Gripe Water

[the.fee.fairy]

I figured that you people with kiddies were the best to ask about this!

Can you still get it? i've looked everywhere and can't find it. Does anyone remember it and possibly know what's in it?

Ta

[Jerseymum]

I think it mostly contained gin (back in the old days). No wonder parents got a nice quiet night.
Are you looking for cures for windy-pops?
Or are you just interested?
Sarah

[madanna]

Dunno about traditional gripe water but fennel is fantastic - and general wind relief peppermint tea is now routinely offered in hospitals for surgery that involves blowing up the stomach area with gas - like c sections etc

Not sure it thats any help lol

[baldowrie]

yes you can still get it, in drops now too. Incl is one, whether it is the same as mother used to have I don't know!

Hmmmm Infacol didn't come out!!!

[Shirley]

Intrigued... why do you want gripe water... are you going to make it into wine??

Isn't some of the gripe water dill based?

[the.fee.fairy]

nonono, i suffer from trapped wind a lot because i've got IBS. i've had an attack for the last couple of days and rennie deflatine is not touching it!!

I remember my mum giving me gripe water when i was a child, and that always seemed to have the desired effect, so i was hoping to find some in Boots today, but they said that there wasn't any.

I'll have to get mum to go to the chemist tomorrow!

[Annpan]

Try boots in the baby food/drink isle. They should have it in 500ml glass bottles with white labels on.

I think that it is some kind of fermented water, it has no alcohol and it is not the same as infacol (which is just another colic treatment) try searching on wikipedia.


edit to say woops, try a bigger Boots

[the.fee.fairy]

ok, i'll give it a go.

Thankyou

[Clara]

Gripe water contains dill essential oil, though I would think a better bet for you would be peppermint oil. You can dilute peppermint essential oil (always check that it is Mentha x Piperita, rather than Mentha Arvensis, if it doesn´t say buy another brand), about 2 drops in a teaspoon of carrier oil and massaged clockwise on the stomach or you can buy peppermint capsules - a more expensive brand such as Colpermin is worth it as the capsule is designed to release the oil where it is needed.

NEVER EVER be tempted to take peppermint EO either neat or diluted - you will burn the hell out of your oesphagus.

Clara x.

[Milims]

I avoided gripe water with my two - and incidentally I used to suffer very badly with colic as an adult - very painful!! I always gave my two either dill or fennel tea - but ginger is also good for calming the stomach. Also try massaging your stomach in a clockwise direction - the direction of the gut - with lavender oil. Oh - and a bloody good fart works wonderes!!
Chris suggests live yoghurt. Good luck and hope you feel better soon.

[the.fee.fairy]

see, that's what i'm hoping for!!
i'll give the peppermint tea and massages a go when i get home (don't fancy letting it all go at work...).

[Clara]

Forgot to say WHY I recommend Peppermint over everything else...

Peppermint EO contains a substance which prevents calcium uptake into the smooth muscle of the gut. Calcium is the substance which all muscles use in the contraction phase, hence no calcium, no contraction = no spasms = no gas.

[the.fee.fairy]

I'll give the peppermint oil a try as well then.

Lets hope for a windy night!!

[Silver Ether]

yep original gripe water was alcohol based ... and gin still settles my IBS/ ceoliac... fennel was always good for mine as was Chamomile teething granuals ... Homeopathic...

[Milims]

Gin is probably the best medicine in all the world - Chris swears by it as a pain killer for his RA!!