The neti pot really helps. Also, don't drink. Alcohol will further inflame your membranes and dehydrate you causing your mucus to become thicker. Neti, steam, Vicks under the nose and Mucinex with lots of water.

I had what you descibe a couple weeks ago. Surprise, the phlegm is still hanging around, some 20+ days later! awesome.

Your first mistake was the bourbon. Bourbon is sweet and syrupy and does nothing to clear up congestion or soothe your throat. Next time, try rye. It's peppery and coarse, helping to clear up the nasal passages while feeling great on your throat. Jim Beam Yellow Label is a good, intern-cost option.

Also, I second the advice of a good hike. Or bike ride. Anything prolonged to get the blood flowing will help you flush out toxins faster. It's my hangover cure, too.

I don't mean to be contrary--at least not in gratuitous fashion--but...

...unless you work full-time as a masochist or a chan bhuddist monk, "Let your body feel the symptoms" doesn't allow a body to accomplish things like get sufficient sleep, then go to work and do your non-masochist/non-monk job.

Vicks all over your heaving naked chest (or just your pajama shirt) instead of just under your nose really helps at night. Old faithful Halls (or Vicks) cough drops help in the daytime with minimally invasive medicine.

If you don't care how you bombard your body with medicines, then a little Benadryl and Ibuprofin help at night to de-inflame and drain your sinuses and other affected head parts, to let you get some sleep.

Forget tissues, and keep a stack of cotton hankies with you when you're away from home, and at home you can blow gallons of goo into one cotton tshirt after another. Kleenex and other tissues *all* have fibers that irritate your skin when you blow/wipe, even if they also contain additives to mask that irritation.

Benadryll at night, pseudo-ephedrine (over-the-counter in Vancouver) in the morning -- the 100% solution.

Anecdote: when I was younger I was a health mess half of the time: stomach aches, persistent colds, ear infections... I also ate a lot of sugar, and leaned heavily towards refined foods and carbs. Mmmm, Nutter Butter cookies. Fast forward to today, I eat basically whole natural foods and avoid totally refined sugar. I almost never feel cold symptoms, and if I do "catch a cold" the symptoms are usually slight. I haven't used a cold remedy in years, and my energy level/concentration/endurance/etc. are all hugely improved.

Scoff "hippie" if you want... I'll be helping pay for your health care as I'll be stuck paying for it though I won't need doctors.

This works.

You need:
- 1 pair cotton socks
- 1 pair wool socks
- warm water

Before bed, wet the cotton socks and put them on. Put the dry wool socks on over them. Go to sleep. Your feet won't get cold, the wool keeps them warm.

Do this for a couple days and your cold will be gone.

If you're hardcore or really sick, you can try this technique with a t-shirt and sweater, but that gets a little clammy for me.