A green knight named "NyQuil" comes to the rescue

I'm not a big believer in over-the-counter cold remedies. I've tried almost all of them over the years and came away unimpressed. I think it's a bazillion-dollar industry based on the myth that the drugs -- which aren't cheap -- make you feel better, faster. To me, the only things that can help with a cold are rest and time.

The other night, though, I was desperate.

I finished transcribing some interviews and working on a few stories, went to bed and found myself under siege from my sinuses. I was coughing, sneezing, wheezing and basically drowning in a sea of my own phlegm.

I was miserable. Not wanting to torture my better half, I decided to rummage through the medicine cabinet, take whatever remedy I could find and retire to a different part of the house so that I could try to sleep without disturbing the family (or the neighbors).

The first thing I encountered in our home drug store was a box of NyQuil caplets. I took two and headed downstairs.

In the words of the great Dick Enberg, "Oh, my."

Within 20 minutes, I was out cold. I woke up about six hours later. Wait. That's not entirely true. I "came to" six hours later. It didn't feel like sleep. It was more like a coma. It actually reminded me of coming out of anesthesia after surgery. I didn't feel particularly rested. But, I wasn't struggling to breathe.

I came away impressed with the wonders of NyQuil. I wondered why Tiger Woods needs Ambien when he could just chug some NyQuil. For a moment, I wondered why the "shot girls" in local bars don't sell the green liquid in test tubes. (That's probably not a good idea).

I'll only use it in case of emergencies, but the stuff really did help me get to sleep. I wanted to give it a hearty endorsement and our current installment of "OnMilwaukee.com Recommends" had already gone to press, so I figured I'd do it here.

Anyone out there have a similar story?