The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
Combinin' some meds
Muggins
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I got sick! Woo! Now I've been taking dayquil and I was wondering if I can also take one of the numerous Zicam drug things to shorten this cold as much as I can.
I'm pretty paranoid about combining over the counter drugs and wanna make sure I'm not gonna do something stupid.
I'm pretty paranoid about combining over the counter drugs and wanna make sure I'm not gonna do something stupid.
Muggins on
0
Posts
IANAD and all that... but I think Zicam is just Zinc and Glucose
Zinc Gluconate
Edit: And I don't know about the anosmia bit, but I've used it and I smell fine.
You're essentially consuming a zinc-fortified cough drop. So yes, you can take cough drops with dayquil.
Read the boxes and look for drug interaction warnings.
Is this a bad thing?
Critical Failures - Havenhold Campaign • August St. Cloud (Human Ranger)
Only if you need it to breathe on a regular basis
I have to take it daily (give or take) about two/2.5 months out of the year for seasonal allergies.
I take fexofenidine and nasal steroids daily for constant allergies.
My entire respirtory/sinus system is pretty fubar.
Critical Failures - Havenhold Campaign • August St. Cloud (Human Ranger)
What does your allergist have to say about it?
I've dealt with horrible allergies my entire life. I would rather be on a daily regimen of Claritin than to take two Sudafed.
But, I'm not a doctor, so you should really talk to your allergist and see if that's the best option for you.
Claritin and Sudafed do completely different things... unless you mean Claritin-D, which has a decongestant ingredient.
You'll be fine. Apparently the intranasal Zicam can brick your sense of smell though, so I'd be wary of those (they also won't do anything useful, but that isn't related to safety).
Don't take anything else with acetaminophen in it though. Multiple flu remedies are everyone's favourite way of getting accidental paracetamol overdose...
No, it's not a bad thing, especially for the times when it's seasonal. You probably want to get generic pseudo ephedrine, though, so you save money. Most OTC's dosages are very small, and to be OTC they have to be relatively safe (with acetaminophen a notable exception).
And there's the difference between allergies and sinuses. I have chronic sinus problems and used to use Sudafed before they took out the pseudoephedrine. Then Sudafed just sucked and I was in pain until I discovered Advil Cold and Sinus, which works great for my sinuses not so much for the cold. For allergies I use Advil Allergy and Sinus (good for my allergies, does nothing for my sinuses) and I have to chose which one I take by figuring out what my symptoms are most likely from. I use this with regular Advil for the headache pain and a neti pot because, well, why not I'm using everything else. Oh, an a heating pad or one of these is great for helping with the sinus headaches as well.
As for a cold, to decongest I steam. Boil some water in a pot, put a towel over it and my head and begin to breath again. It's also good for your pores. I keep a bunch of these on hand also because putting one in the shower when I'm stuffed from a cold/sinuses/allergies helps clear me out. You can do this with some soak crystals (like you would use in a foot soak) as well.
As for combining meds, I don't but check the backs of the boxes as has been suggested and you can look up info on bad interactions online.
Pretty sure the behind the counter stuff is the same as it's always been--just make sure you're getting the stuff with pseudoephedrine, not phynlephedrine.
Yeah, this sounds like placebo disappointment or something.
Sudafed (old OTC, now available behind the counter without presecription) has always been 30mg of pseudoephedrine (hence, the name) and nothing else except coloring and filler.
The new OTC stuff is phenylephrine, which is a lot less potent, and noticeably sucks compared to the original formula.
I wouldn't be surprised. I tried it once and it basically... didn't work. Went to the pharmacist's counter after that... kind of a funny scene, me all a-sniffle, "Man, that new Sudafed just doesn't do it for me. You have the good stuff?"
I did mean Claritin-D, which I was on for years.
And to everybody saying that allergies and sinus problems are different, the dude I was responding to very clearly said he had seasonal allergies.
Well, right... Sudafed helps clear you out and drain your sinuses... but it doesn't do the same thing an anti-histamine would do... which is to prevent the symptoms.
Depends where you are, here in Oregon the pseudoephedrine stuff is now prescription only.
While I agree in principle, has any markedly bad advice been given here and not countered?
Not that I saw. But that's also partially because one of the drugs was a non-drug. I would hate for someone to come in here and ask whether they could combine their anti-depressants with their lupus medication (I am making this shit up as I go along, I do not know anything about lupus or mood balancers) or some shit like that and get any advice other than, "Sweet jesus, go talk to your doctor/pharmacist."
Yes, I cringe when people start asking whether they should just stop/alter/supplement their psych meds (or whatever really) online.
Flu remedies however are about as in the public domain as you're going to get (although still ridiculous easy to damage oneself with), so it doesn't really surprise me.