Friday, March 4, 2011

Cough, cough...

Yes, I am yet another victim of the whatever that's going around.  Cough, cough, cough.  It's getting tedious.  I bought some cough syrup, but it isn't helping. Gah, I need relief!

I searched the internet for homemade cough remedies, and most seem to employ honey and/or lemon juice and/or garlic/ginger/freshly ground peppercorns.  I have an old Ukranian remedy that calls for vodka, honey, lemon juice and vast quantities of garlic.  I don't know if it really helps or not.  It tastes delicious, even when I can't taste much else.  It also causes a distinct garlicky odour problem after a few doses, right through the skin, and I really don't want to offend anyone. 

A nurse told me to put Vick's Vapor rub on my feet every night (covering with socks to prevent staining of the sheets).  It definitely helps when rubbed on the part of my chest not covered by mammary glands, and it helps keep the sinuses clear when rubbed on one's nose.  I don't know about putting it on my feet.  I tried it, and all I noticed was that my feet, and hence the rest of me, were very warm.

When I was a kid, Dad would give my brother and I a little tiny ball of eucalyptus ointment each to swallow when we had a cough.  It was nasty, nasty stuff, kind of like eating really thick Buckley's.  Well, I guess what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Right now, I'm sipping on hot lemonade with honey.  I took an antihistamine and some acetaminophen - that's my "generic" version of Neocitran.  All I need to figure out now is something to loosen the congestion.  Suggestions anyone?

3 comments:

Unknown said...

LOL My father always swore by a hot toddy. He said, "Rub your sore throat with alcohol - from the inside." Of course, he was a drunk, so maybe he's not the best one to take advice from.

Anyway, I've always heard about rubbing Vicks on your feet, too, so I did what I always do, and I researched it. Despite the fact that many people swear by it, there is absolutely NO reason for it to work. The closest "explanation" I found really boiled down to balancing your humours. So ... if you practice Medieval medicine (and I'll still respect you if you do!), it's definitely something to try! I did read a warning, though, that it's an irritant and can cause troubles for kids and others with sensitive feet.

I do swear by, and recommend, unpasteurized honey. Take a teaspoon and let it slowly dissolve in your mouth. Take as needed - no maximum dose. My only concern about your lemonade is that the lemon will be irritating as the honey soothes.

I also think that running a VERY hot bath, with the bathroom door shut, and then sitting in there while it cools off (I mean, sit in the room until the tub's cool enough to get in, then have a bath!)

Put the eucalyptus IN the tub. LOL

I'd love your Ukranian remedy recipe.

Ollamha Anne said...

My late father-in-law used to boil a grapefruit in water, and after the water changed colour, discarded the grapefruit, let it cool and added rum and honey. In my opinion, that's a terrible waste of a grapefruit, lol....

Unknown said...

ROFLMAO I think it's a terrible waste of rum!