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Sometimes, a remedy that seems silly really works. One reader tried a ridiculous remedy for a nighttime cough that prevented sleep.
“When I get coughs, they’re intense. I cough to the point of throwing up and throwing my upper back out, ending up in the hospital. I always leave with narcotics for my back, a muscle relaxant, cough medicine with codeine, Sudafed, and Motrin.
“The only thing ever to come of this combination of medications is a lot of crankiness and I fall asleep for a couple of hours, only to wake up coughing. My friend told me to try the Vicks VapoRub treatment on the soles of my feet and then put on warm, thick socks. One night, because I was tired of being crabby from the oxycodone cough medicine I decided to give it a try.
“Within 20 minutes of using the treatment I was asleep and didn’t cough all night and didn’t start until I was getting ready to go to work. I tried it again the next night with the same results. After a few nights my cough was mostly gone, aside from a bit of a mild tickly cough.
“It’s amazing. I don’t generally go for these types of silly remedies. As a person who worked in the military medical field for years, I am very mainstream medicine. I tried this out of desperation, fully expecting it not to work. I am still shocked but am now a total believer.”
The Story on the Vicks Remedy:
We were as skeptical as you were when we first heard about putting Vicks VapoRub on the soles of the feet to calm a nighttime cough. The woman who shared this remedy called it “wacky” and we certainly had to agree. We cannot explain it either.
With that disclaimer in place, however, we have to admit that we have tried it ourselves and to our amazement have found that the “Vicks remedy” does indeed seem to work when it is smeared on the soles of the feet. Thick socks are essential, though, or else you will create a sticky mess in your sheets.
Other Readers’ Stories:
Shari wrote:
“Just last week, my grandson was staying here and had developed a cough starting that morning. When it didn’t go away, I searched my cabinet for cough medicine only to find out I was out. So…I remembered reading about the Vicks on the soles of the feet here and decided to test it out.
“It was unbelievable. He stopped coughing immediately and didn’t cough again until later the NEXT day. I was blown away! It really worked for him. I’m not sure it would work for everyone and for every cough, but I was really impressed.”
Red reported:
“I heard about this remedy last year after suffering about two weeks coughing every night and losing sleep. Nothing would stop the cough. Then I tried the vicks and had the first good night of sleep. Now I use it every time I get a cold.”
Steve said:
“Tried this remedy last night after my wife’s mom read about it in the Dallas Mornign News. We decided it couldn’t hurt to try, since Mucinex, Symbicort and various other methods had failed to reduce my cold-induced post nasal drip-cough. Imagine our surprise when it worked almost immediately, allowing us both to get the first good night’s sleep in three days. We’re going to buy Vicks in a gallon jug size.”
Now we assure you that we do NOT own stock in any drug company and do not benefit in the least from talking about Vicks VapoRub. But we love to pass on simple and affordable remedies that seem to work. Since drugstore cough medicines with dextromethorphan do not impress us, we are always looking for other options.
If you would like to learn about some other approaches to calming a cough or easing cold symptoms, we suggest our Guide to Colds, Coughs & the Flu. We are especially fond of thyme tea (Wagner et al, Forschende Komplementarmedizin, online Dec. 14, 2016). Ginger in tea or as candied ginger can also calm a cough (Bera et al, Phytotherapy Research, Jan. 2016).
And we would like to hear from you about various cough and cold remedies that work (or fail). Please share your story in the comment section below so that others can learn from your experience. Have you had any luck using the Vicks remedy?
Revised 6/26/2017
Shannon M.
TN
Doesn’t work for my bronchitis.
Tommy
Philippines
My daughter couldn’t sleep due to dry cough. Tried this out.
Actually suprised that this works.
cina
cape town
I have this terrible dry cough and itchy throat. Nothing worked.
I rubbed Vicks on the soles of my feet. It worked.
Anu
London
Trying tonight, have dry cough for few months and troubling my sleep
Rocky
NW Dallas Suburb
Oh, and it works!! Wear nice fitting but definitely not tight socks–circulation!! It doubles as a foot skin softener. Put it on my coughy hacky husband this weekend and he finally slept after complaining about icky, ewey, greasy feet…
Rocky
NW Dallas Suburb
A nurse that studied reflexology actually gave an interesting explanation as to why this works. The cough reflex is located in the oblongotta(sp) part of the brain, which in Chinese medicine is controlled by the kidney.. This area is somewhere in the middle of the foot near the toes, I think.
The essential oils of camphor, menthol and eucalyptus all aid in quietening a cough and are carried quickly from the feet to the appropriate area to quickly aid in quelling a cough… I’m an accountant and trying to remember what I read–my anatomy may be off, but this is what I remember… Makes sense if you think about it
Pam
Mississippi
Going to try it tonite. Been to doctor and got lots of scripts and shots .Still coughing after 2 months. Hope this works.
Lillian
Totally works I’ve used this remedy with my oldest and now my youngest child about 20 minutes ago in fact and no more cough and he’s sleeping soundly now if it could make a worry wart of a mother sleep?
S
TX
I thought this was a joke at first but it actually works!
Teresa Phillips
United States
Yes this remedy is amazing ;)
Lai
Philippines
Yesterday, my friend told me he had cough for 2 weeks. His is the kind that shakes his whole body and deprives him of sleep. I remember this email about Vicks being effective when applied on the soles and covered with cotton socks. (I actually tried this long ago, it was effective but mine was mild.)
Told him about this remedy. Today, he said he is a total believer. He slept through the night.
Daphne
Pennsylvania
I love Vicks when I have a cold and I slather it on my neck and chest because it opens the nasal passages for easier breathing. I started three days ago with a head cold and irritating dry itchy cough. A friend suggested I give a try to this crazy “Vicks on the Feet” thing and much to to my amazement- the coughing stopped immediately! This is so weird!
Brenda
ughughs? Weird typo!
Erica
Willis Tx
WOW!!! I am blown away!!! Last monday, i went into the hospital with a mild cough and body aching, because i had NO FEVER, they sent me home. The next day, i work up with 102.1 fever, a nasty, harsh cough that hurt so bad, i was choking and throwing up kinda cough. I got better feom body aches and fever… But the cough stuck with me!! My husband and my dad went out and bought $50 on medication for me, and nothing worked. I was eating Hall’s 4-6 at a time and didnt work. Today… I finally remembered my Hispanic side of the family telling me a long time ago about VapoRub on the soles of your feet with socks, stops coughing. THANK GOD MY HUSBAND BOUGHT ME SOME, so i did this about an hour or so ago, and GREAT !!! My baby boy started coughing this afternoon , and him himself is using this aswell. Works 100% THANK GOD!!!
sandy
My daughter’s been coughing for two days non-stop.. took her to the E.R. They said she was too young to be prescribed meds. What’s a mother to do when it’s 1 am and u have an irritated two years old that’s trying to sleep through this horrible cough. So I read this post. Went bought the product. Slathered her soles in it and she immediately stopped coughing. Holy cow it actually worked!!
sarah
n.lincs
Its magic!! try it!!
Alastair TJ
London
I don’t know why but it definitely works I had the worst tickly cough and its gone !!!!!
Jennifer
KY
Works great during the day too. Was on Codeine cough syrup to no avail, Tessalon to no avail, honey tea, sodas, Mucinex, whatever I could try…nothing worked day or night. I also have Asthma. Stumbled across the Vicks info about feet online and ended up here. Have been coughing over a week and have been missing work. So much so that my muscles mid-section hurt terribly now and I was camping on the couch so my Husband could sleep. Totally amazing. Now to figure out how to put it on my feet at work so that it can’t be smelled by others!
T
Uk
I have pneumonia and I have coughed for over 2weeks. The last 3 nights I had no sleep at all as the cough got unbearable. I walked the floor. My partner then joked “why don’t you try the Vicks on your feet remedy” as his friend had read about it.
I thought I’ll try anything just to have a good night’s sleep. I rubbed quite a bit into the soles of my feet, then put thick sports socks on. As the time went by my feet just started to warm up and I went straight to sleep. I slept all through the night and just started to have a cough at 7am again but at least I had a good night sleep.
If you are reading consider trying it because it really did work for me!
joe
United States
OMG! I just did this and it worked. I have a cold…about three days into it, so not on the way out and my throat was itching really bad and I kept coughing. I gargled with salt water, drank tea, gargled with peroxide and nothing helped. I couldn’t stop coughing. Thought I would try the vicks on the feet and haven’t coughed since. This is sooooooooooooooo weird. hahaha Do it!!
joe
United States
OMG! I just did this and it worked. I have a cold…about three days into it, so not on the way out and my throat was itching really bad and I kept coughing. I gargled with salt water, drank tea, gargled with paroxide and nothing helped. I couldn’t stop coughing. Thought I would try the vicks on the feet and haven’t coughed since. This is so weird.
Jeff
California
Someone where I worked told me about this remedy. She struck me as one of those “gullible hippie chicks” who would believe anything as long as it didn’t involve ingesting something. Anyway, two months later, I had a nasty cough. After going to bed and coughing for hours, working every angle of the adjustable bed, and propping myself up with pillows, I was desperate enough to try the Vicks VapoRub thing. Doubtful as I was, this actually worked – with two-year-old VapoRub, nonetheless. I’m not saying it’s a miracle cure, but if you can get a good night’s sleep out of it, why not try it out?
anjali
chennai
IT WORKS BIG TIME!!!
Treshel
Wausau, WI
I have been putting Vick’s on my child’s feet since she was little, and she is now 19 yrs old. I always made her keep socks on or put a sleeper (one piece pajamas with the feet) on. I never read this before since this was over probably 17 or 18 yrs ago, when I first did this. My thought was that it couldn’t hurt since your feet are a big factor in your whole body, and if the first time it didn’t work, then at least she would sweat out her cold. But it did work great!! It helped with the cough and the nasal, and the fever even, in one to three days she would be better, depending on how bad of a cold she had. And I have been telling all of my friends with children about it since. So glad other people have tried this and that it works for them also!! And if you haven’t tried it, I suggest to do so!!
Christina
Cincinnati , Ohio
Tried this silly remedy and omg!!
It really works!!
I’m so thankful I was missing soooo much work because working with the public you can’t show signs of anything contagious these days people just freak out, I have had issues with smokers cough more so in the cold air then summer, yes it worked on even a smokers cough!! I’m just in shock!
How weird is this!
Kelly
Saskatchewan
I have been coughing non stop since yesterday and ALL day today. I just put VVR on my feet a few minutes ago for the first time, so far I’ve coughed a bit, let ya know tomorrow if it worked or not…
jen
nh
I have had a very tickly cough for a couple days, when I take a deep breath my body can’t handle it and I cough so deep it hurts my back… I just put globs of it on my feet and I can breathe deeply without hacking!! It works awesome!!
ken r.
United States
My wife is Peruvian and while we lived there for over two years, we used this. I had forgotten about this since I don’t get sick often. The last couple of days I have had an awful cough and gotten no sleep, as well as the doctor’s office being FULL of people and my not being able to get an appointment until early tomorrow afternoon. I am all over this tonight and look forward to RELIEF.
sue
I applied the Vick’s to the sole on my feet it helped my nagging cough and I was able to sleep.
sue
dallas tx
Well it does work I was skeptical, but had a nagging cough, and it helped me sleep
maria g.
home
I have been sick for 3 weeks now. I have a sinus infection and the doctor gave me antibiotics, but nothing for the cough. Today is 12/17/14 and I haven’t been able to sleep. I came upon this by accident. But I’m glad I did!! Vick’s Vapor rub really works when you put it on the bottom of your feet. It worked instantly on me. I was able to fall asleep right away. Thanks!!!
Janie
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2012/12/20/ridiculous-vicks-remedy-actually-cured-cough/#respond
Perhaps it is the warm socks which make warm feet that give us a deeper sleep thus less coughing. :)
EB
Dallas TX
One of my employees told me about this way to treat a cough which wakes me up at night from sinus drainage. I have been using VVR for a while for toenail fungus and have found it helps. Since my employee told me about spreading it on the bottom of my feet I’ve done it ever since and have had the best sleep in months. I haven’t even had the cough that long. I know to test this out I should not spread it on my feet to see if I don’t sleep as well, but why would I do that when I’m sleeping so well?
I did see on Snopes that they warn against the use of VVR for a long time because it contains camphor. Is this something to be concerned about?
kathleen
New York
I saw this on a sitcom and after asking a local Mom’s group about what to do this was suggested to me. While looking for the vicks in the middle of the night I woke my husband up. Well this morning when I told him why I was looking for it he told me about his Kooky co worker putting vicks on his toe fungus and it worked. I guess this stuff is like Windex. I just put in on the soles of my feet so hopefully it will work.
Meg
Louisburg
Placebo or not…who cares, it works!
Rhonda S
Johnson city, tn
I heard about this too years ago and totally forgot about it until last night at 1 a.m. when I told my friend on Facebook I had not slept in a week because I have really bad bronchitis. Add bronchitis to cough variant type asthma and you have a horrible, grating, deep cough. I was so exhausted this morning after work, I went to the store bought some Vicks came home and applied it to my feet and chest and within a few minutes I started breathing better, my muscles relaxed and I went to sleep! I’ve used it on my chest alone and I’ve never had that effect before. I’ve had it on my feet for 6 hours now and I’ve only coughed a little since. Perhaps it’s the placebo effect, perhaps I was at the turning point of my illness, or perhaps it worked. Not sure. Seeing as I have this cough usually for the entire winter (though not as severe usually), I’m going to test it. :)
Martina Blackwell
United States
I just now did this for the 1st time… it’s thanksgiving day 2014 and I am sick as a dog so I thought I give this a try….it works..since I applied vicks about 10 minutes ago, I don’t have the urge to cough! Maybe it’s true
Scott Fales
Home
My daughter could not stop coughing, tried this vicks vapor rub remedy, worked immediately. Unbelievable. I have to find out why this works! Thank You
Kari
Seattle
I had to share my thoughts after coming down with a horrible cough. My doctor prescribed cough syrup with Codeine, benzonatate, and finally Prednisone. The codeine did not allow me to sleep more than three hours and the Benzonatate allowed me a bit more sleep, however the best advice all year came from a employee from our local grocery store who told me to try Vicks on the soles of my feet (with socks!) before going to bed-I was totally skeptical, but looking for an alternative to prednisone, decided to try it.
I had not slept since Sunday night, so I was going on five continuous days of violent coughing.. I was skeptical but slathered Vicks on my soles, covered them up and crawled into bed at 10:00 pm. Imagine our surprise when the alarm went off at 6:00 am?!?! I am completely blown away and had to Google it before even getting out of bed-I think I’ll be skipping the prednisone!
Julia
Why is this title called “ridiculous”? This is a remedy in our hometown for ever.
b
I had suddenly started coughing, mostly due to sinus drainage, and nothing seemed to stop the cough. As soon as I started rubbing vicks on my right foot, the coughing stopped. I couldn’t believe it, but it really did work for me. Now the only coughing I’m doing is to clear out what’s in my chest, and I’m making myself cough.
Xeryus
Firstly, I don’t take drugs of any type, even for a headache, I’m just suspicious. My kid of 5 has a cough almost like a crop type cough, heart breaking at night to listen to, I tried this vicks on the feet, and only a little bit maybe less than a pea size dob on each foot, coughing was every 2-3 minutes and now I have not heard a cough for 50 minutes. I don’t understand how, I think the feet like fingers have a lot of nerves and this is tricking the mind perhaps, either way it worked and I’m still boggled how. I’m still suspicious however, I’m just glad my child can have some peaceful sleep.
nr
Being a nurse, I was sure this was just too crazy to be true. I am taking a heart medication that causes me to cough, especially at night. After a month of this nagging, persistent cough, I finally broke down and put Vicks Vaporub on the bottoms of my feet and put on my socks. The coughing stopped.
I thought I would give it the ultimate test, so I didn’t put it on for 2 nights. On the third day, the cough came back so I repeated the vicks. Now my cough is nearly non-existent. I still think this is crazy…… but it works!
Fiona C
It works both hubby and me tried it last night…daughter kept telling about this amazing cure…we tried it and amazingly IT WORKED…best nights sleep for a while!!!!!
KellyN
Can you use Vicks on your feet during the day?
DS
I agree with you. It works only if I put it on my feet. It doesn’t make any sense to me either!
Jacqui
I find putting it on my chest does not work as well. I don’t understand why but on the feet seems to produce a better result. It doesn’t make sense to me but it works.
Jacqui P.
I have a cpap machine also, and coughing is a nightmare. It helped me.
Angela
I was skeptical about vicks for my feet, but my current cough and other symptoms were keeping me from doing anything, especially sleeping. I begged my husband to pick up some vicks on his way home from work. It was a long, hacking, aching wait! But I finally got the stuff on my feet and drifted off to sleep peacefully within about 5 minutes. I’m praying for similar effects during the day so I can get back to work soon.
Maria
Amazing! I just try it and I think now I may be able to go to sleep! I have tried three coughs syrups before without success before I bum into this information. Many thanks!
sara curtis
My understanding is that when you put Vick’s Vapor Rub on part of your body is that inflammation is drawn towards the Vick’s. A thin slice of lemon heated, put on the sole of the foot and covered with a sock used to help with stuffy noses, general congestion when my kids were young. Vick’s worked the same way. Will spread the word about potential help with headaches. I love it!!!!
Gayle
I have heard for several years, that when your child has a cough, put Vicks on his feet. I thought it was ridiculous. Why would that work? On his chest, yes, but feet? So I hadn’t don’t that.
My son coughs until he starts to vomit. Every single time he gets even the slightest cold, he does that. He’s seven years old and has a nasty virus right now, as do I.
I decided to try Vicks on his chest. I didn’t remember it working that well when I was a kid, so I hadn’t tried it before.
My husband said to put it on his feet. So, I said, ok, I’ll try it. Still thinking it was silly, I put it on his feet but not mine.
I am amazed. He slept all night with no coughing. I know because I would have heard him, I was awake most of the night coughing. I didn’t put it on my feet.
janz
Try Vicks for neuropathy on your feet. Just rub in, put on a pair of sox and your feet will be calm and not spazzzzzzing out with nerves and pins and needles.
KATHLEEN V.
When we were kids our Mom always rubbed our chest with Vicks and then wrapped a flannel cloth over it, then we put on our flannel PJs. It seemed to work and the vapors were close to the head so you inhaled the vapor all night. This always worked for us. Does anyone know if the foot method works better?
CCD
I always carry a jar of Vicks when we travel. Have used it for coughs, sprains and strains amongst other things and also used on my feet for neuropathy. The cough cure is supposedly very old, but it works, as do so many of those old cures!
Kay
I’m curious – has anyone compared the efficacy of putting the Vicks on your feet vs. putting it on your chest? I wonder if people put it on their feet so the smell isn’t as strong, but putting it on your chest actually works better…
Bridget
My podiatrist recommended that my husband use Vicks Vapor Rub on his thick crusty toenails, that have some sort of fungus in them…The result is a softer nail, much easier to trim and it appears to help calm down the fungus.
DKC
I wouldn’t have tried it or believed it, but at 3AM I was desperate to suppress my constant cough and sleep! So I decided to try it and IDK why it worked, but it did. Lasted for several hours, I’ve done it twice now!
j
One could consider an explanation from physiology and reflexology. The sole of the foot, like the palm, has the highest concentration of pores in the body making it perhaps the best site for absorption of chemicals. In reflexology the ball of the foot primarily governs the lungs, diaphragm, chest, esophagus and trachea. While the toes and their base governs the frontal sinuses, ears, eustachian tube and eyes. Acupuncture points roughly correspond.
These are the organs most affected by cough and congestion. Vicks is a tropical analgesic, and would be absorbed better on the soles of the foot than other parts of the body, especially if the foot is wrapped. The ball also has the main fat pads of the foot, which may best solubilize the organic analgesics absorbed from the Vick’s. The effect of this absorption into the fat pad of the ball of the foot would be similar to massage or acupuncture stimulation of that area (e.g., relaxation of the lungs, diaphragm, chest, etc.).
It would be interesting to know if putting Vicks only on the ball and toes would best effective as or more effective than spreading it over the entire surface of the sole of the foot.
Pat
We just LOVE Vicks. I’m in my 70’s and my Mom used Vicks on us when we were kids. We not only use it on our feet, we rub it on our necks and chest and wrap our necks if we have a sore throat. I even put a little under my nose if I feel clogged before I go to bed. Fortunately, we have found products to keep stress and illness away for the most part but if it gets to us, we get out the Vicks ASAP.
YE
This comment is only partly about Vicks Vaporub and partly about the bottom of the feet. About seventy years ago I learned about putting medication on the feet instead of into the stomach; my brother had pneumonia and was in great distress when a neighbor lady suggested that we make a poultice of onions boiled in sugar syrup, pack it on his feet and wrap with cloth and cover with socks – Don’t laugh! It worked! His fever broke and he got well very quickly.
Back to Vicks; it has always been a mainstay for my family as it cures, yes cures, many things including athlete’s foot and . . . .
pjh
Having done this I’m a firm believer. Sure helps to get a nights sleep.
a.s.
My eldest daughter tried it on their 2-yr old. worked great.
I use a CPAP machine. Wonder how it’d work for me?
MS
On Vicks vaporub cough/cold relief properties:
This is a classic example of how American Medicine, deemed by many as “best in the world.” I agree with this edict award with some context. While our medical system bears the greatest burden of research costs and reaps incremental innovative rewards, it is driven by commercial engines.
Vicks Mentholatum rub has been around for the best part of the 20th century. My family in Latin America has been benefiting from this simple home remedy since it hit the markets.
Our “Scientific based reasoning” in the U.S. propels us to call this remedy wacky. Why? Are there randomized controlled trials disproving Vick’s relief? Not to my knowledge. There is however, a multi-million dollar industry supporting the use of syrups, new and improved gel caps.
These innovative agents with marginal results merely accompany the life cycle of the common cold.
We have been conditioned to abandon effective simplicity for the esoteric and costly. There is little incentive to recognize inexpensive agents in our isolationist ” Evidence-Based ” establishment.
Thank God Mom knows best.
Julia
well said.
Hlt
My husband who has dementia and he had fungus for a long time none of medicine helped. I rubbed the VICK to his toes nail every day then put the socks on. I saw the result after couple of days and continued to rub the VICK on for 4 weeks and the fungus were gone and haven’t saw them come back.
DS
It works for me and it works for my small grandson but I cannot get his uncle to try it. I am going to forward this web posting to show him that it’s worth trying. I don’t use the socks all the time and don’t use large amounts of Vicks. I just sit up in bed and apply a small amount on my feet.
harold jitschak bueno de mesquita
Always a bit surprised when reading these kind of “astonishment expressions” about remedies will have been used for so long already for conditions as described here, in Europe, in “primitive” tropical countries etc. Was America just discovered??
Not just on the foot, simply a bit on the chest or back and wear a warm pyjama [night cloth].
Yes, it works, but how come it looks so “outlandish”?
MJ
My mom’s sure-fire remedy to headache is to rub Vicks over forehead and temples – works every time.