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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by cybercafe on December 3, 2002, at 22:26:54
i usually stay away from caffeine, but i just had 3+ of the huge 20 oz cups to see if i was really ADD ... and it almost completely got rid of the symptoms of my cold - runny, congested nose that is
is it a vasoconstrictor or something?
Posted by BeardedLady on December 4, 2002, at 9:09:21
In reply to caffeine for colds? , posted by cybercafe on December 3, 2002, at 22:26:54
Here's the blurb I wrote:
If you have asthma, here’s some more good news. The caffeine in coffee (as well as in chocolate) is a close relative of theophylline, the medicine most commonly prescribed for the treatment of chronic asthma symptoms. It works by relaxing the airways, allowing for easier breathing.2
2 http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_theophylline.html.
That should answer your question a little!
beardy
Posted by bubblegumchewer on December 4, 2002, at 17:28:44
In reply to I just wrote a blurb about this for a client. » cybercafe, posted by BeardedLady on December 4, 2002, at 9:09:21
I believe it is a vasoconstrictor. Whenever I feel crummy from a cold, a big cup of the black stuff makes me feel better on the double.
Also, I suffer from sinus headaches that are so severe they are nauseating, unless I get my coffee. They are not an everyday phenomenon, but I never know when they're going to strike. I don't think the headaches are necessarily caffeine withdrawal headaches, because I quit all caffeine for at least three months due to pregnancy (I was trying to be "good.") Well, those sinus headaches were killer. I'd spend whole evenings with a very hot cloth over my face, squeezing pressure points on my nose and forehead just to get some temporary relief from the pain. Tylenol and Advil did not touch the pain. Finally I decided to be "bad" and resume a coffee habit, although a small one. Just 1/2 scoop of coffee per day augmented with 1 1/2 scoops of decaf (so I can have a big mug and feel like I'm drinking a decent mug of coffee) have kept those horrible sinus headaches away. Haven't had one at all, now that I think of it, since I resumed my little vice of drinking coffee every day. I feel better emotionally, also.
Posted by IsoM on December 5, 2002, at 0:41:43
In reply to Yes, I believe it is a vasoconstrictor, posted by bubblegumchewer on December 4, 2002, at 17:28:44
...which is why it's included in most OTC pain killers along with acetaminophen. It's supposed to lessen the throbbing you feel with headaches by constricting blood vessels. The amount put in OTC pain killers isn't much though.
Posted by Jaynee on December 5, 2002, at 19:38:24
In reply to caffeine for colds? , posted by cybercafe on December 3, 2002, at 22:26:54
Chocolate can cure your cough
Source: Daily Telegraph
Date: 05 December 2002
Many of today's papers report that a key ingredient in chocolate could be the secret to curing ticklish coughs. A trial was carried out at the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College, London, during which 10 healthy volunteers were made to cough using an extract of chilli peppers. It was found that theobromine, found in cocoa beans, could be more effective than codeine or a placebo at preventing coughing. The Telegraph points out that a person would have to eat 25 fingers of Kit Kat or 25 tubes of Rolos to obtain the required effect. The results of the trial were reported at a meeting of the British Thoracic Society yesterday.
Posted by IsoM on December 6, 2002, at 0:25:01
In reply to Re: caffeine for colds? Chocolate Anyone!!!!!!!, posted by Jaynee on December 5, 2002, at 19:38:24
That's funny!
"Nasty cough? Want a cough candy?"
"No thanks, this chocolate will do the trick instead."I managed a health food store many years ago when chocolate was considered bad for one & carob was highly esteemed instead. My understanding of chemistry & biology wasn't that good then but I felt that chocolate was being unfairly maligned. How right I was!
Posted by BeardedLady on December 6, 2002, at 8:14:16
In reply to Re: caffeine for colds? Chocolate Anyone!!!!!!! » Jaynee, posted by IsoM on December 6, 2002, at 0:25:01
I remember when carob was all the rage, and I thought people were nuts. It didn't taste half as good as chocolate, and I think it had the same amount of fat and calories! (I'm going from memory here, so don't quote me.)
beardy
Posted by Jaynee on December 6, 2002, at 17:35:10
In reply to Re: caffeine for colds? Chocolate Anyone!!!!!!! » Jaynee, posted by IsoM on December 6, 2002, at 0:25:01
Ya I agree, chocolate gets a bad rap, I love chocolate, but I would be hard pressed to eat 25 rolls of rolos. Maybe though, I could handle chocolate covered blueberries, those are probably really good for you, with the antioxidants from the blueberries. Although there is the weight gain issue, bummer.
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