What's your go-to remedy for powering through a hour-long lecture when you have a nasty case of stre

Back again, guys 🙄

(btw, can you even tell how much effort I had to put into coming up with this title 😁 😁 😁?
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So, here's the deal: I've come down with strep, a sore throat, an earache—honestly, it's just total misery—all thanks to allergies. Now, normally that wouldn't be such a huge disaster... I'd just stay home, take a week of sick leave from work, and call it a day. But the timing is just brutal: I have to give a lecture tomorrow, and there's almost zero chance of postponing or canceling it since I've been coordinating this for the last month.

Right now, I've got a fever, I feel like garbage, my voice sounds absolutely horrific, and I can't stop coughing. Even though I'm usually 🙂 and 🙂 at the same time, I'm really not sure if I'll physically be able to stand up there for an hour tomorrow—and please, don't give me any "just sit down" advice, because I've already heard it and I know chairs were invented for a reason, but you know what I mean... figuratively speaking... and still. I need to actually talk and look like I know what I'm doing.

So I'm asking you experts, friends, counselors, and comrades: what's the best thing to take before a presentation to boost my energy levels? Tylenol, obviously—I need to get this fever under control (even though it's gone for now, the question is whether it'll come back tomorrow at 2 PM). Red Bull? Maybe Red Bull mixed with vodka 😬

Is there anything else I haven't thought of yet?

Come on, be helpful, be quick (I gotta go buy whatever you suggest), and please don't recommend anything that's gonna land me in jail, thanks 🙂

Take a 50 mg Voltaren Forte about two hours before your lecture. Or honestly, just go with the extended-release version.

It’ll knock down that fever and chill out the inflammation so you actually feel decent for a bit...

The catch is that once those eight hours are up, you're going to hit a massive wall. 👍

Rachel Brooks63, what is even happening with you lately? It’s either a hundred miles an hour or a killer sore throat. Seriously, what's the deal? 😁

Honestly, NyQuil is a total lifesaver for me.

Also, you seriously need to load up on B and C vitamins.

Brandon Thomas89 said:Just take some 50 mg Voltaren forte about two hours before your lecture. Or honestly, even better—get the extended-release version.

It'll bring that fever down and kill the inflammation, so you'll feel pretty decent for a bit...

The catch is that once those eight hours are up, you're gonna feel absolutely wiped out. 👍

No thanks on the Voltaren🙄
The GI side effects are brutal. I mean, seriously—I’d be doubled over on the floor from stomach pains.

Maybe just a shot? 🤔 div>

Don't even bother with Voltaren, especially if you have to be on your feet all day. You'll be stumbling around like a zombie.

Brandon Thomas89 said:What is actually wrong with you people... 😁

Don't even get me started 🙄 🙄 I'm honestly just over it all myself—what am I even supposed to say... 😁 😁 😁

What if you tried one of those selective COX-2 inhibitors instead? Like Celebrex, that Pfizer one? It works just as well but won't wreck your stomach like the others.

Or maybe just grab some Voltaren tablets. Honestly, Voltaren is a lifesaver for me—it can knock a 102 fever down to a normal temp, stops my throat from killing me, and lets me actually swallow food... You basically feel like a whole new person.

NyQuil actually works pretty well—it knocks down a fever and kills that headache fast enough.
It clears you out and gives you that boost you need.
Just grab that. 👍

Megan Peterson87 said:I find that taking NyQuil really helps me out.

I suppose you should also take plenty of Vitamin B and C.

I believe NyQuil hasn't actually been in stock at the local pharmacies for quite some time now. 😳

Maybe try consuming lots of vitamins, sugar, and fluids.

The vitamins might help wake you up and boost your immunity, while the sugar could potentially provide some energy.

And, of course, one might consider increased doses of cold medications, such as DayQuil or things like that.

I guess you could squeeze about five lemons and mix them with five large spoonfuls of honey.😁

Brandon Thomas89, that’s not funny. Not even a little bit... 😢 😢

NyQuil sounds like a solid plan, though. I just need to double-check the difference between that and DayQuil—I know one has caffeine and the other doesn't, right?

Or maybe just DayQuil😉

DayQuil contains caffeine, though I’m not entirely certain about NyQuil. Regarding Voltaren and its impact on the stomach—my doctor explained that its effect on the gastric mucosa isn't localized; it's systemic. It travels through the bloodstream and essentially inhibits prostaglandin synthesis, which in turn leaves the lining more susceptible to irritation than it would be otherwise. Bottom line: whether you swallow a pill or apply a topical gel, the result is identical. This whole topic is just an endless cycle of prostaglandins and other nonsense.

Oh, and apparently calcium is supposed to help with a sore throat.

Ugh, DayQuil always gives me an upset stomach... It would be pretty awkward if Rachel Brooks63 dealt with that right in the middle of a lecture... Wouldn't even last 15 minutes before things got messy. 😁

Brandon Thomas89 said:Ugh, DayQuil usually gives me such bad stomach issues... It would be so awkward if Rachel Brooks63 deals with that during her lecture... She won't even make it through the first 15 minutes! 😁

🤣
I can see it now, it's playing like a movie in my head 😂

Got the DayQuil, picked up some calcium, and grabbed the nasal spray.

hollowraven, look, your doctor isn't entirely wrong... I won't go into all the specifics right now—unless you really want to dive into that, then we can just chat in DMs—but the bottom line is that vaccines don't mess with my stomach, but these pills definitely do 😉

The truth is, all that excess Vitamin C, caffeine, and whatever else is packed into DayQuil just sends you running to the restroom. I wouldn't recommend going that route,
if you decide to ask a doctor, though, just be sure to explain the whole situation clearly.
It’s possible they might prescribe something like a corticosteroid that provides a temporary fix—basically masking the symptoms. It's that quick burst that makes you feel functional for a few hours before you inevitably crash back into bed.
Of course, that isn't exactly a smart long-term strategy, but if things are truly that urgent...

ironsurfer8 said:Maybe there’s some kind of corticosteroid that just temporarily fixes things—you know, masks the symptoms? Just one little dose to get you feeling okay for a few hours so you can actually function before crashing back into bed...
It’s definitely not the smartest move, obviously, but if things are really that desperate...

Steroids?

Actually, yeah, that might not be a bad call... if I don't feel even slightly better by tomorrow morning, I'm gonna ask my doctor about an IM dexamethasone shot.

ironsurfer8, 😘

Rachel Brooks63, just don't go mixing DayQuil and Voltaren caps... things could get... well, explosive... 🤣

Two DayQuil and some throat lozenges

By the way, you can also get those Voltaren suppositories; they actually work way better than the pills and won't mess with your stomach at all

Honestly, I think my way is the absolute best—just squeeze the juice from a single lemon, stir in a spoonful of honey, mix it up, and take it by the teaspoon every once in a while. My old man insists on tossing in a tablespoon of olive oil too, but personally, I just can't stomach that part.