Decongestant Puns

You go to a drugstore and there's like 8 different antihistamines and 5 different NSAIDs and what have you, but drugstores always seem to only stock two different nasal decongestants: phenylephrine and pseudoephedrine. And one of them is a placebo, and the other has to be dispensed by a pharmacist since it can be turned into meth relatively easily.

Why are there no effective OTC nasal decongestants? What's so hard about it compared to medicines targeting other tissues?

Ive been trying to figure out if my strange symptoms (episodes of facial numbness and very strange feeling in waves) are related to my sinuses. Or the Inflammation of my trigeminal nerves due to my sinuses.

I was scoped on Monday. The doctor sprayed something- something numbing. I’m realizing it could have also contained a decongestant. I’m also realizing that I felt amazing that day and the day after. And much worse starting the third day. I’m wondering if maybe it could have been a decongestant?

If it was basically Afrin, maybe I could use that and see how I feel and know for sure.

Anyway- does anyone know what’s in that spray?

I have had the misfortune of falling sick with a fairly nasty headcold, which I was eager to treat with some decongestants (theraflu to be precise). However, when I looked at the “Ask your doctor before using if you have…” section, I noticed that it specifically mentioned “thyroid disorders.” I was super confused but curious so I looked it up, only to learn that there are two ingredients that, when mixed with synthroid/levothyroxine, can allegedly cause heart issues (predominantly in people with pre-existing conditions).

Just thought I would give a heads up since I did not know and wish someone would have told me!

Here’s more info for those who are interested.

4 month old Baby’s nose is so stuffy, but only at night. It wakes her up. We run humidifier & do baby frida sucker / saline spray. Any other tricks?

Saw cardiologist today for follow up after 9 day holter monitor and ECG. No significant findings. Dr recommended an otc nose spray for my SOB. Didn't address my high HR on standing/walking. I asked about POTS and he said I would need a tilt table test to diagnose. He did not think it was indicated.

I'm leaning towards getting a 2nd opinion.

Anyone have a similar experience?

My brothers and sisters

I am at the end of my isolation period and have no remaining symptoms other than hectic congestion.

I have tried using a steamer but it made no difference. Menthol crystals make the situation even worse. The only thing that has worked is the Sinutab blocked nose spray. I use it and within 2 minutes I'm good to go for the next 8 or so hours. I swear that little spray was life changing. However, the instructions warn not to use it for more than 3 days continuously.

What else can I try? I am desperate to be able to breathe.

Wife and I had sex tonight and it was a "mixed" encounter. While we both orgasmed and were able to get her off twice, there was a lot of pain on her end when we did PIV - especially at the beginning because it took some extremely tiny strokes for awhile until she seemed to loosen up for us to go with a little more intensity. She didn't want to stop, so we powered thru until it began to feel better for her.

We're thinking that the root cause is decongestants because it seemed to dry her out in the past. We do use lube and she put in more than normal but it wasn't a fix for the issue. Any suggestions on what we can do while she takes the decongestants to help with vaginal dryness or more generally - not feel so sore and swollen?

My girlfriend is starting to see red chunks coming out of her nose when she picks her nose lately. It is all crusty inside of it. She has been using decongestant nasal sprays daily past 3 months, with a 1 month break before that and pretty much takes them past 10 years with small breaks in between. Is there a possibility of getting a perforated septum from this or is it just something else?

[24M] Hey everyone, it's that time of the year again and seasonal allergies and colds are destroying my ability to breathe through my nose like a normal human being (I have a deviated septum so any kind of congestion RUINS me).

I have used Afrin and generics ( Oxymetazoline Hydrochloride (0.05 %)) for short term relief to help with colds and allergies but hate the rebound the next day even when used within the proper guidelines. It's like you are trading being miserable tomorrow for being able to fall asleep today.

Are there any alternatives to Afrin that provide the short term congestion relief without the horrible rebound? I don't even need an all day solution, just something that can help me get to bed at night. I have tried Sudafed but it really doesn't do much to help the nose. Thanks!

I feel you 😞

I’ve quit multiple times over the past decade but it’s always an episode of sinusitis that gets me hooked again. The hard thing is that it really WORKS, and I swear if I start taking it early enough it stops it ever getting to the point of full on infection and unbearable misery.

Has anyone here had any luck getting off the demon spray? I’d love to hear what worked for you, and how you manage your sinus problems since.

Also, I just started a little community for anyone trying to get off decongestant sprays at r/quitafrin. Feel free to join our support circle if you need some help getting off of it too!

Just got back from the ENT dealing with a recurrent sinus infection (long saga, numerous surgeries, etc.) He used the decongestant on me and I find it really helps. I know you have to be careful using it (rebound effects) -- and I'm wondering if the efficacy isn't due to the insertion method (long thin tube gets it closer into the sinuses). I notice I get really numb when they use it on me.

I'd love to have this on hand for emergency use -- instead of having to make an appointment to do this.

So my questions:

-- is what they use the same thing as Afrin or something else? Or higher strength?

-- can I find that applicator anywhere over the counter?

Seriously we made a covid vaccine in like a year why can’t we manage to clear the nasal cavity of a small child. I swear when my youngest is 4 I’m going to smash a humidifier with a hammer. That is all.

I can feel a little congestion in the morning lately and usually I would take something like Mucinex or Claritin. I checked Google and it sounds like it’s safe to take together (as far as non-drowsy goes). Was wondering if anyone experienced any side-effects from cold-treating OTC meds?

Is pseudofed available anywhere in Thailand? I have a bad post nasal drip problem that makes it's way into my lungs. A gross feeling. Can it be purchased or is it just totally unavailable due to the methamphetamine problems in Thailand. Would a doctor or hospital be necessary to obtain this? It seems so difficult to obtain any medications outside of Bangkok unless you go through a pharmacy.

I have taken Advil Cold and Sinus Plus, and did not realize it would interact with Levothyroxine - having some chest pain and from what I’m reading this is a common side effect. Has anyone else seen experienced this, and how long will this side effect last? Thank you for any advice!

So I’ve run into this issue several months back when I tried to buy allergy pills because I had the money but my prescription wasn’t being refilled due to shortage. My normal pharmacy... well lets just say they try but they didn’t have enough people.

At the time I hadn’t even bought decongestant with my ID in over a year and I already know about the system the computers use to keep track but this even happened at a CVS.

Has anyone else had this problem?

hi! i have my first cold since being diagnosed with t1 and was wondering what decongestants (if any) are safe to take. i read that some can raise blood sugar and acetaminophen interferes with dexcom readings so i wasn’t sure if i should stick to neti pots and warm showers or if there’s any otc meds t1s still can use! thankfully my only problem is a super congested nose and my blood sugar hasn’t been too affected by the cold.

I hope we can make a space where we can support each other and share tips, experiences and recommendations.

I know antihistamines are to be avoided when experiencing dry eyes - what about sudafed and other decongestants?

The decongestant I have has psuedoephedrine and triprolidine hydrochloride as active ingredients.

TIA

So I'm not sure how many of you are aware, but Adderall possesses fairly powerful decongestant properties, which for many people can be a big plus. This should be especially true of someone like myself with chronic allergies and lifelong history of congestion. I even recently had a sinus surgery done to help prevent chronic sinusitis. I also take allergy Zyrtec daily, paired with a nasal steroid (Flonase) and a prescription antihistamine nasal spray. Needless to say, my allergies are severe and it would make sense that Adderall would actually improve these symptoms, and it does! Quite a bit, in fact.

However...

Unfortunately, every decongestant has a 'rebounding' side effect, in which the positive effects of a decongestant are inverted upon stopping the drug. Your nasal and sinus passages swell up and become clogged, and phlegm becomes thick and hard to clear. My doctor actually reccomended I stay away from decongestants like Sudafed (a drug with decongestant properties that act very similar to Adderall) despite my chronic congestion issues because of this exact reason.

The issue I'm having with Adderall is during the time I'm asleep and the drug is no longer active, these rebounding symptoms happen very severely and I wake up feeling incredibly congested, feverish, and pain in my face and ears like I have a sinus infection. My deduction is that this is caused by the rebounding effect (plus my severe allergies). I also tend to prefer to take days off of Adderall when possible to maintain it's effectiveness, and these days the symptoms are the worst. I feel like I have the flu.

I regularly saline rinse 3 times a day and have tried to stay as hydrated as possible, keep a humidifier in my room while I sleep, and I avoid caffeine like the plague, but I still can't seem to fight the effects. This has lead towards a compounding effect that has me in consistent pain from sinus pressure and congestion.

I'd like to continue Adderall because it is the only medication that has reliably relieved my ADD symptoms, but the side effects are starting outweigh the positives. Does anybody have any ideas for a solution?

I thought maybe taking a decongestant at night or on my days off of adderall could counter the rebound effect, but many decongestants with similar effects interfere with sleep, and I fear the effects would eventually deplete and I would be left with an even more severe rebound if I stopped.

So yeah. Sort of a PSA to anyone who is having similar symptoms

There was once a time I used this spray every night just to go to sleep, and my ENT told me not to take it for more than three days straight since it kinda fucks up your nasal airways, but is it chemically known to be addicting? It’s active ingredient is Oxymetazoline Hydrochloride.

I have suffered with allergies my entire life. Seasonal, then dust mites, mint (the real physical plant), oral allergy syndrome, and post nasal drip. The pnd has been so bad the past few years that I've coughed mucus and vomited often. This blend I find is the only thing that works other than pretty much huffing peppermint and eucalyptus while crying into my neti pot that I've used 3 times already that day.

I loved dymista but it's not covered by insurance here. It's a mix of an antihistamine and steroid, but I will say that the effects can be mimicked by using three things.

In all honesty... only the three together seems to help. Also, regular neti potting, and huffing eucalyptus/peppermint for good measure.

Fyi, "Cold drinks" as in drinks for a cold, basically neocitran! I love that stuff. Warms my insides and soothes with drugs.

The best way to describe it after 3 weeks of microdosing 5ug every 3rd day❤️

I’m really not trying to make meth (I have a dexamphetamine prescription), just be able to breathe properly lol.

This is probably completely academic as I don’t have that much equipment, but I couldn’t find much online about it. “pseudoephedrine synthesis” just brings up meth synthesis results.

The only thing I could find was that joke paper for pseudo from meth.

Could it be made from d-amp? Would it be easier to try make benzedrex? Should I just rail the speed I already have?

EDIT: for anyone wondering, I ended up just railing some (purified to remove the talc etc) d-amp pills, and that seemed to work

Got a good ol’ cold and ear infection recently, and have had a hard time getting my ears to clear. I feel like I vaguely remember hearing from someone/somewhere that Sudafed wasn’t a good idea. (I’ve had heart palpitations at one point as a LH symptom, so could be in part to that?) Didn’t know if anyone else had some other suggestions? Thank you so much!