Straight Dope Message Board

[nearwildheaven]

I have a nasty cold, and a Facebook thread about Drugs That Aren't Marketed Any More made me wonder about this vile-tasting remedy that I have used in the past, because even though it smells awful and tastes worse, WORKS!

I had not been able to obtain it for quite a while, but I Googled it and found out that I can get it once again, and ordered some from Amazon.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckley%27s

My biggest issue regarding the common cold is that I have a persistent cough that can last for weeks afterwards. This has knocked it flat on its rear end and I am grateful I can have it again.

[thelurkinghorror]

Blame Canada!
I can assure you that it really does taste awful, and it's not a matter of opinion. Perhaps the foulest medicine I have tasted, except for maybe some pills that are coated for a reason and get caught in your throat. I haven't done any empirical studies but it seems to work pretty well.

[Spoons]

It's well-known and widely available in Canada. I can get it in the pharmacy section of my local supermarket.

It tastes awful. And it works.

[running coach]

Originally Posted by Spoons

It's well-known and widely available in Canada. I can get it in the pharmacy section of my local supermarket.

It tastes awful. And it works.

From the Wiki link.

its ingredients include ammonium carbonate, potassium bicarbonate,camphor, menthol, Canada balsam (Abies balsamea), sodium cyclamate, pine needle oil, and a tincture of capsicum.

21 stun salute

Only some of the Buckley's formulations contain dextromethorphan. The original, without DXM, may be purchased. However, recreational use of Buckley's is uncommon, due to the deterrent effects of its taste.

"So horrible, even junkies won't use it!"

[Kamino Neko]

A friend of mine from the States, who took it while visiting me, posited that it works BECAUSE it tastes awful. The irritants flee to escape the taste.

And, yeah, that stuff tastes of evil, but holy shit is it effective.

[Northern Piper]

Nothing says "Canada" like pine needle oil as an active ingredient.

[nearwildheaven]

The first time I took some, I almost threw it up because I was totally unprepared for the taste AND the smell. But I didn't, and felt much better afterwards.

It wouldn't even need active ingredients to work; that vapor does the job all by itself.

[bump]

Originally Posted by Kamino Neko

A friend of mine from the States, who took it while visiting me, posited that it works BECAUSE it tastes awful. The irritants flee to escape the taste.

Sounds like something Stephen Maturin would have approved of.

Ever since Stephen Maturin had grown rich with their first prize he had constantly laid in great quantities of asafetida, castoreum and other substances, to make his medicines more revolting in taste, smell and texture than any others in the fleet; and he found it answered — his hardy patients knew with their entire beings that they were being physicked.

Master and Commander – Patrick O’Brian