[Victoriann]

Im pretty sick right now (I work at a day care) and I'm getting some cough drops. Should I be sure to count those calories as well? Or are they minuscule? Would it be best just to be safe and includethem in my daily intake?

[elvislover324]

Sorry you aren't feeling well.

When I'm sick, I try not to obsess over my calories or exercise. It's more important for our bodies to get better and back in full working order vs. a few calories from cough drops or orange juice (or whatever "extras" we have).

Take care of yourself, rest up and hopefully you will be better in no time.

One of the benefits of losing weight and getting healthy for me is the huge reduction in getting colds/flu (knock on wood!) and my recovery time is 10x better than when I was living an unhealthy lifestyle.

Have another cough drop, no need to suffer in the least.

[Pattience]

I think cough drops are really just a sweet. But if you can limit yourself and not eat them one after the other, then what's the problem. But yes i would probably consider their calories if you are restricting. But don't try to restrict too much at the moment specially if your daily calories area quite low.

If it was me, that's what i'd be likely to do. I mean, i'd quit the cough drops. They seem to work if at all by numbing the throat a tiny little bit for a tiny little while if at all.

There are other things you can do instead of that.And frankly you probably shouldn't be at work.

Salt gargles help with sore throats. Paracetamol helps with a heavy head, especially at night when you need to go to sleep and putting your head down makes your head clog up even more. I think paracetamol will actually make you feel better through the day as well. Of course follow the packet instructions and don't overdose on them.

Get plenty of rest. Avoid alcohol and cigarette smoke. Drink fluids, eat nutritious foods.

Get well soon.

[kaplods]

It really depends how many cough drops you use in a day. Most cough drops contain 5-20 calories per piece. Say you use five drops over the course of a day, that's only 25-100 calories, not enough to worry about.

However, if you suck on one right after another, all day long, you could be taking in several hundred extra calories per day.

You may find a numbing spray, like Chloraseptic, more helpful (for fewer calories).

This may sound crazy, but my favorite throat-soother is cayenne lemonade. I make a glass of sugar free lemonade and add hot sauce (like Franks Red Hot) or dry cayenne pepper. The cayenne acts as a numbing agent, pain reliever, decongestant and expectorant (capsaicin, the "heat" in hot peppers is chemically similar to guaifenesin, the active ingredient in many cough syrups).

If I have a stuffy nose, postnasal drip, sinus congestion, or if my ears feel itchy or I have a sinus headache, I will add more cayenne (as much as I can tolerate) and will take a guaifenesin tablet as well (Mucinex is a name brand, but I buy dollar store generic).

You may want to add a bit more sweetener, especially if you use hot sauce rather than a dry hot pepper powder.

The cayenne will burn for a few minutes, especially if your throat is very raw, or if you don't eat much spicy food, but then the numbing will kick in.

You can make the lemonade with hot, warm, or cold water. I like cold. If you hate the lemonade, you can add hot sauce to a bowl or mug of hot chickem broth or bouillon).

[MindiV]

I agree with the others. If you're only having a few a day, I wouldn't stress over it.

You might also look into some of the sugar-free cough drops. Lower calorie with the same effects!

[Arwen17]

I was sick last week and didn't even think about the calories in cough drops! I just sucked on one when my throat became too painful for me to bear, so I only used a couple of them. I try not to over-medicate myself. I hate it when I have to rely on medicines at all, but it was important for me to be able to get a good night's sleep so I could work the next day. I couldn't do that if I coughed all night.
Other than taking medicine when I absolutely have to to get some sleep etc, I focus on eating really healthy with foods that have lots of vitamin C, like orange juice. The quality of your food matters more than the quantity of calories, especially when you're sick.