Here's the rub: Right for the wrong reasons

MSNBC recently reported that Vick's vaporub may actually be harmful to young children. The case in interest was a grandparent who rubbed Vick's vaborub on their 18 month infant under the nostrils even the instructions say 1) don't put it under the nostrils, and 2)don't use in on infants or children under 24 months of age. I was interviewed for on online news service, Kaboose.com and you can read my comments here.

There are only two things that I don't like about Vick's vaporub. Unfortunately, it's the only two things that make Vick's vaporub Vick's vaporub. First, it's a petroleum based product. Do you really want to be rubbing toxic petroleum derivatives on your body? This stuff may cause cancer. Is that concerning to anyone?

The second thing I don't like is that Vick's vaporub uses three extracts from three essential oils: menthol from peppermint, camphor from camphor essential oil, and eucalyptol from eucalyptus essential oil. These compounds do really decrease cough, break up mucous and kill viruses. There are many, many, many studies that demonstrate that. If you read the case study I published on the use of essential oils in the intensive care unit, I've referenced it there.

When you use a whole essential oil, containing dozens of compounds, some of the compounds act like a partial antidote to the "main ingredient" which reduces harsh side effects when used properly.

Both menthol and eucalyptol--and for that matter peppermint and eucalyptus essential oils are too harsh for babies to tolerate. I have always warned against their use in this age group for the same reason as what happened to that toddler. There is a nerve in the nose--besides the smell nerve--that detects the smell of rotten, acrid or rancid smells--like rotten milk or spoiled meat. It causes the voice box to shutter and the airway to tight and secret mucous to protect itself from harm. Because these two oils are so strong, it stimulates not only the smell nerve, but also the this other nerve (the nasal branch of the trigeminal nerve). This is what caused the ferrets in the experiment and the baby rushed to the hospital to have a bad reaction.

The "expert" in the MSNBC article states:

“When you’re talking about an agent that does no good, your tolerance for harm is very low.”

but in adults, Vicks does improve the removal of mucous. Menthol does activate cold receptors and doesn't narrow airways--but so what? Do these experts think that suffering is better than feeling better because your brain thinks you can breathe easier? It's as if these guys have some type of schadenfreude in seeing people suffer in the real world? Peppermint essential oils, on the other hand does open up the airways, unlike menthol alone. Besides, pine essential oils like pine, spruce and balsam fir are much better and more gentle vasoconstrictors that open up airways.

The reason I made Flugon is because between adverse events from Vics (not to mention the petroleum!!!) and the deaths from over-the-counter cough and cold medications that the FDA overlooked for 50 years. I wanted a gentle but effective combination of essential oils that dissolves mucus, eases coughs, supports the immune system and has proven antiviral and antibacterial properties.

Essential oils--when used whole, in the right amount for the right age are amazingly effective in treating cold and flu symptoms in children and adults. The problem is that every chemical in this world can be a poison or panacea depending on the dose, the route given, the duration given, and the patient it's used on. The MSNBC article and the pseudo-scientific study they cited in ferrets only represents ballyhoo and sensationalism, which affects both media and medicine when there is an axe to grind and an agenda to pursue.