Does anyone know the name of a good decongestant other than sudafed?

Question

I have a crackling in my ear and feel like I may have fluid there. I have too many side affects with Sudafed, so was looking for something else that might dry that up.

Answer 1

Have you tried Tylenol Severe Allergy? A nurse friend recommended it to me.

Answer 2

Afrin ( the spray,not the river) Oxymetazoline.
It's over the counter,used twice a day.
Like psuedonephrine (sudafed), after a few days, it causes a "rebound" congestion. It is advised that Afrin is significantly addictive if used for periods of a few days.
Avoiding irritants to your nose and airways: Cool mist: drinking lots of liquid: an anti-inflammatory ( Aleve, Motrin)
is probably more safe. Don't forget chicken soup ( it really works)
The decongestant will help you feel better for a while but as they say : A cold lasts a week and if you go to the Doctor or take medication, it lasts seven days.

Answer 3

I always take a cough syrup that is plain guaifenesin. This is an expectorant, which basically means that it thins mucus out making it much easier for the body to get rid of it. There is a new medication on the market called Mucinex that is supposed to help get rid of mucus, but when I checked into it, I found it's the same thing -- guaifenesin -- but it costs A LOT more than the plain old cough syrup. At Target, I can get a big bottle of their brand of guaifenesin cough syrup for less than $2. Make sure it only has that in it though and take the maximum dosage for a day or two. Believe me, this will take care of your problem.

Answer 4

Claritin D. Don't just buy Claritin, make sure it has the D on it (for Decongestant). Allegra D is also good. Both are much more effective than Sudafed.

Answer 5

AlleRx - it's prescription, but it WORKS. Comes in a dose pak, with a pill for daytime and one for night.
http://www.cornerstonebiopharma.com/allerx/index.htm

Answer 6

claritin or the generic loratadine , its the same thing only much cheaper