Comment by Auracle | Hacker News Reader

Comment by Auracle | Hacker News Reader

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For what it’s worth, Afrin and other similar nasal sprays are by far the best decongestant.

The only issue is you can only take them for a few days straight, or you’ll have rebound congestion when you try to quit. There are oodles of stories online of people who didn’t heed that advice and upped their dosages again and again for months.

Here’s the best method: Afrin (etc.) at night so you can sleep, and during the day if you have something particular important going on. The next day, after you wake do a sinus rinse with xylitol. This clears out the Afrin preventing dependence, but xylitol also keeps things somewhat suppressed.

Continue until cold is done. Source: me, a person with a ridiculously bad immune system that has multiple colds a year that last 3 weeks with nearly full congestion.

(Also, Adderall is great for colds)

> (Also, Adderall is great for colds)

Do not go around saying this, even if it’s true. We’re experiencing a huge Adderall shortage, and the last thing we need is people who were on the fence deciding to get a Rx because it might help them with cold symptoms in the winter.

Well, I doubt many people are going to bother hoodwinking their doctors in order to get a prescription. It is a shame it can't just be sold over the counter though, as it really is the best cold medicine. It keeps your sinuses somewhat clear and gives you enough energy to get through the day.

It's probably a bad idea for anyone with a heart condition, in case anyone out there is getting a not-so-bright-idea.

Afrin is so incredibly addictive that I highly recommend never using it… use it once and you’ll be hooked for years, trust me!

Yeah stick with the safe stuff, Adderall

I use it quite a few times a year (in bursts) and I'm not hooked. I gave instructions in my post as to how. Colds don't last as long for my wife so she just uses it for 2-3 days and then stops.

True. You get used to it after a few days and now can't sleep without it, in a never ending cycle. There are much better drugs now, for example fluticasone (Flonase, Avamys).

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