Cold treatment - hot liquids (mine is tea with a squirt of lemon juice), vitamin C (a water-soluble vitamin - your kidneys filter what your body doesn't use); acetaminophen or ibuprofen for achiness. I don't like the metalllic taste of zinc lozenges but we've been passing a cold around the office for almost a month now and I have a couple of co-workers who have had good results with zinc. And I use Nyquil at night because sleep seems to be restorative when I'm dealing with a virus. If you suspect the flu, though, get a prescription for Tamiflu, because if you start it early enough it can shorten the duration of the infection.