(Part 2) Best sinus medicine according to redditors
We found 309 Reddit comments discussing the best sinus medicine. We ranked the 103 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
You need a snotsucker. It has a filter so that the snot does not make it into your mouth.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N093BYV/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_BaCmDbG0K8JD4
I have used it on both my kiddos.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FLJN7I6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_TPwEDb3JF91AT
these are the thai inhalers. they're a lot better than vicks tbh and have a side where you can use it to rub on your neck or dab it onto your dust mask/bandana also. you should try them out!
It's real, folks.
Come to think of it, probably also belongs on /r/AmazonWTF ...
I used this one last year and it was fantastic: https://www.amazon.com/Arm-Hammer-Simply-Saline-Nasal/dp/B00KH5M2K4
There's no need to mix or use solutions. I recommend doing it right after a hot shower. You'll be disgustingly surprised.
I don't know about Vicks but I highly recommend doing a Neti Pot type of thing. They are so helpful especially if you do it daily! I use the Nasaline Irrigation, and it's fantastic. Here's the link if you'd want to try it: https://www.amazon.com/Nasal-Irrigation-Device-Adult-Nasaline/dp/B001JQGTAY - feel better!!!
We were given one in the hospital (one of the few things we were given, in fact) and I had a few at home. For us, having a bulb or some sort of snot sucker in every main baby room of our house (our room, the living room, the nursery - plus the diaper bag) was really helpful because - so much snot, and you can't always pop up and look for the thing when you need it right now. I can't say enough good things about the NoseFrida (or the Nasakleen for a cheaper option that's just as good, if not better because of the cushy nose part). It's nasty as hell in theory but... my son was sick. A LOT. Once he started daycare. And when your 3 month old cannot breathe... it really doesn't even register how nasty it is to be sucking the snot out of their head. You just do it.
Tip - ALWAYS use Saline spray before you do a maintenance bulb or nosefrida. It's more comfortable for baby and it helps break the stuff up before you go in so you clear more with less effort. Obvs if it's an emergency suction you just go for it, saline be damned, but for general snot clearage the saline is your BFF.
Good to know! I'll have to get some. Another handy trick for nausea (I'm very prone to motion sickness) are the Thai menthol inhaler thingies.
Great work! I’d suggest the NoseFrida Snot Sucker w/ Saline - Baby Nasal Aspirator NoseFrida The Snotsucker with 10 Extra Hygiene Filters and All-Natural Saline Nasal Spray by Frida Baby https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N093BYV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_jMlVDbJTGD4ZB. Also, the carrier you got Infanito or whatever the brand was...it’s get what you pay for. There are much more durable ones that I wish I had gotten. If you think you will hardly use it, the cheaper one is fine but I’d suggest putting a more expensive one with better support on your registry. Ergo baby is popular. Congrats and good luck with you LO!
I don't want to scare you with any of this but I with someone had told me these things.
Swelling can be terrible but will not be bad if you get on top of it right away. Don't wait till the next day, start that evening with ice packs. For swelling have frozen bags of peas on-hand for the first day as well as small nugget or crushed ice for later. I liked to use quart size baggies filled with ice with a paper towel between the bag and my face. Keep the pressure off your nose for the first few days, just hold it along side on the cheeks and forehead. The more you ice the less pain meds you need.
Take ibuprofen for swelling/pain every 4 to 6 hours the first few days (check with you Dr. and make sure he approves). Mine said he'd rather me take that then narcotics for pain. Also takeBromelain Arinica Montana for swelling and start about 3 days before the surgery and keep taking them for several weeks. You can use the pills or cream Arinica to help with bruising/swelling. I used both. You will be bruised and it will be 10 to 14 days before it's all gone. About day 10 you can go in public with foundation and not attract attention. Compared to the other girls that were with me and had the same surgery I looked much much better much quicker and I think it was the use of these.
Expect a lot of bleeding out your nose. It's normal and expected for the first week. Also have some saline nasal spray on hand. You use it to irrigate the nose several times a day the first couple of weeks and then you are suppose to keep you nose moist for the first 6 weeks. I went through about a dozen bottles the first 2 months.
The best day ever is around day 5 when the packing comes out. During surgery your surgeon will pack you sinus and nasal passages with gauze to hold the shape and control bleeding. It feels millions of times better when all that is pulled out. They will remove it in the office and it's scary but really does not hurt much. The tape removal will be worse but still nothing you can't handle. Just be sure you have taken ibuprofen recently (if allowed).
Be ready for a long period of swelling on your nose. At first it will look huge. It took about 5 months for mine to lose all the swelling. Also the scar along the hairline will look 10 times worse than it is and will heal fairly quickly. The first few days will be a blur if you take narcotics for pain, I took Ibuprofen for pain and it was never worse than a bad headache but the girls that use the hard narcotics always seem to have more pain and a longer recovery. I was up and around the next day and by day 4 could go out had I wanted to (but didn't for 2 weeks).
You can't wear glasses or sunglasses for a few weeks and you also want to keep you scars out of the sun.
Feel free to ask anything else. Good luck!
i would recommend something more like this since you cant really get warm or clean water at the festival. I used them last year and it changed my life...
https://www.amazon.com/Arm-Hammer-Simply-Saline-Nasal/dp/B00KH5M2K4/ref=sr_1_9_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1487794712&sr=8-9&keywords=nasal%2Brinse&th=1#customerReviews
No grease under your nose and no one else needs to know you're smelling vapors with this (my EMT class TA recommended): https://www.amazon.com/Vicks-Inhaler-Breather-0-5ML-Tubes-6/dp/B00FX4FSGO?th=1
Then your getting the "shitty" ones. Get the CVS or walgreens one or walmart ones. They contain L-meth ;)
https://www.amazon.com/Levmetamfetamine-Vapor-Inhaler-Decongestant-Equate/dp/B009KJ5KIE
I'm not sure about unisol. My patients have been pretty happy with AddiPacks: http://www.amazon.com/ADDIPAK-Unit-Dose-Solutions-3ml/dp/B00XCQXPMY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1462368558&sr=8-3&keywords=addipak
If it's anything like what I am going though she will be worlds better but the sinus infections will still be an occasional (once or twice a year) issue. The huge difference is now she'll know for sure if her nose is stuffy it's an infection and not allergies. That makes a world of difference in how you care for your self.
My personal recommendation for treating sinus infections is to remember that water is your friend. It breaks up the mucus that gets stuck up there and prevents infections. My go to tools are (in no particular order) Mucinex, sinus rinses with a bit of Alkalol Nasal Wash, long hot showers, humidifiers, and sinus buster. All of these make it hard for anything that is growing up there to stay up there but none of these are one shot fixes. My last resort is antibiotics. I've gotten several bad sinus infections but it's been years since I've resorted to antibiotics.
If they are still a far to frequent issue she should go to an ENT and get a CT scan to see if she has a structural problem s/he can fix. In a way she is lucky if she does. It means that her sinus infection issues can be solved with simple surgery. However she'll be even luckier if after the shots she has no infections issues at all.
Edit: I forgot to add that the major point of all those tools are to stop a sinus infection before it gets bad. A stuffy nose today means an infection in a few days unless you clean it out before hand
I use this one:
https://www.amazon.com/ADDIPAK-Unit-Dose-Solutions-3ml/dp/B00XCQXPMY/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2G4I6O8HS6K3Q&keywords=addipak+unit+dose+solutions+-+3ml+100+ea+box&qid=1571265095&sprefix=addipak+%2Caps%2C197&sr=8-4
$5-20: Mentholated ointment, over the counter antihistamines, Neti pot, nasal irrigator. For the sore throat, menthol lozenges, essential oils (peppermint), and oral anesthetics (Cepacol) can't be beat.
$30-$50: Vapor inhaler and humidifier
$50-$100: Air purifier, better air purifier
(And no, I don't work for Honeywell... their filters are just cheap and easy to come by)
Just an interesting note that Benzedrine inhalers have been replaced by, believe it or not, methamphetamine inhalers. They are available OTC. Yes, it's l-methamphetamine, not racemic, but still pretty darn interesting. Meth inhalers are my favored decongestant because they don't have any significant systemic effects.
Try Neilmed Sinus Rinse. I have to use it 4x per day.
Cheapest at Costco from what I've found. Amazon has it for a bit more.
Here is the mobile version of your link
Water evaporates at all temperatures. Strictly speaking, yes - warm water does evaporate faster but the difference is very small, especially when talking about lukewarm temps rather than steaming hot water. Look up a chart on the rate of water evaporation versus temperature and see for yourself. Let's take a step back though; water vapor itself is not harmful (we're not talking about extreme levels). If it were, products like this wouldn't exist, and God forbid anybody fills this device with hot tap water instead of cold. People would be dying left and right!
https://www.amazon.com/Vicks-Personal-Targeted-Problems-Congestion/dp/B075FYVVFH?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_1
To your next point: again, strictly speaking, yes - cold tap water is fresher and less likely to contain metals such as copper from pipes and salts/chemicals from water softeners/filters. This is why people boil cold tap water when cooking instead of hot. With that said, you are vastly over-exaggerating the risks unless you live in Detroit and have lead in your water. You would need to get those potential metals/chemicals very hot in order for them to vaporize and get into your lungs. Basically, nobody is dying from vaping through warm tap water, bro.
Yeah, sleep apnea sucks. The nose resists your inhalation especially if you have a deviated septum so fixing that was a good thing but you were still plugged up by allergies. That is a good question of whether nasal sprays cross the blood-brain barrier and if so if they do the same bad effects as in your other link. I'd be curious to know! I like this for clearing out my nose: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000M4W2E6/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A3QAXKUI0V858F&psc=1
Try using the neilmed sinus rinse. It will help flush out the sinuses and can prep your nose for use of an inhaled medication like fluticasone (Flonase). Guaifenesin can help make mucous more runny, but you need to be hydrated for it to work. When people are really sick in the hospital, I sometimes give them a vibratory PEP therapy device like this one to help break up thick mucous.
As you said, smoking will make things worse. I recommend checking out the handout provided by the AAFP for good tips on quitting.
This guy, right here:
https://www.amazon.com/Neilmed-Sinus-Rinse-Starter-Pack/dp/B00E4MOZXS/ref=sr_1_3_a_it/165-1640359-0674366?ie=UTF8&qid=1486848353&sr=8-3&keywords=neilmed+sinus
I add some xylitol to the nasal rinse solution.
Oh, also, nasal irrigation (see link) with sterile nursery water and those little salt packet things really helps me. I buy the nursery water (meant for making baby food/formula) at CVS, boil it 1 minute then let it cool. Then add in 1 salt packet to 1 cup of that water. Then you just irrigate both sides. It comes with instructions. It really helped my ongoing sinusitis.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001JQGTAY/ref=mp_s_a_1_11_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1482449690&sr=8-11&keywords=nasal+irrigation
One of the best things I ever did for my colds was buy a vaporizer thing. I love this stupid thing. You put your face in the mask and inhale sweet sweet steam. So wonderful for when you are clogged up, and beats sitting over a pan of boiling water. Well worth every scent I paid for it.
I use the [these] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B2QVW3F/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_-VJiDbW17M7A8) generic dilators and this gel. Not sure if the gel is necessary with runny noses though.
Actually, Science Based Medicine covered nasal irrigation recently. The concept of rinsing your nose with saline is sound, and has some evidence of benefit behind it. However, buying an expensive tool or pricey saline from a magical source in France is a bit silly. You can make it at home with pickling salt (non-iodized), clean containers, and filtered water.
As an anecdote: I've done this myself using a $3 sqeeze bottle and it feels good. My old roommate, prone to sinus infections, invested in a more expensive pump system that he uses daily; he hasn't gotten a bad enough sinus infection to require a doctor visit since he started (which used to be an annual thing for him).
In my thinking, a saline flush can help get particulate matter out of your nose faster in roughly he same way that a doctor would use sterile saline to get dirt out of a wound. It won't help with viral inflammation or other types of issues.
I don't know what shipping is like where you're going, but I usually order my saline on Amazon. If you can get a delivery there you should be good to go.
Also, I always fly with my contacts. It's really not bad taking them out and putting them back in later. I wouldn't try during really bad turbulence, but otherwise it's not really all that difficult.
Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Modudose-Saline-Solution-Inhalation-5257/dp/B002YRY3HI/ref=pd_sbs_hpc_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=12W6SYFKAMFBP0BEW0QH
This is what I'm using nasal care wise atm; https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000M4W2E6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I'm new to nasal care, but been sniffing since about 8 years now on & off. So far though, using that before I sleep or when I feel my sinus' getting clogged up? Definitely helps keeping everything at a business as usual level.
CBD has mostly enhanced my life. It's a pain killer that actually works without messing up my liver or causing any other serious side effects. You have to use it responsibly of course, but when used medically it's just medicine. I can't wait until it is fully legalized so we can end the completely unnecessary stigma surrounding it. It has the potential to help a lot of people with a wide range of conditions. Sadly I have to hide it from a few people that will judge me negatively because of it (my girlfriends Mom for example), but otherwise I'm fairly open about it.
I am glad you're seeing an acupuncturist, I forgot to mention acupuncture in my post. I see one as well. While they are similar to a naturopath they're slightly different approaches. A naturopath will use supplements, diet, and both western and eastern herbs depending on their background and areas of focus. Acupuncturists mainly use eastern herbs and obviously acupuncture which actually stimulates the cannabinoid system, as well as other systems western medicine doesn't even identify.
Much like you I use to get sinus infections a lot and doctors kept putting me on antibiotics most of my childhood, even into my teens. Unfortunately for me this caused further dysbiosis which weakened my immune system to the point where I got Candida, which caused malabsorption issues, damaged my gut lining, and caused SIBO. It's taken me a while to figure this all out, I originally thought I just had SIBO but after treating it for a year on an SCD diet and relapsing when I reintroduced sugar is when I realized I had something else going on. I'm now taking herbs from my acupuncturist and on an anti-Candida diet. I'm about 4 months in and my SIBO is now gone, I'm able to eat a lot more veggies, and haven't had a major episode in months.
Killing Candida sucks, the fatigue and brain fog was horrible the first month or two, but I'm finally feeling better.
A recent research study showed that antibiotics can cause lasting gut flora changes for up to a year or more. There's also some evidence they can also lead to Candida (which is literally a fungal infection). So it is possible you may be dealing with Candida as a result of antibiotic use, and your inclusion of sugar in your diet. It is seriously something to consider, research, and get tested for. Although I tested negative for it myself and then just went ahead and tried an anti-fungal tincture of black walnut and got what's called a herx reaction which indicated I did have a Candida infection. Maybe something to discuss with your acupuncturist or a naturopath?
As for your sinus infections the fix is super easy - saline nasal spray. I was on vacation in the Caribbean and all my nasal and sinus issues went away when I was swimming in the ocean every day. I realized I was getting a healthy dose of salt water in my sinuses and that totally cleared me out. When I got home I started using saline nasal sprays daily and haven't had a sinus infection since. I use this stuff but any non-medicated saline spray will do: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000M4W2E6/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1449433903&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=nasal+spray&dpPl=1&dpID=41a4X0VdwoL&ref=plSrch
There's also some studies I've seen that indicate probiotics can help prevent and treat some sinus infections. Although you need to be extremely careful of what brands you buy, over 50% of probiotics sold contain gluten and contaminants and some probiotics can make SIBO worse.
I should also note that reoccurring sinus infections are also a potential symptom of Candida. Your sinus infections are possibly related to your gut flora and digestion issues.
Do you get sugar cravings at night?
I understand what you mean with waste regarding the unidose tubes, but it's currently the best way to avoid contamination as others have stated. I am in the U.S. and I use this product - which is almost identical to what you use, but with different branding and casing. You can always recycle the tubes IIRC.
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Edit: Adding on - - - I have also used Purilens in the past and that was over kill. I used to purchase six, 4oz bottles at a time, but I kept under utilizing it by a landslide by the time it expired. Container states to stop using it 30 days after you originally break the seal. If I didn't I would start to notice that as time went on and I continued use of the saline, my sclerals would start to get cloudy towards the end of those 30 days. That's why I switched. Best of luck!
No problem. Hope it goes well man! If you have any questions about some good products to get to help rinse or moisturize post-surgery for a few weeks I've become an unwilling expert on that shopping list. Just ping me.
I'm a big fan of these so you don't get the Benzelchonium Cloride in the pre-mixed ones, which has also been shown to cause mucosa damage. Another good product if you need something a bit more heavy duty is Ponaris. It's an oil base so it feels kinda yucky, but it can provide a really nice soothing feeling too.
Damn, that sucks :-(
For the nose, get a netipot and do a saline rinse. I actually use these squeeze type bottles and it really shoots it in there better than a traditional netipot. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009M3PKQ0/
Also, get a flu shot if you haven't. Your immune system is suppressed while preggo so that your body doesn't kill the baby off.
One thing that might help is just this saline nasal wash thing here. I got it first from an ENT who insisted I use it twice a day. It was so gross and awkward at first, but now I love it (well, it's still a little gross to put all that water up your nose).
It's a little annoying because you have to keep buying distilled water to use it with, but in the end - it has no drugs / side effects and really washes everything out of your nasal passages. There are like 1000 reviews on it so you can see if you'd want to use it.
Well I really need this under tank heater for my new tank of rescues coming
more specifically i need it in this larger size but that goes over 50
or more of this because my allergies are terrible and i went through all the bottles i had
or my dogs could use more of this but I don't really NEED that, since i will be buying them that food regardless, they don't go without. I will go without before I'd let them. It's the other things that I probably won't end up buying.
She's destroyed 2 years of toys in two weeks though and could use another one of these
(I use this for my nose)
xhttps://www.amazon.com/Sinus-Rinse-Extra-Large-Bottle/dp/B000U897S8/ref=sr_1_16?keywords=neilmed&qid=1569288200&sr=8-16
Use a saline or saline/baking soda solution. Usually in the store it comes with premixed salt/baking soda packets but is cheaper to make your own. Life changing equipment here. Thank me later.
Maybe something like this https://www.amazon.com/Vicks-Inhaler-Breather-0-5ML-Tubes-6/dp/B00FX4FSGO unscrew it and a lil tube u sniff wich burns ya noses
Try one of these instead. Make sure that when you are injecting the water to exhale slowly and steadily through your mouth.
edit
Please be fucking careful. Don't be stupid. Take the time to accurately prepare your solution and to diligently track your usage. Don't use too much, be careful what you combine this with, and don't get careless. There are few drugs more susceptible to overuse than cocaine. I can personally say that switching to this method made me eventually get tired of coke, because once you can do it non stop all the time it loses it's appeal and you start to feel a bit like a junkie.
I would highly recommend keeping your solution strength as low as possible and limiting your use to no more than two days per week with at least 3-5 days between sessions, and taking a month or two off every once in a while is always a good idea. You'll spend way less money and will feel better physically, and you will be more able to maintain that sweet spot where you are feeling good but are still mentally sharp.
Typical nasal spray bottles seem to be designed to coat your entire nasal cavity with a widely dispersed mist, which means most of the solution ends up being absorbed by the nasal mucosa and having to travel through the blood vessels in your nasal cavity to the brain. Something that allows you to target (idealy) the olfactory epithelium and or the trigeminal nerves in the nasal cavity will allow faster delivery to the brain and reduced waste. This will also help to limit damage to the nasal mucosa by allowing you to use less solution while delivering more directly to the brain. See:
Ideally you'd try to find something like Impel NeuroPharma's POD (Precision Olfactory Delivery) device, which is designed to target the spray more effectively to the nerve clusters in the upper nasal cavity. However, it seems to be nearly impossible to source one of these devices online. That being said, there do appear to be at least a couple available devices that might come closer to the POD than standard nasal spray devices:
Note that you'll probably want something with a clear bottle, which makes it much easier to see how much solution is left in the bottle and allows you to spot any impurities in your product (cocaine should rapidly dissolve and leave the solution nearly completely clear, while many adulterants will take longer to dissolve or will not dissolve at all, leaving the solution cloudy with particulates at the bottom of the bottle.
I haven't personally tested these devices so I can't say for sure if they are any more effective than a standard spray device, but it looks like they should give you greater control over the dispersion target. If anyone knows where to find one of the specialized delivery devices, please let me know.
Once you have your nasal spray device, you'll probably want some way to consistently prepare your solution. A simple oral syringe will allow you to measure an exact amount of solvent (saline solution):
Saline Solution:
A digital milligram (.001g precision) scale will allow you to measure your solute (the powdered, water soluble drug) with reasonable (but not perfect) precision:
Scale:
A funnel will make it easier to get everything into the bottle and is recommended:
Once you have all the necessary supplies, unscrew the cap on your nasal spray device and put the funnel into the bottle mouth. Figure out your desired strength for your solution and then measure out the corresponding amount of saline solution and cocaine. The trick with this delivery method is figuring out the correct concentration for your solution depending on how strong you want each spray to be. I've found that 25mg/ml is perfectly sufficient, 50mg / ml is more than enough, and anything stronger is a bit of a waste. In fact, there seem to be diminishing returns anywhere past around 20mg/ml, and in many cases 15 or even 10 mg/ml seems to work just fine.
First pour the cocaine into the funnel (you don't need to pulverize it), and then using your oral syringe squirt the saline solution onto the cocaine in the funnel where it will rapidly dissolve and fall into the bottle. You could mix the solution in the oral syringe or elsewhere, and you could add the saline solution before the cocaine, but then you'll either end up with wasted solution in another container or a funnel that still has some powdered cocaine on it. If you pour the cocaine straight from the scale into the funnel and then use the solution to wash it down, you should end up with very little wasted cocaine and a nearly clean funnel.
I'd recommend to start with a weaker solution and try it out, you can always add more cocaine until you figure out the optimum concentration. If you decide to do this, replace the saline you've used each time you add more cocaine so you can accurately track the strength of your solution at each interval.
At this point you're ready to screw the cap on and use the spray. I'd recommend one pump in each nostril - any more and you'll end up with wasted solution dripping down the back of your throat. However, you can limit waste by laying over the edge of a surface and tilting your head back so that gravity naturally draws the solution towards the olfactory epithelium. In this case two or three sprays per nostril seems to deliver a stronger dose with negligible waste. 30 seconds to one minute seems to be long enough to avoid excessive waste, and 15 seconds may in fact be long enough.
I think that pretty much covers it. Be forewarned that this delivery method makes it much easier to redose, which would probably contribute to an increased risk of addiction and a tendency towards excessive and chronic use. Also, some have said that this method doesn't deliver the same powerful "kick" as snorting powder, which makes sense as you are using much less of the drug per spray than you would if you snorted a line. For an illustration, lay out what would be a typical line for your and weigh it with your scale. The spray devices listed above typically deliver 0.1ml of solution per spray, so if you have a solution with a concentration of 50mg/ml, then you're only getting 5mg of cocaine per spray, as opposed to something like 20mg for even a small line of powder. I haven't personally tried making a high strength solution, but you could try mixing your solution such that each .1ml spray delivers an amount of cocaine equivalent to a typical line of powder. This would also minimize the total number of sprays needed and the total volume of liquid you'd need to spray into your nose, perhaps limiting irritation.
However, I've found that even though the absolute dosage is lower the efficacy is much greater, perhaps due to the added liquid facilitating easier absorption and almost certainly due to the decreased waste from powder dripping down your throat or being dispersed and carried elsewhere by the mucous in the nasal cavity.
As a final note, even though the saline solution will moisturize your nose, I'd still recommend using the plain nasal spray to irrigate and clear your nose periodically or at least at the end of the night, as the solution is quite irritating (though of course much less so than dry powder).
Good luck and be careful!
im talking about these guys, you cant change whats inside
https://smile.amazon.com/Major-Pharmaceuticals-Generic-Ocean-Moisturizing/dp/B01IN5GENU/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1500653586&sr=8-2&keywords=ocean+nose+spray
Talk to your doc. Use warm mist humidifiers at home/office. Keep a scarf over your nose, mouth, and ears when you are outside in the cold- trust me, it helps.
You can also try a nebulizer with just saline (which can help a bit!)
I hate that the every day allergy pill regimen doesn't work for me. Especially in the Fall when they are no mercy. Generic Ztec-D when needed (can't abuse that decongestant) and sinus rinse once to twice daily has been the most helpful. Those NeilMed squeeze bottles have been the best investment I've ever made as an allergy sufferer. Using it with Alkalol on occasion is incredible.
Edit:
https://www.amazon.com/NeilMed-Sinus-Rinse-Bottles-Premixed/dp/B00Y0VYCTU/ref=sr_1_3_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1492109589&sr=1-3&keywords=neilmed+sinus+rinse
Edit2:
https://www.amazon.com/Alkalol-Natural-Soothing-Solvent-Cleaner/dp/B003YFG0M0/ref=sr_1_3_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1492109683&sr=1-3&keywords=alkalol
Just a warning for those who rely on Afrin (or similar) to help them breathe - that stuff is dangerous to use for more than 2-3 days at a time. You will really screw up your nose if you do. I found this stuff called Xlear that is all-natural and works just as good - if not better - than Afrin. And you can take it as often as you like!
Check it out:
http://www.amazon.com/Xlear-Nasal-Spray-1-5-liquid/dp/B000M4W2E6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421626630&sr=8-1&keywords=xlear&pebp=1421626636027&peasin=B000M4W2E6
(use it as an alternative to Flonase, Nasacort, etc.)
Sudafed is still your best friend, though :)
I did. I hated it. Returned it to cvs! Suction was not strong enough for me at least. What I use is this nasal rinse,, comes in a squeeze bottle so you can control how much your using and how fast. It's so much better.
Sinus Rinse 16oz Extra Large Bottle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000U897S8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_gVcMDbTW3CX78
What do you think about this contraption?
Using this nasal rinse every morning helps me quite a bit
Not an HVAC person, nor a doctor, but I am an allergy sufferer that lives in Texas.
Allergies suck here. Come up to D/FW and you'll think you are going to die. Nice air filters and room air purifiers can help, but you'll never create the "clean room environment" you think you will.
Here are things I would try/check:
Get a good allergen reducing pillow case like this:
http://smile.amazon.com/Allersoft-100-Percent-Allergy-Standard-Encasement/dp/B002R0DR3I/
and a good mattress cover like this:
http://smile.amazon.com/SafeRest-Hypoallergenic-Waterproof-Mattress-Protector/dp/B003PWNH4Q
Those two things will do tons more than the air filters.
Reduce or remove strong scents from the house (candles, scented plug ins, etc) as well as from detergents (try All free and clear). Try cleaning with "green" cleaning products, like any of the stuff from Mrs. Myers instead of the standard stuff. It takes a bit more elbow grease, but it can really help if you have respiratory issues.
If all else fails, buy some Flonase and use it reguarly (every day, even if no symptoms that day) during your bad allergy season:
http://smile.amazon.com/Flonase-Allergy-Relief-Nasal-Spray/dp/B00MXOVBO0/
It will take anywhere from about 3 days to a week to build of effectiveness after you start using it, but it generally will help almost anyone (I'm not a doctor, I have no idea what it will do to your girlfriend, check it out with a doctor if you aren't sure).
Good luck.