I have a horrible cold

[GrandmaKarey]

Can anyone give me suggestions for chest and sinus congestion? I have a really bad chest cough, and my sinuses are so congested. I use Afrin-type nasal spray before bed, because I have to be able to breathe with my cpap machine. Prescription cough meds aren’t great, because codiene triggers my RLS. In desperate times I have taken 1/4 dose, but there has to be something else. I’m desperate.

[GrandmaKarey]

Forgot to mention I’m using Albuterol as needed for asthma (which only makes my coughing worse, if I don’t) but it’s really not enough, unless I use it way more than prescribed. The wheezing is awful, though. 😩

[SueJohnson]

Vicks cough syrup, Robitussin daytime, Guaifenesin - used to treat coughs and congestion and Hycomine (hydrocodone bitartrate and phenylpropanolamine hydrochloride) - for the symptomatic relief of cough and nasal congestion are all OK.

Avoid anything that contains Chlorpheniramine Maleate, pseudoephedrine, phenergan, Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) or Doxylamine and any nighttime versions as they will contain sedating antihistamines.

[GrandmaKarey in reply to SueJohnson]

I knew I could count on you, Sue. Thank you so much.

[GrandmaKarey in reply to SueJohnson]

Robitussin Daytime and Nightime have Dextromethorphan, fyi!

[SueJohnson in reply to GrandmaKarey]

You're right so I explored it further and Dextromethorphan appears to be OK so I will edit my answer. academic.oup.com/sleep/arti...

Do avoid the nighttime one though as it contains a sedating antihistamine that makes RLS worse.

[Lory_Y]

I’ve found that a hot shower or even just breathing in steam from a bowl of hot water with a towel over your head can help loosen things up a bit. Vicks on your chest and even a little under your nose can help too.

[GrandmaKarey in reply to Lory_Y]

Hot shower definitely helped loosen up the gunk, so I have a more productive cough. I haven’t used Vicks in decades, I actually forgot it existed. My siblings and I used to call it ‘tickley medicine’ when we were young, because it tickled when my mom put it on us. Now it smells so nostalgic, thank you for reminding g me!

[shivermytimbers]

I'm going through all this crap myself at the moment. Spent a fortune on cough syrups, pastilles and lozenges. I think they're a con job. Though my partner who had a cough for 7 weeks thinks they help. The NHS (UK) says they won't get rid of your cough but they may lessen the coughing. Could have fooled me.

The bad news (no kidding!) is after all the gunk goes away you may be left with a post-viral cough which can last for 8 weeks. I'm now worried that that might prevent my kidney transplant.

Incidentally, they say avoiding dairy produce is good for sinusitis.

And if possible stay at home and don't share it with others. Make people wear masks when approaching you.

And buy a piece of 2 by 4 from the timber yard so that when you track down the person who gave you the virus you can show your appreciation in an appropriate manner.

[GrandmaKarey in reply to shivermytimbers]

Well, since I caught it from my 6 year old, I think I’ll pass on the last suggestion 😆 Thank you for replying, I do follow those guidelines, especially avoiding dairy, that’s s no-go right now. I really hope things go well for your kidney transplant! 💕

[SueJohnson in reply to shivermytimbers]

My laugh for the day - buy a piece of 2 by 4 from the timber yard so that when you track down the person who gave you the virus you can show your appreciation in an appropriate manner.🤣🤣🤣

[Jumpey]

Not a quick fix but a netti pot/ nasal douche can help clear sinuses. Get well soon.

[GrandmaKarey in reply to Jumpey]

I’ve tried, but cannot get the hang of it. I should give it another go. Thank you!

[Sleepless82]

Keep trying the netti pot/ nasal douche. It takes a while to master the technique but well worth the battle. But make sure you use distilled water. My sinus doctor says I can use it as often as I need.

[Dustylee22]

My allergies are bad & I try not to take antihistamines. However, I often take small dose of Sudafed at night so that I can breathe. I have started on allergy shots but so far they have not helped much with congestion. The good news is I do not have hives which were plaguing me the past 6 or 7 years. The small dose (one 1/2 dose of short-acting) does not seem to interfere with my sleep nearly as much as not breathing does. Different people have different sensitivities. I recently had a very BAD night & I could tell that it was from MSG: checked the spice combo I used on fish & sure enough, it had MSG. I hardly ever eat out because that is a huge trigger for me & it's in lots of restaurant food.

[SueJohnson in reply to Dustylee22]

Check your sudafed to see if it contains pseudoephedrine or Diphenhydramine (benadryl). If it does it makes RLS worse for most.

Older sedating antihistamines make RLS worse but the newer ones generally don't. The newer ones are OTC Claritin (loratadine, Clarityn ), zyrtec (Cetirizine ), or allegra (Fexofenadine ) and prescription Clarinex (Desloratadine).