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Soldato
Joined
15 Jun 2006
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Swindon
Used to use it quite a bit but couldn't say if it "worked" or not. Last time I used it I got a strong burning sensation that lasted about 3 hours and ended up with a cold anyhow! Won't use it again.
 
Soldato
Joined
3 Jan 2004
Posts
3,489
Location
At Home
Was very scepticle of this stuff - the wife swore by it.

So i decided to use it, and sure enough it seemed to stop the cold developing into a full blown thing. In fact - on all the occasions i've used it - it has stopped it within a day. I have since used it 4 or 5 times in the last 18 months or so and have been amazed by the results. For me - it really is a medication that actually works.

Putting it simply - the cold virus has to bury itself in the mucus in your nose /sinuses and multiplies there if the conditions are right. This stuff is slightly acidic - so changes the whole PH of your nose - something that the virus just doesn't want (and as anyone knows that uses it properly - it's absolutely vile ) - The key though is knowing when a cold is starting, getting the stuff right up your nose and dripping down your throat - and most importantly, leaving it there and not blowing it out or sneezing. If the cold virus then can't multiply at the same rate in the acidic conditions, this gives your immune system time to get acting on it and killing it off quicker than normal.

One of the key ingredients of it is Succinic acid in an emulsifier (Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose ) - if this is sprayed around the inside of your nose, the virus hopefully has little chance at multilying at the same levels of a normal host. It also contains a copolymer of Phosphono and carboxylic Acid (PCA) - also useful in adjusting the PH.... Simple really ;)

And as was stated above, Vitamin C and Zinc do nothing to prevent or improve colds (especially in the amounts used in medications and supplements). And that has been proven. If you want a real cold / flu helper - load up on protein (take a protein shake & additional fluid) with amino acids that really do help your immune system.
 
Last edited:
Associate
Joined
22 Nov 2019
Posts
2
Okay it's 2019 now but Google brought me this page so maybe it's the most relevant.
Anyway, I did a degree in Biochemistry and a virus cannot replicate itself. What it does is inject its RNA (like DNA) into your cell, which zombies the cell into making nothing but copies of the virus until the cell bursts, releasing more into the bloodstream to infect other cells. Of course we would die in a matter of days without help but when the strange molecules of the virus trigger an alert and your white blood cells go crazy trying on shoes to fit the virus until a white cell is found that fits. That white cell then multiplies at a rapid pace and pretty soon you have lots of clumps of white blood cells mopping up the viruses.
So....
By the time you feel off, those little buggers are already in your bloodstream.
This is the part that gets me: why do they all travel back to the nasal cavity, climb out onto the surface of your skin and take a tour there, only to get zapped by First Defence?
OR is this perhaps the case: when you get an infection, there are thousands of the little buggers sniffed into the back of your nose, and only a few can gain entrance into your body at a time... so a few get in and cause mayhem, but before the whole army gets in, First Defence captures the lazy or cowardly ones at the back? Leaving far less inside your body for your white blood cells to deal with. I guess that might be... still seems a bit odd though.
 
Associate
Joined
22 Nov 2019
Posts
2
PS Apparently quite a few people have had a seriously adverse reaction to this see https://hodgepodgedays.co.uk/health/vicks-first-defence-nasal-spray-side-effects/

PPS Talking about Vitamin C, while people say there's evidence it doesn't help, I'm not sure they're right. I think it was Linus Pauling who first found a beneficial effect, but NOTE not at the vitamin doses, but at MASSIVELY HIGHER doses (in grams). Now this could work simply by acidifying your system in a gentle way. So, just leaving that out there.
 
Man of Honour
Joined
13 Oct 2006
Posts
90,820
As this thread has been bumped - I've been using First Defence on/off for the last few years and I think it often does help - several times when I've used 3 sprays per nostril ~4 times a day when first getting the signs of a cold after other people at work have already started going down with them I've just had the sensation of fighting a cold, though not as bad as with a full cold, for a few days which leaves me feeling drained but left me fully functional without any of the negatives like getting stuffed up, sore throat, etc. etc.
 
Caporegime
Joined
29 Aug 2007
Posts
28,594
Location
Auckland
A nine and a half year thread bump - which Captain Haddock seems pretty okay with - and here we are.

Some thoughts:

1. He's no biochemist. I hope.
2. Damn, @Participant had mad game in his younger years.
3. Amazon reviews are looking pretty good at 4.3 out of 5 possible stars!

Question:
What is the Best before date ? Could you please say approximately ? Some medicine is really perishable in a short time.
Answer:
Well, when u purchase it , it will state best before date. Any event, mine reads 10/19 since purchase.
By Lou Brown on April 29, 2019
See more answers (3)

Question:
To happy users of this, do you actually use it "two days after symptoms disappear" as it says? Or do you just stop once you feel better?
Answer:
Unfortunately I can't tell you. I did not use this product. There wasn't any seal on the box and no cellophane packaging of the item inside. I just opened the box and it popped out. Seeing this I didn't want to take any chances by using it.
By Grandma x 5 on September 30, 2018
See more answers (2)

Question:
Is there an expiration date on this? If so, about how long does it last?
Answer:
I ordered mine in December 2015 and the expiration date is August 2018. (It's from Vicks UK and manufactured in Germany.) I haven't had to use it yet, but directions say to use 2-3 sprays per nostril, up to 4 x day, when cold symptoms first appear (sneezing, tickle in throat), then continue for 2 days after symptoms … see more
By Desert Rose on May 25, 2016
See more answers (4)

Question:
What is the main ingredient in this product? Is it just a saline spray like cold defense by Boots?
Answer:
It is not just a saline spray. The micro-gel formula (as listed by Jeanine Dry below) traps the cold viruses and reduces the pH of the nasal cavity and inactivates the viruses. Then it flushes the nose and stimulates natural secretion to help naturally remove the inactivated virus.
By bibliophile on September 2, 2015
 
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