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Supersaturated potassium iodide, or SSKI, is a safe, effective cough expectorant routinely prescribed by doctors in the last century to open up the airways in the lungs to help clear deep coughs. It was also used for minor cases of asthma. Conventional medicine has all but forgotten about it because it is inexpensive to make with no opportunity for exclusive patenting rights. It is a natural alternative to toxic over-the-counter options for loosening deeply rooted phlegm to rapidly clear hacking coughs.
When my Dad graduated from medical school in the 1950s, the go-to cough expectorant that was prescribed by physicians at the time was SSKI, super saturated potassium iodide. Some physicians refer to it as pima syrup. This is not to be confused with regular KI solution at the health food store.
SSKI was an inexpensive and highly effective tool for deep-rooted congestion that was beyond the reach of the cilia, the tiny hairlike projections that line the upper half of the lower respiratory tract, gently sweeping debris and mucous out of the lungs.
Old-time pharmacists regularly filled prescriptions for SSKI although today, most pharmacists less than about 60 years old would likely scratch their heads should such a script be requested.
SSKI works spectacularly well for thinning and clearing mucous deep inside the lungs so that it is more easily coughed up. This function is very beneficial because when mucous is rooted deep inside the lungs, coughing is the only way to get it out.
How to Use SSKI
When I was a child, my Dad would give us 4-5 drops of SSKI in a small glass of water or juice at breakfast time. It was only used if we were coughing and had lung congestion that needed to be cleared. The result was truly magical.
Within a few minutes, he would instruct us to take a couple of deep, slow breaths. This would immediately trigger a very productive coughing spell that cleared out the trapped congestion.
SSKI works very very fast to thin the mucus and acts as a natural cough expectorant. As a child, I noticed that it would only take a few minutes and the ease of coughing up any mucous was very noticeable.
4-5 drops per day could be continued for a week or at most two with no ill effect. If a cough was severe, 4-5 drops twice a day could be used for up to a week to clear very thick, infected mucous.
Sometimes, after a few days of using SSKI, I would notice a bit of a metal taste in my mouth. This was the signal to reduce the dose a bit or taper it off if my cough had resolved sufficiently. It goes away immediately when the dosage is reduced or stopped.
Natural Cough Expectorant
For the past 3 decades since leaving my parent’s home for college, I have always kept a small bottle of SSKI in my medicine cabinet. One bottle lasts for 10 years or more. No kidding. I’m literally on only my second bottle since I graduated high school!
You can get it at a compounding pharmacy or order it online here. Use coupon code HealthyHome and get 10% off your order.
Even though I didn’t eat very well in college and throughout my 20s, I credit use of this age-old remedy for keeping me med-free during any bouts with colds or flu.
Other more expensive cough expectorants on the market which contain the drug Guaifenesin don’t work nearly as well as SSKI in my experience. Another downside: these over the counter medicines are loaded with additives and other undesirable chemicals.
SSKI, on the other hand, is just a simple compound consisting of two elements that are actually nutrients too: potassium and iodine.
Nothing else is added!
Where to Find this Old Time Remedy
Next time you need a cough expectorant, why don’t you try SSKI? You can order it online here and get 10% off with coupon code HealthyHome.
It is even more effective when you combine it with elderberry syrup, a scientifically proven remedy for reducing the symptoms and severity of coughs.
No doubt, when you ask your doctor about this simple traditional remedy, you will get a very quizzical look! He/she will likely have no idea what it is if under the age of 70.
It’s time to bring back into popularity some of these old-time remedies that work great, are very inexpensive and have no nasty additives – wouldn’t you agree?
Lugol’s or (KI) Potassium Iodide is NOT SSKI
It is important to note that Lugol’s or the potassium iodide (KI) liquid that you can order online or get at the health food store IS NOT THE SAME THING as SSKI.
It is best to get it at a compounding pharmacy or from a functional physician who can write prescriptions. If your insurance doesn’t cover visits to this type of doctor, consider switching to healthcare sharing.
Alternatively, you can order SSKI kits online here and get 10% off with coupon code HealthyHome.
References
How to Make and Use an Onion Poultice for Congestion
Natural and Effective Sinus Infection Remedy
Doctor Prescribed Treatment for Healing Croup Naturally
Pottenger’s Remedy for Respiratory Illness
Fast Tip to Prevent Sinus Infections
Power Shot: Best Green Juice for Nasal Congestion
We need a DIY version.
My thoughts exactly Paul. If somebody is making it then, it is make-able. In the end it will be up to the likes of folk like you and me who think along these lines to accomplish this task. Doing for ourselves and loved ones IS the answer and way out of the matrix. Slavery is pernicious and takes many forms. It also exhibits MANY “protective” attributes to maintain it’s primary position in ones life. Even down to the point of the slave asserting that they are not a slave. Like natural medicine, true freedom is hard and never ending work. Being tied to the system means you gotta have an “approved” doc. Making it yourself tells the “system” “I don’t need you, for anything”. And that my friend is the ONLY thing that puts a fright into the “system”. Therefore, it MUST be the right thing to do, yes? FURTHER, if you do it with no profit motive, well,…… the “system” hates you most of all for this. And again, this shows you the right path. Ones fruit and motivation are always showing for those who observe.
As an aside, I just now noticed the add for Robitussin run below this blog. It’s claim is that “Nothing gives you more powerful cough relief”. In light of the topic being discussed here, am I the only one that finds this curious?…….
Right on, Bob!!! DIY, avoid the system, and return to FREEDOM!!!
Iodine, some of us will need to pass on this…
Wow, Julie, we need to locate this!!!
I have an excruciating headache with slight fever and nausea. I haven’t taken any pain reliever in over a year and a half, but I can’t stand this much longer. I can barely drink water. Is there anything you can recommend to help with the headache?
Will a pharmacy mix it without a script ?
No, it is an Upsher-Smith (Pharmaceutical Company) medication that can only be obtained with a prescription from an MD. My doctor gave me a prescription with a number of refills. It works wonders.
Another traditional remedy for congestion (that my mother, a nurse, used on us) is syrup of ipecac. It’s generally used to produce vomiting, but when just a few drops are used in a glass of water, it serves to help the body expel mucous naturally and safely from the throat, while coughing and clearing one’s throat.
Emily Leach!
Toxic?
I will have to learn more about this stuff. I like the idea of an aid that helps the symptoms instead of Suppressing. The cough is there for a reason…
Unfortunately, we do NOT have access to a Dr that can prescribe medication for us. And most medications (both OTC or prescription) we end up having adverse reactions to. 🙁
What would you suggest from a natural herbal store?