Update

[nekosensei]

It's official. I've had a relapse. I was feeling much better on Saturday and Sunday morning. Then, Sunday evening, I got congested and started sneezing. I'm still congested today. Gah.

I originally had an echocardiogram scheduled for November 24th, but this morning, my doctor's office called and told me that they were rescheduling it to December 3rd. I'm not happy about having to wait longer to get this done, but there's not much I can do about it. I was planning on getting some prescriptions refilled on November 24th, but since they pushed my appointment back an extra week, I decided to go the doctor today for them. I had been sick for the past two weeks, and I figured I should go in and get checked out anyway. The doctor told me that I definitely needed antibiotics and prescribed some.

I'm also in a bit of a quandary when it comes to getting rid of my congestion. My doctor noticed that my nose was bleeding a bit from blowing it too often. This is bad because I'm on blood thinners. On the other hand, I'm not supposed to take decongestants because they're a stimulant and can increase my heart rate. It was a little high today actually. She did give me samples for a decongestant, but she told me to take half a pill twice a day and not the entire pill. She's sounded a bit leery about giving them to me. She suggested that I buy one of those steam thingies that you can find at a drug store. You put some water and some Vicks in it and breathe in the steam. I did that and it helped with the congestion a bit. I've also tried using saline.

doomsey has also been yelling at me every time I cave and start blowing my nose again. This evening, he confiscated my box of Kleenex.

*sigh*

I hope this bug goes away quickly and that I don't kill my voice again.

Comments

[soulofajedi.livejournal.com]

Feel better soon!

[bibliofilen.livejournal.com]

Rinse your nose with saltwater! This is my new method to deal with a stuffed nose. It feels fine for quite a while afterwards before filling up again.

Get well soon!

[nekosensei.livejournal.com]

Is this the same as the neti pot? I think I keep doing it wrong because my sinuses always feel waterlogged afterwards. That and the congestion comes back right away for me.

Hmm...maybe I should give it another go...

[bibliofilen.livejournal.com]

I see you figured it out. ;-)

[fuzzyscribble.livejournal.com]

Blow your nose without closing one of the nostrils down. Just push air out of your nostrils.

My mom had Puffs with Vicks at her house when I saw her on Sunday...THEY'RE AWESOME!! Blow your nose...blow your mind!

Aura Cacia makes a peppermint oil roll on that you can put a dab of under your nose to help decongest during the day. I found it at Whole Foods...or try Aveda's Blue Oil.

And the rinse your nose with saltwater really works. Neilmed makes a great squeezie bottle with pre-measured packets. I got one for Rob and now he's a squeezie bottle convert too.

Join the nose washing cult!

[nekosensei.livejournal.com]

Do you use a neti pot for this? I've tried using one various times, and I don't think I'm doing it right. My sinuses feel water-logged afterwards. That, and the congestion comes back right away. I have been squirting some saline solution up there. That sometimes helps. At the very least, it will keep me from bleeding so much.

[fuzzyscribble.livejournal.com]

I use the Neilmed squeezie bottle thing...

http://www.neilmed.com/usa/index.php

You can find them at Walgreens/CVS. The trick is to do the wash. GENTLY blow your nose...and then bend over and touch your toes. The rest of the liquid will drain out of your upper sinuses...and you won't get that "wooshy" feeling.

I like the neilmed packets better than making my own saline with salt like the neti pot directions say. Something about the pH is better...and I don't get that sort of rebound congestion you're talking about.

Their nasal gel stuff looks pretty nice too. I'm going to try to pick some up.

[nekosensei.livejournal.com]

doomsey taught me how to use the neti pot yesterday, and I think I have it down. It kept my sinuses clear for a good half hour to an hour. Nice!

[laurainlimbo.livejournal.com]

hope you feel better soon - stay warm, and I suggest a humidifier if you have one:) or maybe that's what you said you tried with Vicks. I just use the warm air humidifier in the winter to keep the air from being too dry.

take care!!

[purpurachicago.livejournal.com]

First you need puff plus... they have lotion.

Second, have you ever pondered if the cat hair is getting your lungs sick? I totally know how much you love the babies but perhaps it is something to consider... for your health...

[nekosensei.livejournal.com]

Eeep! There's no way in HELL I would give up my cats. And no, they're not making me sick. I'm sick because I got a cold, which was probably followed by an opportunistic infection on Sunday-Monday. This is a nasty bug actually. I know a lot of people who are sick and are having a hard time shaking this thing.

And yes, I did have problems with asthma in the late summer-early fall, but this was most likely caused by pollen from grasses and not from the cats.

[purpurachicago.livejournal.com]

Puff plus then! :)