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Health

Night Nurse

(33 Posts)
MawtheMerrier Sat 04-Mar-23 17:32:26

I don’t do sleeping pills - I had some prescribed after Paw died but abandoned them after two days because I just felt zonked.
However last night I simply couldn’t settle and was still awake in the early hours. Round about 4 I looked out a bottle of Night Nurse left over from flu and necked 5 ml - no more!
I slept until after 8 (!) let Rosie out, took a mug of tea back to bed with me and promptly fell asleep again until 11 !! I tried to sit up to read but couldn’t hold my iPad which slipped off the bed and all I wanted to do was lie flat.
Whouda thought something you can buy over the counter could have such a dramatic effect.
Who needs drugs ?

crazyH Sat 04-Mar-23 17:38:29

I’ll have to try that Maw - seriously .

Jaxjacky Sat 04-Mar-23 17:40:27

I can’t take it as it has pseudoephedrine, not permitted if you tend towards high bp.

silverlining48 Sat 04-Mar-23 17:50:39

A close family member uses night nurse for this very purpose.

Bossyrossy Sat 04-Mar-23 17:56:42

Recently took it for a persistent cough and slept soundly.

TwiceAsNice Sat 04-Mar-23 18:14:24

I only took night nurse once, it made me hallucinate. Very scary! Never again!

Georgesgran Sat 04-Mar-23 18:23:50

I’m a Day/Night Nurse user - it does help me sleep, although I’m not sure it does much for my cold - I’m on week three, from tomorrow.
I tried Nytol - only once as DH had to stay on watch all night as I had the ‘screaming habdabs’ and was trying to get out of the window!

midgey Sat 04-Mar-23 18:31:55

It is addictive Georgesgran!

VioletSky Sat 04-Mar-23 18:33:32

I always use it when I have cold or flu and it helps me but I thought that was more placebo effect till I read this

SachaMac Sat 04-Mar-23 18:35:24

Im a terrible sleeper, I need to try some of this!?

Luckygirl3 Sat 04-Mar-23 18:52:39

It's potent stuff - akin to Benilyn - knocks you right out. Same ingredient as Nytol tabs I believe.

Purpledaffodil Sat 04-Mar-23 18:59:27

When DD was cabin crew 14 years ago, it was often used to help crew sleep when they had to get up in the middle of the night for a flight. They used to go to bed around 7 and wake ready to go at 3am.
I went along as a passenger once and was amazed to see them all beautifully made up with perfect hair at 3am.

Aldom Sat 04-Mar-23 19:24:50

Luckygirl3 I took Benylin ONCE!!! Never again!!! I should have been going out that evening and just about managed to drag myself upstairs, fall into bed and sleep for twelve hours!!! grin

kittylester Sat 04-Mar-23 19:40:52

Paracetamol works for me but not with quite such drastic effects.

M0nica Sat 04-Mar-23 19:43:55

Anti-histamins knock me out. I was prescribed them for morning sickness when expecting my second child. I took three doses as prescribed - then threw them away, when i finally woke up. A vomiting mother was saferlooking after a toddler rather than a comatose one. Fortuately I took the 3 recommended doses over a weekend when DH was home and he took over all child cars saying wasn't safe to be left with a toddler, or baby for that matter.

I travel to France a lot by ferry and, as I am prone to seasickness. I always have seasick tablets with me, these are primarily anti-histamins. I only take them when the rough sea has started because they knock me out for the rest of the voyage and often the rest of the day/night.

We all react differently to medications. One person's knockout drops are somebody elses party poppers.

Germanshepherdsmum Sat 04-Mar-23 19:56:36

I’ve only taken it when I have a bad cold and always keep a supply. Brilliant stuff.

Charleygirl5 Sat 04-Mar-23 20:03:13

I also can no longer take Night Nurse as I have hypertension but on the days when I did, I slept okay but had no side effects such as sleeping for much longer than usual or feeling zonked. We are all different.

Zoejory Sat 04-Mar-23 20:10:49

There was an article just the other day saying it might be withdrawn from sale. Possible link with extremely rare brain disorders.

I've had insomnia for years and it didn't work for me. I tried most things but have now been given prescription sleeping pills which suit me very well indeed

SueDonim Sat 04-Mar-23 20:36:21

I took some Night Nurse when it was new to the market, for a bad cold. I didn’t read the leaflet properly and washed it down with a night cap. I didn’t wake up again until the next afternoon!! My boys had got themselves up and off to school and I only woke when I did because Dh had come home from working away and came into the room.

I’ve always had a healthy respect for NN ever since. 👀 👀

Callistemon21 Sat 04-Mar-23 21:00:37

I've never tried Night Nurse but anti-histamine tablets have the same effect on me.
They often start working early the next morning 😴

ixion Sat 04-Mar-23 22:19:20

I recall this subject coming up sometime last year and recounted how I took it once recently.
As tough as old boots here, no known allergies but immediately my palms began to itch uncontrollably and became covered in huge red welts.
Frightened me rigid!

Chestnut Sat 04-Mar-23 23:43:04

ixion

I recall this subject coming up sometime last year and recounted how I took it once recently.
As tough as old boots here, no known allergies but immediately my palms began to itch uncontrollably and became covered in huge red welts.
Frightened me rigid!

I had very sore inflamed palms with Trimethoprim! It was as though my palms had been placed on a hob and burnt, they were red and painful. Strange how we are all different.

biglouis Sun 05-Mar-23 01:04:48

I always have a bottle of night nurse in for colds and flu. I find it does knock me out and I feel veru much better the next day.

Another old remedy I have in store is kaolin and morphine. You used to be able to buy it in any chemist or supermarket for stomach upsets and diarrhea. Then the nanny state came along and made it very diffcult to get without prescription. I get mine online and always have a bottle in.

Another good old fashioned remedy for coughs and stuffed up heads is olbas oil. I make an infusion out of it and spend a few minutes with a towel over my head inhaling it. Clears the head and chest enough to get a good nights sleep.

Sometimes the old remedies are best.

FannyCornforth Sun 05-Mar-23 05:03:19

It is really potent stuff.
I’m quite hardcore (child of the 90s wink) and I take a lot of opioids for chronic pain, but Night Nurse still does the business.
5ml is a very small amount though, please don’t take the full amount Maw

GeorgesGran Nytol (the blue one, not the useless green one) has a terrible effect on MrC too.

Purpledaffodil Sun 05-Mar-23 15:07:57

I hope you shake the bottle well biglouis. I believe the reason k and m was withdrawn was because the morphine component settled at the bottom 🥳