irmster

Am on BA 5 tomorrow. I am sure my fellow passengers are not going to enjoy my current chronic sneezing, sniffing and blowing - plus it won't be pleasant for me either.

Any suggestions for over the counter medicines I can get at Boots T5 to at least alleviate the symptoms (especially the sneezing/runny nose) while I am in the air. Have tried Sudafed with no results as yet.

ta.

HIDDY

Coughs and sneezes spread diseases.......stay at home.

Littlegirl

Really not a good idea to fly with a cold. You can experience severe pain on decent and even blow your eardrums if you are really blocked up.

Silver Fox

You will be hated. The cold is the least of your worries.

stifle

I imagine the OP does not have a realistic option to not fly to Japan...

BApilotinsider

Withholding the concerns of your fellow pax, the most important consideration is whether or not you can unblock your ears.

If you can't the descent can be extremely painful and can cause serious damage to your eardrum.

Silver Fox

Justice.

ColdWalker

The chances of you making it less contagious are negligible with drugs. All you can do is sneeze and cough into the crook of your elbow rather than a hanky or your hands. Wash your hands regularly. Don't leave tissues lying round but 'bag and bin'.


Only you can determine if you shoud travel or not, but as your insurance won't pay out I don't think you can be expected to stay at home. Paracetamol is your best bet to make yourself more comfortable. Combined with a decogestiant would be good.

smith80678

Vodka

ColdWalker

Unlikely if the OP is in the 'chronic sneezing, stage.

irmster

er....thanks but am def flying. It's only a cold. No temperature.

So back to to the original question of any drugs which can alleviate the sneezing?

origin

I used Beechams powder and then an early night. You might have some bad dreams but it has always worked for me.

http://www.beechams.co.uk/

You can get them with Paracetamol as well, if you have stomach ulcers. Just not all shops sell them.

I dont know how customs in some countries will like over the counter drugs.

Lots of people have said, but I do echo be careful with your ears. YOu only have one set and they can get very painful if abused.

As its getting late you could always try Whisky and straight to bed. See how you are in the morning.

flightdocnj

I would suggest that you stay grounded get some rest, fluids and allow the cold to run its course. If that is not an option you can try Mucinex-D (not sure if it's available in your part of the globe). Chew gum on descent.

johan rebel

Buy a pair of EarPlanes.

Johan

LTN Phobia

I would urge anyone with anything infectious not to fly, but if you absolutely must, maybe consider the following.

Avoiding some wines helps. I'm not joking - some wines give me terrible sneezes, and worse if I have a cold. I do not usually touch wines nowadays but it honestly helps if I don't drink wine when I have the sneezes.

But then I suspect vodka and other liqueurs actually suppress sneezing, or maybe it's only an excuse for me .

If you suspect you might have a touch of hayfever mixed in, loratadine may help. It's not a remedy for cold, but an antihistamine that will help with hayfever etc. As far as I know, there is no over-the-counter anti-sneezing pills but there are some general remedies for cold. Whether they are any good or not is open for debate though.

Wear a surgical mask, even if it's just to warn other passengers and to encourage them to stay away from you

Pseudoephedrine or phenylepherine (Sudafed) with ibuprofen should help with ear pain you may get on descent.

Also please do your best to shield others from your sneezes (and coughs if you develop it), and please don't be a sniffler who sniffles loudly every 30 seconds like the passenger I had nearby recently. It's not very nice. Take lots of tissues and dispose of them sensibly in a plastic bag please And please try not to get bugs on your hands and touch other surfaces that others may touch shortly, just to reduce the likelihood of germs spreading!