A cold and sore throat... singers, help! :)

[Mojo]

So I have a nasty cold and sore throat. I sang through it for a 3-hour set early in the cold, but now it's worse, and I have a show on Wednesday evening, so I am trying to do what's best for my throat.

I've been drinking plenty of hot tea to soothe the area, but I don't really see much improvement other than right when I drink it, it feels better. I have also stopped drinking anything cold, which seems to exacerbate the problem.

So anyway, all advice is welcome. Thanks!

[lessonsthatrock]

If you're sick, you're sick. You pretty much have to just wait it out. There's not a whole lot more you can do to speed up the healing process. Think of how many tours get cancelled because of vocal blow out.

[gasman]

I hope you get better soon, but, yeah, you have to wait it out.

[Mojo]

I don't reschedule or cancel. Ever. In the mean time, it's hot tea and soups and no yelling/minimum talking.

[pwfirst]

Honey and tea or hypertonic saline 1 qt of water', 2-3 tsp of canning or pickling salt (doesn't have iodine like table salt) 1 tsp of baking soda to ballance the Ph and gargle. The extra salt takes swelling down., great for runny gunky nose just irrigate your nose using a bulb syringe , (don't snort it) just flush it in softly and blow your nose for mild irritations and steroids for major illness. The steriods take the inflamation out and make you feel better even if you are not. In my practice I use prednisone 40mg a day for 3 days oraly or a shot of Depo medrol 60 mg IM works very fast. If your cold is actually a bacterial infection you need antibiotics too. 80% of the sore throats are virus . Decongestants and antihisamines some times help too. "Well thats enough malpractice for today". Good luck

[469roadking]

I just don't sing much. People like me better when I don't sing much. ;D
Good luck Mojo. You're a trooper dude.

[Mojo]

Thanks guys... the gig is tonight, the throat feels a smidge better, so I'll continue to try and keep it warm all through the day. With some luck, I'll get through it

[Mohikanas]

Mojo, you do the right thing drinking lots of hot fluids, also you could wrap over your throat with some scarf and keep it warm. You can also make a compress of hot potatoes, and put it on your throat. for more pharmaceutical way, you could use medicine that consists of Icelandic moss, it works very well. No cold drinks and foods, couse the pain you're having is related with your cord. Anything that pwfirst mentioned is fine too, even though I wouldn't rush on antibiotics. Thats all I can suggest as a medic Get well soon.

[Mojo]

Thanks again for the all the great advice. The gig was last night and it went well. I did a bunch of warming up in the car on my way there, and again as I was setting up. People probably thought I was out of my mind but we had a great time

Good news: no gig until this coming Friday, so I should be safe!