just to annoy her like, usually with high degrees of success.
Probably why I'm such a grumpy git most of the time, as there's a constant battle of wills going on 'ere.

I must be doin' summat right though, cus 2 peoples I met last week swear I'm looking younger every time they meet me, and another one reckoned I was over 10 years younger than I really am!!

[Snoopy]

And thus my point is proven! 

No need to  ~ I was agreeing with you (daft bat)