So last night I’m feeling groovy, ok? I’m perusing the SDMB, IMing with Gunslinger, listening to some funky grooves on Napsterbad. Then out of the blue a huge wave of TIRED hits me like a brick wall, except that brick walls don’t usually hit people, it’s the other way around. Anyway, I go to bed, wake up, and discover myself with a head cold or allergy attack or some kind of nasty evil death sinus, as evinced in the title. I mean I can’t breathe, it feels like somebody poured Quikrete up my nose while I slept, and every time I sneeze or blow my nose I feel bits of my brain dislodging.
I hate that feeling of my brain feeling really heavy and when my face wants to drop off. The above is due to allergies or another such sinus affliction. I have them really bad right now because of all the idiotic pollen flying around. The pollen scale is 0 to 12, and here in Arizona, for this weekend, the rating is at 11.8. I dread going outside anymore.
To deal with all my allergies and sinus problems, I used to go to the doctor’s. What’s the use if I was constantly asleep from the medication, or what was worse, could not go to sleep at all. Bad if you have to go to school the next day. Also, some of the meds just made my allergies a sinus infection. So, now I just use Tylenol Sinus in the morning(not at night, it keeps me up) and pull myself through the day.
I also take a long warm shower; this helps to moisten your sinuses and dislodges anything you have up there(unless something is needed up there). Aaaahhhh, does it feel great! Using a humidifier when you sleep helps. Same sort of reaction as the shower, you’re just not cleaner.
I’ve had sinus problems for years - seemed to come on with extreme changes in the weather or when the barometer dropped (rain). Tylenol Sinus worked for me for a long time for getting rid of the headaches, but did nothing for the awful postnasal drip (that’s when the mucus drains down the back of your throat - yuck). This past February, I was going through this crap, but also feeling rundown. THEN, I got bacterial conjunctivitis and my optometrist gave me drops for it, but told me to see my M.D. because it could’ve been caused by my sinuses! My M.D. gave me an antibiotic for sinus infection, said I probably have allergies, and gave me Allegra. The Allegra works great - there was improvement the first day I took it. And the antibiotic took care of the sinus infection and now I feel great.
So I say, yeah, try the Tylenol Sinus, but if you’re feeling generally unwell, or you’ve got a godawful postnasal drip that won’t quit, see your doc.
If you’re going to be taking something OTC, don’t take just any ol’ thing you find around the house. They recalled a lot of the cold & sinus medications on the market a coupla months ago. Well, recall isn’t exactly the right word. They stopped using a certain ingredient and recommended that you toss out medication that has it. Increased risk of stroke, at least in women. I think it’s one of the pseudoephedrine thingies. How’s that for not helpful due to extreme vagueness? Anything you go buy new will be fine, however
That said, I’m taking some old stuff right now because I’m too tired to go to the drugstore. I found some stuff I didn’t manage to toss. Thank god. I’ll risk the damned stroke, I have GOT to get this crap out of my sinuses!
I’m also a fan of vicks vapo-rub. I think more than 50% of its positive effects are the psychological ones–me remembering my mommy putting it on my chest when I was little.
Soup, Sudafed, shower. If I want something more substantial than soup, I will also eat some grilled cheese sandwiches, because I find them to be very comforting. And drink a lot more fluid than you really feel like, because you DO need it. Water’s best, followed by juice. Try to avoid caffeine.
