Welcome to the rest of the world. I swear every person I know is either getting over a head cold from hell, has one, or is getting one.

Some swear by netti pots, but I never had any luck with them. I do the gargle with salt water thing. During the day I drink fluids by the gallon and and only take something if I have to. At night I take a Benadryl and dry it all up. Sleeping upright in a chair helps me too with a pillow on my lap to hold when I cough.

Oh and I whine. Yeah, it's not very grown up. But I do it anyway.

***Sending over chicken soup.***, Patti

Thanks, Patti. I think I'd be willing to try a neti pot, but that might make the drowning feeling worse. I guess I won't know unless I try... I've been sleeping upright for 4 weeks & my neck is paying for it...

Hi Courtney - The cold from Hell is really going around here too. Wild Elderberry syrup is an excellent anti viral.

You can dump a couple of teaspoons of Vicks Vapor rub into boiling hot water in a bowl. Put a towel over your head and inhale. That will stop any coughing and hopefully decongestant you.

Patti made some great suggestions. I sure hope that you feel much better soon. Hugs!

I have nasal congestion chronically and when it's bad, the flonase can't get up into the nasal passages. Then I have to use a nasal spray with ephedrine in it. I only use it for one day (because there is rebound stuffiness if you use it more than a couple of days). I'd suggest clear your nose with that nasal spray and maybe getting a nasal saline kit (Neilmed) and use that to rinse the passages clear and THEN use the flonase. Hope this helps and hope you get better soon.

Thanks for all of the great suggestions. Now I just gotta drag myself to the store lol

I have chronic sinus problems. There are quite a few different bottles to use to just to get gunk out of your nose. Some come with little bags of salt and backing soda.
Maybe I'm paranoid, but I always feel like I can't really keep the bottles clean enough. So I have been using a saline spray which you can get in the same section as the other spray bottles. It's more expensive, but I don't feel like I'm reinfecting myself. Anyway, when you are really gunky, it does feel good to get that out. Also, sometimes one course of antibiotics don't work. If you start feeling the infection coming back, go on another course. Drs. hate giving out antibiotics, but I have had to chronic infections in my life and I wish I had just blasted the thing at the beginning instead of living with it on and off for years. My immune system is wonky, so maybe it's my problem.
Hope you feel better soon.

The only thing that clears my sinus infections these days is also a steroid shot with the antibiotic treatment. Antibiotics alone never clear me. Believe me I have done the double treatment before, and nothing, and then a steroid shot with it, and it gets it every time. I hope you get some relief soon. I also just bought a personal mister/humidifier, that I put my face in, like fantod suggested, but it's a machine made for just that. I find it helps, but only certain machines allow vicks and other meds to be dropped in. They have one at walmart for $30, it might actually be a personal vicks machine.

WOW. I woke up this morning having slept quite well (took a little extra Gabapentin aka the dose I'm supposed to be taking, but don't) except now the pressure has turned into a full blown sinus headache. This isn't very fun... No change in the congestion yet. My sis is going to the store this morning, so she's going to grab a few of the things you lovely people mentioned here.

I feel like getting colds & all this type of stuff impacts me way worse now than it did before fibro. As if our bodies weren't already dealing with enough.

A nasal decongestant like Sudafed is great for congestion. Another option is mucinex sinus. I don't think you will be able to use flonase and Sudafed. I well also suggest the hot water in the bowl and towel of the head. It will make you sweat but you will have some relief. I also find that simply saline help because you flush your nose with saline and it also helps with congestion. I used flonase in the past and just ended up with headache on top on the congestion. I hope this was helpful.