Zicam Nasal Swabs
Some of you may recall my less-than-stellar review of the Zicam nasal gel remedy. Well, I was fortunate enough to be infected with a cold this year so I thought I’d take the opportunity to try a different Zicam delivery mechanism. Enter the Zicam Nasal Swab. First let me say that “Nasal Swab” does not sound like a product I want to try, so it was with a heavy heart and gentle hand that I tested my first swab. There is no way around it, you’re shoving a slime-coated Q-tip up your nose and swirling it around. While the idea of this is pretty horrific, in practice it isn’t all that terrible. Don’t get me wrong, I’d definitely recommend NOT shoving the thing in your nose if you can avoid it but then I’d also recommend not getting sick. Circumstances such as they are, the swab isn’t all that bad. It’s FAR less irritating than the nasal gel and I didn’t have any issues with the goop dripping down my throat like I did when I squited the nasal gel up there.
I’m not sure why it’s so much less irritating given that I would have to assume it’s the same medicine on the swab that comes in the pump. Perhaps it’s all in the application, for me wiping a q-tip around my nose is far less irritating than using a high-velocity injector to jam gel up there. You still have to pinch your nostril shut for 5 seconds and then wait at least 30 seconds before blowing your nose after application, but the swab made it easier to do so. I found with the injector it was torture waiting to blow my nose; with the swab I’m less irritated so my nose doesn’t come on like a faucet and I can hold out and potentially not even blow my nose at all.
My only real gripe with the swabs is that some of them were upside-down in the box, this led to a big mess when I opened the thing because all of the goop was up around where the handle part is. After I made this unpleasant discovery I turned the rest of them right-side up and haven’t had this issue again.
I feel like they are having a positive effect on the cold, but of course it’s really hard to say given I may have been feeling better even if I hadn’t used them. The cost is worth the extra assurance though and using them isn’t so horrible as to make it not worth bothering (as is the case with the nasal injector thing). So I guess that leaves us with Zicam being a good product provided the proper transport mechanism is used. Here’s the breakdown based solely on application option:
- Cold Remedy Nasal Gel - Sucks, could be used as a means of torture
- Oral Mist - Sucks less than Nasal Gel but tastes pretty horrible
- Cold Remedy Chewables - Same as Oral Mist but add gross texture
- Cold Remedy Rapid Melts - untried, must assume horrible taste
- Nasal Swab - Recommended application technique, not horrible and works well
Did you start using the product the instant you felt the hint of a cold? If you don’t then they can claim that’s why it didn’t work.
I think the way Zicam works most effectively is that it makes you think you’re going to get better sooner. Studies have shown that our brains can be powerful enough to fight off sicknesses. It’s why you so rarely hear of Presidential candidates getting sick. Their drive towards the election is so strong, they cannot allow themselves to get sick and so they don’t.
Cheers!
I also use these swabs. A student of mine used the gel and said it was the most disgusting thing she had ever done, but thought it really helped her cold. I tried pretty much all the other methods of delivery, the chew things, the melt-away tablets, and the mouth spray. The chew things were like really old Starburst and only kind of gross, the meltaway tablet was like sucking on chalk, the mouth spray was fine, but it made my stomach hurt. They all seemed to help, but I didn’t want to do them for their taste, texture and what they did to my digestion. Then came the swabs. Yes, I think sticking a goop covered thing in my nose is nasty, but it really isn’t that bad. The whole thing lasts a couple of minutes after a few seconds of applying the good and it is only done every three hours. I have no stomach upset and I swear by these things. I am just wondering if anyone actually follows the directions and keeps using the product for 48 hours after symptoms disappear. I wonder if Zicam believes we need the extra applications or if they are trying to sell more product. I also wonder what other people’s experience with this product are.
I have used the swabs three years running. I guess I will have to stop since they have been taken off the market. But not yet, I still have some. I guess I will have just one more cold free year until I run out. I use the same swab several times. More now. True, it’s gross, but I will not suffer colds.
In theory, each device bus can have its own address space. ,
Hmmm guys you do know it is related with permanent loss of smell right?
If you do and still use it to counter the symtoms of the common cold then you lose I’m sorry..
The usual remedy for common cold is just lots of water, fruit juice and also vitamin-C tablets.”;~
you can actually shorten the symptoms of common cold by taking lots of vitamin-c*.~