Monday 17 September 2012

The Vicks remedy

Even though it was my birthday week, we weren't really in the right mood for celebrating. CH was feeling under the weather while I was down with fever and a terrible cough. It got so bad that I woke up every hour to cough until my tummy ached and face turned blue.

The antibiotics and cough medicine only made me weak and groggy. In the wee hours of the night, I stumbled around the house making hot honey water, looking for lozenges, Manuka honey, cough syrup and whisky. Yes, in my state of desperation, I drank whisky because it provides temporary relief. In fact, I might even consider drinking urine if it helps to make the cough go away!

To make matters worse, I had completely no appetite and had lost my voice and sense of smell. I could go on all day without food and not feel hungry. For dinner, I could only muster enough strength to cook fish soup with tofu. Poor SK and CH had to eat the same bland food all week.

Strangely the solution came on Sunday night in the form of a $4 jar of Vicks Vapourub. While googling for a remedy for night coughs, I came across a simple solution that seemed to have worked for many people. All I had to do was to rub Vicks oilment on the soles of my feet, pull on a pair of socks and go to bed.

That evening,  I was coughing so badly that I threw up over the sink. That was when I decided to get a jar of Vicks. I slathered the ointment on my chest and soles of my feet and went to bed looking quite ridiculous in a pair of Christmas socks.

The first hour was bad. My sleep was constantly interrupted by vigorous coughing. Then slowly, as the ointment took effect, I fell into deep sleep and slept through the night. I got up once to cough and  slap on more ointment. That was it. I woke up feeling better the next day. Even the sniffles was gone.

The same trick worked for me again last night. Finally I'm on the road to recovery. From now on, I'll keep a jar of Vicks by my bedside in case anything like this happens to me again.

9 comments:

Open Kitchen Concept said...

Wow, this is amazing. I must give it a try next time. I always have very bad coughs.. especially during the years when I lived in Beijing.

I swear by a kind of Chinese little pills called 甘草片. They taste odd (not bitter but odd) but if you suck them like lozenges, they really help.

I dont know if you can get them here.. so next time, I'd try Vicks :)

Blur Ting said...

I think you have some kind of sensitivity like me. Whenever I have a cold, I will be so sick for a week, with incessant cough. That's why I'm always up to date with my flu jab. However this is caused by a bacteria, so the flu shot couldn't help me.

But yah, Vicks really works.

Wen-ai said...

When I was a kid, My mom used to rub Vicks on my chest whenever I was down with a flu or fever or cough. I guess it did work. Hmmm, yah, time to revisit the good old remedy!

Amel said...

Oh...I'm having a similar problem too (I keep waking up due to cough)...I should try this trick. Actually when I was at the health care centre the other day, a grandma told me that I should try putting on a thin pair of woolen socks after dipping them in Finnish vodka and then sleep in wearing those socks (but she said it only worked before flu really kicked in).

But I'm really gonna try your trick tonight though my flu isn't due to bacteria, just viruses. I have no Vicks, but I have some Indo hot balm!

Blur Ting said...

Amel - Balm oil will work too. Good luck.

Petunia Lee said...

THIS is GOOD to know! Thanks for sharing!! Vicks... here I come!

Malar said...

Very good tips!
Hope you are ok now! ;)

Blur Ting said...

Yes, Malar. I am almost fully recovered now!

Anonymous said...

Oh Oh Ting... Hope you feel better for the weekend now. Heard from many there is a nasty bug - i am beginning to feel it so i quickly go to a chinese clinic nearby for chinese medicine (many says works better than English wor !). Hope it kills the root before it blows-up :) Ah Ya, hope we can catch up - your birthday is the reason :) ML

Chowmahalla Palace

During our week in Hyderabad, some of the places we visited include the Mecca Mosque, the Charminar (the icon of Hyderabad), Sufi Shrine, Bi...