I’ve run out of ideas so I’m asking you. How do you stop your runny nose?
I caught a hell of a cold two weeks ago and it seems to have passed except for this Niagara Falls tier runny nose. I’ve succumbed to desperation and have just been walking around with a nose tampon. Lemmy, how do you treat your runny nose??
For me, 24-hour Claritin will usually dry me out for 16-20 hours. Does fuck-all for any other symptoms, but runny nose is the one I hate, so it's a primary weapon in my arsenal. If my nose is running, I can't sleep, it makes a mess, and unless I'm religious about fancy kleenex I will end up with a rash on my nose or upper lip. Ending the runny nose makes a cold much more bearable for me.
I’ve been thinking about that, actually. Just pop into the urgent care like, “Hey doc I just want to make sure my brains aren’t actually leaking from my nose, and if they are can we maybe not”.
Pho is my go to if I'm getting over being sick. I did that once and asked them to make it hurt, then requested chili oil at the table. Had two waiters watching me eat in wonder but felt so much better when I finished. Cleared everything out.
Neti pot. My nose drips constantly when I'm sick because it's trying to flush out the thick sticky stuff in my sinuses. A neti pot helps get rid of it, and the dripping. It's changed my life.
I may have to go get one. The area around my nose looks like it’s been set on fire at this point and I have some reservations about leaving the house sporting my nose tampon.
When in bed, put your head way high on your pillow (head facing upwards) so that your head tilts backwards. It doesn't have to be a huge tilt, but give it some angle. Stay like that for about 15 minutes and watch your nose magically clear up. Then try to get to sleep before it plugs back up. Good luck.
So I tried this and it was an experience of mixed emotions. Relief that my nose was no longer running mixed with an uneasy shiver of disgust as I felt everything draining down the back of my throat. Effective yet disturbing!
Prescription Flonase was the best. Got some for some reason and had some left and used it whenever I got sick. Barely felt sick every time as long as I used it before my nostril closed up.
Maybe don't over-do it trying to "stop" it - that stuff drips for a reason? Like, where else is it going to go?
I would actually suggest going the other direction and like drink a bunch of hot drinks to try to let more come out, especially at a time of your choosing (first: inhale the steam, then: drink, repeat as desired). I would guess that once whatever is up in there that is causing the irritation gets flushed out, it may stop?
Whereas I wonder if blocking it could lead to a sinus infection? Your body is trying to help you, so it is generally best to help rather than hinder that process, unless you really truly do know better - though speaking of, I am not a doctor, it's just thoughts.:-)
Do yourself a favor and get real pseudoephedrine. Phenylephrine dries my sinuses out so much that it actually hurts and I have to use nasal ointments that only seem to help what I can reach with them for like 5 minutes at a time. Pseudo (+mucinex if needed for thicker mucus) honestly feels like going back to baseline in comparison.
During times when I'm using a nose tampon, if I get tired of changing the tampon I've tied a bandana around my head so that it is bundled up right under my nose to soak up that low viscosity drip.
This is why people eat soups for colds. The soups are a heat source and the steam tends to help the runny nose. Changing heat and humidity helps a lot. Wipe your nose not with kleenex but with small hot towels you wet and put in the microwave for a dozen seconds (absolutely make sure it's a microwave-safe fabric towel). Get a warm drink too and take it to a warm room.
Warning: None of this work if your allergies are acting up, as I found out.