Cold and allergy meds?

[Jen]

So what is safe to take when I have congestion?
When I had a cold I used to take nyquil/dayquil
For allergies I used to take benedryl

I suspect those days are over now that I have wicked RLS.....true?
What are the alternatives that won't make me miserable?

Thanks guys.

[Yankiwi]

When I have congestion due to a cold I take nose drops and Flonase (Flixonase) for allergies. Some of the new cold/allergy medications are supposed to be okay for RLS sufferers but I'm not game to try them.

[Rustsmith]

For antihistamines, you need to stick with second generation products if you feel that you need to use one. The trade names for these are Zyrtec, Claritin and Allegra. However, even these may cause problems for some people and one might cause a problem while the other two might not. You just have to experiment.

You can also use any of the newly over-the-counter nasal sprays based on topical steroids, such as Flonase. But stay away from the decongestant sprays because they will cause rebound congestion when you get off of them.

Oral decongestants and mucus releasing agents are also supposed to be safe for most, but not for everyone.

But in all cases, read the labels. Many of these products end up as blends to treat your symptoms and these blends usually include generic benedryl.

[Jen]

Out of desperation last night I tried nyquil for my cold and my legs went nuts despite my normal gabapentin dose.
Double whammy because I was sick, stoned from the nyquil, and then had to stagger around the house for 4 hours till it wore off. Kinda comical but so not worth it.

[badnights]

oh geez, that has to be the worst form of torture there is! Not at all comical
It may be hard to believe when you're suffering, but the suffering of being stoned/asleep while WED/RLS is going nuts is forever worse
As I'm sure you'll never forget now

[debbluebird]

I have been sick since this past Thursday night. Fever, cough, sore throat, sinus, and generally feeling terrible.
I rarely get sick. Last December I was sick for only a couple of days. It wasn't too bad. The last time I was this sick was in 2006, as in upper respiratory illnesses.
As soon as I feel something coming on I start taking 4,000 vit C, in am and in pm. I also take mucinex twice a day. Plus I suck on menthol cough drops. None of these seem to bother my RLS or PLM. I stop the C when I start to feel better. Oh, when the fever reached 101, was when I took Tylenol. The C is water soluble so, you will pee out what you don't need. A doctor friend of mine told me about the C and I do believe it has sometimes stopped me from getting real sick. I'm hoping this time it will just end sooner.

[debbluebird]

I have to add that I probably felt something coming on three or four times through the years, took the C and didn't get sick. It just went away.

[badnights]

I wonder it that's why I've escaped every cold going around this winter; I'm taking 3000- 4000 mg C every day

[jul2873]

I have very bad allergies which led to asthma attacks until I started getting allergy shots. I've gotten the shots for twenty years now and have been almost allergy-free. So if you're tired of trying to manage allergy meds you might check out the possibility of getting allergy shots instead. I think the way they work is a small "dead" amount of what you're allergic to is injected under your skin and you gradually build up a tolerance to it. You're started on a very small amount frequently (once a week for me) and then gradually the amount is increased and you get the shots at less frequent interval--every four weeks for me. I haven't needed any allergy meds at all for years now, and my insurance has always covered the cost of the shots.