Zicam Cold Remedy

Here it was a week before I was to leave from Indiana to drive over 20 hours to Florida and I catch a cold. I really didn't want my Spring break ruined because of a cold. So I head to the store and I pick Up a package of Zicam Cold Remedy Gel Swabs. It was a reasonable price ( 20 swabs for around $9) and I had heard from random people that they worked pretty well.

According to the box this Zicam product is suppose to "Reduce the duration and severity of cold symptoms." Of course the box can say anything it wants, I want to know if this product would really work as it said it would. So I already have the cold, I'm feeling lousy and worring about my trip to Florida and the back of the box says " For best results, use at the first sign of a cold." I'm thinking this isn't gonna work and I'm gonna be miserable on my vacation.

I get home from the store and open the product. I take out the sheet of paper with the instruction on it and one swab. You snap open the swab case and pull off the cap. It says easy to open but they are pretty tough little things. A stick is attached to the cap with a little cotton swab on the end of the stick covered in a clear gel. You put the swab about a fourth of an inch into your nostril and hold a finger to the side of your nostril for about 5 seconds. Redip the swab into the gel and repeat the process on the second nostril. Now after I finished lauging at myself for how goofy I looked sticking a small stick in my nose for 5 seconds I waited for at least 30 seconds (time suggested on box) before blowing my nose. I did this every 4 hours for about 3 days.

The gel had a kind of tingly sinsation and a little of a burning sinsation. It wasn't anything really intense. The box does warn of nose bleeds and burning. Over all it wasn't a real off experiance.

The results: I was completely over my cold in about 4 days. This coming from someone who takes forever to recover from a cold. It usually takes me at least a month to recover from one. Not this time, 4 days and I was done. My vacation was saved!

I would highly recomend this product to anyone who has a hard time getting over a cold. It's a miracle worker.

Update On Jun 18, 2009: I have recently heard on the news where doctors are telling people to STOP taking the Zicam Nose Swabs and the Nasal Spray. Could possibly harm the nasal passages and result in lossing the ability to smell. Too bad cause these are the only things that work for me in controlling my colds. I'll see if I can find an article on this and post.