to be considering pouring neat Karvol up my nose.....?

[LifeIsButtercream]

...... or failing that, dynamite!

It's sooooo blocked and I'm SOOOOOOOO miserable :-(

True - I am just getting totally desperate now! :-(

Oooo LifeIs, I know this one!

I used to get a horrendous bunged up nose when I was pregnant - wanted to smash my head against a wall to distract me from the pain - felt like my head was going to explode from the pressure build up in my nose!

Anyway I rang NHS direct to ask if it was okay to take one of those cold remedies with a decongestant in. The doctor said "no" as I was pregnant, but suggested Otrivine nasal drops or spray.

It was a Sunday evening and hubby drove 15 miles to the nearest open chemist. I really wasn't holding out much hope as had already tried inhaling karvol/ steam & menthol crystals..... Put the drops in and within 10 mins the problem had completely disappeared. I was crying with joy . I think they work by reducing the swelling in the inner tissues of your nose... or something..

Or have you already tried this?....

Take some sudafed or piriton (hay fever stuff) it's the swollen veins in the nose holes which cause the blockage so you need to reduce inflammation.

awww..so sorry to hear..I have always had a dodgy snoz..have you tried a bowl of hot steamy water with a few drops of Olbas Oil?..

Am stumped - am thoroughly lurgied and stuck in house with only Karvol - ran out of Sudafed and cant get to the (now shut) shops as am feeling so rancid - no partner or local family to beg help from :-(

is it the drops?...or tabs Life

Drops, my shirt is already soaked in it (so much so that my toddler is giving me a wide berth) but I can't smell it at all :-(

aww man you sound bad..have you tried just some steamy water?...put a towel over our head..add a sprinkle of ginger if you have some..

sometimes I've found ibuprofen can help a little bit - I'm guessing it helps the inflammation.

I do second otrivine, it is miraculous stuff

Get yourself to chemist first thing in the morning for Otrivine!

In the meantime, what about trying a cold compress to try and reduce the swelling? Over your nose / sinuses area I mean... A bag of frozen peas or a facecloth soaked in cold water.

Let us know how you get on. You have my sympathy

Salt and water if all else fails.

Try the miracle cure for blocked noses Otrivine, it is amazing stuff and will sort your blocked nose out in a few minutes.

Hope you feel better soon.

You need sudafed spray or sudafed pseudoephedrine (only over the counter).

Ephedrine nosedrops are brilliant. You can buy them over the counter. My GP put me onto these one year when I had sinusitis, and I always use them now if I am really blocked up, especially just before I go to bed, so that at least I can go to sleep breathing!

How are you doing this morning LifeIsB?

YABU - it will sting!!

Watch out with otrivine/sudafed type things as they dry you out and can be very painful.

Dh has massive sinus problems (3 ops, just waiting for 4th) and his consultant recommends Sterimar spray or a Neilmed Sinus rinse.

It is horrible though, hope you feel better soon.

Google 'neti pot'. It is a yoga thing but a couple of doctors I know swear by it. If you can find a yoga shop anywhere near you, go and get one.
It is a litle teapot like thing that you fill with warm salt water and literally wash your nose out with. I know it sounds vile but it doesn't hurt and provides instant relief. I do it regularly as I get bad post nasal drip that lingers for ages after a cold. You actually see big lumps of gunk being washed out. There have been studies done and it is supposed to be effective.
It is really, really worth doing.

Another vote for Otrivine - my mum recommended it to me, and it was a revelation!

Hi all,

Soaked every available fabric in bedroom last night with Karvol and woke up with stinging eyes!

Did venture to Tesco this morning and picked up sudafed (taking great care not to breathe on anyone there!) which has helped, although didn't have enough money on me for anything else!

Cold much improved, found that long steamy showers helped (although, mummy-dilema, long steamy showers not practical with 18m old DD trying to pull the shower curtain down!

Thanks for all advice!