Any OTC remedies to avoid catching a cold?

I have a dream vacation coming up, the only problem is that I always seem to get sick right before I travel. Any recommendations (besides handwashing, good sleeping schedule, eating healthy...all of which I do religiously) to avoid catching something before I go?

Get something called Airborne........ it was developed by a teacher that wanted to avoid all the colds kids pass around.

A woman I work with swears by a product called Airborne. I'd think a multivitamin would be a good idea, too. Good luck, stay well!

Ester-C in the vitamin section is a very good preventive medicine, You may also want to try this product called Airborne. It was invented by a teacher whom was tired of getting sick from all of her students all the time. It's similiar to Alka Seltzer buy much better tasting.

Airborne does however work but I would start taking it 2 days before your trip. That way you have all the good stuff in you already. Then take it while you are on your trip also. It does not have anything harmful in it. I take it everyday. I am a teacher and I was always sick!!!!!!!! I take that now and I dont get sick!!! Yeah. try it

Taking vitamin C seems to work for most people.

Have you tried vitamins? Of course nothing's a guarantee, but you can try taking Ester-C, a good, solid multivitamin and maybe even add Royal Jelly. Try 500 mg of the Ester-C on a daily basis. The royal jelly you can try if you're not allergic to bees or honey. You might want to check with a doctor before you try some of this stuff.

While it is impossible to completely prevent the spread of colds, there are steps you can take to reduce your and your family鈥檚 chances of becoming infected with a virus that causes colds:

Wash your hands often. This is probably the single best measure to prevent transmission of colds. Especially after shopping, going to the gym, or spending time in public places, hand washing is critical. Frequent hand washing can destroy viruses that you have acquired from touching surfaces used by other people. You can also carry a small tube of hand sanitizer or sanitizing hand wipes when visiting public places. Teach your children the importance of hand washing too.

Avoid touching your face, especially the nose, mouth, and eye areas, if you are around someone with a cold or have been touching surfaces in a public area.

Don鈥檛 smoke. Cigarette smoke can irritate the airways and increase susceptibility to colds and other infections. Even exposure to passive smoke can make you (or your children) more vulnerable to colds.

Use disposable items if someone in your family is infected. Disposable cups can be thrown away after each use and prevent accidental spread of the virus from sharing of cups or glasses. This is particularly important if you have young children who may try to drink from others鈥?cups.

Keep household surfaces clean. Door knobs, drawer pulls, keyboards, light switches, telephones, remote controls, countertops, and sinks can all harbor viruses for hours after their use by an infected person. Wipe these surfaces frequently with soap and water or a disinfectant solution.
If your child has a cold, wash his or her toys as well when you are cleaning household surfaces and commonly-used items.

Use paper towels in the kitchen and bathroom for hand washing. Germs can live for several hours on cloth towels. Alternatively, have separate towels for each family member and provide a clean one for guests.

Throw tissues away after use. Used tissues are sources of virus that can contaminate any surface where they are left.
Maintain a healthy lifestyle. While there isn鈥檛 direct evidence to show that eating well or exercising can prevent colds, maintenance of a healthy lifestyle, with adequate sleep, good nutrition and physical exercise can help ensure that your immune system is in good condition and ready to fight infection if it occurs.

Control stress. Studies have shown that people experiencing emotional stress have weakened immune systems and are more likely to catch a cold than their calmer counterparts.