What meds work for a cold?
What meds work for a cold?
Last night got a bad cold. I took NyQuil, but ended up awake half the night. I think I remember reading on this discussion board that some cold meds make RLS worse. Does anyone know the best thing to take for a cold, in conjunction with either Requip or Sinemet? (I took Requip a about 3 hours before NyQuil, had to get up an hour later and take more Requip, but it didn't really work I guess since I barely slept.) I
OTC Cold Medication
Hi Oaklander, it's Jan
Welcome again!
You are right that there are many OTC cold medications that exascerbate RLS. In fact, there are many prescribed medications that do the same.
At the top of this page, there are pull down menus. Click on Support Groups and you'll see Group Link. Select Group Link and you will see three selections. Select S. CA RLS Support Group. Scroll down the page of the S.CA site, and you will see Medical Alert Card. Select that and print out a copy. On this Medical Alert Card are listed many medications which we should not take. They have listed suggested medications which we CAN take. There is also a place, on the right hand side of the form, for you to list personal information. I suggest that you carry this card with you for your own personal reference and in case you have an medical emergency and are taken to the doctor or hospital.
You might also show this card to your pharmacist and ask him/her to suggest something which you might be able to take.
Good luck. I know how aggravating this problem can be.
Jan
Welcome again!
You are right that there are many OTC cold medications that exascerbate RLS. In fact, there are many prescribed medications that do the same.
At the top of this page, there are pull down menus. Click on Support Groups and you'll see Group Link. Select Group Link and you will see three selections. Select S. CA RLS Support Group. Scroll down the page of the S.CA site, and you will see Medical Alert Card. Select that and print out a copy. On this Medical Alert Card are listed many medications which we should not take. They have listed suggested medications which we CAN take. There is also a place, on the right hand side of the form, for you to list personal information. I suggest that you carry this card with you for your own personal reference and in case you have an medical emergency and are taken to the doctor or hospital.
You might also show this card to your pharmacist and ask him/her to suggest something which you might be able to take.
Good luck. I know how aggravating this problem can be.
Jan
No one is alone who had friends.
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Zicam
The best thing I have found is to start using Zicam at the first symptom of a cold. Here is the US, I've found it at most drugtores. It's made from zinc, I think, and doesn't stop the symptoms, but reduces the time you have the cold. You squirt some in your nasal passages, rub it around, and repeat every few hours. It takes a cold from a week to 2 weeks to under 3 days. If I start soon enough, some times I can reduce the time of the cold to 1 day!!!!
Ann
Ann
DimeTapp decongestant only OK?
Hi Jan and Ann. I saw the Medical Alert card, but didn't see the list of meds they say are OK. I probably need to search the site more (I didn't see the info. on the medical alert card). But thanks for the info, both of you! My cold is still really bad, but NyQuil is out of the question. I did rummage through my medicine chest and found Dimetapp Decongestant (it has no antihistimines in it). I wonder if that's OK? I don't seem to see that as a problem, and I'm guessing the Dimetapp on the no-no list is the kind that's a combo of decongestant and antihistimines. Any idea?
Medical Alert Card
Hi Oaklander, it's Jan
I just looked at the Medical Alert Card again, and you are right--I remembered incorrectecly. There is no list of suggested alternatives, except for anti-nauseates. It does indicate that all anti-histamines will exacerbate RLS, which, I'm sure you read.
Sorry, Oaklander. I should have looked at the card again before giving you wrong info. My memory isn't what it used to be!! Ha!
Looks like Ann gave you some good advice, though. Thanks Ann!
Jan
I just looked at the Medical Alert Card again, and you are right--I remembered incorrectecly. There is no list of suggested alternatives, except for anti-nauseates. It does indicate that all anti-histamines will exacerbate RLS, which, I'm sure you read.
Sorry, Oaklander. I should have looked at the card again before giving you wrong info. My memory isn't what it used to be!! Ha!
Looks like Ann gave you some good advice, though. Thanks Ann!
Jan
No one is alone who had friends.
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suze40
Thank you for your email because that is exactly what I was wondering! I'm sick with a cold and am getting very run down with lack of sleep as this is my third illness this season.
I decided to take a cough syrup tonight so I could sleep - BIG mistake - there was no pharmacist on duty when I went to ask if there was non-antihistamine meds. My legs are now keeping me awake - much worse than usual. I rarely take anti-histamines because they make me jittery.
I did see a herbal cough syrup by Benilyn for mild coughs but nothing else on the shelves. I guess Vicks vapor rub or a vaporizer are the only things I can think of. I also tried echinacea but it doesn't seem to do much lately.
I decided to take a cough syrup tonight so I could sleep - BIG mistake - there was no pharmacist on duty when I went to ask if there was non-antihistamine meds. My legs are now keeping me awake - much worse than usual. I rarely take anti-histamines because they make me jittery.
I did see a herbal cough syrup by Benilyn for mild coughs but nothing else on the shelves. I guess Vicks vapor rub or a vaporizer are the only things I can think of. I also tried echinacea but it doesn't seem to do much lately.
Oaklander--
How ironic you should mention Nyquil... I've told the story here before... my earliest memory of what I'm SURE now was RLS (there are some other things before that might have been, but it's hard to recall so far back) was when I was 18, had a horrible flu, and had taken Nyquil because it was the only thing I could get at the 7-11 near my residence hall.
My now-husband-then-boyfriend drove me to my family's for the weekend, and I remember so vividly being stuck in traffic in the rain in his VW Bug for two hours, pushing and pushing my feet against the floor boards, with shoes on, shoes off, and nearly in tears. When I got to the house, I remember stumbling up the steps and collapsing in bed, so exhausted and so distressed by that horrid feeling in my feet.
I think that was the last time I ever took Nyquil. The only benefit of it was that I'm chemically-sensitive, so the alcohol content of it put me straight to sleep DESPITE the RLS... but that experience wasn't something I wanted to repeat.
I didn't find out til much later (like 18 years or so) that it wasn't JUST the Nyquil that was the problem, and I had other bad nights using other cold/flu meds over the years. But your story brought back that very distinct bad memory... I felt your pain, let me tell you.
Hope the cold's better now (couldnlt post to this thread for several days for some technical reason.)
Take good care.
Sara
How ironic you should mention Nyquil... I've told the story here before... my earliest memory of what I'm SURE now was RLS (there are some other things before that might have been, but it's hard to recall so far back) was when I was 18, had a horrible flu, and had taken Nyquil because it was the only thing I could get at the 7-11 near my residence hall.
My now-husband-then-boyfriend drove me to my family's for the weekend, and I remember so vividly being stuck in traffic in the rain in his VW Bug for two hours, pushing and pushing my feet against the floor boards, with shoes on, shoes off, and nearly in tears. When I got to the house, I remember stumbling up the steps and collapsing in bed, so exhausted and so distressed by that horrid feeling in my feet.
I think that was the last time I ever took Nyquil. The only benefit of it was that I'm chemically-sensitive, so the alcohol content of it put me straight to sleep DESPITE the RLS... but that experience wasn't something I wanted to repeat.
I didn't find out til much later (like 18 years or so) that it wasn't JUST the Nyquil that was the problem, and I had other bad nights using other cold/flu meds over the years. But your story brought back that very distinct bad memory... I felt your pain, let me tell you.
Hope the cold's better now (couldnlt post to this thread for several days for some technical reason.)
Take good care.
Sara