LORD This NOSE

Have you been tested for allergies? My kids and I all have allergies, and we're always stuffed up. My daughter, who is the worst of us, goes for allergy shots (now bi-weekly). Her daily routine includes mucinex (though she prefers the generic which is not time released), sudafed, and 2 squirts of flonase per nostril each day. If she skips any part of it we really notice it within a day or two, and she'll end up stuffed up again. If she gets really bad we add in the Zyrtec. I just use the neti pot every day, then flonase, along with a sudafed when needed.

I read an article somewhere recently that said that sometimes our immune systems get so fired up trying to help fight off an illness that even once the illness is gone the body continues fighting itself. The remedy that was stated was something along the lines of taking a steroid to get the body to calm back down. I have no idea if this will be of any help to you but I recall thinking that it was a very interesting study at the time. Maybe ask your doc?

Go to a chiropractor and get an adjustment. Put some peppermint oil under your nose. And put a pan of water near or on registers where kids can't get into it so that you can put moisture in the house.

Saline spray, Puffs with Vicks, Mucinex, and drink, drink, drink.
If that doesn't work after a few days, see the doctor for a possible sinus infection.

I am not sure whether this is a cold, sinus infection or allergies. Thus... here are my suggestions.

** COLD, SINUS INFECTION **
The best remedies I have found are taking Dayquil (day) and Nyquil (night). I take the dosages every 3 hours to assure they are not out of my system. (This helps with the stuffiness, constant runny nose, and hazy feeling in the head.) Second, I suggest taking Mucinex every 10 hours. It states it works for 12 hours, but I can feel the effects wearing off before that. (This will help reduce throat congestion, chest congestion and open your throat up to breathe better. It helps reduce coughing from phlem.)

I might also suggest taking Vitamin A, B, C, and D. Vitamin C helps you recover from practically anything. Vitamins A and C work together to help process C and promote healing and wellness. B helps your body recover from mental and physical stresses. (I take B when I am PMS'ing, feeling worn down, stressed from a rough day or when my body is feeling stressed from being sick.)

** ALLERGIES **
My God-send medication is Zyrtec-D. I absolutely will not go without it. For me... It helps reduce the watery eyes, itchy eyes-nose-face, reduces swelling in the face, opens sinuses and reduces the sinus pressure (which causes headaches), reduces the throat congestion from phylem. This works for in-door and out-door allergies. The "D" on the end of Zyrtec indicates there is a decongestant. They also sell Zyrtec without the "D" decongestant.

This works a million times better than Claritin, Allegra, Sudafed, etc. Some people use nasal inhalers-sprayers. I personally do not feel the effects that much. Nasonex and Flonase are good nasal inhalers. I think they work well with less effective allergy meds such as Sudafed or Claritin as a combination approach to allergies.

I think they target different parts of the breathing passages. If your problem is more towards the front of the nasal passage, then I think Zyrtec or Zyrtec-D will work fine. If you have a lot of swelling in the sinus passages going down the back of the throat, then you may need the additional inhaler/nasal spray.

You might also try a saline solution to squirt in the nose and let it drain out. Some people create their own solution: use a pinch of baking soda and a tablespoon of salt dissolved in about 4-8 oz of warm water. Mix. Use a bulb (like you see used on infants) or a medicine dropper to squirt it up the nose, let it drain out. DON'T USE JUST WATER< AS THAT WILL BURN LIKE THE DICKENS.

--> Also, I have found the generic meds and vitamins available from the drug store, grocery store, Wal-Mart and Meijers work just as well as the name brands. Might as well save a few bucks.
--> I use the same sort of remedies on my kids. It gets you back in the swing of things pretty quickly. You will feel a dramatic difference with the allergy meds in about an hour. The cold remedies usually give some relief within 1-2 hours. If the cold is really bad, it may take until the 2nd dose to feel the full benefits.

Good luck!

Don't do nose sprays because you can get easily "addicted" to them and they eat away at the lining of your nose. I know this sounds gross but...vicks on your chest and then put an old shirt on and put the shirt over your nose and inhale through your nose. Peppermint oil under your nose works too.

Nose drops are a life saver. I CANNOT STAND to breath thru my mouth at night. I use generic nose spray and it helps each and every time. Don't waste 20 dollars on the "good" stuff I promise you the generic is ALL I ever use. At most its $4!

Nose spray is a godsend. I love it and swear by it BUT and this is a big BUT, do not overdo it. My husband reccomends using it for one LESS day than they say. Using it too long can cause you to have a stuffed nose for a long time. I can't remember the medical term, but not pleasant.

You could try a saline spray to loosen up the mucus. If you also have chest congestion I'd say try Musinex DM. It works really well for us.

Just be thankful you haven't had a cold for 7 weeks (starting week 8). There's nothing I can take for it since I'm pregnant. Ugh.

I don't know if anybody mentioned this but did you try using a humidifier? Sometimes your nose can get stuffy if the room or house is dry.

My doctor just advised me to use a saline wash twice a day to get the mucous out and has given two antihistimines (Singulair and Allegra D) to dry me out. So far, it has helped tremendously. The saline wash I bought a Giant Eagle for 12.00.

there is a product you can find at Drug mart or Rite Aid called AYR. It is not just saline spray but a nasal wash. If you are really stuffed and congested, use three packets of saline to the amount needed in the bottle of distilled water, WARM water. you squeeze the bottle of the warm saline mix up into your nose. you need to relax when you do this. water will come out the other nostril and may come out of your mouth too, but you will soon be relieved. The saline mix will break up the congestion for you like nothing else. Also using Mucinex is helpful.

THese are things that I have had to use when nothing else would work. hope it works for you.

First, get a cool mist humidifier for your bedroom.

Second: get some saline spray for your nose. There's one called "Simply Saline" or you can get whatever generic kind at the store works fine too.

Only other thing would be to go to an allergist to see what you can do (maybe get tested to see what you're allergic too, possibly get shots, or get something to better deal with it than sudafed - maybe something like Rhinocort?)

But the first two things work pretty well for me.

Good luck!

I'm with ya, sister. Same thing but I do this cocktail that WORKS! I did it last night after not being able to breathe thru my nose at all and in MINUTES, I could BREATHE!!

I DOES NOT taste bad, either! Here it is:

2T Honey
2T vinegar (I like red wine)
2T lemon juice (optional, but lemon has such good properties and I think anytime you can get a "natural cleanser" into your system, you should do it!
and 3-4 dashes of cayenne pepper. HOWEVER, I use 4-5 dashes. It is NOT spicy. The vinegar tends to "dilute" the cayenne and it really doesn't taste like vinegar. Cayenne is a blood purifier so I use it as much as I can and add when I can.

Put this in a little water or tea. I prefer hot tea because the honey dispurses better. Drink. Another thing that helps is getting your shoulders and head back.

Stand w/ your heels against the wall. Make SURE your feet are parallel - middle of toes facing STRAIGHT ahead - most people feel like they are pigeon toed. Anyway........heels, hips, head and arms and shoulders against the wall. This brings you back into horizontal alignment so that your body can drain properly. Stand there for 5-10 minutes. You WILL feel some tugging going on. DONT get out of it. Let your body reposition. It WILL dissipate. Take a break if you have to. If you get bored, squeeze your shoulder blades down and against the wall slowly and repeatedly. You neck and shoulders may start to burn, but again, it DOES help and work.

When you drink this stuff, take it within 30-60 minutes of bedtime. I slept great last night w/ NO breathing issues. I'm going to do it again here in a few minutes.

Let me know how you get along.

I have been going through the same thing. the only thing that worked for me was getting a antibiotic and that broke it up. Now i use flonase and it seems to help...or so i thought i got all congested in the nose once again but not as bad. good luck

I agree with the Ayr and Mucinex. You don't need the Mucinex DM though unless you are coughing too. Also, if it doesn't clear up, see the doctor. You might need an antibiotic. I've never tried the peppermint oil, but I'm going to next time.

Try Zicam nasal spray, it has eucalyptus in it and should do the trick!

TheraFlu (warming relief) works great! You may wake up and have to take it again but it works fast and you don't get the "medicine head" feeling.

Hope you feel better!

C.