As you may remember, yesterday I wasn't feeling so great. In the afternoon I was better, but after dinner my symptoms all came back. I felt lethargic, and had a runny nose and hacking cough.
I took some ibuprofen and a decongestant, but neither did much good. Shortly before I went to bed I was rummaging around in the linen closet looking for other remedies that might help when I stumbled across a small blue jar of Vaporizing Chest Rub (aka generic Vicks VapoRub) that I'd bought it a few years ago when one of the boys had a particularly obnoxious cough.
I have fond memories of VapoRub. When I was a kid, my mom would smear it on my chest and back when I had a cough. It was messy, and made my clothes stick to my skin, but it always made me feel better. (I'm sure part of it was the rub itself, but I think the another important component was Mom’s attention.) I don't think that fond feeling passed down to my kids, though, because the jar was still pretty much full. I decided I'd use some.
Chest rub is like petroleum jelly with menthol, camphor and eucalyptus. When I took the lid off the jar, the overwhelming menthol smell was a bit sentimental. I applied it to my neck and area between my breasts, and was transported back to my childhood. In a few minutes, the medicated area was warm, and the vapors were wafting up towards my nose.
Immediately I felt better. I don't know how much of the effect was psychological, but it didn't matter to me. If it works, it's good.
I have the same bug as you! And I'm up in the night with a cup of tea because I was afraid my cough was keeping The Mister up. OK...I'm trying the VapoRub. I know we have some somewhere! ha. Feel better!
ReplyDeleteI remember that stuff, smells awful! But so glad it worked for you Kathy!
ReplyDeleteReminds me of childhood as well.
ReplyDeleteI was shocked when last year in school a student told me that her mother made her eat the stuff to decongest her!! Double checked and, yes, it does say not for internal use and to call poison control if eaten or put in eyes.
Hope you are feeling better. I had something, but it only lasted a couple of days. The coughing was what kept me up, just that tickle in my throat, I rummaged through the medicine chest. I only found some sore throat spray, decided to give it a try ....... I was trying to spray swallow and tell a dog to go back to bed. Inhaled it. Let me just say that this was not good. I coughed so hard trying to get the stuff out of my trachea. I won't be doing that again!
ReplyDeleteMy mother did the same thing. I just bought a jar myself a few months ago. Somebody told me to put it on my feet! No kidding. I did, but it didn't help. Must have been pulling my leg.
ReplyDeleteif it works, it's good. that stuff is so strong. hope you continue to feel better.
ReplyDeleteI had forgotten about Vicks Vapo-Rub. That was the ultimate caring mom thing when we were little. I should get some because I'm on week 3 of this cold and it's not going away.
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