OMG! I know someone who did this every night for years!

[whitequeen96]

I just read this article about the serious health hazzards of putting Vicks VapoRub, Vaseline, or most any kind of cream, in your nostrils. It apparently leads to chronic pneumonia, and it can't be treated! I mentioned this to my friend, who has always had breathing problems, and she told me she has been putting Vick's in her nose every night for the last 2 or 3 years! And her lung capacity has been deteriorating even more during these last few years! I'm really worried about her!

So here's the article, in case anyone here does it. Spread the word!

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[Jennifer M.]

Oh my! My mother does this when she gets stuffed up!

Sending this to her now!

[galena]

Thank you, whitequeen96

I'm shocked that this information isn't widely known -- at least I've never heard this before. Like JenniferM, I know someone who does this, so I will definitely spread the word.

[YorkieLover]

Ack! My mom used to not only rub Vicks VapoRub all over our chest and back and throat when we had a cold, but under our nose, followed by a dab on our tongue. I was so grossed out by the dab in my mouth, that I'd wait until she left before I wiped it out with a Kleenex and threw it away. Sick. I know she had heard of that from someone else and thought it was okay to do. She would have never done it, otherwise.

I'm glad you passed this info on, and hopefully many others will benefit by not breathing it in.

[munchkin_momma]

Oh wow.... I can't believe I have never heard that, now I need to call my kids doc about it!

I put the baby version on my son when he's sick and the regular stuff on Dani! She has alwasy had problems breathing at night and has asthma. I've used this stuff on her alot over the last 5 years!!! Now I'm wondering if maybe me putting it on her chest and under her nose when she'd get sick (frequently might I add) is what triggered the asthma, she was only diagnosed with that the winter before this one.

Thanks so much for the heads up!!!

[whitequeen96]

YorkieLover, I don't think that what your Mom was doing was harmful, as long as she wasn't putting it in your nostrils. Apparently, it's the fact that the petroleum product gets down into your lungs that causes the problem.

MunchkinMomma, I would definitely check with your doctor about your DD's asthma and what effects this stuff would have on it. And please let us know what he/she says!

My friend called her doctor about this yesterday. She is so sick now, and with this in her history, her doctor has ordered her to come in for a chest X-ray today. She lives all alone and is too sick to drive, so she's taking a taxi. She lives in a different city, or otherwise I'd go with her. I'm waiting to hear the results.

[ftmom]

I put Vaseline in my nose every night as to not have bloody noses during the day, as it is the only thing that works.... i am so worried now...

ive not logged on since July and this is the 1st thing I read... is it coincidence..?
Is this why my back hurts all the time? why my chest hurts... too many questions now.. no answers..

when i forget to put the stuff in my nose i bleed badly.. humidifiers dont work, and i dont want to get addicted to the nasal sprays like my dh.... where do i go from here....

OMG!

[munchkin_momma]

FTmom, call your doc about that, you shouldn't be getting nose bleeds like that at all, and if it is from dry air a humidifier should help, if not there is a bigger problem. I'd cease the vaseline for now and maybe try something like Ayr. I have a little nasal inhaler that has menthol and camphor oil in it it works great for me when my nose is dried out (I get nose bleeds form dry air) It is a natural product and I bought mine at a pharmacies in the OTC section. Please let us know how it goes and if the doc has any new suggestions for ya.

Whitequeen, no news from the doc, her office is really busy this time of year and unless its an imperitive sick appointment or preschedualed physical its hard to get in there. I did call about it and the nurse said they would have to look into the effects of using it on kids like that, since i never put it IN her nostrils they said to just not use it anymore for now untill they have more information on the subject. They said that the asthma may have been heriditary sionce I had it as a child and my parents put Vicks everywhere you can imagine LOL. I remember the burn of it in my nostrils as a kid so it makes me wonder if that wasn't how I got it to begin with as I was the first in the family to have asthma. I constatly got sick with bronchitis and strep (in my lungs) as a child I seem to be overly succeptible to both of those ad from years of taking antibiotics for it, they don't have the same affect on me as they should. But since I was sick so often I bet I had vicks in my nose every night for at least the cold 6 mo out of the year or more if you account for them doing it to clear up my stuffy nose from allergies in the warm months! They originally said I developed the asthma as a result of contantly having bronchitis or strep in my lungs a simple cold would turn into a disaster with me.

I have an natural alternative to the vicks for colds though, try a mustard plaster, those work awesome! I'll try to find a link for one as I can't remember the ingredients off hand.

You spread the mix between two peices of sweat pant material and lay it on your chest (DO NOT put the mix on your skin!) for about 5 min the first time. If your skin gets irritated, use more fabric between the mix and your skin. If you need it longer, try not to go over 15 min and definatly remove it if you skin feels like it may be getting irritated. This will cause blisters if left on too long or appiled directly to skiin!!! I still make these for myself if I get a bad cold. I can't use them on my DD cause she isn't old enough, won't stay still long enough and she wants to try and play in the mix. But they work wonders to help wiith breathing if you can stand to do it.


Here is a mild recipie for it:

~2 Tablespoons of black mustard seed ground into powder (use a mortar and pestlie, coffee grinder or pill crusher)
~2 Tablespoons of flour (white or white doesn't matter)
~ either warm (NOT HOT) water or egg white

mix the flour and mustard seed poder toggether and add water or egg white till its a smooth paste. spread between two peices of a thick fabric like sweat material or terry cloth. Careful, don't spread all the way to the edge and try to use cloth big enough that it won't ooz out onto the skiin. Its been suggested that you may want to apply vaseline to the skin under the plaster to keep it from irritating the skin. You can make a bigger plaster by adding more mustard powder and flour, just remeber to keep them equal parts and mix to a paste consistency.

It helps increase blood flow to the area and helps to clear up chest congestion. Ask your doctor before you use it especially if you have any skin problems that may be irritated by it or asthma. Some think that inhaling the vapor from this can trigger an asthma attack or cause sneezing. I personally never recall having any problems with it. But always check with the doc before trying any new treatments. Never know they may have a better recipe for you.

Hope this helps someone!!!

[whitequeen96]

My friend hasn't gone in for her X-ray yet, so that's why I don't have any news. With her HMO, you don't get an appointment; you just walk in for X-rays. She drove herself there (against the doctor's and my orders!), parked and trudged in across the parking lot to find that the X-ray machine was out of order!

[Snowpuff]

It used to be so common for moms to rub Vicks all over chests, throats, upper lip, etc. many years ago. I didn't know anyone still did that.

And I'd never heard of anyone putting anything into their nose! How could you stand it? Vicks is strong.

The post about having terrible nose bleeds is alarming. She should get to a doctor immediately.

Good luck to all.