What home remedy did your mother or grandmother use when you were young and sick as a child? Mine was a mustard

[debm55]

plaster for chest cold. I can still remember the small yellow tin with the dried mustard came in, My grandmother would make it, wrap it in a cloth and put on my chest. And you?

[The Blue Flower]

1. Chicken soup

With lots of celery and garlic.
Also crayons and coloring books.

[debm55]

3. Thank you very much, The Blue Flower.

[SuzyandPuffpuff]

2. Awww

Honey lemon and bourbon or whisky...yummmmm still use it decades later

[debm55]

4. Thank you very much, SuzyandPuffpuff.

[oldsoldierfadingfast]

88. Grandma always used...

local honey, lemon juice and whiskey for all of our upper respiratory infections.
When I became a student nurse...one of our pediatricians would order (His Name) tonic for even his youngest patients. Our pharmacist would make it, label and deliver it to the ward. It always worked.
I still use it when needed and still call it by his name.

[debm55]

89. That is very interesting. Thank you for sharing with us, oldsoldierfadingfast.

[hlthe2b]

5. My "never allow alcohol in her home"Grandma generally still had something hidden for "Hot Toddies"

--even for the little ones with colds and accompanying crankiness.

'Guess that was her hidden secret to raising 5 boys and one girl during and after the Depression...

For those who have never heard the term:
Hot Toddy: A hot toddy, also known as hot whiskey in Ireland, and occasionally called southern cough syrup within the Southern United States, is typically a mixed drink made of liquor and water with honey, lemon, and spices, and served hot.

No, none of us had any noticeable problems with it and afaik none of the women in the family--all the aunts and my mom- ever drank at all, but yeah, I know we all received this old school remedy at one point.

[debm55]

6. Thank you very much for sharing your home remedy for us, hithe2b.

[Soul_of_Wit]

33. My mom was from the South

We got whiskey, honey and lemon. No other mixer, and it was not heated. It was more of a homemade cough syrup than a hot toddy.

[markodochartaigh]

7. They used to spray our throats with mercurochrome

for sore throats. It's a wonder no one died from mercury poisoning.

[debm55]

14. Oh my, I hated that stuff. Thank you for sharing, markodochartaigh. That would be terrible.

[Shoobee]

8. Mustard Plaster

…for whooping cough as a last resort and it worked. As a six-year-old child, I remember how it burned.

[debm55]

10. Yes, I remember when they lifted the cloth off, I had a large red square on my chest. Thank you for sharing, Shoobee.

[10 Turtle Day]

9. Hot toddies were also given to us as kids when we had a cold or flu.

Based on others’ posts, seems they were more of a universal treatment than I’d ever imagined.

Also, gargling with warm salt water for a sore throat and drinking baking soda mixed with warm water for an upset stomach.

[debm55]

15. Thank you very much for sharing, 10 Turtle Day. I did the gargling with hot salt water for a sore throat.

[2naSalit]

11. My grandmother...

Used to give us 'coke syrup' in water, about an ounce of water. It tasted like flat cola. That was the remedy for kids with tummy aches. My mom's was scalded milk with honey.



I don't use either of those but I have a long list of home remedies that I use all the time for various ailments.

[debm55]

16. thank you very much for sharing with us, 2naSalit. If you remember any others give them a post.

[2naSalit]

31. Oops...

I answered your request in the wrong place! See comment #30.

[debm55]

35. That's okay.

[LoisB]

22. We used flat Pepsi.

[2naSalit]

30. That was a common one also...

Especially when you couldn't get the 'coke syrup' anymore. My mom moved on from the warm milk to ginger ale, probably because it was easier after she had the last three babies in three years.

I took to herbal medicine in my mid teens and still use them. I don't seem to need to go to medical professionals much.

One of my big remedies that I use every day is my skin healing salve, it's easy to make and has many uses... it jus takes time to make it.

I use:
In a 1 qt jar put
1/2 - 1 Cup Calendula flowers (dry or fresh)
2 Tblsp dried raspberry leaf
2 Tblsp organic orange peel (dry or fresh)
And any other herbs that are good for your skin can also be added but the above is my basic host of ingredients.
3 1/2 Cups extra virgin cold press olive oil.

Place all ingredients in the jar,put the lid on tight and shake the heck out of it once a day for at least four weeks, I go six weeks, then strain out the solids and either use as is or worm up enough to melt 3/4 Cup beeswax, remove from heat and pour into clean containers. Let cool then seal up the containers. I use this for cuts, burns, and as my facial lotion, especially in winter. It also works for wrinkly neck skin.


So that's the basic salve recipe, you can make salves for specific use like the comfrey salve I use for painful muscles and joints, I just use comfrey instead of the other ingredients, I also add CBD hemp, because I have it, as an enhancing agent.

[LoisB]

45. Interesting. I'm going to try to find some comfrey. Chronic left leg pain which has been

deemed by my doctor to be sciatica. I use CBD oil but just by itself.

[2naSalit]

47. There's a warning that goes with comfrey...

It is a toxin if you use it too often. It's recommended that you only use it for a week at most then abstain for at least ten days, maybe longer. Symptoms of over-use are hepatic dysfunction, not digesting food among other nasty things. You can damage your liver from over use so do be careful with that one. The same warning applies to arnica which is used for blood reabsorption/bruises.

Neither of those are a regular daily use sort of thing.

[debm55]

36. Thank you very much, for sharing with us, LoisB.

[Freddie]

105. I remember coke syrup! Was yummy

Mom got it at the drugstore.
I had a lot of tummy aches as a kid and the main remedy was Pepto-Bismol.
A very popular local “delicacy” here in Pennsylvania Dutch country is teaberry ice cream. Had to try it. It’s pink and tastes exactly like Pepto Bismol. The only time in my life I ever threw away ice cream.

[biophile]

12. Sweet spirits of nitre in a spoon with sugar; Geritol for prevention

[debm55]

18. Thank you very much, biophile, for sharing. I remember the Geritol and an elixir called St. John's syrup.

[GPV]

13. When my boys were teething, my Nana told me to dip

a spoon in brandy and freeze it for them.

[debm55]

19. Thank you very much, GPV , for sharing with us. I remember that one. My family would rub the brandy on the gums.

[LoisB]

17. Onion juice and sugar or vinegar and sugar for sore throat. Slice onion into a glass, pour

on sugar (in a few hours, the juice comes out of the onion). - drink. I still do this today.

[debm55]

20. Thank you very much, for sharing with us, LoisB. That is a new one for me.

[berniesandersmittens]

21. Sweet oil aka olive oil for earaches

[debm55]

37. Thank you very much for sharing the home remedy. berniesandersmittens.

[justaprogressive]

23. A 2-Fer

vinegar to clean out a bee-sting on my foot

followed by witch hazel to cool it and as a 2nd astringent

[debm55]

39. Thank you very much for sharing that home remedy with us, justaprogressive.

[LoisB]

24. Daily, in winter, a mixing spoon of Castor Oil or Cod Liver Oil on the way out the door for

school. We all hated that stuff. They would give us a peppermint to kill the taste - that did not work but we rarely got colds and never got flu. If it was up to me, both would be banned for human consumption.

[debm55]

40. I never had Castor Oil or Cod Liver Oil, Thank you very much for sharing, LoisB

[LoisB]

46. You were lucky. If anyone ever tries to convince you to get anywhere near either, RUN.

[Golden Raisin]

25. Tincture of Merthiolate, or

Mercurochrome, was whipped out by my mom for everything from a little paper cut to a big gash. Surprised I still don't have red stains everywhere. LOL

[debm55]

41. HAHAHAHAH. Thank you , Golden Raisin. Mine was Vaseline. Used for every booboo on the skin.

[sop]

26. Vicks VapoRub

To this day I can't stand the smell of the stuff.

[debm55]

42. Agree. How about the Vick's thing you put in your nose for nasal stufffiness? Thank you for sharing, sop

[sop]

43. My mother would put Vicks VapoRub up our noses. It's a miracle we survived.

[debm55]

53. Yuk. Thank you sop for sharing. That sounds terrible.

[displacedvermoter]

27. Hot milk in our ears for earache

[debm55]

58. Oh wow. Did it work? Thank you for sharing displacedvermoter.

[displacedvermoter]

61. Very soothing I recall

You read about Sicilian mothers doing it for earache in various Mafia stories. Seems like Lucky Luciano talked about it in his "memoirs".

We were French Canadian, all our relatives used it, before prescription ear drops probably the best they had.

[debm55]

67. Thank you very much

[Bluestocking]

28. Chicken soup

[debm55]

59. Thank you for sharing, Bluestocking. I had the canned stuff. But it worked like one of the vaporizers.

[JBTaurus83]

29. I grew up in Michigan

And for whatever reason, ginger ale for everything lol.

[Soul_of_Wit]

32. Vernors!

And a Boston Cooler when you weren't sick.

[multigraincracker]

52. Canada Dry here.

[JBTaurus83]

62. When I was (much) younger and went on my first flight

I asked for Vernors and the flight attendant looked at me like I was an alien. I had no idea ginger ale was made by other companies as a kid.

[debm55]

57. HAHAHHAHAHAH. Thank you JBTaurus83

[buzzycrumbhunger]

91. Yup!

Ginger ale (or 7-Up) for sickies, especially if we had nausea and vomiting. The ginger definitely soothed, and the liquid helped restore fluid levels.

I also got the Vicks in the nostrils or under the nose to help clear snot out (or distract from it). Wheee!

[mwmisses4289]

34. Flat 7up or sprite for upset tummies.

Honey and lemon juice in hot tea or water for sore throats.
Soup of any sort when just not feeling good or recovering from anything.

[debm55]

50. Thank you very much for your home remedies, mwmisses4289. I would have the honey and lemon juice in hot tea.

[TommieMommy]

38. Have a cup of tea you will feel better ☕

[debm55]

49. HAHAHHAHAH. Thank you very much for sharing with us, TommieMommy.

[rsdsharp]

44. Vicks Vapo Rub and Camphophanic.

My father was a lab tech for a poultry pharmaceuticals company, and Camphophanic was a camphor spray developed to spray into chicken coops. And apparently the bedroom of my siblings and myself.

[debm55]

48. Thank you very much for the home remedy, rsdsharp

[bottomofthehill]

51. Rubbing alcohol

On the wrists and feet to break a fever.

[debm55]

55. Oh, Thank you so much for sharing with us, bottomofthehill. I have never heard of that remedy before.

[WmChris]

54. Vicks vapor rub

On chest in vaporizer, under nose and if real bad we had to swallow a teaspoon full. We never admitted it was bad after the first time.

[debm55]

56. Oh my. You swallowed it? You are a brave soul, WmChris.

[debm55]

60. Black strap molasses in a cup of milk for your hair.

[applegrove]

63. Gingerale with the bubbles stirred out. It was special because

she was a health nut and never allowed pop in the house except when we were sick. Gingerale was great for stomach aches.

[debm55]

68. Thank you very much for sharing with us.applegrove. that is interesing about the bubles being stirred out.

[KT2000]

64. Barley water

for my brother. He had intractable diarrhea as a baby and nothing helped that the doctor tried. My great-aunt from Ireland said to make barley water for him and it worked.

[debm55]

69. Thank you very much, for sharing with us, KT2000. That is interesting.

[Nittersing]

97. Never heard of barley water so I found this:

Barley water is a traditional, hydrating drink made by simmering barley grains in water, then straining and flavoring the liquid, often with lemon, honey, or mint. It's known for being a refreshing, caffeine-free beverage with a mild, nutty flavor, and is popular in many cultures for its cooling properties and potential digestive benefits from the barley's fiber. To make it, you boil barley in water, simmer for about 30 minutes, strain out the grains, and then add flavorings like lemon juice, zest, and a sweetener before chilling.

I might just try this one.

[debm55]

98. I think I might too. Thank you for looking that up for us. Nittersing.

[KT2000]

99. Thank you!

for looking this up. My mother often told the story of how my brother was saved with it.

Now I am going to share this with my neighbor who gets himself into situations - he seems to acquire any food poisoning out there. Really - thank you for this.

[Jilly_in_VA]

65. This wasn't my mom or grandmother, but a friend's cold remedy

JD 30-30-30. One-third each Jack Daniel's, lemonade, and honey for anything respiratory. I don't know if it worked or not, but after a couple of shots you didn't care.

[debm55]

70. HAHAHAHHAHAHAH. That's funny. Thank you Jilly_in_VA.

[Danascot]

66. Red wine

My wife's aunt would give her red wine if she had a cold.

[debm55]

71. Thank you very much for sharing with us, Danascot.

[nuxvomica]

72. Canadian Club, lemon juice and honey

My dad was a CPA and was always getting bottles of Canadian Club for Christmas from his clients but never drinking it because he couldn't tolerate whiskeys. So my mom used it to make cough medicine for us kids, combining it with lemon juice and honey. Did it work? I honestly don't remember but it did feel warm going down.

[debm55]

73. Hahahahahhhaha, Thanks for sharing with us, nuxvomica. That's funny.

[Luciferous]

74. Honey and lemon for sore throats

[debm55]

75. Thank you very much for sharing with us. Luciferous.

[pfitz59]

76. my father was an MD

but mom still used baking soda and water for most every scratch, rash and burn.

[debm55]

78. Thank you very much for sharing with us, pfitz59

[MLAA]

77. Something called paregoric.

Turns out it was an opiate!

‘Paregoric, or camphorated tincture of opium, is a medication primarily used for its potent antidiarrheal, antitussive (cough suppressant), and mild analgesic properties. Historically used for various ailments, this opium-based tincture is now a controlled substance, requiring a prescription, due to its addictive potential. ‘

[debm55]

81. Paregoric was also used to induce vomiting. When I was very young I remember it in the first aid case . Believe it or

not, it could be bought over the counter at the local drug store. I remember the name as my brother took children's aspirins and my mother gave him some. He vomited. In my second generation Eastern European extended family. hospitals were looked at as places where people went to die not be saved. I can also remember codeine in cough syrup. No scrips for either.

[MLAA]

83. I was given it for car sickness...it worked in that that after a few mins you didn't care whether or not you were sick!

[debm55]

86. Codeine will do that to you. Robitussin-"get a quiet night of sleep" was the one that had codeine in it. Thank you for

sharing with us, MLAA

[MIButterfly]

79. I had a cold and my grandmother put a bowl of chopped onions on the corner of the headboard as I slept.

During the night, the bowl fell off the headboard and I woke up screaming with a bowlful of onions on my face.

Good times.

[debm55]

84. Oh wow. Thank you for sharing with us. MIButterfly.

[greatauntoftriplets]

80. Not my mother, but one of her first cousins.

I was visiting her on my own at age 22. Came down with a bad cold and bronchitis, nearly coughed my lungs up. The cousin made me a hot toddy consisting of tea, honey, lemon, and brandy. I slept like a baby that night, and felt quite a bit better the next day.

[debm55]

82. HAHAHA. I bet you did sleep like a baby that night. Thank you very much, greatauntoftriplets. for sharing.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

85. Always had prune juice in the fridge.

Do they still sell prune juice??

[debm55]

87. HAHAHA. Yes , they do. Thank you for sharing with us. BlueWaveNeverEnd. It is used for constipation

[3catwoman3]

90. My mom totally loved a disgusting concoction called milk toast. Her mother...

...used to make it for her when she was a little girl. Toasted white bread, buttered and sprinkled with sugar, and then covered with warm milk. Soggy and mushy. I found it completely repulsive, but because she had liked it and it made her feel better, she was sure it would do the same for men and would insist that I eat it.

I was never sure why my opinion of it was not accepted.

[debm55]

94. Thank you very much for sharing with us, 3catwoman3. I don't think I had that remedy. It doesn't sound very good.

[prudence54]

107. And here I ASKED for milk toast lol

[FM123]

92. Hot Tang!

Makes me chuckle as I remember this....
I grew up drinking a LOT of Tang, we always seemed to have tons of it in the house. We drank it in the usual way: orange powder mixed in cool water but whenever I came down with a cough Mom would add hot boiling water to it and voila it transformed into a magic cold remedy!

[debm55]

95. Thank you, FM123. that sounds very creative.

[NBachers]

93. Mercurochrome for cuts; Terpin Hydrate and Codeine for coughs; and Calamine for poison ivy.

In summertime, I'd end up with large portions of my body covered with Calamine because I'd have itchy poison ivy rashes all over. I swear, Mom must've kept that stuff in the refrigerator, because it was always icky cold when she dabbed it on.

[debm55]

96. Thank you , NBachers. The same were used in my house too.

[debm55]

100. Head leaning over a steaming pan of water. break congestion in nose and chest.

[prudence54]

101. Earaches we got warmed "sweet oil" drops in the ear. It was very soothing. Also a heating pad.

For poison oak, we'd scrape some bark off an oak tree, boil in water and make a tea with it, let it cool and dab on the rash. It would dry out faster, or so we thought at the time. That was from an old guy who was born in the late 1800s and loved to share old home remedies with my mom. Also: DMSO on scrubbed clean skin for joint pain, inflammation and arthritis. Mom would buy it from the farm store, it was only ever approved for horses. It nearly instantly makes your mouth taste like clams = very weird. I never really noticed any difference but the reason my mom was convinced it worked miracles because my aunt, her sister, applied it to the neck & back of my newly quadraplegic cousin (drunk driver victim) every day for years, and he regained about 80% use of his arms.

I'm nearly 55 and still alive after use of these home remedies so take them for what they are worth.

[debm55]

110. Thank you very much for sharing all your home remedies with us, prudence. Yes, I forgot about the heating pad for the

earaches. I know something was put it my ear , but i think it was somekind of generic stuff from the drug store.

[Ocelot II]

102. Ginger ale for stomach aches, Vicks Vapo-Rub for colds (hated it!),

milk toast (hated that, too), honey, whiskey and lemon for sore throats, mercurochrome for cuts (I don't think you can get that any more), Caladryl for poison ivy and bug bites.

[debm55]

111. Thank you very much for sharing with us, Ocelot II. I had all your selections except for the milk toast. What was that

used for?

[RandySF]

103. Whiskey with some other ingredients.

The only time alcoholic beverages were used in the house.

[debm55]

112. Thank you very much RandySF for sharing with us.

[BittyJenkins]

104. Whiskey & honey or

A highball. My husband got Vic’s vapor rub on his chest and a sock around his neck. Glad I had my mom.

[debm55]

113. Thank you very much for the selections, BittyJenkins. What was the sock for?

[jgurtlerterp]

106. Poultice

My Mom used a piece of sheet, covered it with Vick’s and sprinkled ginger on it. She folded it and pinned it to our pajama tops. The poultice worked to keep our noses from getting stuffy.

[debm55]

115. My grandmother did something similiar with cloth. But it was made with dried mustard and other things. heated in a pot

and placed on your chest. It really burned. When the cloth was taken off the area would a bright red from the burning. Thank you for the poultice made with Vick"s rub and ginger, jgurtlerterp. And welcome to DU

[bmbmd]

108. Mom used coal oil wraps for any injury.

Coal oil is Texan for "kerosene".

[debm55]

114. Oh my. did it burn? Thank you very much bmbmd. I have never heard of that one before.

[Emile]

109. My dad said to me, you're not sick, think

positive and you'll get well. Dad read a book about the power of positive thinking. (Dad was raising 3 kids on his own) I ended up calling grandma, and she took me to the doctor while dad was at work. Turned out I had pneumonia and was in the hospital for a week.

[debm55]

116. Thank you very much for your post, Emile. Sometimes positive Thinking can only go so far.