!@#$!@#& Nasal Congestion - solutions?

[Entity]

For the past few days, I've been having some of the worst nasal congestion in my life due to allergies. I've been taking Claritin in the mornings, but that only really seems to be taking care of the allergies themselves; the congestion, unfortunately, stays. :disgust:

I've tried Afrin (and similar nosesprays), but you are only supposed to use those for a few days before your nose will become physically addicted, and start congesting on its own - so I can't take any of those. I tried a benadryl nosespray today (non-habituating), and have some Vicks vapor inhaler. Both of these seem to work for about half an hour.

Please help! It's gotten so bad that I can't sleep. Anyone have any suggestions for something to help me, besides prescription medication?

Rob

 

[Jzero]

I swear by and push generic sudafed (pseudephedrine HCl). Clears my nose and sinuses right up.
It's pretty cheap OTC. It will get you banned from the Olympics b/c it's a stimulant

 

[minendo]

Alka Seltzer always works for me.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

I just use Ocean Spray...it's just ocean water, but works great for me! Good luck with you clogged up nose.

 

[Entity]

<< I swear by and push generic sudafed (pseudephedrine HCl). Clears my nose and sinuses right up. >>


Looks like one of the OTC nose sprays I was using had that as an active ingredient - it works great for about 6 hours or so. Problem is, it's habituating.

Rob

 

[Viper GTS]

60 mg Pseudophedrine hydrochloride (Sudafed, the little 30 mg red ones x 2)
4 mg Chlorpheniramine maleate (Chlor-Trimeton x 1)

That combination works pretty well, do that every 3.5-4 hours.

Word of warning, though, you WILL flunk a drug test. That much Sudafed & they'll swear you're high as a kite.

Viper GTS <-- Reacted to every category on his allergy tests

 

[Jzero]

<<

<< I swear by and push generic sudafed (pseudephedrine HCl). Clears my nose and sinuses right up. >>


Looks like one of the OTC nose sprays I was using had that as an active ingredient - it works great for about 6 hours or so. Problem is, it's habituating.

Rob >>


These are the little red pills--not a spray. I've never heard of plain old sudafed being habit-forming.

 

[Heisenberg]

Eat extremely spicy foods. I'm not kidding - clears my sinuses up in about 5 minutes versus the hour it takes the Sudafed to kick in.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Good idea, Heisenberg, never even thought of that.

 

[luv2chill]

I tried all of those nose sprays too with little relief. Here's what worked for me--plain old saline nasal spray. You can buy it at any drug store. It helps reduce the swelling in your nasal passages. Give it a try! I have no idea if it will work for you, but I much prefer it to some complex chemical. Simple NaCl for me!

And if that doesn't work--get your doc to write you a prescription for a spray--there are several good ones on the market, although they say that they're at their most effective when used every day. But they aren't habit forming like Afrin.

Allergy shots helped my allergies immensely. I would highly recommend them. It's a pain in the ass going to the Dr.'s office twice a week, but if you can bring yourself to do it and can afford it, immunotherapy is perhaps the best "treatment" for allergies there is. Admittedly though, it works better for some allergens than others. I'm allergic to dust mite and cat dander. The dust mite worked wonders (just like my allergist said it would), but I still stuff up if I'm around a cat for too long.

Good luck to you. I've been there and I know how much it sucks.

l2c

 

[phatcow]

i had MAJOR congestion all my life.. i was able to breath maybe 40 percent of my 19 year existance through my nose.

I had "turbinite"(sp) surgery on my nasal passage a month ago, and i am able to breathe WAY MUCH better than i was able to before. It was the difference between night and day.

 

[tsunek]

I use to have some nasty congestion when i was in high school. I cut out the majority of dairy products i consume as a suggestion from someone. after 2 weeks the congestion was minimal. I spoke to my doctor about it and he said that many people have small allergies to milk that most aren't aware about. i suggest you try it

 

[FSUpaintball]

HERE IS THE ANSWER:


The Nori way

Now you can look just as happy as these satisfied customers!


This is one of my all time favorite legitimate web sites.

 

[khstudios]

Take 1 Deconamine SR before u goto bed...(it's really strong and makes u drowsy)
u'll have an allergy free day the next day.

claritin doesn't work for me....

 

[ThaGrandCow]

<< HERE IS THE ANSWER:


The Nori way

Now you can look just as happy as these satisfied customers!


This is one of my all time favorite legitimate web sites. >>

:Q Thats very... ...disturbing
Have you tried taking a really steamy shower and letting the snot-rockets fly?

 

[Mookow]

Try switching to Claritin-D.

*the D is for Decongestant

 

[Kadarin]

Since I work graveyard shift, I rarely get congested these days, but when I do, I usually take 3-4 Actifed (tripolidine hydrochloride, I believe) at one time. This will make you quite loopy, but it does clear the congestion for a considerable amount of time (unless it's an allergic reaction and you're constantly exposed to the allergen).

 

[psualum]

I prefer Allegra-D over Claritin-D... seems to work better for me.

Also... check the humidity in your bedroom. If your room is too dry... it will dry out your nasal passage and hinder your sleep. I use a humidifier and I also sleep with the window open... at least a crack to keep the air flowing. Especially if you have the heat on..... heat dries out the air... and you need the air to be moist so that it doesn't dry out your nasal passage.

Hope this helps.

 

[BillGates]

I get Flonase prescribed to me once in a while - it's a nose spray. You take one spray in each side once or twice a day and after a few days you feel tons better. My problem is that I usually stop taking it thinking I'm healed already and then after a few more days the problem returns. VERY good stuff.

I also swear by Sudafed - good stuff - sometimes I buy the real stuff, sometimes generic - wonder if there's any difference in it as the real stuff is 4 times as expensive.

 

[Jzero]

<< HERE IS THE ANSWER:


The Nori way

Now you can look just as happy as these satisfied customers!


This is one of my all time favorite legitimate web sites. >>


Man that top picture looks like some sort of bizarre crack-snorting setup.
For the record, I get the saltwater-up-the-nose treatment almost daily during the summer and I'd say:
A) it doesn't help
B) when you bend down and then stand up, saltwater will pour out of your nose. It's at the least annoying, and at the worst can be rather embarassing

Maybe it's just because I "use" real seawater instead of just tap water and sea salt.
You think?

 

[glen]

A great way is with over the counter, NASAL CROM.
Although it is a nasal spray, it is not habit forming because it acts differently than other nasal sprays.
it also won't work instantly.
you need to use it for a few days before it starts working, because it prevents nasal congestion rather than relieving it.

http://health.yahoo.com/health/pdr_drugs/0318/0.html

 

[joelmold]

I use a combination of Beconase AQ and Allegra, twice a day. Works great for me. I have really bad nasal allergies, but as long as I'm taking these I don't have any problems.