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Will I ever build up a tolerance to this medicine's side effects or will it always give me insomnia and make me jittery?
I've had life-long sinus problems for decades. I've never needed to treat them unless I got an infection. Unfortunately, they've taken a severe chronic turn for the worse now that I'm older. I'm finally going to manage them. I'm going to see an allergist and an ENT. I suspect my future will involve surgery, allergy shots and a bunch of medication.
I haven't taken Sudafed in 20 years before I would be up at 3am scrubbing the kitchen floor. That's not productive when fighting illness. I had a theory that I was sensitive to it back then because I weighed only 100lbs. My theory was correct. I'm not bouncing off the walls, but I'm definitely not in the right frame of mind to focus on metal tasks. I already plan to take Benadryl tonight so I can sleep.
I'm wondering if I keep taking it will I ever build a resistance to these side effects or should I search for a different medication? If this is the way it will always be, does anyone recommend a strong decongestant that doesn't make me crazy? The stuff that doesn't require ID doesn't work for me.
I can't wait until I can talk to the doctor. I need relief to hold me over until an appointment which isn't until the 11th.
I took a decongestant for years before the pharmacist mentioned it might keep me awake. I'd never had a problem with that before he mentioned it but knowing it could do it caused it to keep me awake for a time; maybe a week or two. There are antihistamines that are non-drowsy; try those instead of the sudafed.
The pseudephedrine in Sudafed is a key ingredient used to make methamphetamine, which is why consumers are now restricted in how much they can purchase during a certain time frame. Personally, I can't imagine why anyone would use meth, because Sudafed itself already gets me so hopped up I can't sleep, my heart races, and I get really jittery!
The 4 hour sudafed makes me jittery, the 12 hour time release does not. You might try the 12 hour and see if it works better for you.
If your sinus problems are bad enough, no antihistamine will take the place of taking sudafed. I usually have to take both during pollen season.
Actually, that's a good point. The last time I bought any was over a year ago, and the pharmacy was out of the 4-hour, so I got the timed-release. It didn't make me jittery, so I wondered if it was actually working!
I had a runny nose all winter. I usually do but this year was the worst. I didn't notice any sinus problems other than the runny nose, except during the week I had the flu.
I -also- have allergies, but they're not the kind of allergies that affect the sinuses. They just give me hives (I'm allergic to the coating they spray on plastic grocery bags to make them stick together in the box) and severe sudden mood swings (dairy).
So I started taking Zyrtec and noticed that my runny nose mostly dried up on days I was taking it. I don't know how helpful that would be for you Hopes, but maybe if you switch out the Sudafed for a Zyrtec on a weekend day, you can see if maybe it will help you afterall. Just make sure it's a day where you don't have to worry if it doesn't work, because you shouldn't take a Sudafed the same day you take a Zyrtec, and Zyrtec is intended to be a once-every-24-hours kind of med.
BTW the Zyrtec totally cleared up the hives. I take one every 2-3 days now and it's great. No side effects at all that I've noticed.
The 4 hour sudafed makes me jittery, the 12 hour time release does not. You might try the 12 hour and see if it works better for you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ukiyo-e
Actually, that's a good point. The last time I bought any was over a year ago, and the pharmacy was out of the 4-hour, so I got the timed-release. It didn't make me jittery, so I wondered if it was actually working!
Yikes! That shoots down my idea to get the ones that lasted a shorter time period. I was on the 24 hour time release!
Quote:
Originally Posted by AnonChick
I -also- have allergies, but they're not the kind of allergies that affect the sinuses. They just give me hives (I'm allergic to the coating they spray on plastic grocery bags to make them stick together in the box) and severe sudden mood swings (dairy).
So I started taking Zyrtec and noticed that my runny nose mostly dried up on days I was taking it. I don't know how helpful that would be for you Hopes, but maybe if you switch out the Sudafed for a Zyrtec on a weekend day, you can see if maybe it will help you afterall. Just make sure it's a day where you don't have to worry if it doesn't work, because you shouldn't take a Sudafed the same day you take a Zyrtec, and Zyrtec is intended to be a once-every-24-hours kind of med.
BTW the Zyrtec totally cleared up the hives. I take one every 2-3 days now and it's great. No side effects at all that I've noticed.
I have a mild mold allergy that has caused sinus problems my entire life. Add to it a deviated septum that I never had fixed, and my right sinus has become very challenged suddenly. On top of it, I just discovered that I have a nasal polyp on that side, which can also hinder drainage.
I thought about Zyrtec. Since my sinus problems are mostly allergy induced, I really need to get that under control to reduce inflammation. I was worried about insomnia though. I took it in January when I had the rash from the dog and couldn't sleep. I'll try it again because my insomnia might have been simply due to the rash.
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