what do you take to clear your nasal passages before you fly?

[LISALISA36]

I'm flying out in the morning & today all of a sudden I have some kind of headache...I do not want ear pain tomorrow.
what does everyone take???
Thank you,
Lisa

 

[mcnuss]

Afrin or one of the spray decongestants should do the trick.

 

[NotUrsula]

Bar none, for sinus/ear congestion pain, Guiafenesin is the most effective decongestant on the market. Robitussin is the best-known brand of it, but it is present in many OTC meds. Check the ingredients of whatever you buy, and make sure that there is guiafenesin in it.

 

[debster812]

Also--if you are anticipating ear pain, swing by your local pharmacy, Wal*Mart, etc and pick up a box of EarPlanes. I discovered these about 2 years ago, and do not know how I lived without them. I don't exactly understand how they work, but they are ear plugs that help to equalize the pressure in your ear, and voila! no pain.

DH always starts taking Sudafed about a week before we fly to clear everything out.

Good Luck!!!

 

[LISALISA36]

thank you all,
i have the earplanes and I have some sinus spray which i am going to take now & i have taken some tylenol sinus...

 

[Gillian]

I usually take sudafed about an hour before the flight.

The sprays will work for nasal decongestion, but if you have any sinus congestion, a pill will be better. Also, a box of sudafed pills will last a long time!! Some people find the sprays burn.

Guaifenesin is a chest decongestant. It thins bronchial secretions. I've never tried it for flying.

 

[LISALISA36]

Gillian,
is sudafed & tylenol sinus the same thing?
i have tylenol sinus ....if not, i will have to go buy sudafed.
thank you,
lisa

 

[NotUrsula]

Sudafed is trade name for pseudoephedrine. If it contains pseudoephedrine, it will do the same thing as Sudafed.

Guiafenesin's therapeutic action is relatively unique. What it does is thin out mucous, any kind, anywhere. If your sinuses or middle ear are blocked by thick mucous congestion, guiafenesin will effectively "melt" that congestion and allow it to drain away through the eustachian tubes, eliminating the pressure. It's also used for chest congestion so that you can loosen up the gunk, cough it up and get rid of it. Most pill forms of guiafenesin are combined with pseudoephedrine; one gets rid of the gunk you already have, the other helps to keep more gunk from forming.

BTW: A pkg. of Sudafed or its equivalent won't last a long time if you have to buy it in a state with a methamphetamine problem. Pseudoephedrine is one of the key ingredients for meth cooking, so the quantity you can buy at one time is often very tightly restricted. Here, the limit is 3 boxes of 24 tablets, all blister-sealed. 24 tablets is 12 doses, which is only enough to last an adult 3 days.