If you have cold or flu symptoms, you may be looking for a product that includes phenylephrine or pseudoephedrine. These ingredients work by shrinking your blood vessels, which can help you breathe more easily and reduce the symptoms of a sinus headache or a stuffy nose. It's also important to be careful when taking other medicines if you're using an "all-in-1" decongestant remedy. They should not be used by the following groups of people without getting advice from a pharmacist or GP first: If you’re having trouble breathing due to cold, flu, or allergies, sinus decongestants are designed to relieve your symptoms and help you carry on with your day.

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These medications are available OTC at affordable prices, but that doesn’t always make it easy to choose one that’s best for you. Examples include pseudoephedrine (sometimes called by the brand name Sudafed). Types of decongestants If you’re already taking OTC pain relief medication for, say, a sinus headache, you don’t want to add additional pain relief meds into the mix if you don’t need to. antibiotics – if a bacterial infection is causing your symptoms and you're very unwell or at risk of complications (but antibiotics are often not needed, as sinusitis is usually caused by a virus)

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ALWAYS READ THE LABEL. Sudafed® Nasal Spray Solution contains xylometazoline hydrochloride. Non-Drowsy Sudafed® Decongestant Tablets contain pseudoephedrine hydrochloride. Non-Drowsy Sudafed® Decongestant Syrup contains pseudoephedrine hydrochloride. Sudapro™ Head Cold Tablets contain pseudoephedrine hydrochloride and ibuprofen. Non-Drowsy Sudaplus® Tablets contain paracetamol and pseudoephedrine hydrochloride. Ask your pharmacist for advice. The patient information leaflet that comes with your medicine will say who should not use it and who should get advice before using it. How to use decongestants However, both of these ingredients can cause you to feel restless and can make it difficult to fall asleep. These types of drugs can also make you nauseous. Generally, phenylephrine may have fewer serious side effects than pseudoephedrine. Always consult a doctor before taking these meds if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Most decongestants can be bought over the counter from pharmacies without a prescription. Who can take decongestants

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Some products may just contain decongestant medicine, but many are sold as "all-in-1" remedies that contain decongestants, painkillers or antihistamines. You don’t have to take a decongestant as part of your at-home treatment routine. Once your infection clears away or your allergies aren’t triggered, the congestion will clear up on its own. Can or should I take a sinus decongestant for a sinus infection? Children aged 6 to 11 should take them for no longer than 5 days. Ask a pharmacist for advice about this. Decongestants that come as tablets, liquids or powders that you swallow are not recommended if you're breastfeeding. If it’s allergies, you’ll probably want a product that contains an antihistamine ingredient like diphenhydramine. Antihistamines target your body’s immune response to allergens like pollen. Antihistamines usually make the person taking them a bit drowsy, so keep in mind, taking them at any time other than bedtime may have you needing a nap.

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If you have mild congestion caused by cold, flu, or seasonal allergies, you may want to consider an OTC nasal decongestant. This can help clear up your nasal passages and help you breathe more easily. It's not clear whether it's safe to take any type of decongestant if you're pregnant, so you should only use them if told to by a healthcare professional. Some stronger medications target multiple symptoms, while others will simply relieve a stuffy nose caused by allergies. Some may make you drowsy, while others might make sleep difficult. Talk with your doctor before taking drugs containing these ingredients if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Research in animals has shown adverse effects on the fetus when the birthing parent takes these drugs. There haven’t been enough studies with humans to be certain how the drug might affect the fetus. These drugs should only be taken if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk. Can you take sinus decongestants if you have high blood pressure? Sinus decongestants can work to relieve pressure in the upper sinus cavities. If you have ear congestion, relieving this pressure can help manage your pain. But sinus decongestants can’t treat an underlying ear infection. Is it safe to take sinus decongestants while pregnant?

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For example, taking decongestants alongside some antidepressants can cause a dangerous rise in blood pressure. Some OTC sinus decongestant formulas include both antihistamines and decongestant ingredients, and some add pain relief ingredients such as ibuprofen to their formula. It’s best to treat for symptoms that you have, not for additional symptoms that you don’t have. You might need to take steroid nasal sprays or drops for a few months. They sometimes cause irritation, sore throats or nosebleeds. Decongestants that contain only pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine are more typically recommended for a sinus infection. Decongestants with additional ingredients like antihistamines may suppress your body’s immune response and interfere with your body’s ability to clear the infection. They work by reducing the swelling of the blood vessels in your nose, which helps to open the airways.

Decongestant nasal sprays and drops should not be used for more than a week at a time because using them for too long can make your stuffiness worse. If you have sinusitis, a GP may be able to recommend other medicines to help with your symptoms, such as: More serious side effects can also happen, such as hallucinations and severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), but these are very rare. Taking decongestants with other medicines It depends on the active ingredient. OTC pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine should only be taken during pregnancy under your doctor’s supervision. They should not be taken during the first trimester, only after, and even then, only with your doctor’s recommendation.