# Efficacy of Vicks VapoRub **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 12, 2006, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficacy-of-vicks-vaporub/372416 "2006-09-12T15:16:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2006, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficacy-of-vicks-vaporub/372416/1 "2006-09-12T15:16:42Z")
Has there been any studies showing how effictive Vick’s is at loosening up the chest when one has a cold or hay fever? I went to a pharmacy and asked for something to help loosen my chest. The pharmacist had no suggestions and told me that Vicks would be useless. Now, I’m gonna use it anyway, because I \*feel \*as if it helps. In the end, that’s all I care about. But I was curious if there were studies that show that it is more of a placebo or whether or not it has been shown to be effective. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2006, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficacy-of-vicks-vaporub/372416/2 "2006-09-12T16:37:14Z")
Found [this](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=720739&query_hl=7&itool=pubmed_docsum), and [this.](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=720737&query_hl=7&itool=pubmed_docsum) No crashingly obvious turned-the-litmus-paper-pink “hey, it works!” test results, but it kinda-sorta suggests that it might possibly work. Or at least help a little bit. [shrug] ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2006, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficacy-of-vicks-vaporub/372416/3 "2006-09-12T18:09:06Z")
[QUOTE=Duck Duck Goose] Found [this](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=720739&query_hl=7&itool=pubmed_docsum), and [this.](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=720737&query_hl=7&itool=pubmed_docsum) No crashingly obvious turned-the-litmus-paper-pink “hey, it works!” test results, but it kinda-sorta suggests that it might possibly work. Or at least help a little bit. [shrug] [/QUOTE] Actually, it seemed pretty positive to me. Thanks for the links. ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2006, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficacy-of-vicks-vaporub/372416/4 "2006-09-12T20:08:12Z")
When I was a kid, my Mom used to use either Vicks or Musterole on my chest with a piece of wool flannel covering it to keep my chest warm. It really worked for me. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2006, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/efficacy-of-vicks-vaporub/372416/5 "2006-09-12T21:33:28Z")
I was always under the impression that the deceptive “cool” sensation from the mint derivative in it would fool the patient into thinking that air was starting to pass through clogged sinuses and lungs. In any event, Vaporub never did me any good. The only thing that ever unclogs my chest is lots of steam from a piping hot shower.