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!

Beconase IS a steroid spray…… she has that already.

I swear by this stuff for nasal drip. Honestly the gunk that comes out that first rinse is unbelievable. It stops the dripping down my throat causing an irritating cough. Also drink plenty of fluids and homemade ginger tea with lemon and honey. Put your head over a pan of hot water with a towel over your head is also good for clearing sinuses.

Sudafed do 2 types of sinus relief, one has Ibuprofen and decongestant i can’t pronounce, the other is just the decongestant without Ibuprofen, give that a go it’s excellent

I don't think ibuprofen and sudafed are the same. Ibuprofen is a generic pain killer sudafed is specifically for sinuses

One argument is that you will feel shit wherever you are so you might as well feel shit on holiday.

To be honest it sounds like sphenoid sinusitis which is not a typical presentation - have you tried sinutab ? I swear by it. Hope you’re ok as just realised you’d have flown by now.

I had this years ago the day before I was to fly. Vomited every 10 minutes on the dot. Dr prescribed an antibiotic that must have been for horses or something because an hour after taking it I spent the next hour blowing my nose and it was grim 😂 and shockingly disgusting. After that I was fine!!! I still wonder what he gave me because it was fantastic. 😂

Sudafed I either feel sick when I take it or sleep all day and it doesn’t help me.

Sorry to derail slightly, can I pick yoir brains? I suffer terribly with my sinuses, every single cold I ger turns into such pain and I cannot breathe through my nose at all. I know my left passageway is narrow as I had a camera put up there. Anyway, my question, you mention Sudafed, but I was told to avoid it as it makes things worse?! Is this not the case?

How are you OP? Did you end up going?

Get a NeilMed sinus rinse from Boots at the airport. I suffer with sinus infections and it’s great for clearing them, particularly when I feel symptoms coming on. Don’t miss out on your holiday. Chances are you’ll soon turn the corner and a bit of sunshine will do you good x

As an aside my DH has had blocked sustain tubes for a year since a Covid infection. Would a neilmed sinus rinse help with that?

Get a private telephone appointment and pay for some antibiotics - consider it part of the holiday costs. It happened to me the first year we went with the kids, made an appointment tent at 8 within 2 hours I had a prescription at boots and we were due to fly at 4. Worth every penny.

If OP has a cold or flu then it’s

1. An illness, is it not?

And 2. Highly contagious.

Ffs just crack on with it

I thought you were going to say you were going to New Zealand 🇳🇿

Highly unlikely, given that she was given a full health check before she flew and then ended up with the exact same symptoms as the other passengers 🤨
If you look up Leukaemia you’ll see how incredibly susceptible they are to contagious illnesses, especially after chemo.

2 measly hours? I would just suck it up and get on with it.

Sounds like you need antibiotics. Grab some from a pharmacy and then go to the airport. You’ve got sinusitis not sickness and the shits.

I’m afraid ‘Hubby’ is wrong. Some People are still very ill with Covid and are isolated in hospital.

It would have been too late to claim on insurance anyway. You can't claim for a cold!

I'd try otravine. That's what I was given by an ent and then a couple of years later by a pharmacist (this may) after sinus issues. It helped and I was ok on the flight. I was fine within a day or two.

Unsure if insurance will cover this. My mum is still trying to get paid out from a holiday that she needed to drive to (middle of knowhere) after a broken wrist. They are quibbling everything. 4 months ago as well. Its just ridiculous.

Please do mask though, as otherwise you could ruin other people's holidays too. And I mean a proper n95 and not one that is worn over your mouth and not your nose.

You’ve probably already flown @SENSummer but try Otrivine sinusitis nasal spray. You can get it from any chemist/boots etc. This time of year take an anti histamine daily too - they’re not just for hayfever, you could have an allergy to something.
I’ve suffered with my sinuses for years and the two things I mentioned above I never go anywhere without now x

Her ‘hubby’ is a doctor! Have you not read all of her updates

Agree with this. As someone who has suffered numerous sinus infections, they can get alot worse leading to infections needing antibiotics such as an ear infection and that’s without taking a flight. Use saline, steam inhalations but consult with GP urgently regardless of whether you go or not.

…do people really expect others to cancel their holidays for a cold?

Like I get what you’re saying about how unwell you were, Covid etc. But you didn’t know that at the time when she was coughing and sneezing - for all you knew, it was just a cold (and there’s no way of knowing whether your illness came from this woman anyway).

It’s like the people who expect you to keep your child off school for every sniffle. It’s not realistic. Vomiting, fever etc, absolutely keep them off school/miss the flight/whatever. A common cold? Sorry, life goes on.

can I add # 3 to your list:
buy Sterimar which is basically sea water. It helps clear out sinuses, it’s great for anyone with hayfever to wash out the pollen and you don’t need a prescription for it.

It is really good stuff in addition to the antibiotics and steroids. A member of the family uses this combination as they suffer from regular sinusitis and it works very well.