Vicks on your FEET for a cough?

**Kung** · #1 03/26/10, 09:05 AM

My son has had the NASTIEST cough in the last 3 days; so bad that it kept him up, made him gag, etc. We gave him some kids' Claritin, a bunch of homeopathic remedies, and so on and so forth.

I ran across reports of putting Vicks on a child's feet (covered with socks) and my first thought was "Right...gimme a freaking break.' But then I thought "Hey...worst that can happen is he gets menthol feet."

So 10 p.m. last night, after hacking continuously for HOURS, we put some on his feet and put socks on him.

Between 10 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. he coughed exactly TWO times.

You could knock me over with a feather. I have no clue WHY this works, but it worked wonders for Ethan.

tinknal · #2 03/26/10, 09:12 AM

OK, here is a wild arsed guess. Vicks stimulates the feet, increases blood flow, which in turn increases lung function, which helps the lungs expel phlem which decreases coughing?

**Kung** · #3 03/26/10, 09:13 AM

Yeah I've read/seen that, and how the feet are more 'permeable' and all that, but other supposed scientific analyses say that the amount of blood flow and the amount of medication permeating the feet isn't sufficient to have THAT big of a difference.

I dunno, but I know it works.

Windy in Kansas · #4 03/26/10, 09:16 AM

I'm thrilled that this worked so well for Ethan. Recently an adult cousin of mine was desperate for some cough relief and I told of this. It didn't work for her at all nor did any other suggested path for relief. The only thing at all that gave relief was a trip to the doctor and some strong medicine.

There are times when this works with a miracle like affect and other times when those trying it are too sick to benefit from it. Worth a try anytime. So glad that Ethan AND you folk got some relief as a result.

Cascade Failure · #5 03/26/10, 10:24 AM

Power of suggestion maybe? Dad said it would make him feel better so he did?

I really don't know. Tinknal's idea sounded reasonable as well.

Jan Doling · #6 03/26/10, 10:54 AM

A ot of old wives' tales actually work...then it becomes a new wives' tale!

FarmboyBill · #7 03/26/10, 11:15 AM

Guaranteed cure. Get him to drink a qt of cranberry juice, as soon as possible, then to drink a glass of 1/2 and 1/2 of Cranberry juice and whatever other juice he may like, Morning, noon, and night. 3 days or less, and probably less, itall be gone. BUT, after the heal, He needs to drink one glass of 1/2 & 1/2 before bedtime every night till schools out. And hes away from any that could reinfect him with cold.

Hooligan · #8 03/26/10, 12:13 PM

I think it just a way to give access to the vapors without making a mess. The Vicks is on the feet which are under the covers. The vapors fill the space under the covers and funnel out the opening which just happens to be right near the nose. (we've all experienced a similar situation, haven't we?)

I imagine it would work even better then one of those bedside vaporizers.

Wags · #9 03/26/10, 12:18 PM

Vicks on the feet works for my kids. I have a feeling it doesn't work as well for adults because we have more callouses on our feet, so less absorption is possible. I also don't think it has to do with vapors under the covers because my daughter rarely sleeps with covers on her, especially when she has socks on her feet.

chickenista · #10 03/26/10, 12:41 PM

I too disagree with the ..um.. gas correlation.
When DS has a stuffy nose/cough I put Vick's on a washcloth adn then put that inside the pillowcase so that he can't help but breathe it..

Saffron · #11 03/26/10, 12:42 PM

Works for me as well. As does Peppermint oil, Wintergreen oil, and a number of other homeopathic medicines.

Only once has it not worked and that was from a cough that I got from inhaling mold and dust - that had to work its way out as I was not going for steroid meds.

HorseFeatherz · #12 03/26/10, 01:09 PM

Works for me also. When I start feeling a cold coming on, before bed I slather my feet with vicks, put on socks and in the AM I feel so much better and usually the cold is gone. Strange but works.

MariaAZ · #13 03/26/10, 01:39 PM

Maybe something to do with reflexology? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflexology

**Kung** · #14 03/26/10, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cascade Failure

Power of suggestion maybe? Dad said it would make him feel better so he did?

I really don't know. Tinknal's idea sounded reasonable as well.

Possibly. I'm pretty sure it wasn't power of suggestion because I was DEAD sure it wouldn't work. I was WAITING for it to fail....and I kept waiting...and it didn't.

**Kung** · #15 03/26/10, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wags

Vicks on the feet works for my kids. I have a feeling it doesn't work as well for adults because we have more callouses on our feet, so less absorption is possible. I also don't think it has to do with vapors under the covers because my daughter rarely sleeps with covers on her, especially when she has socks on her feet.

I'd agree with the covers thing, for the simple fact that my son NEVER sleeps with covers on. If it WERE fumes, rubbing it on his chest would definitely help.

misplaced · #16 03/26/10, 03:25 PM

I love hearing about stuff like this. I had a head cold last week and someone told me to drink baking soda water every couple of hours, I started doing that before going to bed, drank two glasses... and I woke up without a cold

barnyardgal · #17 03/26/10, 03:27 PM

I have a 70 yr old uncle who puts Vicks on his feet every night and wears socks to bed in the winter months~says he sleeps like a baby and never catchs a cold...
I had a sinus infection a couple months ago and used this method for a couple of nights and low n behold it worked and helped...could not believe it...
might work on some & not others?? who knows??

**Kung** · #18 03/26/10, 05:25 PM

Beats me. All I know is that, given the frequency he was coughing at, and the fact that he didn't cough but TWICE (that's two coughs, not two coughing bouts) after we put the Vicks on his feet, it was OBVIOUS that the Vicks worked.

blooba · #19 03/26/10, 06:00 PM

You skin is alot more permeable than we believe. Especially the palms ,pits, and arches of your feet.
Think about those new "cleansing" pads that they sell for your feet to "detoxify" yourself. They are probably a joke but ya never know.
I'm pretty sure menthol does increase blood flow and increased blood flow would help clear out your lungs.

Although the placebo effect has about a 40% healing rate so thats probably more like it especially since they had "slimy" feet to remember the placebo.

lovinthislife · #20 03/26/10, 06:07 PM

my grandmother used to put vick's on a towel and wrap it across the childs chest so they would breathe it all night. I heard and tried the vicks on the feet with socks on and it has worked every time. I don't know how it works just glad that it does. The one who suggested having the child drink a qt. of cranberry juice, I don't know. I don't know a child who could get that much down. I sure couldn't drink a qt. of that. Glad it worked for your child