Q. Years ago my mother, who was a nurse, used Vicks VapoRub almost as a cure-all for us children. One hot summer day, my family and friends were out in the yard enjoying themselves while I was in the house suffering silently with a very sore rectum.
I didn’t want to tell anyone of my embarrassing pain, so I decided to use Mother’s cure-all, Vicks. I felt if it could cure just about everything, it should be able to cure my pain. WAS I EVER WRONG!
My sister says she still remembers hearing my screams as I ran from one end of the house to the other like a cat with its tail on fire. An ice cube finally cooled things down a bit, but whenever Vicks is mentioned, I still remember that pain.
A. The maker of Vicks VapoRub is very clear that the product is for external use only. The label states, “Do not use: by mouth, in nostrils, on wounds or damaged skin…” That should include other orifices as well.
Years ago we heard from readers that Vicks could be used as a hemorrhoid remedy. Someone who tried it had a reaction very much like yours:
“Applying it [Vicks] to the most sensitive escape route in the human abdomen make me imagine I was a jet fighter with afterburners. I moved distractedly through the house like an F-15 pilot saying: ‘Mayday! Mayday! I took a direct hit to my tail section!'”
Perhaps you will be interested in the many other creative applications that people like your mother have come up with. You’ll find them in our Guide to Unique Uses for Vicks.
