Can you put Vicks on child's feet during the day?

[crashbandi]

To suppress a cough? He had it on last night and didn't cough once. Now he's up he's coughing so much and is miserable with it poor thing!

Can I apply Vicks during day too?

Why would the time of day make a difference?

It's not something I've ever done but can't imagine what an issue might be. Do you something you buy over the counter?

@TimeForMeToF1y I don't know I guess I've just never heard anyone do it in the daytime before and wondered if there was some reason why!

We have cough medicines but they're just glycerol (he's only 4) and don't do anything

yes you can, but make sure you put socks on afterwards to save your floors.

Nope during the day time hours it becomes poisonous.

Seriously though you can but I dont think it would be as effective but you may as well give it a go, what's the worst that could happen?

How does putting menthol on your feet suppress a cough?

but sure if you think it works it doesn’t matter what time of day

Or you could dab Vicks on a tissue or old hanky and put it down your DS shirt and their body heat will warm the Vicks up and help with the cough.

Yes you can, with socks on top so it's not slippery.

Another thing which is strange but actually surprisingly works, it's weird so stay with me,

A slice of potato in his socks over night. It supposedly draws out toxins from the body, will be quite dark by the morning, if you do it for a few days you'll notice that the slices are less dark each morning as there are less toxins. He should feel alot better even after the first night.

The reason he's coughing now is that everything that's settled on his chest during the night now needs to come up. I'm doing exactly the same this morning & every morning this week. No coughing at night & no Vicks on the feet (how would that even work?)

Just no. Your liver will deal with toxins. And what are these toxins, anyway? Potato goes black because of oxygen. I suppose at least it won't do him any harm 🙄

Honestly this was also my thinking and when I was first told to try it I was extremely sceptical and didnt do it for ages, but my little boy got a terrible cough that wasn't being helped by anything, I tried it out of sheer desperation, and he genuinely seemed better the next day. There was also an obvious difference in the darkness of the potato slices over a few days, even though they were there for the same amount of time each night. So I thought its not just oxygen that it's reacting with. He was mostly, all the way better, after 3 nights. Now it's the first thing I do when he has any signs of being ill.

Why on his feet?! This thread is so weird

It’s a known thing to try. I don’t see how it can work, but there’s no harm.

You know 40 years ago the Vicks got rubbed on the chest….so you could breath in the vapor…Vicks vapor rub.

Is that not what @crashbandi it talking about? What other Vicks is there?

"Toxins" really don't come out through your skin. It's just chance, he got better at the same time.

It's a known trick, has been since my 15yr old was a baby.

It's an old wives tale. There is no scientific evidence that vicks on the feet does anything whatsoever.

Vicks on kids' feet for a cough was a stupid idea. Then my kids started nursery and never stopped coughing. Unless they had Vicks on their feet. Vicks on kids' feet is no longer a stupid idea, it's a miracle.

I don't know people have to be so hostile...seriously, mumsnet has changed. So many people out to make snarky comments.

Thanks to helpful posters!

You could also try a humidifier at night. It really helps with a cough.