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Dry Throat Every Morning? I Spent $640 on Fixes. Here's the Receipt

Lozenges, sprays, "lung detox" teas, a $79 pillow and two humidifiers I never measured. Two years of heavy mornings, itemized. And what I would have done differently from the start.

Diane Walsh
By Diane WalshReader contributor · retired bank teller, 66
8 min read
Fact-checked against EPA, CDC, ALA and NIH sourcesUpdated See sources ›
Woman at home adding up receipts and papers with a calculator
Diane added up every receipt she could find from two years of trying to fix her mornings. Photo: Unsplash

Key takeaways

  • A dry throat every morning is often a sign of dry bedroom air. Measure it and aim for 30% to 50% humidity.
  • Diane spent $640 in two years on lozenges, sprays, teas and gadgets that treated the symptom, not the cause.
  • Some "fixes," like plug-in air fresheners and a dirty humidifier, made her indoor air worse.
  • Her new routine is mostly free, and anything taken daily gets 8 to 12 weeks before she judges it.
In this article
  1. What the receipt taught me
  2. Is LungVicks worth it? What I do now, and what it costs
  3. Before you buy anything else, do this first
  4. Frequently asked questions

I worked at a bank for 34 years. I balance my checkbook to the penny. So it is a little embarrassing to admit that I spent two years throwing money at my mornings without ever adding it up.

It started the winter I turned 64. I'd wake up with a throat like sandpaper and a heavy chest, and it would take me until mid-morning to feel normal. My doctor checked me out and said everything looked fine. So I did what most of us do: I went shopping.

Last month my granddaughter helped me clean out the hall closet, and we found the evidence. Half-empty bottles, three boxes of tea, a pillow still in its plastic. I sat down at the kitchen table with my calculator and the receipts I could find. Here it is.

DIANE'S MORNINGS2 years of "fixes" · itemized
Humidifier #1too small, ran dry by 2 a.m.
$29.00
Humidifier #2never cleaned it. Pink slime.
$59.00
Throat lozenges, 52 bagsone bag a week for a year
$130.00
Saline nasal spray x6
$48.00
"Lung detox" tea x5 boxestasted like hay
$60.00
"Breathe-easy" foam pillowstill in the plastic
$79.00
Menthol chest rub x4
$36.00
Plug-in air fresheners, 12 refillsmade the air worse, not better
$60.00
Store turmeric capsules x4plain root powder
$44.00
Nasal strips + mouth tape
$25.00
Diffuser + essential oils
$70.00
TOTAL
$640.00
STILL TIRED
Thank you for shopping. No refunds on opened items.

Six hundred and forty dollars. And the worst part wasn't the money. It was that I never once stuck with anything long enough to know if it helped, and I never once asked why my mornings felt that way in the first place.

What the receipt taught me

1
I was buying fixes for the symptoms of dry air. Lozenges, sprays, rubs: every one was treating a dry throat. When I finally bought a $12 hygrometer, my bedroom read 23%. The EPA recommends 30% to 50% indoors.1 Two humidifiers, and I'd never once measured.
2
Some of my "fixes" were making it worse. Plug-in fresheners, a dirty humidifier, a dusty filter. The EPA notes indoor air can carry two to five times more of some pollutants than outdoor air.2 I was adding to it.
3
The turmeric I bought was mostly root powder. Plain turmeric powder is only about 3% curcumin,4 and curcumin on its own is poorly absorbed. I had no idea that black pepper extract (piperine) can increase absorption by up to 2,000%.5
4
I quit everything after about two weeks. Every single item on that receipt got judged in days. Nothing you do daily can be judged in days.

Is LungVicks worth it? What I do now, and what it costs

This spring I started over with a plan instead of a shopping cart. The basics first, most of them free: fix the air, water before coffee, five minutes of pursed-lip breathing by the window,3 a walk every morning, and a clean bedroom. And one supplement, chosen for what's on the label rather than the ad.

DIANE'S NEW ROUTINE90 days · itemized
Digital hygrometer
$12.00
White vinegar to clean the humidifier
$3.00
New HVAC filter
$15.00
Glass of water before coffee
$0.00
5 min breathing by the window
$0.00
Morning walk
$0.00
Bedding washed hot, weekly
$0.00
LungVicks, 3 bottles90-day supply
$207.00
TOTAL
$237.00
≈ $2.30 a day for the supplement · the rest is free

Here's how I think about that last line. I spent $640 on things that couldn't be returned, judged in two weeks, aimed at the wrong problem. LungVicks is a turmeric extract standardized to 95% curcuminoids, with black pepper extract, taken with breakfast and dinner. It's a 90-day supply, which is what it actually takes to judge something you take every day.

I'm eight weeks in. I won't tell you a capsule changed my life; I fixed my air and my habits at the same time, and I can't separate them. What I can tell you is that my bedroom reads 42% now, I'm out walking by 7:30, and for the first time in two years I'm not shopping for the next fix.

LungVicks dietary supplement, 3 bottles of 60 capsules

LungVicks: what's in the bottle*

  • Turmeric extract standardized to 95% curcuminoids
  • BioPerine® black pepper extract for absorption
  • 60 capsules per bottle: one with breakfast, one with dinner (a 30-day supply)
  • Made in the USA · sold only on the official site

Before you buy anything else, do this first

Discover LungVicks ›
Made in the USA

Frequently asked questions

Why do I wake up with a dry throat every morning?

Common reasons include dry bedroom air from heating, breathing through your mouth while you sleep, and not drinking enough fluids. Keeping bedroom humidity between 30% and 50% and drinking water on waking can help. If it persists, talk to your doctor.

Is LungVicks worth the money?

It depends on what you compare it to. LungVicks costs more per day than a basic turmeric capsule, but plain turmeric root powder is only about 3% curcumin and often has no black pepper extract. On the official site, the 3-bottle pack is $207 (a 90-day supply, about $2.30 a day). It is worth it only if you will take it consistently for 8 to 12 weeks alongside the free habits.

How long until I notice anything?

Daily supplements work gradually, if you notice anything at all. Give a consistent routine 8 to 12 weeks before judging it. The free habits, like fixing bedroom humidity and drinking water on waking, are the part people tend to notice first.

Can I take LungVicks with my medication?

Check with your doctor first, especially if you take blood thinners or diabetes medication, are pregnant or nursing, or have gallbladder or liver problems. Never stop prescribed medication without medical advice.

Diane Walsh
About Diane WalshDiane spent 34 years as a bank teller in Springfield, Missouri. She is a grandmother of four, a reluctant walker turned daily walker, and now keeps every receipt.
When to see a doctor: shortness of breath, chest pain, wheezing, or a cough lasting more than three weeks need medical attention. This article is about everyday comfort, not about treating illness. Never stop prescribed medication without talking to your doctor.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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