Stop snot - instantly

November 12, 2009 2:04 PM

Sinus are slowly drip drip dripping - A low, dull, quick sound - much such a sound as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. How to stop this? Right now!

After a lifetime of allergies and sinus BS, the last couple of years have been pretty good. However, right now, as of yesterday and and all day today, my nose is dripping. Constantly. It's like a little kid crying - just drop after drop and they're all so small and slow you think it's just about to stop but it goes on and on and on. Normally, I'd say home with a box of tissues and some menthol rub. Have weaseled out of an opening tonight but have a thing (performance so I must be quiet) tomorrow, and two things Saturday, including a family thing, that I can't wriggle out of or find a proxie for. Had a work event last night - fortunately, we were at tables so my open purse with a box of Kleenex was in my lap for dabbing at my nose every eight seconds. How am I to go out in public the next two days? Should I wear a purdah and dab discreetly beneath the veil?

Don't usually like drugs but anything is better than this agony! Anything more tolerable than this derision!

What OTC fellow sufferers recommend? Is there a script I should try to get? Once upon a time, a doctor gave me something in his office to "dry me up" which effectively shut down my sinuses for 24 hours - effective as in jumping out of a cold ocean into a hot, roiling hot tub is effective at warming you up - but I don't recall what it was, not even if it was a shot or a pill or a suppository. Anyone know the name of something that works that quickly?

Drinking plenty of water - maybe too much - so it's a very thin drip. Do not have any of the sensations associated with being stuffed up - no aches, no weird ear feelings, no pressure. Have rinsed. Have steamed. Drip does not stop.

Oh, and nothing anti-inflammatory, not even aspirin, because I'm on steroids right now. (Yes, for the last two days - could they cause this side effect?) Will check with an MD before ingesting anything so all suggestions welcome.

posted by Lesser Shrew to health & fitness (11 comments total)

By rinsed, do you mean a netipot?

I swear by netipots and pseudoephedrine for all sinus problems, but I have no idea if sudafed is safe to mix with steroids, so check with your doctor.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 2:18 PM on November 12, 2009

I have horrible allergies and I swear my a Neti pot every four hours and the good "behind-the-counter" Mucinex D - has the guaifenesin and pseudoephedrine.
posted by honeybee413 at 3:14 PM on November 12, 2009

Every four hours? Don't you get waterlogged? ;)

I though pseudoephedrine was a decongestant - isn't it something you break out when you have pressure and everything's stopped up? Will it dry me out? I've only used it to get things moving.
posted by Lesser Shrew at 3:24 PM on November 12, 2009

Oxymetazoline nasal spray.
posted by brownpau at 3:44 PM on November 12, 2009

I have this, too, and am all agog for some answers.
posted by everichon at 4:42 PM on November 12, 2009

The neti might seem excessive, but doing it that often ensures that I get rid of all of the gunk as quickly as possible, and it puts a fast stop to the post-nasal drip and accompanying throat irritation. If you don't think you need the decongestant, you might think about adding an anti-histamine to the mix. I use zyrtec.
posted by honeybee413 at 4:49 PM on November 12, 2009

Prescription Atrovent spray is good for drying out your nose without a lot of side effects, if your doctor approves.

Both pseudoephedrine (pills) and oxymetolazine (spray) help to dry out a runny nose, but they may also make you feel hyper and anxious, which would not be good on top of the steroid anxiety, if you get that. (Don't use oxymetolazine spray for more than three days, because it tends to cause worse congestion when you stop taking it).
posted by Ery at 5:08 PM on November 12, 2009

Be careful if you've never used pseudoephedrine before. In some people (like me) it can cause heart palpitations.
posted by IndigoRain at 9:14 PM on November 12, 2009

Thanks, fellow snifflers. I will call in the morning and ask about Oxymetazoline and Atrovent.

And then I'll go buy a few more boxes of Puffs with Vicks.

everichon - I'll let you know if anything works. I am going crazy. At this point, it would be a relief to be stuffed up and have gunk - that's a monster I know.
posted by Lesser Shrew at 9:17 PM on November 12, 2009

I'm a permanent sniffler and post-nasal-dripper and allergy victim who finally gave in and got a neti pot a couple of weeks ago. FANTASTIC difference. Only took a day to sell me on it. Whatever else you do, pick one up and at least try it for a few days, it's amazing what a difference it makes to clear out the irritants from your sinuses once or twice a day.
I found mine on sale at my local big pharmacy chain, complete with packets of solution, for under $20.
posted by Billegible at 12:21 AM on November 13, 2009

Thanks everyone. Medical opinion is that people who have gastric issues with steroids (and I do) should not use nasal sprays so those were not an option. Will keep the drug recommendations in mind in case this happens again when I am not on steroids.

What happened, and this may not be a good solution, is that instead of staying in and trying to rest and steam and saline, I went out and did some sanding and working with painty chemicals. Although I used appropriate masks, this was enough of an assault on my nose to show my sinuses who's boss. The drip stopped and I woke up Friday with garden-variety gunk - something I can deal with.
posted by Lesser Shrew at 7:03 PM on November 16, 2009