Caleb was sent home from work on the evening of the 23rd because he was running a temp of 101. By Christmas Eve, his temperature was 103.5 and we were forcing fluids to head off dehydration. He became a little dizzy, so I took his blood pressure. It was low and dropped a bit more over the next few hours.
The common thing for the majority of people to do when a fever is detected is to take an OTC fever reducing medication. However, that is usually the wrong choice. When the body detects a virus, it raises the temperature to DESTROY the virus. If we interrupt natural defense mechanism, we can prolong illness.
My rule of thumb is that as long as the fever is not preventing rest and if dehydration is not a major issue to allow the body to do its job.
Caleb knows this and chose not to take fever reducing medications. He wanted to get well as quickly as possible. Something about a special girl plays into that.
I don't like posting dosages on the blog because most people don't research or take other factors into consideration. There is a lot that goes into calculating a dosage. What you see here may or may not work for you, and you should not take it without doing your own research. I am nothing more than a woman who wanted better health for myself and family so I sought out an education and continue to self educate.* Here's what we took:
We started him on a viral protocol which included 10,000 IU Vitamin D, 2000 mg Vitamin C, 25 mg Zinc, and 1600 mg Quercetin** (formulation includes bromelain). He also took a tablespoon of the elderberry tincture that I make for our family. He took it every four hours during the crisis phase.
Clint and I were running temps and feeling poorly later on Christmas Eve. We started taking the same supplements with a variation due to our weight: 25,000 IU Vitamin D, 2000 mg Vitamin C, 50 mg Zinc, 1600 mg Quercetin** and two tablespoons elderberry tincture. We took it every four house during the crisis phase.
At 2 a.m., I went downstairs to check on Caleb. I was surprised and happy to see his fever was breaking (down to 99.5) and his blood pressure had returned to normal. I gave him (and Clint and myself) another round of the protocol before I went back to bed. Clint and I felt right as rain the next morning. We continued the protocol twice a day for the next 48 hours. We will take it once a day for the next week or so.
We were feeling so poorly that I just knew we were going to have to cancel our Christmas plans, but the protocol worked. After decades of using natural medicine with great success, I wasn't surprised that it worked, but I was thankful. I was also relieved that Christmas could continue as normal.
*I also had some outstanding medical doctors befriend me and help me learn.
**The best way to get Quercetin is through diet: In this study, AUC0-24h and Cmax of quercetin following the consumption of onions were 2 and 3 times greater, respectively, than those following the consumption of apples (Lee et al., 2012). Quercetin Tmax did not differ between dietary sources, but t1/2 of apple-derived quercetin was more than 4 times shorter after consuming onions (15 h). These findings support that onion-derived quercetin is more bioavailable due to its greater absorption (Lee et al., 2012). https://www.foodandnutritionjournal.org/vol04nospl-issue-conf-october-2016/bioavailability-of-quercetin/
Because Kathy asked: We use Sam's Club Members Mark Vitamin D and Vitamin C. I have had good success with those for many years. The zinc and the quercetin is the NOW Brand. I worked with a marketing company promoting that brand for a few years. I became very familiar with their products. Most of their stuff is very good. I am the kind of person who will pull apart capsules looking for fillers and to test the strength of the herb.
Because Michele asked: I have not tried any brands of elderberry tincture. It's too pricey for a family of nine. I use the tincture because it is the strongest form. I pick some berries from my farm now and then, but it is never enough. I buy the whole dried berries in bulk from herbalcom.com (been a customer for around 20 years) and pour cheap vodka over them and let it sit in my dark pantry for at least a few months. I have some jars that have been sitting for over a year so it's going to be good and strong once I strain it. When we know we've been exposed to illness, we take a teaspoon a few times a day. Sometimes we adults go up to a tablespoon. We have used it after being directly exposed to a symptomatic person (sneezing, coughing) many, many times and stayed well.
