Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with headcold

why can't i breathe?!

violetk — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 18:25:37 -0800

SinusFilter: why can i actually breathe when i am walking around or doing housework whereas if i am just sitting on the couch i can't? a couple of months ago, my allergies seemed to have returned despite a several-year absence. on top of this, i have caught some sort of severe head cold several days ago. needless to say, this has caused my sinuses to go haywire. i was snorting afrin for awhile until i realized how bad continued use of it was and went off it cold-turkey. miserable. in my miserable sickness, i have barely been able to breathe through my nose the past couple of days. but i noticed today when i walked to the pharmacy that my sinuses felt clear and i was able to breathe while i was out walking. when i came home and sat back out on the couch again, i was immediately congested again. but then, i just spent the last 30 minutes or so sweeping the floors and emptying the garbage and noticed that while i was doing that, my sinuses cleared again and i could breathe. when i sat back down on the couch again, i immediately became congested yet again.

what's going on? why does this happen?? why can't i sit (or lay down for that matter) and breathe through my nose like i can while i am up and about??

I started a new job yesterday (yay!). I got sick on Sunday (boo!). I need to get better fast, but how?

misanthropicsarah — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 14:37:30 -0800

I started a new job yesterday (yay!). I got sick on Sunday (boo!). I need to get better fast, but how? I have a head cold with a possibility of a sinus infection (no insurance for 30 days, so no doc for me). Sinus pressure, the stuffies, the runnies (clear), the gooey snot (yellowish-green) and the general cloudiness that comes with a head cold.

All of this creates for a below-average job performance (I can tell I'm dragging, I don't know if they can), which is bad. I don't want my first week to give my new employers a bad impression of me, so I want to get back in the game and get rid of this cold ASAP.

I've been taking Airborne a few times a day since Sunday afternoon, and since yesterday I've been taking Sudafed (from behind the counter). I can't remember what kind. It had blue on the package. I'm also drinking lots of water and going to bed earlier than usual.

What else can I do to make this cold go away sooner than it usually does with me (anywhere from 1-2 weeks)?

Expired NyQuil?

PenguinBukkake — Mon, 16 Jan 2006 16:34:25 -0800

Expired NyQuil: bad for you? from Vicks' website:

Is it okay to use after the expiration date?
No. We cannot recommend using an expired product. There is an expiration date on the package. Expiration dating is based on a number of factors. After the expiration date, the integrity of the product cannot be guaranteed. We recommend discarding the expired product and replacing it.

But, you know, I have a huge box (40 liquigels), expired last summer. Seems like a waste of money. Any chemical-savvy MeFites?