Upper Respiratory infections

Congestion:  Vitamin C Nasal congestion is from histamine release. This is similar for allergies as well as  common cold congestion. Vitamin C, aka Ascorbic Acid, has profound  antihistamine properties. Vitamin C also decreases inflammatory  cytokines, those little buggers that cause body aches. Higher doses are  needed & the only bothersome side effect for a small number of  people is loose stools.  In adults, 2000mg three times a day when ill.

Mucous: Plain Guaifenesin is recommended. Guaifenesin thins mucous secretions. It has been around for years. It is sold under the brand name Robitussin ® (Plain), or under generic. It is effective. Robitussin DM ® is the addition of dextromethorphan to suppress  cough. Dextromethorphan can have some nasty side effects if you take  more than recommended, and some aspiring young teen chemists tend to  abuse. Some very aspiring marketers thought to capitalize on this and  developed this in pill form, with a little mucous monster dancing around  the TV, and quadrupled the price. Take home: just buy generic liquid,  plain. Don’t waste money on the mucous monster that ends in an "X".  An  oft used natural substance is Mullein leaf tea that exhibits anti-mucous  effects. 

Considerations:

• Vitamin D3 5,000 units
• Zinc 15mg twice a day
• Quercetin 500mg twice a day
• NAC 600mg once a day with Vitamin C

Cautions:  Don’t waste money on over-the-counter hype & products that are a scam. 

Acute illness use of Zinc is found on internet in 50mg dose. This might be OK for maybe 5 days, but beyond that those who take too much Zinc will leach copper out of your hemoglobin.

ZzzzQuil ®—This is liquid Benadryl ®. Expensive liquid and risky with continual long time use as it is linked to cognitive decline. 

Sudafed  PE ®: pseudoephedrine was replaced with phenylephrine over 10 years  ago, because those who cook Meth were using pseudoephedrine from the  local pharmacy. Does phenylephrine really work? Not really. Are the  cardiovascular risks associated with this worth it? I would think not. 

Disclaimer:  The information above is for registered patients of Dr. Fox. Not meant  as medical advice to those not in the practice. Caution using high dose  Vitamin C in those with G6PD Deficiency.  Children are not little  adults. Dosing of medications and supplements are different. 

Pregnant women need to consult their physician. 

The Long of It

 URI, also known as the Common Cold. Can progress to a condition known  as bronchitis, an inflammation of the lower respiratory tract. Most  people are familiar with the feelings that occur as the head cold  transitions to the chest cold. Head congestion, sinus pressure, fatigue,  scratchy throat, post-nasal drainage. This scenario progresses from the  post-nasal drainage cough, to the lung generated cough meant to keep  that schizit out of the lungs. In any URI season, fall & winter,  peeps are exposed to up to 30 ILVs. (influenza like viruses) Of this 30  or so, two are used to push certain public health policies. Influenza A  and B notably, usually account for less than 20 % of those viruses a  person may encounter. If your Flu test is negative for Influenza A or B,  then you most likely have one of the other ILVs. Remember, influenza  like virus, and influenza usually have all the symptoms of a URI, in  addition to the fever & body aches. But what if you don’t have these  additional symptoms? Well, then you have other less aggressive viruses  such as common corona virus, RSV, Rhinovirus, metapneumovirus,  Parainfluenza viruses to name a few. Been around for years. Make some  miserable for a week, spread like wildfire in households & offices. 

 But beyond inconvenience, how should you view these illnesses? Every  time you take ill, albeit inconveniently, your immune system is being  imprinted. This means your immune software is gaining valuable  information for future times. Kinda like your own internal AI, learning  while becoming more robust. An important point to remember is that  research admits to a condition inherent in the human immune systems  referred to as cross-reactivity. What does this mean? Immune imprinting  and antibody development has useful reactions to future “like”  structured infections. What is also important to understand is  while  your future immune response lessens or stops future infection  progression to symptoms, or minimizes those, this doesn’t mean you  aren’t transmitting the virus. (This is why nurses in the NICU still  wear masks, even though they have received their Tdap booster) 

  So  back to bugs. It is common knowledge that all these viral bugs have  been around for years. Corona virus and RSV to name a couple. Yes, the  common causes of the common cold & bronchitis. Fast forward to today: common cold corona virus has been psychologically manipulated into fear & death and RSV bronchitis has spawned a new medical  intervention. So, while we watch TV commercials about market share, the  terrain remains the same as it was over 40 years ago. What do Doctors  abhor in patients? Pneumonia, more specifically bacterial pneumonia. You  ask what does this have to do with the common cold, and viral  bronchitis? It’s a terrain issue. Our immune system operates like a  local police force. More specifically, local police, county sheriff,  FBI, CIA etc. In a select part of society, some people have bad terrain. While those with healthy immune systems that keep  normally present bacteria in check, those with bad terrain have a law  enforcement contingency that become over-worked and overwhelmed with a  common virus. After this occurs, while the immune police are trying to  regroup, normally present “squatting bacteria” decide it is time to  party, and voila! Bacteria Pneumonia. 

 Prior to the pandemic reports included a yearly average death rate  from influenza at around 36,000. But was death really from  influenza? Some argue it is post-influenza bacterial pneumonia. I reside  in this camp. So, what is an at-risk person to do?  Don’t  panic, but exhibit “terrain timing vigilance.” Early viral infections  necessitate nothing more than supporting the terrain. Progression into  the lungs should create a mental cha-ching, just like on Offer-Up alert.  Now every ill individual is paying more attention. 

Take-home point: 

Don’t wait 2 weeks to see your doctor.   Once the bacterial squatters start partying, pneumonia is possible.  A  $15 dollar Pulse Oximeter on Amazon is a great stocking stuffer, and a  valuable tool for home and for Tele-visits. It is easy to travel with. 

Additionally beneficial tools:

1)     Omron V Blood Pressure Cuff est $69

2)     Digital Thermometer est $10 

3)     Kardia 6L pocker EKG monitor est $80-$120

4)     Pulse Oximeter $15-$20

Yours in health,

DocFox