This post is really doing the rounds, so I feel obliged to do a little follow-up ...
First, for everyone ragging on phenylephrine in the tags, I made you a little something to keep close to your heart and treasure forever.
It was a subtle one, but it didn't escape you! Well done.
For those of you who didn't spot it: phenylephrine is essentially useless. Which I could have told you in 1996 when, despite it being shoved down my throat on the way to school, the snot monster raged unabated, but now there is an actual scientific study to prove it. With the decongestant properties disproven, and the harm of paracetamol/acetaminophen on the liver well proven, I'm inclined to give OTC decongestants a miss, but YMMV.
For those saying "it's basically chai", as a big fan of chai I say "yes, but ..." Many of the same active ingredients, true, but when one is ill, sleep is the best medicine, and downing cups of tea all day is not going to help you get the best of that. Plus, chai is often served milky, and milk causes many people (such as myself) to make more mucus, so maybe traditional chai is best shelved in this circumstance and the non-caffeinated, non-milky version used in its place.
And finally, on the matter of cloves: Yes, really, a dozen, if not more, especially if you have a sore throat. They are anti-inflammatory and analgesic so will help with both the congestion and the pain. It's a strong flavour, but a taste worth acquiring, because they are quite effective (at least, moreso than phenylephrine). I find them more tolerable with the lemon than on their own. Whole spices are often fresher, cheaper, and easier to find at an Asian grocery, if cost effectiveness is an issue.
Thank you for your time, and good luck busting that mucus! Stay safe, everyone!
tangentwithtanner
theartofmadeline
dailybridgerton
vaporwave
andulkaphoto
