Flying poorly (tomorrow) ?

[SENSummer]

So we fly first thing tomorrow on a family holiday (me, hubby and two kids <6).

A week ago I started with cold and have had horrid sinus/general cold symptoms. Went to the doctors got a steroid spray (they were thoroughly disinterested as I didn’t have a temperature) but the sinus pain was so bad I felt sick. The steroid spray did very little, I’ve been struggling all week. Doesn’t seem to be improving and awful post nasal drip (tmi sorry). I just feel rubbish but it’s been a week now usually I shake things off or they at least improve. I’ve spent today in bed covered in Vicks and felt awfully sick.

I said to hubby I didn’t think I’d manage it tomorrow. I struggle with my sinuses on planes at the best of times and it can be really painful. He looked at me like I was nuts because it’s ’just a cold’.

We have insurance but given I’m ’not that unwell’ and the doctors shrugged it off I doubt we’d be able to claim on it. Hubby thinks I’m at the end of it and will start to feel better in the next couple of days so should just push through. I do push through things quite well usually but I just feel grotty and so disappointed that it’s a week in and I’m still this rubbish!

I hear what you’re saying and yet if you were sitting next to an elderly person or someone whose immune system was compromised, maybe someone who has just had cancer treatment, their holiday could be ruined by catching it from you. You’ve said yourself that you’ve felt very unwell with it at times. Please be considerate….. hope you’re feeling better very soon.

Why is your husband adamant you don't have an infection when you're so tired and lethargic? As I've found out after recurring sinus issues this past year lethargy is a common symptom of infection.

You still need to wear a mask. Why would you be so selfish as to travel with a possibly communicable infection and spoil other people’s holidays?

Yes, in fairness our marriage is much improved on the whole. High needs DS has stabilised we’ve found reliable carers. The situation is much improved.

I’ll wear a mask that’s not a big deal

Of course we can’t diagnose you or know the seriousness but would warn you as I had a good friend whose eardrum burst from getting on a plane with sinusitis.

Sorry I thought you were concerned specifically because it may be Covid. I’d wear a mask regardless if I thought I was contagious with anything. Just in the plane though with the recycled air and all. I’m not phased about whether it’s covid or not

Meh I’d just go. You’re not vomiting, you don’t have a fever so it’s not serious. You might feel naff but your DC are undoubtedly looking forward to it, I wouldn’t be able to let them down over a bit of sinus bother.

Oh OP, I’m sorry you’re feeling rubbish but it sounds like a nasty head cold? What do you think is going to happen - should everyone else stay home?

Sudafed is not chemically related to Ibuprofen so well worth a try. Ibuprofen is known to cause stomach issues, Sudafed is pretty benign. It’s fantastic for sinuses.

Neilmed sinus rinse is the only thing that gets rid of my sinusitis. It's genuinely amazing. I had three lots of antibiotics one time and it didn't shift and then did the rinse and it was sorted in a couple of days.

You can pick it up in boots with the bottle in a pack. Do it a couple of times before you go and take it with you and you'll feel so much better.

I get IBS, and I use Sudafed nasal spray, @SENSummer - it has never caused me any issues.

I had the most awful sinusitis last year, lasted weeks. We flew 2 hours on holiday and I swear to god, the cabin pressure unplugged something. I won't go into it because it's gross but it was kind of incredible and I improved after that. So, it might help!

This sounds like what I’ve had. I was stuck next to a selfish woman who was sneezing, coughing and blowing her nose on a three hour flight, with no mask.

Two days into the holiday, I started feeling ill. Horrendous headache, no energy, dizziness, no appetite. I then developed blocked sinuses and blocked ears. I had to dose myself up with cold and flu medicine, although it didn’t feel like a cold.
The flight home wasn’t great as my ears were so blocked. Take off was fine but landing was really painful. I was still ill ten days after, so did a GP consultation and was prescribed antibiotics and a steroid nose spray for sinusitis. I ended up having a week off work and lost 4lbs in weight.
It’ll be three weeks on Wednesday and I still don’t feel 100%. I’m still really tired and lacking energy with minimal appetite. I think it was Covid that morphed into sinusitis. I haven’t felt so rough in a long time.
I think you’ll need antibiotics.

Sorry @SENSummer I have just seen this. Are you able to get to a chemist, is there a Boots at the airport. Highly recommend Sterimar Congestion Relief nasal spray, it’s made with natural sea water solution. Failing that may be a bottle of Olbas oil, which you put on a tissue to inhale, or an Olbas oil nasal stick. Would get Sudafed (make sure it’s a paracetamol one, as there is one with Ibuprofen) and one of the other items I mentioned.

take me withh you i will help you with everything, i wanna try flying

Sterimar is fantastic. I can’t take Sudafed (high BP) but I use Sterimar or just the bog standard Boots saline nasal spray pretty much every day in the shower to flush out my sinuses. It cuts down on opportunistic infections, as there’s no mucus for the nasty greeblies (that’s a medical term ) to breed in.

My mum was a auxiliary nurse and very unsympathetic to accidents and illness!
If we could stand up we had to go to school. I used to get reoccurring tonsillitis 6-12 times a year and would turn up at school and be sent home by 9.30. I learnt that some of the mums that shared the school run with us were more sympathetic and i would cry on them that I didn't feel well and they would send me back home.

Injuries, she patch us up at home or get a friend to do so. There was one time that my sister did have to attend a and e as she needed a tetanus jab my 18 year old sister was looking after us, I was about 12 injured on 8. Mum popped down for 2 minutes saw that we were all conscious and breathing before heading back to the ward and told us to phone to ward when we got back home so she'd know everything was ok.

Please make sure you wear a mask to prevent spreading to others on the plane!

Nosocomial transmission is far too high and affects patients, staff and their families. Infection control in hospitals should be taken more seriously. The covid Inquiry highlighted this too (as does the scientific evidence and the unnecessarily high levels of long covid). There is a difference between wanting something to be a simple cold and it actually being a simple cold.

I hope you recover soon OP.

I have sinusitis quite often. I take a very broad approach. I breathe in Vicks in boiling water, drink lots of water, take ibuprofen, sudafed sometimes but it makes me very sleepy and go to bed. As others have said try a pharmacy if you feel antibiotics are needed.

Hope you are a bit better today, that your journey goes well and have a good holiday 😊

Definitely pick up some of the sudafed nose spray - try it before you fly but it's the only thing that works for me (I get sinus issues every winter and after getting covid each time - I get covid a lot after long covid)