Sinus Decongestants

ido1957

ido1957

9K Gold Member
Sinus Decongestants


Do you ever take a sinus pill or spray before you sing? How does it affect your voice?

I woke up with a cold and sinus headache yesterday. I took some Tylenol Sinus (1/2 tablet) in the morning and after lunch. It was the nighttime version so I got a little groggy. When singing last night the affect was my voice felt loose and I had to concentrate a little more than normal. It did relieve the headache though so it did the trick. Don't recommend it for singing "enhancement" though.

Do you ever take sinus meds for singing to enhance or combat smoking affects. I worked with a smoker who always used nose spray..

Still have the cold....
 
Plain Tylenol for a headache is fine. Sinus meds are usually a bad idea, since they tend to dry you out. You're better off blowing your nose, steaming, etc. (and drinking plenty of fluids of course).
 
I agree with Slim, be wary of sinus meds. Sometimes those sinus meds help for a bit but then it comes back even worse.

I would also suggest getting hold of a neti pot and using it shortly before you perform. It will clear all that junk out (unless it is a total CF and completely blocked up there). Drink TONS of water. Don't talk before the show. No alcohol.
 
DogmaticVox said:
I agree with Slim, be wary of sinus meds. Sometimes those sinus meds help for a bit but then it comes back even worse.

I would also suggest getting hold of a neti pot and using it shortly before you perform. It will clear all that junk out (unless it is a total CF and completely blocked up there). Drink TONS of water. Don't talk before the show. No alcohol.
Click to expand...

Another vote for the neti pot here. Good stuff.
 
I nice HOT/STEAMY shower beforehand...and while you are in there, suck in and rinse out your nose/sinuses with the warm water a few times, and blow out your nose good each time.

When you step out of the shower into the cool air...your sinuses will open on their own.

Use some Nutribiotic Nasal Spray (http://www.nutribiotic.com/nasal-spray.html) a few times a day to keep them open and moist and some basic nasal saline solution to keep them moist/clear the rest of the day.

The Nutribiotic spray is all natural and does not dry you out...it's NOT a medicine.
 
Nasal sprays like Xylo-Pos and Otrivin are highly effective and quick acting, and can last for up to 10 hours. You should not use them for more than about 5 days in a row, because some users report a rebound effect when you stop using it (that is, your nasal passages block with a vengeance)

Meds like pseudoephedrine are bad because they can increase your blood pressure.

The sprays are better because their effect is more localised to the nasal passages.
 
As mentioned, lots of the readily available sinus medications can have a rebound effect if taken beyond recommended levels & then sometimes not even at those levels.
They do, almost as a matter of course, dry out the mucus membrane which reduces the fluid levels in the olfactory & associated orifices - this will also almost stop the normal & un-noticed (when working properly) post nasal drip that clears the sinus & lubricates the throat a bit.
The net result will be a drier set of noise making equipment.
Add to that the effects of the antihistamines & proprietry special bits n it's not a great option for tonsil action.
The fellow who used to snort before singing probably had a chronic nasal blockage & needed the hit to open up the air ways a little & reduce the nasal sound in his voice.
The stuff can be semi addictive - some use a variation on adrenalin as a component.
Interestingly, I had a specialist tell me last year that a real sinus headache is quite rare. It's more likely to be other factors related to but discrete from sinus & the related pressure causing the ache.
It's the big dose of paracetamol in the sinus med. that does the job - oh & the codine in the expensive ones. Mind you I could swear often enough that it's a sinus headache by the concurrent pressure, congestion and inability to hoover.
We have to hand over our driver's licence these days to buy the strong sinus medications. The market & industry for converting pseudoephedrine in to speed & ice has caused the clamp down.
I do use and recommend a BIG STEAMY shower & then a big honk after being in it for a few minutes. There's also a less dangerous - but much more expensive - snort called Rhinocort that works well as a preventative (morning & night) & is far, far less likely to make your nasal blood vessels bleed - yep another side effect of those fast acting & effective nasal sprays.
You may suspect, & correctly so, that I've a history with my honker & hayfever!
 
Last edited:
Off the fence, off the wall, off with his head.

Has anyone ever noticed that if they sing with a cold, then come to listen to it some days later, what seemed like good takes are horribly out of tune ?
rayc said:
You may suspect, & correctly so, that I've a history with my honker & hayfever!
Click to expand...
As a hayfever sufferer for 37 years, I can tell you that there's absolutely only one good thing about it ~ if you're recording and you need some cool reverbed sneezing sound effects ! A heavy "large hall" 'verb on a long decay setting, then manipulated a little can make for a great sound, enough to give little kids nightmares at bedtime !
 
Generic saline nasal spray is about a buck or less at your local CVS or wherever and does the job! ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top