Cold and flu care from a former doctor
Disclaimers: I no longer have a medical license. I last practiced medicine in 2001. This recipe is not scientifically based. It's just what I do for myself. TL;DR: Water, Advil, Afrin, rest. * Drink water. You know you're drinking enough when your urine is clear or just slightly yellow. If it's clear you don't need to drink more. * Caffeine: Don't change your caffeine intake. If you stop you'll get withdrawal symptoms. Increasing might interfere with your ability to sleep. Caffeine is also a diuretic and might interfere with your ability to use your urine color to track your fluid intake. * Fevers / aches: Take your favorite medicine (Advil, Aleve, Tylenol) around the clock for 48 hours. They seem to work better if you take them before you have a fever spike instead of after, probably because it takes a while for them to kick in. Of the three choices there is no best choice -- pick the one that has worked for you in the past. * Aspirin: Skip it. That stuf