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[Darkmakaimura]

So, a few days ago I became severely congested. Since then I can barely breathe especially through my nose.

I've tried almost everything recommended....

Neti pot I had from last fall with the salt packets.... Very temp relief and I hate using it.

Saline spray doesn't help at all.

Benadryl Allergy Plus Decongestant.... No luck.

Horseradish gave me very temp relief.

Now, one thing that has worked very well is nasal spray with phenylephrine. A couple squirts in each nostril clears me up for an hour or so. The downfall is you can only use it every four hours and only a few days otherwise it could worsen symptoms.

I'm out of options here other than that spray. I've lost four nights of sleep due to not being able to breathe.

Any suggestions are welcome.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

Diluted hydrogen peroxide, sprayed up the nose like a saline spray. It'll bubble and sting but after a few shots (and blowing your nose) it should be clear.

 

[Kadayi]

Antihistamines?

 

[eddie4]

Olbas Aromatherapy Inhaler

 

[Darkmakaimura]

Diluted hydrogen peroxide, sprayed up the nose like a saline spray. It'll bubble and sting but after a few shots (and blowing your nose) it should be clear.

Do they sell this anywhere? Once I have money I'll insta-buy it.

Antihistamines?

Already mentioned that. That's what Benardryl Allergy Plus is.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

Do they sell this anywhere? Once I have money I'll insta-buy it.

Any bottle of hydrogen peroxide (h2o2) will already be diluted, though they do sell 30% food grade.

Any pharmacy and most grocery stores will sell it. A bottle is cheap, like $2 here.

 

[Bigrx1]

Strongest you will find is pseudoephedrine nasal decongestant (Sudafed) but you need to go to the pharmacy counter to get it. It's kept behind the counter since it's regulated how much can be sold in a day and week to the same person.

Don't get Sudafed PE though that one has phenylephrine and it doesn't work as well make sure the active ingredient is pseudoephedrine.

 

[SirKicksalot]

Check if Xylometazoline nasal sprays are available in your country. The effect lasts eight hours.

 

[Djau]

Pseudoephidrene. If it doesnt work, see your doctor. Don't bother with anything else. Don't use it longer than a few days as using decongestants too long will just make the symptoms worse.

 

[Darkmakaimura]

Don't get Sudafed PE though that one has phenylephrine and it doesn't work as well make sure the active ingredient is pseudoephedrine.

In my OP I mention the only thing that has worked is the nasal spray with phenylephrine. In fact in works great except it only lasts a little over an hour but worst, you can't use it frequently.

I tried Sudafed before and it didn't work well iirc. What about Mucinex?

 

[Darkmakaimura]

Pseudoephidrene. If it doesnt work, see your doctor. Don't bother with anything else. Don't use it longer than a few days as using decongestants too long will just make the symptoms worse.

Yeah I was thinking of calling my PCP. My only concern is considering Corvid I'm a bit concerned.

 

[Djau]

Yeah I was thinking of calling my PCP. My only concern is considering Corvid I'm a bit concerned.

Do you have a temperature, cough, and tightness in chest (that feels like a band)? If so, phone what your countries equivilant Covid line is.

 

[Darkmakaimura]

Check if Xylometazoline nasal sprays are available in your country. The effect lasts eight hours.

Looking it up but don't see any brand names?

 

[Darkmakaimura]

Do you have a temperature, cough, and tightness in chest (that feels like a band)? If so, phone what your countries equivilant Covid line is.

Nope. Just congested. No cough or high temps. No tightness in chess.

 

[Bigrx1]

In my OP I mention the only thing that has worked is the nasal spray with phenylephrine. In fact in works great except it only lasts a little over an hour but worst, you can't use it frequently.

I tried Sudafed before and it didn't work well iirc. What about Mucinex?

Mucinex is for chest congestion it has guaifenesin in it, but if you get the combo Mucinex-D it also has pseudoephedrine. Also behind-the-counter. However, if you don't have chest congestion no reason to take that combo.

You aren't going to get a stronger option than behind-the-counter pseudroephedrine long acting tabs if that doesn't help at all I agree with other poster you should see someone.

 

[Djau]

Nope. Just congested. No cough or high temps. No tightness in chess.

Your good then. Most likely allergies then.

 

[nush]

I'm out of options here other than that spray. I've lost four nights of sleep due to not being able to breathe.

Any suggestions are welcome.

Your first step is it's this bad is to go to a doctor. All these suggestions for spays could just be easing the symptoms not curing the actual cause.

 

[Maestr0]

The only things that works for me, when my nose is congested, is hot sauce, but the real deal, give it at least an 30.000 on the scoville scale. It hurts but it's worth it cause it last for a long time. A little work out can help you breath through your nose too. Cold can help too.

Congested nose is the worst.

 

[SirKicksalot]

Looking it up but don't see any brand names?

Perhaps Balminil or Otrivin if you're in the US. I use Olynth in Europe (the one with hyaluronic acid).

Sounds like you have a bad rhinitis. You'll become addicted to whatever spray works for you and end up swapping one type of rhinitis for another. Happened to me twice lol. You can fix this by using spray for one nostril only while the other one heals.

 

[Djau]

The only things that works for me, when my nose is congested, is hot sauce, but the real deal, give it at least an 30.000 on the scoville scale. It hurts but it's worth it cause it last for a long time. A little work out can help you breath through your nose too. Cold can help too.

Congested nose is the worst.

Uuuh...not sure putting capsaicin in your nose is a good idea. Its an irritant.

 

[Maestr0]

Uuuh...not sure putting capsaicin in your nose is a good idea. Its an irritant.

There are multiple nasal spray with capsaicin now, they are imo, the best solution for congested noses, even if it's an irritant, you need very heavy level of capsaicin before it is a problem.

 

[Darkmakaimura]

Mucinex is for chest congestion it has guaifenesin in it, but if you get the combo Mucinex-D it also has pseudoephedrine. Also behind-the-counter. However, if you don't have chest congestion no reason to take that combo.

You aren't going to get a stronger option than behind-the-counter pseudroephedrine long acting tabs if that doesn't help at all I agree with other poster you should see someone.

Yeah I hear you.

The phenylephrine does work but like anything that seems to work well, It's not entirely safe.

Timing couldn't be worse too since my dad who I care for is enduring severe pain from two loose teeth the past two days.

 

[Darkmakaimura]

The only things that works for me, when my nose is congested, is hot sauce, but the real deal, give it at least an 30.000 on the scoville scale. It hurts but it's worth it cause it last for a long time. A little work out can help you breath through your nose too. Cold can help too.

Congested nose is the worst.

Yeah horseradish does good but very temp.

Perhaps Balminil or Otrivin if you're in the US. I use Olynth in Europe (the one with hyaluronic acid).

Sounds like you have a bad rhinitis. You'll become addicted to whatever spray works for you and end up swapping one type of rhinitis for another. Happened to me twice lol. You can fix this by using spray for one nostril only while the other one heals.

Yeah that's one of the problems with phenylephrine.

 

[Maestr0]

Yeah horseradish does good but very temp.

Nope not the same, hot pepper makes the difference

 

[TLZ]

So, a few days ago I became severely congested. Since then I can barely breathe especially through my nose.

I've tried almost everything recommended....

Neti pot I had from last fall with the salt packets.... Very temp relief and I hate using it.

Saline spray doesn't help at all.

Benadryl Allergy Plus Decongestant.... No luck.

Horseradish gave me very temp relief.

Now, one thing that has worked very well is nasal spray with phenylephrine. A couple squirts in each nostril clears me up for an hour or so. The downfall is you can only use it every four hours and only a few days otherwise it could worsen symptoms.

I'm out of options here other than that spray. I've lost four nights of sleep due to not being able to breathe.

Any suggestions are welcome.

Try this as it was very effective for me. I tried all kinds of meds and nothing worked. Everything was short term but that doesn't cut it for me. So I went straight to the roots of the issue. I stopped drinking milk, orange juice, eating oranges, and any type of meat daily. I basically limited milk to once a week. All types of meat to once a week, as in just choosing one type of meat to eat only, once a week. I figured milk and meats produce a lot of mucus since it's basically made of proteins. I completely stopped all orange products. I'm not sure why but every time I had anything orange related I have mucus buildup and phlegm.

Try this and see how it goes. Give it time too. Maybe a week to see results. Not just a day and quit

 

[MasterCornholio]

This is going to sound a little crazy but it works for me.

Get yourself some mint oil or menthol. Then you put a few drops into a humidifier and sleep at maximum settings.

If it's really bad boil some water with menthol in it then place a towel over your head and just breath the vapour in.

Now for something extreme. Tear gas or anything similar. That will clear everything up.

 

[Darkmakaimura]

Try this as it was very effective for me. I tried all kinds of meds and nothing worked. Everything was short term but that doesn't cut it for me. So I went straight to the roots of the issue. I stopped drinking milk, orange juice, eating oranges, and any type of meat daily. I basically limited milk to once a week. All types of meat to once a week, as in just choosing one type of meat to eat only, once a week. I figured milk and meats produce a lot of mucus since it's basically made of proteins. I completely stopped all orange products. I'm not sure why but every time I had anything orange related I have mucus buildup and phlegm.

Try this and see how it goes. Give it time too. Maybe a week to see results. Not just a day and quit

Actually I'm a big milk consumer and I was thinking along those lines too. It does seem I have a big build up of mucus perhaps. I stopped consuming milk a couple days ago. Sucks bad though due to how much I lovw cereal.

 

[Phunkydiabetic]

Yeah I was thinking of calling my PCP. My only concern is considering Corvid I'm a bit concerned.

As far as I know phencyclidine isnt a decongestant but it might be a good time.

 

[Darkmakaimura]

This is going to sound a little crazy but it works for me.

Get yourself some mint oil or menthol. Then you put a few drops into a humidifier and sleep at maximum settings.

If it's really bad boil some water with menthol in it then place a towel over your head and just breath the vapour in.

Nope not weird at all.

I actually have a generic version of Vicks Vapor rube.

Unfortunately I won't be able to afford a humidifier. I'm down to 4 bucks and had to get help just to get the Benadryl and nasal spray the other day.

But the humidifer is on my list of things I need.

 

[highrider]

This is going to sound a little crazy but it works for me.

Get yourself some mint oil or menthol. Then you put a few drops into a humidifier and sleep at maximum settings.

If it's really bad boil some water with menthol in it then place a towel over your head and just breath the vapour in.

Now for something extreme. Tear gas or anything similar. That will clear everything up.

That towel/menthol pot works good for me as well. Really bad congestion is usually some kind of sinus infection or issue. Also take hot baths, as hot as you can stand. And if available, have a glass or two of whiskey or other strong alcohol in the bath. It will help with blood flow and open your pores. The hot bath with alcohol helps with almost any garden variety sickness. I can’t stand alcohol but I keep a bottle for if a get a cold or congestion.

 

[MasterCornholio]

Nope not weird at all.

I actually have a generic version of Vicks Vapor rube.

Unfortunately I won't be able to afford a humidifier. I'm down to 4 bucks and had to get help just to get the Benadryl and nasal spray the other day.

But the humidifer is on my list of things I need.

What also helps is buying tiger balm and sniffing it throughout the day.

 

[MasterCornholio]

That towel/menthol pot works good for me as well. Really bad congestion is usually some kind of sinus infection or issue. Also take hot baths, as hot as you can stand. And if available, have a glass or two of whiskey or other strong alcohol in the bath. It will help with blood flow and open your pores.

Eating wasabi also helps but it's a bit much for most people.

 

[TLZ]

Actually I'm a big milk consumer and I was thinking along those lines too. It does seem I have a big build up of mucus perhaps. I stopped consuming milk a couple days ago. Sucks bad though due to how much I lovw cereal.

I was exactly the same. Daily milk. Love cereal. Also daily meat. I had this mucus/phlegm issue for 19 years. I always felt something sitting and dripping at the back of my throat, along with stuffy nose from time to time. I'd also choke in my sleep from time to time :/

Saw many docs obviously in the 19 years and not one helped. They all threw meds and antibiotics at me which made me worse. I was living on antibiotics for so long it was detrimental.

So I figured I had to do something myself and research. I wanted to find the root cause to eliminate instead of just scratching the surface every time. So this was what I found, tried and worked for me. This was back in 2018 btw. I've been great since then til this moment. Can't be coincidence at all. Sometimes I break the rules and eat more meats or drink more milk per week. But when that happens I do feel worse, especially milk.

Hopefully it works for you This way you don't have to pay for meds. Instead you'd save up as a result

 

[Darkmakaimura]

I was exactly the same. Daily milk. Love cereal. Also daily meat. I had this mucus/phlegm issue for 19 years. I always felt something sitting and dripping at the back of my throat, along with stuffy nose from time to time. I'd also choke in my sleep from time to time :/

Saw many docs obviously in the 19 years and not one helped. They all threw meds and antibiotics at me which made me worse. I was living on antibiotics for so long it was detrimental.

So I figured I had to do something myself and research. I wanted to find the root cause to eliminate instead of just scratching the surface every time. So this was what I found, tried and worked for me. This was back in 2018 btw. I've been great since then til this moment. Can't be coincidence at all. Sometimes I break the rules and eat more meats or drink more milk per week. But when that happens I do feel worse, especially milk.

Hopefully it works for you This way you don't have to pay for meds. Instead you'd save up as a result

I think that might be the culprit with me too. But I'm also aware it's allergy season and it's hitting really hard. I've had bad congestion before but so far this is the worst. I think dust and dog dander from my weiner might play a role too.

 

[highrider]

I think dust and dog dander from my weiner might play a role too.

 

[TLZ]

I think that might be the culprit with me too. But I'm also aware it's allergy season and it's hitting really hard. I've had bad congestion before but so far this is the worst. I think dust and dog dander from my weiner might play a role too.

Yea those would make things worse even. So I hope you try my suggestions and they help you like they helped me At least they wouldn't hurt and have no negative side effects like meds.

 

[Darkmakaimura]

She's a good little weiner.

And that's the remains of a plushy bunny from Easter a neighbor got her.

 

[Darkmakaimura]

Yea those would make things worse even. So I hope you try my suggestions and they help you like they helped me At least they wouldn't hurt and have no negative side effects like meds.

All the suggestions here I'm going to follow. If a miracle happens and I get my stimulus, I'll buy the meds here that were recommended plus the humidifier. The latter might help my dad too, perhaps.

 

[TheGreatYosh]

You probably have the Wuhan plague.

 

[JimmyJones]

Did you try disinfectant?

 

[Darkmakaimura]

You probably have the Wuhan plague.

Did you try disinfectant?

As far as a spray or something goes? If so, no. But feel free to direct me to a product and I'll make a note of it.

 

[Tesseract]

Did you try disinfectant?

yeah, been putting trace amounts in your beverages since you were a kid

it's not helping

 

[Slings and Arrows]

Stand upside down while breathing in steam, assuming you can afford the steam

 

[Darkmakaimura]

Stand upside down while breathing in steam, assuming you can afford the steam

I just took a hot shower and it felt so good to breathe a little.

 

[Cutty Flam]

Try rubbing a gang of eucalyptus oil around your chest and throat, and underneath your nostrils bro

Can you breathe comfortably through your mouth okay?

 

[TwoDurans]

Hot shower. Just stand there and take deep breaths of the steam. Chew mint gum if you have any.

 

[Darkmakaimura]

Try rubbing a gang of eucalyptus oil around your chest and throat, and underneath your nostrils bro

Can you breathe comfortably through your mouth okay?

Breathing through my mouth is what I've been doing and it's very uncomfortable, especially when trying to sleep.

I have generic brand vapor rub I've been applying to my chest and underneath my snot holes.

Hot shower. Just stand there and take deep breaths of the steam. Chew mint gum if you have any.

Just took a steam shower and waa a nice, albeit brief, relief.

No gum but we have bags of Halls and those round candies with the red stripes some restaurants give away. I've been doing that. It's okay but not really that effective.

 

[Malakhov]

Watch out with these nasal sprays, even using them a bit for a few days can backfire badly.

Hard to resist though, it feels so good for a little while after using them

 

[Ikutachi]

Nasal sprays containing zinc can cause permanent loss of sense of smell.

 

[Tesseract]

Hot shower. Just stand there and take deep breaths of the steam. Chew mint gum if you have any.