# Vicks remedy ???



## phideaux (Nov 7, 2015)

Heres my story, 

Wife and I both have had the flu (again) for7 days,
Just finishing up my antibiotics,
the fever (chills and sweats) have finally calmed down.
Achy joints is 70% better.

Problem...... I still got this awful tight congestion in my chest.
Cough really hard, with very little expectorant.

So heres my question.

If I put a teaspoon of Vicks Salve into a low boiling saucepan of water, and breathe in the vapors for a few minutes, do yall think it will help loosen the crap up, and finally get over this ?

My granny use to do it it to us 70 years ago when we were little kids... cant tell ya if it helped .

Seems logical that it would moisturize the lungs a little .:dunno:

Jim


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## AmmoSgt (Apr 13, 2014)

First.if it is Flu, the antibiotics were a waste of time and money. Antibiotics are a waste of time and money the Flu and the common cold are viruses and antibiotics only work on bacterial infections .. yeah I know about secondary infections , but how likely is that all things considered ...anyway

Yeah the vicks might help you don't really have to go thru the whole boiling water towel over your head thig.. just rub it on your chest.. cody heat will get the vapors going and the whole point is to get the active ingredient menthol into you by breathing in the vapors .. if you can smell it then it is getting to where it needs to go

Mucinex is designed to break up the crud .. that is just take a pill easy

My home herbal remedy is Sage Tea . yeah you can use cooking sage .. sage is sage .. flavored with a little honey and cayenne pepper to taste ..

If you like honey mustard then you will like honey cayenne .. the sage is an expectorant as is the cayenne .. does your nose run when you eat spicy foods especially hot spicy ? like cayenne hot spicy? well there you go .. and that's what you want thin out and break up the mucus crud.

I personally really like the sage honey cayenne flavor .. but a lot has to do with how fresh the sage and cayenne is .. I grow my own.. I'm a bit of a snob about that.. but yeah, the whateverthehellitis sage and cayenne in the spice rack will work ... 

as an emergency carry in your purse or whateveritisthatmencarrystuff in those little hot sauce packets from taco bell .. doesn't matter which, mild is strong enough , .. tear one open and suck it straight from the packet... I tend to build up a small but free supply of those for just such occasions .. although I personally prescribe a crunchy taco with two hot sauce packets of your personal choice ...


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## JustCliff (May 21, 2011)

Go get you some Sambucol from the drug store. It's expensive but, it will help get ride of it. I had that crap too. You are right. It is a pretty nasty strain of the flu. It will pass but takes a while. 
I got caught with my pants down by not having any elderberry tincture ready to go this year. I have always kept some made in the past. Find you a recipe on line and make some next year when the season approaches.


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## bugoutbob (Nov 11, 2012)

I have heard of using elderberry tincture but never tried nor do I know anyone personally who uses/makes it. Recipe? Specifics on taking it?


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

Just finishing up my antibiotics,

I have read for years that only bacterial infections are affected by antibiotics--flu is a viral infection--why take antibiotics that is only making your body immune if really needing antibiotics??
OOPs..sorry ammo, just noticed your post-but we do agree.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

bugoutbob said:


> I have heard of using elderberry tincture but never tried nor do I know anyone personally who uses/makes it. Recipe? Specifics on taking it?


Elderberry Syrup-best price at Puritanpride.
Great for lots of things, esp. immune system.. I keep several containers in the freezer.
Take every hour one TB when ailment hits. Then every three hours next day, then every 6 hours third day.


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## Genevieve (Sep 21, 2009)

Rub the vicks on your chest and get the wife to rub it on your back where the lungs are located. Cover up in a warm shirt and hibernate/sleep. And actually you can place just a tiny dab of the stuff at each nostril for the vapors to go in the nose but be ready for runny eyes lol

anise tea is an expectorant but you don't want to drink a lot of it. it can be narcotic in its effects. twice a day ( morning/early afternoon) should help break up the goop


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## AmishHeart (Jun 10, 2016)

After what Genevieve said and before going to sleep, lay on your stomach and have your wife pound on your back. Not too hard, but hard enough. It'll help loosen up what's in your lungs.


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## phideaux (Nov 7, 2015)

Thanks for the help,
I will be looking into the elderberry potions for future use.

But, this thing is getting worse and I'm going to see the Doc later today, 
he says it sounds like a viral pneumonia for sure, 



Jim


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

Love to see people spreading the word that antibiotics don't work for viral infections! It's amazing how many people just don't know that and expect antibiotics to be a cure all. 

If you want a good hard core expectorant take some jalapeños and cut a slit or 2 down the side and deep fry. Dip in lime juice and salt as you take bites to lessen initial spiciness. You will sweat out what ails ya and your nose will run. Also a good way to cycle alcohol through your system if you have one too many at the Mexican restaurant


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## phideaux (Nov 7, 2015)

Well,
I gave up (too late) and went to my Doc,
My Doc is also my (very busy) best friend, so after he gave me a good cussing for waiting so long, he told me , one more day and I would be in ICU on a ventilator.
Double pneumonia. serious stuff I guess, because I find myself gasping/struggling for air.

So anyway, I'm on breathing treatments every hour , Biaxan, Musinex, Fennegren, around the clock. $300 just on meds.
I'm not better today, but the lungs are loosing up.

He says Ill be pretty good by the weekend.

Also, *never ever put Vicks in boiling water and inhale the steam*...He went into a long bloody detailed reason , whey not. That stuff clogs the lungs and you cant get it out.

Wrong antibiotics , kills the good bacteria , and makes things worse, by leaving alone the bad stuff...therefore Biaxan , designed for pneumonia.

Time will tell.

Jim


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## Flight1630 (Jan 4, 2017)

phideaux said:


> Well,
> I gave up (too late) and went to my Doc,
> My Doc is also my (very busy) best friend, so after he gave me a good cussing for waiting so long, he told me , one more day and I would be in ICU on a ventilator.
> Double pneumonia. serious stuff I guess, because I find myself gasping/struggling for air.
> ...


Well must be a guy thing to not want to see a Dr. Right away lol I'm the same way. Get into shoot with Dr. And wife lol


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

My wife has this same flu right now and said the first few days of body aches were horrible with this one. I have her quarantined in the room and am sleeping upstairs and tending to her during the day with gloves and a n95 mask


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## DrPrepper (Apr 17, 2016)

CrackbottomLouis said:


> My wife has this same flu right now and said the first few days of body aches were horrible with this one. I have her quarantined in the room and am sleeping upstairs and tending to her during the day with gloves and a n95 mask


CBL,
Sorry to hear your wife has the flu- it has been a rough flu season so far. You are doing the right thing wearing a mask and gloves, although an N95 mask is overkill, and a regular surgical mask is adequate. One important thing is hand washing. Remember that hands have to be washed before putting on gloves and -most importantly - after removing them. Remember to wash your hands after handling items from the sickroom as well. In the hospital environment, we place patients with flu on droplet isolation. It sounds like that is what you've set up in your home- kudos to you! Remember any visitors must also wash hands thoroughly, too! Hope she feels better soon!


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## phideaux (Nov 7, 2015)

CrackbottomLouis said:


> My wife has this same flu right now and said the first few days of body aches were horrible with this one. I have her quarantined in the room and am sleeping upstairs and tending to her during the day with gloves and a n95 mask


Doc tells me its 3 stages,
1. head old , sniffles
2. next , moves to chest and possible flu.
3. Left unattended goes into pneumonia.

Hope she has seen a doc,

Hope she gets better soon.

Doc told me it will take 10 days to reach max benefit of meds.
Im susceptible for reinvention for 6 weeks.

Jim


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

She has seen a doc and I am comfortable we are doing what needs to done to keep it from getting worse. Problem is my wife has health issues that prevent her from taking a lot of meds. I have been making weak willow bark tea for her with a little ginger and honey. She cannot have cayenne otherwise I would add that as well. The doctor gave her Tamiflu but she had already been sick for 4 days and is very sensitive to medication so decided not to take it as she felt she was through the worst of it anyway. I know the n95 mask is a little overkill with respiratory droplet concerns but it is my understanding that viruses are small enough to pass through standard masks even though the respiratory droplets aren't. Maybe I am being over cautious but she looks like this flu is not particularly comfortable. Great point about the hand washing. That and sanitizer constantly is a habit left over from my brief foray into the world of nursing. I did enough rotations in hospitals for the habit to stick. Due to my wife's health she was pretty much home bound for about 10 years. Now she is doing much better and exploring the world and normal life with an immune system that hasn't had to work hard at our normal everyday sicknesses and seems to catch a lot of things as her immune system catches up. Uncomfortable but probably not a bad thing in the long run with proper care. I do my best to care and dote on her when she isn't feeling well. Oh, and we take quarantine of the plague house pretty seriously when it comes to guests


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## Starcreek (Feb 4, 2015)

bugoutbob said:


> I have heard of using elderberry tincture but never tried nor do I know anyone personally who uses/makes it. Recipe? Specifics on taking it?


I always keep elderberry syrup on hand. I make it myself, and here is the recipe:

*Elderberry Syrup Recipe*

7 cups elderberry juice
8 ¾ cups honey
3 cups 80 proof vodka

(if you're starting with dried berries, to get "juice", put 1 cup of berries in a quart jar and pour 2 cups of boiling water over them. If they soak it up, add a bit more. Stash in the fridge or a cool, dark place for 24-48 hours.Then strain, and squeeze every bit of liquid you can out- you can twist the berries in a muslin towel and get most of it. You'll need three "jars" of the stuff to get enough for 7 cups. )

Warm the elderberry juice to "hot, but not boiling" temp&#8230; between 150° and 180°F should be plenty. Stir in the honey and stir until it's completely dissolved and blended.

Remove from the heat, and stir in the vodka.

Pour into sterile jars or bottles (sterilize them by boiling for 5-10 minutes in boiling water, then let drip dry upside down until filling)

Cap and LABEL. Store in a cool DARK place (or bottle in dark brown glass)

Standard dose for adults would be:

Prophylaxis (prevention) 1 tablespoon (15 mls, or 1/2 ounce) 2x a day. If there is active flu in your office or family, double that, or take more often.

Treatment: 1-2 tablespoons every 3-4 hours

Children under 12: half the adult dose

Toddlers and infants: Talk to your doctor! But, lacking that, 1 tsp at similar intervals to the adult dose should be adequate.

There is NO way to overdose on this! Put it in juice, jello, pour it over ice cream- any way you can get the kids to take it is fine.

Alternatives:
If you do not want to use any alcohol in the syrup, use
7 cups elderberry juice
14 cups honey

Proceed as above, ignoring the reference to the vodka.

If you don't want to use honey (probably best to NOT use it for babies under 1 year)

7 cups elderberry juice
11 ½ cups sugar

Stir until the sugar is dissolved in the hot juice, then bottle.

BTW, this really works! Start dosing at the first sign of flu, and keep dosing for a week after symptoms disappear. It will knock it out in 24 hours. Studies have shown that elderberry stops replication of the flu virus.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

If you can use raw honey and keep the temperature under 105° you will get more benefit from the honey. Above 105° you start killing the enzymes in the honey and many of the benefits are lost.


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## lilmissy0740 (Mar 7, 2011)

This is the elderberry syrup I make. Works great. Take it every day, if you feel like you are getting sick or are sick take about 3 T a day. 

⅔ cup dried black elderberries (I collect in the summer/fall and freeze)
3½ cups of water
2 Tablespoons fresh or dried ginger root
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
½ teaspoon cloves or clove powder
1 cup raw honey 
Instructions

Pour water into medium saucepan and add elderberries, ginger, cinnamon and cloves (do not add honey!)
Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce to a simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour until the liquid has reduced by almost half. At that point, remove from heat and let cool enough to be handled. Mash the berries carefully using a spoon or other flat utensil. Pour through a strainer into a glass jar or bowl.
Discard the elderberries (or compost them!) and let the liquid cool to lukewarm. When it is no longer hot, add 1 cup of honey and stir well.
When honey is well mixed into the elderberry mixture, pour the syrup into a quart sized mason jar or 16 ounce glass bottle of some kind.
Ta Da! You just made homemade elderberry syrup! Store in the fridge and take daily for its immune boosting properties. Some sources recommend taking only during the week and not on the weekends to boost immunity.
Standard dose is ½ tsp to 1 tsp for kids and ½ Tbsp to 1 Tbsp for adults. If the flu does strike, take the normal dose every 2-3 hours instead of once a day until symptoms disappear.

Also you can take 1/2 c of water and 1/2 c of organic apple cider vinegar. Bring to a boil, shut off and place a towel over your head and breath in the vapors with your eyes CLOSED. Do this as often as you like. It does help to break up nasal congestion.

Drink tea, smash a clove of garlic in each cup and eat the garlic once the tea has been consumed.

Put a capful of peroxide or colloidal silver in your ear. Leave in for 5-10 mins, roll over and do other ear.


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## lilmissy0740 (Mar 7, 2011)

Forgot to mention, if you use Vicks or Unkers Salve, rub on the bottom of your feet, put on 
socks and go to bed.


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

I can't use Vicks, it triggers my asthma but what does putting on your feet do?


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## lilmissy0740 (Mar 7, 2011)

terri9630 said:


> I can't use Vicks, it triggers my asthma but what does putting on your feet do?


It helps with cough, fever and its suppose to help get rid of colds faster. We dont use Vicks we use Unkers, but pretty much almost the same concept.


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

Tiger Balm ,my grandmother used to put rub it on my chest then place a butcher paper over it to keep the heat in and prevent it from rubbing off on my shirt ,I used it still today ,colds ,aches. This is a very old product but is great. Vicks is my backup.
http://www.tigerbalm.com/sg


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