Vick's VapoRub a chest rub recommended by VA for nail fungus

[HereSince1628]

The angle is that it actually works as effectively as treatments 300 times more expensive.

Still, it's very strange to be handed a gritty copy from a webpage that makes the argument that enables the VA to say just go buy some VapoRub...for your toenails.

I don't meant to be ungrateful, having long been unemployed, but this is just pretty strange. I could buy very cheap sheep-dewormers that also have anti-fungal properties from the farm service store.

But not owning sheep I don't know how I'd get rid of the extra capsules.

[gmoney]

1. would that be safe?

And do the sheep-dewormer pills have a big-budget cartoon spokesfungus?

[HereSince1628]

3. The VA says VapoRub is effective and safe...

I know from my grad school training in the Vet School at Texas A&M that several budget de-wormers are the same drug recommended for 'undernail' infections of Tinea. Farm and Fleet sold the stuff by the bucket. Strange but true.

[Duer 157099]

4. I'm confused. First of all, what is the active compound that does this?

And, are you saying that ingested de-wormer can treat the nail, or it must be applied topically?

Tea Tree Oil is also very cheap and seems to be an up-and-comer in the antimicrobial arena.

[HereSince1628]

11. thymol, apparently

but if it really is effective, why wouldn't vicks be selling it in tubes as Vick's FungoRub?

American marketers rarely miss an opportunity to repackage an old product as something new.

[jmowreader]

27. It is a LOT cheaper to do it this way

Okay, consider: If Vicks wanted to sell this as Vicks FungoRub, they'd have to do full-scale testing and write up a New Drug Application. (Yes, companies love to repackage products but it's hard to do that with drugs.) Then there'd be paperwork to get the FungoRub name trademarked, to register the package design, all that. Lots of time and money wasted when all they REALLY need to do is to have someone in the marketing department write up a nice letter saying how her grandpa used Vicks VapoRub to treat his toenail fungus, and all the newspaper writers with nail fungus try it and it works (and write articles saying how great it is there is an inexpensive cure for toenail fungus) and next thing you know the whole country is aware Vicks treats toenail fungus safely and effectively. And with the wonder of e-mail they don't even need a stamp!

[Capn Sunshine]

16. pick that up in a tropical clime?

I've got an "non specific" one they euphemistically call "jungle rot". Never tried Vicks. But if it comes around I will.

[HereSince1628]

19. No, I think its a local fungus, and one Tinea infection looks like another to me

I cracked the toenail back in June when I dropped a piece of machinery on my foot. The nail still has not completely grown out...now that I've been dx'ed with diabetes I got a closer inspection of my feet that showed that the dead nail was supporting fungal growth.

[gratuitous]

2. A little vinegar works on an incipient wart, too

Applied it with a band-aid for three or four consecutive nights. After the second night, the wart site had turned black. After three nights, it was ready to flake off. Total time: less than a week. Total cost: pennies.

[FloridaJudy]

12. Duct tape works even better.

Series.

[WolverineDG]

5. also works on sore muscles

cheaper than muscle rubs too...weird since they have almost the same ingredients. And for cold sores, get a $1 tub of Car-Mex instead of shelling out for Abreva. :)

dg

[Deep13]

6. The doc at the HMO said the same exact thing about vapor rub.

He also said the drug they advertise with those cartoon germ monsters has toxic side effects.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

7. it works.

I have seen it work. It is a recognized standard treatment as far as I know.

Uses:
http://www.ehow.com/way_5445453_vicks-vaporub-remedies.html

Home Remedies
Vicks VapoRub is used to cure nail fungus. Rub the infected nail with Vicks VapoRub two to three times a day. After a few days you should see improvement. Continue for at least six months or until a new nail has completely grown in. This will also work on athlete's foot.

Some people suggest the use of Vicks VapoRub for hemorrhoids. It shrinks the hemorrhoid and relieves itching. Clean the area and apply Vicks directly to the hemorrhoid. Side effects may include a burning sensation.

Place some Vicks VapoRub on chapped lips to soothe discomfort and soften the lips. Be careful to not ingest the VapoRub. It is for external use only.

If you have a headache, VapoRub may be the cure. Dab a little Vicks VapoRub on your temples, or forehead, for headache relief. Do not place it near your eyes.

Cure dandruff by rinsing your hair in a mixture of Vicks VapoRub and mineral oil. Let sit and shampoo out.

Place a little VapoRub on bug bites. It will relieve the pain or itch.

Rub Vicks VapoRub on the bottoms of your feet and then put on socks. This should cure nighttime coughing.

[GoCubsGo]

8. The People's Pharmacy say their listeners got mixed results...

Apparently, other listeners have had success with Listerine or a Listerine/vinegar mix, too:
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2009/06/07/dont-feel-fooli/

("The Peoples Pharmacy" is a weekly show on NPR. Very interesting.)

[Tuesday Afternoon]

9. yes...

Although some people have success with Vicks, others want alternative remedies. We’ve had dozens of inquiries about a homemade concoction: “I want to try the Listerine and vinegar solution on my feet but I don’t know the proportions. I love to go barefoot and my feet are atrocious.”


perhaps different fungi respond to different treatments....

[TheMightyFavog]

23. Oh, you mean "The Quack Show"

As my old man calls it.

[hippywife]

22. 2 or 3 times a day?

For six months? :wow:

I'm glad it's cheap and all but that's a lot for a long time. I don't know if I want to go around smelling like Eau de Mentholatum everyday for six months.

[rcrush]

25. Holy Crap is there anything Vicks Vaporub CANT DO?

What about erectile dysfunction? Can it help with that?

[DainBramaged]

28. I'd like to see your reaction rubbing that on your johnson.....

:rofl:

[hvn_nbr_2]

29. Those all sound reasonable except...

Rub Vicks VapoRub on the bottoms of your feet and then put on socks. This should cure nighttime coughing.
I'm having a hard time finding an explanation for how that could work, but I see downthread someone else is saying that will help a cold.

Oh, also about hemorrhoids. That makes me shudder a bit to think about it, but it sounds plausible. Plus, whatever sting there is from VapoRub isn't too severe or longlasting. It might be a bit like alcohol-based witch hazel. Now Bengay or FlexAll--they ain't gittin' anywhere near any hemorrhoid of mine.

[Brother Buzz]

10. My cure was a by-product of a treatment that cost more than 3000 times as much

After chemo treatment for liver, stomach, lymph node, and colon cancers, I discovered my nail fungus had totally disappeared. A freebie! Three years - clean of cancer and nail fungus. WooHoo!

[Skittles]

17. AWESOME Brother Buzz

:thumbsup:

[ScreamingMeemie]

13. I kid you not. Put it on the soles of your feet when you have a cold

and you'll feel better in the morning. I thought it was silly too when my dad's girlfriend told me to do it. I did it. It worked!

[Arkansas Granny]

21. I'm definitely going to try this the next time I have a cold. I wonder, would it be OK

to use on young children? Since you can't buy OTC cold medications for infants and toddlers now, I've been looking for something that might give some relief to the young'ns I know. Since VapoRub is one of the products that is still recommended for use as a chest rub, my guess is that it would be safe for this application, also. Does anyone know?

[WolverineDG]

24. since you can put it in the humidifiers & use in children's rooms

I would presume so.

dg

[Sebastian Doyle]

14. And let's not forget the theatrical uses of Vicks Vapo Rub

Rub a little just under your eyes, and deliver an Academy Award worthy crying performance.

Here's an instructional video featuring actor (and known psychopath) Glenn BecKKK.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj4I2f0ZO6g

[Silver Swan]

15. I read a study

that said it was helpful for nail fungus, and they the attributed the eucalyptus oil for the effect.

I've been using VapoRub for over a year, with minimal results. But then, I'm not even certain if it is fungus that has caused my nail problems.

But if I refrain from wearing sandals, I assume no one will really care what my toe nails look like.

[Pryderi]

18. and skin tags?

[Kali]

20. tie it off with a thread

it will fall off in a few days - or you can snip it with sharp clean scissors. ewww, I know and of course they are all where somebody else needs to tie them because you can't reach and/or see while you try...:scared:

[old mark]

26. I read a lot of positive comments from people using apple cider vinegar to remove warts.

Apply it with a cotton ball and cover with bandaid. Repeat daily. Supposed to work quickly.
All I have is rice vinegar - wonder if THAT works, too...

mark