Zicam works.
I started coming down with a cold on Sunday night, and on Monday morning I was feeling pretty out of it. I hit the drug store on the way to work and bought some Zicam tablets that dissolve in your mouth and I started taking one every three hours as instructed on the bottle.
When I'm first getting sick I usually have a bad sore throat for the first few nights, and Sunday night it was just getting started. When evening came around yesterday though, my throat didn't hurt at all. I expected to take NyQuil to get to sleep, but I decided I didn't need it. I woke up once during the night and popped another Zicam.
When I woke up this morning, I felt great! I still feel a little sick -- a little warm, a little tired -- but the major symptoms are basically gone. I'm completely amazed. It normally takes me over a week to feel this good.
I'm going to keep taking Zicam for another 48 hours, and we'll see how I feel in a couple of days. As of now, I'm thinking this was the best $11 I've ever spent.
Can you take it with High Blood Pressure? That's the problem I have with a lot of OTC medication, that it's counterindicated for people with OTC.
I had to take Coracidin this weekend, which is designed for people with HPB - however, it contains no decongestants, and non-breathable nasal passages is always one of my worst symptoms when I'm sick...ugh.
Supposedly Zicam can be taken by anyone, even pregnant women. Ask your doctor, I suppose.
Just don't use the nasal spray version:
"http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/2825169/detail.html"
I tried this product also, but I didn't start using the spray until about 36 hours after the cold started. I think it helped a little (my cold lasted about a week, but I usually have longer colds). My mom (who is quite old) tried Zicam as soon as she noticed a cold coming on and it worked better for her (just a few days with the cold). So, I think the key is to use the product immediately upon detection of a cold.