I have good and bad news for you. And they're the same piece of news - no matter what you do, the healing process will take the same time. You can't really speed it up, but treating the symptoms as they appear won't make it go slower either.

So while the cold is going on, focus mostly on your comfort and well-being. Based on what you said in the OP and across the thread ("I noticed my symptoms gradually start about 3 days ago", "I am going on holiday in 3 days"), you'll probably be fine for the holidays.

[Off-topic: you probably selected "bot account" in the settings, didn't you? You're being marked as a bot by Lemmy.]

Fluids! Fluids! Fluids!

Honestly just gotta let it run its course - treat the symptoms and don’t let yourself suffer. But the one thing I personally dislike is the combo drugs, as a rule of thumb it’s better to take individual meds instead of something like nyquil/dayquil - it can just get messy with appropriate dosing. Just see what’s in those combos and buy the individual meds if you can - not the end of the world if you use the quils but I think it’s just better overall.

To answer your question though - no, taking meds to manage symptoms won’t prolong the illness. It might make you more likely to physically exert yourself and then make the healing slower but that’s likely gonna be negligible.

Fluids, eat, and rest. Hope you get better soon!

First of all, get a Covid test, and if positive, cancel your trip. Sorry but stuff happens. Go after you recover. For a cold, consider same approach, though very large vitamin C doses apparently help some people.

• Rest and sleep to allow your body to recover.
• Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids.
• Inhale steam or take a hot shower to relieve congestion.
• Use saline nasal irrigation to clear nasal passages.
• Gargle with saltwater to soothe a sore throat.
• 0Consider over-the-counter remedies for symptom relief.
• Drink warm liquids like herbal teas or broths.
• Vitamin C and zinc may help shorten cold duration (consult a professional).
• Avoid irritants like smoke or allergens.
• Practice good hygiene to prevent spreading the cold.

Source: ChatGPT

Rest, treat the symptoms as needed, some evidence maybe that zinc might help early on for shortening the cold maybe… but maybe not.

Really, just needs to run it’s course

the old adage still holds true... you can rest for 7 days and recover, or take this medicne and be good in a week.

I always drink freshly pressed juice of one lemon two days in a row and feel better. Maybe it's imagination but I do it for years now everytime I have a sore throat. Hope you get better soon!

I've found that sweating like mad helps clear the cold faster. Like put on a ton of jumpers and go for a brisk walk. Or sleep with way too many blankets. DRINK A LOT OF WATER!

Slightly worse advice: get drunk before going to bed (that's one of the things that make me sweat).

Medicine does not prolong the healing process. The only "beneficial" side effect is the fever, but there isn't hard evidence that it's better or worse to bring down a fever (unless you hit 102°F or higher). If you choose to let your body do its thing and burn down the house, just avoid acetaminophen (Tylenol).

Colds often take up to a week or more to pass, so there's a chance that you won't be better in 3 days.

Vitamin C and vitamin D3 are also good for your immune system.

Sleep a lot, take vitamins immunity boosting supplements, take the proper cold meds (what you need depends on the type of cough/cold you have. Sometimes you need a decongestant, sometimes you need an expectorant, and so on), and, of course, stay hydrated. There's no need to stop taking cold meds if they're working, your body will do "what it needs to" just fine with medication. Cold meds don't prolong a cold. The only symptom that might have an effect if you treat it is a low grade fever, but even then it doesn't have a significant effect so it's really not worth suffering over. So you can either look for some cough meds that don't treat a fever (aka stuff without acetaminophen or ibuprofen in them), or you can just get the individual ingredients that are found in generic cold medicine which don't target fevers and take them that way like guaifenesin or dextromethorphan or whatever one fits your particular cold. Or if you're feverish and don't want to feel uncomfortable you can just take cold meds that also target fevers and even if it does affect how long your sickness lasts, and tbh it probably won't, then it likely won't be to a degree that you'll notice (honestly there's debate on whether treating a fever can prolong an illness, but I'm trying to cover my bases). Most of the time when people think their cold meds made them sick longer what actually happened is that their meds suppressed their symptoms enough that they stopped resting and recuperating too soon and/or over-exerted themselves, and that's what made them sick longer. Just make sure to continue to rest and stay hydrated properly for an appropriate amount of time and you won't have that issue.