NEED POWERFUL over counter sinus med

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I've had sinus & allergy problems all my life; my doc 1ce told me sinus problems are common in this part of Louisiana. I've moved to Vermont a couple months ago & my sinus problems got a lot better there. I came back down to spend the holidays with my family & my sinus problems are coming back with a vengeance; I think I must of built up some kind of tolerance & I lost that by being gone for a while. My sinuses have gradually been getting worse sense I've been back. My nose is running aLOT, I'm sneezing some, my eyes are getting watery & itchy at times, I had a sinus headache for a bit yesterday with sinus pressure, I also started occasionally coughing, spitting up a little stuff & feeling a little itchy. I started taking Allegra. It helps some but the improvement only last for like 8 hours instead of lasting for 24 like it's supposed to & the amount of improvement for those 8 hours isn't huge. My doc gave me some samples of Zyrtec a few months ago when I was seeing him for something else & Zyrtec didn't help me a lot either. I've been on various other over the counter & also prescription sinus & allergy meds in the past. I don't remember getting a lot of improvement from any 2nd generation antihistamines; I don't think they are powerful enough for me. Benadryl makes me a little hyper & I don't think I get a great improvement with that either. The only meds I know that have helped me a lot were oral prescription steroid things. I'll be heading back to Vermont in another week so I think I should try another med to hold me over till then. Could anyone suggest something that isn't a 2nd generation antihistamine; perhaps a 1st gen one or an oral steroid(if there's anything like that available without a prescription) or something else

If you don't mind putting down your driver's license, you can get straight pseudoephedrine (or combined with loratadine/alegra) from the pharmacist, w/o a prescription; that will dry out your sinuses, but not help with the itchiness.

If you don't mind seeing a doc, try to get a referral to a rheumatologist; they might be able to get you something stronger/more focused on what your body is doing.

The fact that an oral steroid helped is a solid indication you are suffering from allergies rather than something viral/bacterial, which is both good and bad -- at least you don't have a sinus infection or cold. On the downside, allergies are very difficult to treat.

I've battled with ragweed and cedar for years. There is no silver bullet. Oral steroids (prednisone) helped a lot, but they have some pretty serious potential side effects and generally are not good for the body. They work by reducing the immune system's reaction to perceived pathogens, which in turn reduces the reaction to the allergen, which your body is mis-identifying as a pathogen. Of course, this also leaves you more susceptible to catching colds and other pathogens.

Benedryl is the most potent antihistamine, period -- It's a 1st gen, but still more powerful than the 2nd and 3rd gen antihistamines. However, it does cross the blood-brain barrier, which is why it either causes drowsiness or excitability (depending on one's current neurochemical situation) in most people. What dose of benedyrl caused you the hyper-ness? It may have been too high...

I've tried pretty much every antihistamine under the sun, including prescription ones. None of them offered much relief, but many of them sure did offer some really annoying side effects!

One thing I found recently that helps more than most things is Nasalcrom. This is a nasal spray containing Cromolyn Sodium, which is billed as a "mast cell stabilizer". For me, it helps reduce alot of the nasty nasal effects of dealing with seasonal allergies. No silver bullet, but at least helps me and doesn't result in unwanted sideeffects. Only downside I had was it made everything smell funny the first day or two I used it.

Another thing I found recently is a chinese herbal formula called Pe Min Kan Wan. This is a blend of 5 or so chinese herbs that has been used for many centuries to treat nasal symptoms. Personally, I found it to dry out nasal secretions, which can be a great thing if you've got a lot of that going on. You can find it at some chinese herb shops and many acupuncturists who also supply herbs will carry it as well.

Try to stay indoors until you leave. Reducing exposure is the surest way to reduce symptoms, and the only thing that really helps without a doubt. Allergies suck like that

A nice, long hot steamy shower will also help break up some of that stuff in your sinuses and lungs. Cough up as much of it as you can.

Also do your best not to swallow that stuff. Your body is trying to get rid of it, not eat it. Spitting out stuff all day is nasty, yes, but... Get rid of it!

Allergies are also often induced by diet -- For the remainder of your stay in Cajun land, try to eat simply, whole, light foods that you can easily process and which have a minimum of processed or artificial ingredients. This will help the body cleanse itself, which often reduces allergic reactions in general. On that same note, stay well hydrated.

I wish I had more to offer, for as long as I've been dealing with seasonal allergies I'd think I'd have come up with some better solutions, but there really aren't many to be had. At least you are going back up north!

Hope you are feeling better soon and have a safe trip back to VT. I haven't been to VT in ages, such a beautiful place that takes you back a century.

For me Advil cold and sinus works the best. Have you license ready though.

Thanx for the replies guys. I went to RiteAid today & got a couple things. I did a little research online & I talked to the pharmacist there too. He got me the house brand of straight pseudoephedrine(I showed my ID & he entered it a computer) & the antihistamine Chlor-Trimeton because I wanted to try a 1st gen one as well & wanted something other than Benadryl. My sinuses haven't been bothering me much today till tonight(I took some cough syrup around noon because my throat was bothering me a little because of the sinus drip so maybe that helped the sinuses some but it may not be that) so I haven't taken anything till a few minutes ago. I took the pseudoephedrine. I think the Chlor-Trimeton is more likely to make me sleepy so I'll wait to try till it gets closer to when I'll be going to bed if the pseudoephedrine keeps me from getting any worse.
I had bad skin eczema as a kid due to Atopic Dermatitis & sinus problems are common with that. I'm prone to sinus infections too. I got my nose cauterized 1ce as a kid because it kept bleeding due to sinus problems.
I'm going to look that Chinese herb up online Hermes. Is it OK to take daily? Even if it's not it would still be good to have on hand for next time I come down or to have on hand incase something causes them to flare up there.
I think Vermont is pretty too. Very different than what I'm used to but I like it.

Yes, it is. From what I've read it's safe to use for up to a month or so at a time. As with any new herbal preparation, take a single pill and wait at least 3-4 hours before taking more the first time -- just in case by some weird chance you happen to be allergic or sensitive to any of it's components. Not a common thing with this formula, but just a general safety measure for anything new.

I used it for a good 6 weeks straight in pretty high doses last ragweed season (cursed plant!!) without noting anything negative from it.

*shakes fist at allergies* ! !

On more question Hermes~ What dose of Prednisone did you take to be effective? I'm thinking about asking a doc for it(when I get around to finding a new one) to have on hand