NWR Health

Warren EDWARDES

Warren EDWARDES

Location
London
It is the time of year for sniffing and sneezing.

Don't be tempted with these packets of lemon flavoured powders.

They are just Paracetamol plus acid, lemon, colouring and flavourings.

Some of them also include Phenylephine Hydrochoride. But this is none other than Sudafed a decongestant.

Much more efficient to get a packet of Paracetamol and another of Phenylephine Hydrochoride / Sudafed.
 
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I can't take Lemsip as those of us of a certain age who are prescribed tablets for high blood pressure for the rest of our days are not allowed decongestants...nor grapefruit!
 
David Crossley said:
I can't take Lemsip as those of us of a certain age who are prescribed tablets for high blood pressure for the rest of our days are not allowed decongestants...nor grapefruit!
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I'm on four types of tablets a day but not for blood pressure. PLus a couple of sprays.

Anyway bronchitis in hospital is going to take me out even if I go in for something like a dodgy prostate, heart attack or whatever.
 
The decongestant nasal sprays (xylometazoline/oxymetazoline) are MUCH more effective than any of the tablets.

If you've never tried them before, they're a revelation.
 
I use NeilMed SunuRinse from Amazon or your local chemist. Great for washing away sinus blockages to prevent them turning into bronchitis. And ideal pre wine tasting competitions.
 
David Crossley said:
I can't take Lemsip as those of us of a certain age who are prescribed tablets for high blood pressure for the rest of our days are not allowed decongestants...nor grapefruit!
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I take pills for both high blood pressure and cholesterol. I was told originally that I would have to give up grapefruit, as they exaggerate the effect of stattins. However, I was told later that as I take my stattins at night, grapefruit for breakfast once a week wouldn't hurt.

No-one's said I can't take decongestants, though - indeed I was prescribed one recently.
 
David Pope said:
I take pills for both high blood pressure and cholesterol. I was told originally that I would have to give up grapefruit, as they exaggerate the effect of stattins. However, I was told later that as I take my stattins at night, grapefruit for breakfast once a week wouldn't hurt.

No-one's said I can't take decongestants, though - indeed I was prescribed one recently.
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David, perhaps our forum doctors will help to qualify the information but my understanding about the effect of the furanocoumarins in grapefruit relates not only to statins [some more than others] but to a whole range of medications including some heart related prescriptions like calcium channel blockers and thinners like clopidogrel.

As for decongestants and unrelated to grapefruit [and some other citrus fruit] my understanding is that some have undesirable interactions but flixonase spray [previously prescription only but now sold over-the-counter as pirinase] can be used with a wide range of blood pressure/ heart disease medications. Always worth checking with a doctor though.
 
David Riach said:
Ah, drugs making an appearance in yet another field of competition!
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... and by superb timing, my recently ex one day a week GP makes headline news :

Three Premier League clubs have denied "false" doping allegations made by the Sunday Times.

The paper claims London-based private doctor Mark Bonar prescribed banned performance-enhancing drugs to over 150 British athletes including footballers.

.......

They forgot to include "blind wine tasters". Dr Mark Bonar gave gave me supplier samples of the Neil Med Sinus Rinse a few years ago and I've been getting supplies from Amazon ever since.

Dr Bonar would never open up saying he had a private nutritional practice. Not seen him for a while. I assumed it was because he wanted to work privately full-time. But it seems he has been suspended by the GMC on an unrelated matter

 
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The media in France have recently reported some deaths attributed to combining over-the-counter decongestants with hypertension treatment. The person reporting this on TV repeated the old chestnut, which I've always liked - "if you use cold cure treatments, your cold will be better in 7 days; if you don't treat, your cold will be better in one week".
 
Nigel Groundwater said:
David, perhaps our forum doctors will help to qualify the information but my understanding about the effect of the furanocoumarins in grapefruit relates not only to statins [some more than others] but to a whole range of medications including some heart related prescriptions like calcium channel blockers and thinners like clopidogrel.

As for decongestants and unrelated to grapefruit [and some other citrus fruit] my understanding is that some have undesirable interactions but flixonase spray [previously prescription only but now sold over-the-counter as pirinase] can be used with a wide range of blood pressure/ heart disease medications. Always worth checking with a doctor though.
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Yes, I understand that grapefruit interferes with a lot of medicines.
 
Tim York said:
The media in France have recently reported some deaths attributed to combining over-the-counter decongestants with hypertension treatment. The person reporting this on TV repeated the old chestnut, which I've always liked - "if you use cold cure treatments, your cold will be better in 7 days; if you don't treat, your cold will be better in one week".
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A cold won't harm much in itself. But when it goes down to the chest and leads to a bronchial chest infection that could take you out.
 
If only sniffing and sneezing it sounds like allergy. Maybe anti-histamine or avoid allergen as much as possible?
Grapefruit is known to interact with second generation anti histamine, but the third generation are fine. And you only need one pill per day.

For allergy problem, anti-histamine usually won't totally solve it; so mask and indoor air purifier may help. Or, for many people, excercise such as swimming helps.
For common cold, medication will make you feel better but not cure you. Still, excercise helps if you get cold more often than others.
 
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