Need Alternative To Sudafed 12 Hour

[DocVikingo]

Either should work fine. Results do certainly vary, but if you are ok with 12 hour pseudonym, then you should be fine taking the shorter duration pill more often

Hey Don Donaldo,

Does a 12 hour pseudonym revert to your real name after half a day?

Sorry--I couldn't stop myself.

Cheers,

DocV

 

[DocVikingo]

"tbone1004 said: mucinex D" Do you happen to know the differences, if any...??

Mucinex D contains 600 mg guaifenesin (an expectorant that assists the loosening of phlegm in the airways) & 60 mg of pseudoephedrine. The maximum strength form of Mucinex D contains twice the amount of each active ingredient.

Sudafed 12 Hour contains 120 mg of pseudoephedrine.

Regards,

DocVikingo

 

[Steve_C]

Different folks react to different medications differently. Also as noted there are different physical problems lumped together by divers taking meds. If something works well for you, then I would be inclined to keep using it. Given there are several million legal pills just south of you. Perhaps you could get some? Do you know anybody who will be in US? It does not take a prescription. You just have to ask for it at the pharmacist. (Take an empty box/card from the shelf and hand it to pharmacist). Do you know anybody from the US visiting you or bay islands.

 

[uncfnp]

Do you happen to know the differences, if any...??

Mucinex D contains 600 mg guaifenesin (an expectorant that assists the loosening of phlegm in the airways) & 60 mg of pseudoephedrine. The maximum strength form of Mucinex D contains twice the amount of each active ingredient.

Sudafed 12 Hour contains 120 mg of pseudoephedrine.

Regards,

DocVikingo

The even bigger difference is a brilliant marketing strategy, Mr. Mucus that people love to hate with the believe that it will actually help you clear your lungs. As an expectorant, guaifenesin is about as useful as phenylephrine. However, it can suppress the cough reflex in individuals with URI. It has no effect in health individuals.

Many years ago they actually took prescription formulas with guaifenesin off the market due to insufficient evidence of benefit/effectiveness. Then along came Mr Mucus OTC.

 

[scubadiver888]

I have chronic allergies all year round and the only way I can clear my ears during diving is if I take Sudafed 12 hour tabs. My dive instructor suggested it right at poolside when I was having problems equalizing during my Basic course. Ever since then and now a Master Diver, I've always relied on Sudafed 12 hour with much success and no side effects at all.

I am based in Canada and have a my next trip in a month to Bay Islands. I just checked my stock and I have only three tabs left. I went to every pharmacy in my area and they all no longer stock Sudafed 12 hour tabs! I need something to clear my sinuses before and during my dives.

So right now my options are to use the short acting Sudafed that is still available but they last only 4-6 hours. The other option is to take one of the 12 hour formulations of products that combine a decongestant with an antihistamine and an analgesic as well in some cases.

I don't know what to do. I certainly don't want the short acting Sudafed to wear off while I'm in the water so if I take those, I may have to pop another in between dives if it's a day long boat dive. Or take one of those other 12 hour formulations that I have not tried yet.

Any advice on alternatives that have worked well for divers like myself?

The active ingredient for Sudafed is pseudoephedrine hydrochloride. Here is a link to Wikipedia: Pseudoephedrine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. They list alternatives to Sudafed. If calling DAN does not work for you, talk to your doctor or the pharmacist. They should be able to recommend an alternative to Sudafed.

 

[cleung]

Thanks everybody for your continued replies. I hope to be testing out some combo decongestant/antihistamines 12 hour formulations soon to make sure they work and are non-drowsy.

 

[DocVikingo]

Many years ago they actually took prescription formulas with guaifenesin off the market due to insufficient evidence of benefit/effectiveness. Then along came Mr Mucus OTC.

Hey uncfnp,

Yes, I remember that well.

Cheers,

DocV

 

[DandyDon]

What they have done with pseudoephedrine really sucks. It's by far the best OTC med for sinus congestion, and I really view the alternatives as mostly placebos. Slapping restrictions on it ruined manufacturer marketing, reducing the availability and increasing the prices.

My home buddy has to do everything ever suggested to clear - taking decongestants & antihistamines, practicing for days in advance of the first dive, sinus rinses, etc. - and we still take a stop at 15 feet on descent so he can work thru clearing. Maybe decades of blowing my nose has exercised my E-tubes as I never have issues, but I always stay by his side. He gets good at clearing after a few days of a trip, right before it's time to dry & pack gear for the trip home.

 

[cmburch]

IT AIN'T ADDICTING....DAMMIT!!!
Quit spreading that BS. It has REBOUND!!!!!!
Look it up. Find out WHAT it's doing and WHY it's doing it.

Funny, I think I got this from a Kaiser Doctor. I think it was that using it a lot actually require more Afrin for the same effect and that it may worsen the problem. Good to know. Thanks.

I worked at Kaiser Cement, Permanente, CA. A couple of Old Timers there told me about the building of the Hoover Dam. And how it was a continuous pour. If anyone fell in and died in the cement they could not stop, so they are buried in the Dam. I repeated that many times as well.

 

[fmerkel]

I'm in the medical field. Just because they are physicians doesn't mean they are always right or know what they are doing. Just because you call DAN doesn't mean you are going to get proper advice, in spite of the constant refrain here to do so. I figure if the folks WERE going to call DAN or see a physician they would do so. So they are here taking their chances. I STRONGLY believe EACH diver has the responsibility to determine the validity of claims and suggestion made on forums like this. It's YOUR life. You also may be affecting your buddies safety and other people on a dive. Don't take it lightly.

HOW DOES REBOUND WORK?
There are tiny muscles that surround the capillaries in the mucosal membrane in the nose. These are controlled by the autonomic system to moderate blood flow depending on the requirements for humidification of the air you breathe. There is a MASSIVE transfer of water out of circulation and heat into the breathed air. By the time air hits your carina (bifurcation/split of the trachea) it is 100% humidified and warmed to body temperature.

By tightening and relaxing the muscles this requirement is met depending on environmental conditions and airflow demands. When the muscles are relaxed (histamine release from allergies can do this, as well as viral induced inflammation) the mucosa swells up leading to congestion. Afrin tells the muscles to tighten up.....a LOT. Being smooth muscle they can do this, for hours, and the mucosa shrinks down correspondingly. When the medication wears off the muscle relaxes, and being tired from 12+ hours of hard contraction it may relax MORE than it was before > congestion returns, maybe worse. Rebound. At first, not a big deal since the muscle is not over fatigued.
This annoys the person with the returned congestion so > more Afrin. Begin the cycle of tighten, relax, rebound, more Aftrin. And away we go.....

Repeat cycle, each time the muscle being more and more exhausted from the ordeal. At some point those little muscles simply cannot cope anymore, the Afrin no longer works, or works poorly for a short time. The nose may even rebel from the abuse and get worse, MUCH worse, a condition called Rhinitis medicamentosa
The simple cure > quit using it and put up with the congestion until things normalize, unless you've pushed it too far and really screwed things up. Yes, you can do that.

That link is well worth reading for Afrin (ab)users.

One big advantage of Sudafed is not having rebound. A big disadvantage it that it is a systemic (whole body) drug that has far more side effects.