Vicks Vapor Rub

Hi, J.,
What I've always done with my 15-month old is put the Vicks Vapor Rub on an old bib and hang it from his crib. He's breathing it in w/o having it on his skin. It seems to have helped! Good luck!

the article was an interesting read. thank you to the poster who linked it.

It is pretty clear to not put it under the nose. I would still feel comfortable on the back which is where all my children wore their vicks. I wear it on my chest. It can be overpowering to have on the neck for an adult even and once it is on it is on for a while, like it or not.

On the feet with socks sounds pretty good. Vicks is some awesome stuff.

I have done this when my daughter gets very conjested and it works like a charm. I have also put a very small amount on her back at night and it seems to help. Would recommend it!

S.

I just went through the same dillemma - the FDA is pulling cough medicine for babies and toddlers off the shelf,(a study found that cough syrup is ineffective, and worse, dangerous) so what do you give them?
What I found out was that Vicks is safe for babies over 2, to put on the chest , or feet, but not for babies under 2, and not for any where else on the body, like right under the nose. Apparently, some babies ended up in the ER with their bronchial passages actually constricting, after they got Vicks -under the nose.

I've been going back to all natural cold care for all my kids- ages 9, 7, and 2.I give them homemade chicken soup, lots of vitamin c, Vicks, time in a hot steamy shower, and lots of rest. A bulb syringe helps the little one, too.Another trick I found is to give them a spoonful of Buckwheat honey. It coats the throat, and the honey has anti bacterial and antihistamine properties to it.There was actually a study done that found that the honey is way more effective than cough medicine.Just don't give it to babies under 2.
Hope this helps!
S.

I just saw an article yesterday about safety issues on use on children under 2, and it was the first I've heard in all the many years it's been around. I'm 43 and my mother gooped it on us at night all the time since infancy and never had any problems, and never heard of anyone else having any problems.

The Vicks on the feet thing, I've heard people swear by it but I think it's coincidental for those who saw it's a miracle cure over night, lol. Can you imagine? The price for this miracle cure would be so expensive if this method were true. It's really just menthol.

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

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OK, a little bit about me first. I'm a hospital pharmacist, and one day I was doing an informational talk on different "urban legends" of pharmacy that have popped up in the community lately and this one came up. I had a few stories that it worked, but nothing I believed until my supervisor (also a pharmacist) laughed and said that her husband had been doing for a couple of years now whenever he got a bad cold and cough and it worked for him. How it works is a mystery other than the vapors are strong enough to make it to the nose without being irritating. I'd give it a try, as long as your daughter doesn't try to stick her feet in her mouth. It goes to show that you never know which old wives' tale actually has a basis in truth.

Yes, I have heard this. My momma's grandmother (my great grandmother) told my Mom to do this for my 34 yr old brother when he was a newborn and conjested...she had used it for her own kids from what I understand. My mom in-turn told me the same thing when my 3 yr old daughter was a newborn, and reminded me when my 3 month old had a cold a few weeks ago. I have used it MANY times and it seems to help, my daughter was SO sick with a cold when she was 8 months old and could hardly breath, and it really helped her. The same goes for my son with his cold also! I never had any trouble. Neither Jordan (DD) or Matthew (DS) seemed to mind the Vicks, at least as far as any pain, etc. They both acted as if it felt slimy...the same reaction either got/gets the moment they had/have a dirty diaper. However, if you are concerned the regular Vicks might be a little too strong for your toddler, I used Baby Vicks on my daughter's chest and she never showed any problems with it either. It is ALOT milder but seems to help at least some, however, the strength of the regular Vicks on the feet worked better on my two, but the baby stuff did help too. Also, they now have a Vicks cream that is milder on the skin also. I am horribly allergic to Vicks, even putting it on my daughter caused my skin to peel, but the cream version does not affect me nearly as bad as the regular...it is just as smelly as the regular, just a little easier on the skin. Just for a few other ideas you could try if you are uncomfortable with using the full strength stuff. Hope this helps.

I have used on my child by rubbing it on her chest. If you are concerned about irritation to her skin (which my daught had) you can put some Vaseline on her skin first, then the Vicks. I tried the Vicks on my feet with socks when I was sick and it did make me feel more relaxed and calm. I have put it on my daughter's feet with socks before bed when she was sick. I think it helps along with the humidifier. Also, I have great success with spraying or dropping some saline in each nostril. My kids hate when I do it and I have to wrestle them down to get it in, but it does help. Or, try the Ayrs saline nasal gel. Just put a little in each nostril (carefully) with a Q-tip. Lastly, you can take a cough drop with menthol in it, wrap in a cloth or paper towel and smash into tiny little pieces with a meat tenderizer or even the bottom of a mug and place a little of the powder in her mouth. This works really well, but like everything else, is temporary. Good luck and hope she's better soon. :)

I used it on my 1 year old son and it works big time. It prevented him from coughing at night and he breathed better and slept better through the night. He had no side effects. Don't put it under the nose as I read somewhere that can injure their lungs. But feet, neck, chest are safe areas.

There was an article published in the medical journal Chest (yes, that's actually what its called, lol) that found that Vicks actually increased congestion. It was done on both humans and ferrets and was found to be true...

That having been said, we do use it both on ourselves and our baby. I put it on his feet and his chest... I have been using regular Vicks since he was 1 year old, but if your little one has sensitive skin, the baby Vicks seems to work too.... I don't know if it really helps anything or not, but it makes me feel like I'm doing something... probably the humidifier is the best thing.

Hi J., I love Vicks Vapo Rub! I use the cream on everyone in our family when it's needed! Yeah, my mom rubbed it on my chest when I was a kid too! If your not comfortable using the rub why don't you try the vaporiser that vicks has out that you plug in and fill the room with the vapo? I have two of them (they are a night light too and you can adjust how strong/light the scent is in the room) and my girls like to use them when they are sick. They are not that expensive either! Talk to your doctor if your unsure....mine recommened it. Best wishes!

I have read that it is unsafe on young children, due to the fact that it actually tricks the brain into thinking it is getting more oxygen that it actually is. I would do a google on the safety of it to get more info...I saw it on the news though...so I wouldn't take chances with it.

Hi J.-

I've heard of this but haven't tried it.

What I have found is a Kids Vicks Vapo Rub which I love. It smells great. I rub it on my children's chest and then use a Vicks Scent pad in the room for the original vicks odor.

Hope that helps.

R

This is one of those urban myths that seems to have taken on it's own life! You can search online at www.snopes.com for confirmation that it's a myth. I will say that I threw my hands in the air during one of my son's recent colds and put the Vicks Baby Rub on his feet before putting him in his jammies. I don't actually think it was a magical cure, but my son loved it so I figured what's the harm. It sorta tickled his toes and we had a good laugh while putting it on. I will say, that cold did seem to go away within a day or two of putting the Vicks on his feet, but again I think it was all of the other measures I was taking, not the Vicks on his feet.

I've been using vapor rub on my 17 month old every day for the last 2 weeks (directly on his chest). It seems to help him sleep. And he actually enjoys it. Last night he ran into my room, picked up the jar & tried to take the lid off so I could put it on him. We have had no negative side effects.

Yes, on their feet, and cover with socks. Do not put it around her nose. This help my daughter all the time when she is stuffy, but never helps me. Weird huh?!

Hi J. -

I have used the Vicks Vapor Rub on my boy's feet, with socks. I think it helps them sleep a little better. Just remember a little of that rub is all you need.

I have also used the saline water to flush out their noses. They really do not like this, but I do think it helps to clear out the guck.

I hope your little one feels better soon ;)

W.

They say that you obsorbe everything threw your feet. Same way as those cleaning pads that they sell on tv that are to take all the junk out of your system threw your feet. My on concern would be the age. Double check with your doctor. I remeber hearing something about the age and useing vac vapor rub on kids.

Vicks makes a gentler version called vicks baby rub. It is better for toddlers. My doctor said that regular vicks breaks up their mucus too fast and can cause them to choke on it. The baby vicks doesn't have menthol in it. It just has eucalyptis. It works just as well and is safer. I use it on my son whenever he has a cold and it helps a lot. I put it on his chest and back...and his feet. I heard that too so i do it.

They make a Vic's vapor rub for children. I would recomend using this because it is not as strong as the one for adults. I have used it on my children before, I put it right on their chest, and it worked really well.

there is an infant/child's vicks vapor rub that works great - another option that we used on my son since birth - is a noiseless vaporizor - by Vicks. its about an inch high, and about 4-5 inches squared - its about $9 and you can get it at target, walmart and perhaps Giant. Its odorless and noiseless - but you put these little pads into it -and then it lights up and omits the vapor into the air -its the greatest thing ever - I LOVE it - and its so portable thats the nice thing - try that!

S. w.

Most of the advice here is very good - I went researching Vicks since that was an item of debate. Here is the info from their website on the Baby Vicks (which is what we use):

http://www.vicks.com/products/babyrub

It is perfectly safe to use on the neck, chest and back. They don't mention feet, but the skin on your feet is thicker than anywhere else. They do say not to use it IN the nose or mouth, so perhaps that was some of the confusion about "unsafe"? Also, the Baby Vicks doesn't have any medicine at all in it - just oils. My daughter loves it and sticks her feet in the air for her "stinky greasy on" (she's just shy of 2)

Regular Vicks does have oils and medication in it that are considered cough suppressants, but they are safe to use on children 2 and up.

The biggest issue with the cold medicines that were taken off the market last year was
1. dosage (parents were swapping the applicators or not listening to the weight/dose recommendation)
2. A lot of medications don't work - esp. for kids. A family friend is a pharmacist and she swears that other than cough drops to soothe your throat, the only thing for a cough is water (everything else suppresses it and your body is trying to expel - counterintuitive, huh?).

Keep your kid hydrated with whatever they'll take (I heard a dad used his travel coffee mug filled with water as the kid thought it was a "treat"), use a humidifier, and give her a rub down before bed and naptime with the Baby Vicks. Good luck!

I put it on my son's feet with socks over it. I also use it on his chest. Since he was about 4. I think they sell a milder version of "Baby Vick's" if you think the regular might be too harsh.
Other stuff to definitely do: humidifier at night, soup & LOTS of liquids, prop the head of her crib/bed up with thick nooks so it will help her nose/chest drain at night. Hope she's better soon!

YES--it works wonderfully!! We have been doing this trick on my 3 year old since she was a baby and it is a miracle! I hope she feels better soon!

ETA: i dont think it cures the cough but it does help the symptoms.

Yes i've heard of it. I tried it with my four year old and one night it seems to help and the other night it didn't.so i can't really say. I've never heard of Vicks being harmful at all, I don't see any reason not to at least try it.
They do sell BABY VICKS that is gentler, If you feel more comfortable with that.

Just a thought, my kids where not big soup fans but if i let them drink it with a straw they loved it. You could try some chicken broth or maybe even chicken and star soup that way to help with her fluid intake.

Good luck I hope your baby feels better soon.

I've done this for myself and my 3.5 year old. I totally think it works! Go for it! I can't imagine a side effect from vicks. They do make a version for babies.

I tried the vapor rub on the bottom of the feet and i believe it did work and had no side effects. Vicks now has vapor rub for infants. i believe i had gotten it in CVS right where the regular vicks is located. I also use a humidifier near the crib.

J.,
My daughter dislikes Vicks on her chest so when I read the article about putting it on her feet to stop the cough, I tried it and it really works! When she is nasally congested I also use a vaporizer/humidifier to decongest her.

They have the vicks oil that you put in on top of the vaporizor. (It has a spot where it goes) Poor little girl...i hate when they get sick!

Vicks Baby vapor rub! Great stuff. We've been using it on our son since he was an infant. And he actually loves it on his chest when he has a cold.

I've heard of this (the Vicks on the feet with socks) and tried it myself when I had a nasty case of bronchitis last year. I'm not sure it really helped much, though my cough was really terrible. I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable putting the Vicks on my kids, but they do sell patches (I think also made by Vicks) that you can put on their PJs. Probably not quite as effective as the regular Vicks, but maybe worth a try. Do you have a humidifier in her room? That can help too. Hope your daughter feels better soon.

Hello, J. S

I have never tried rubbing Vicks Vapor rub on my daughter's feet. However, I did rub it on her chest and neck. Of course I used Children's Vicks Vapor rub. I also put a cool mist humidifier in her room. The humidifier helped with her breathing, since she was congested.

I hope this helps.

when children are under two it is not a good thing to give them cold medicines. vapo rub is safe. when my son was congested i rubbed it on his chest and his feet and put his footie pyjamas on. it helped soothe his cough. i like to use it for myself when i am sick. put a cool mist humidifier on for her also. you may also want to elevate her head by placing a phone book under her mattress. hope this helps. may sure to give her lots of fluids also. water is good.

I would ask the pediatrician. There has been info in the news lately (in the last year) about Vicks safety...I don't recall specifics, but I would check with the dr.

Hi J.,
I know it sounds illogical, but it works!!! I have 2 kids, 13 and 7, and have used it on them both since I heard of this remedy. I started using it on my son when he was about 3 with no problems. I don't know how it works, but it helps them sleep and STOPS to nighttime coughing!! My son (now 13 yrs old) tells his friends about his crazy Mom putting Vicks on his feet....Good luck! I also like to use Sambucol for the kids. You can buy it at any drugstore and they like the taste (It's a berry flavored syrup). Totally natural, colds and runny noses are gone in a few days instead of 2 weeks.

It sounds odd, but it does work. My aunt had told me about this, as it worked on my cousins kids. We recently battled coughs and a head cold and I tried it too. It did work! At least for a chunk of time...I didn't hear coughing for 6 hours, which was MUCH better than previous nights. Good luck! Oh, no side effects that I noticed.

Just last week, I aksed my peditrician about Vicks - she said that she does not use it on her own children. She said to use the nose sprays.

There is a nasty virus going around that causes a lot of congestion and a nasty congested cough. In desperation I have tried everything with my daughter including the Vicks on her chest and on the feet. I don't feel it does anything.

Unfortunately I think it is something you just have to wait out. I have had my daughter to the doctor and she has been on cough syrup and an antibiotic and neither seems to help. We are on day 6 so I am not sure how many more days it will last.

Hi J.: I am a mother of 3 and grandmother to four. In my 'day' we used vicks on the chest so the vapors would open nasal passages for easier breathing. That is not done anymore because it proved to be unsafe. Placing vicks on the feet provides the same effect without the safty issue. It allows the vapors to be present for easier breathing. Does it work? Some. I would recommend a cool mist vapoizer and elevate her head at night. This would help with drying nasal passages and not allow as much drainage into her throat. 32 years of being a Mom and a Nurse Aide, hope this helps! God Bless!!

1. I have heard about this and no someone who even swears by it for her much older - pre teen- kids
2. They make baby vicks that is much less instrusive on the senses. I used it only a few times on my one year old but she pretends to put it on every night...guess she like it.
3. Vicks makes a vaporizer w/ medication that words amazingly. To get it to work you have to add salt to the water...more than the directions say to ;)

Hi J.,
I was raised on Vicks Vapor Rub and I swear by it. I have also used it on all 3 of my children and it seemed to have helped them as well. I have heard of rubbing it on the feet, however I have never tried it myself. I do know that they make a child's version of vicks with a Cherry scent. I believe it's even called cherry rub. I think most of the warnings about using Vicks on children is because like all other medicines, people are not following the directions on the jars. I understand that people are putting the stuff in places it doesn't belong. (This seems to be an issues with a lot of stuff now days. People don't follow the directions or the instructions, and someone gets hurt or sick.)

J.,

This works GREAT, and is most effective for nighttime coughing. Just be sure to use the toddler/infant versions and I find that the safer non-petroleum versions work just as well.

Hope she feels better.

Blessings,
Rolinda

New headline in the news about the dangers of Vicks on little ones:

http://health.yahoo.com/news/reuters/us_vicks_children.html

I'd stick with saline nose drops and a vaporizor. You can also try raising one end of her crib a couple of inches or letting her sleep in a carseat or swing, so she will be upright and make it easier for her to breathe.

It's hard to watch your little one suffer, but this too shall pass.

Good luck,

Kali

yes it works! i actually just did it for my 15m son last night and i have done it before! i def recommend it!

My aunt swears by this. I haven't tried it yet, but I don't think it could hurt. Just use the one for toddlers or younger children. I think the Baby Rub is what you want.

I have used the childrens Vick vapor rub on my daughter when she has had a really bad cold. There were no side effects and it did help her out a bit. Just look for the childrens vicks.

I just saw a news segment last week about this...it said NOT to do this. Especially with very young children.

J., if you are concerned with putting vicks rub on your child, you could always try the plug ins.