Joker Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 How bad is it going to be? We have a five hour flight in less than 24 hours and we are all sick. The flight is to take us back home and we really need to be on it. No fevers; just cough, congestion, and sore throats. I have trouble with my ears on flights any way due to scar tissue so I am scared it is really going to hurt. Any ideas on medications or something else to make it easier? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherry in OH Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Decongestant. The strongest you can manage. Cough drops or horehound candy for the cough and sore throats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 You can breathe through a damp washcloth as well. I rarely give my kids cold medicine--actually, maybe once--but it was for a situation like this: unavoidable travel. Provided your children don't react to much, I'd go for an OTC all-in-one drowsy medication to reduce discomfort. I am sorry you have to fly sick! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 I flew once with a massive sinus infection. As the plane was landing, I thought my head was going to explode. It was fine before and after, but the descent--yowza. Load up with Sudafed, the real stuff, before and during. My family swears that only the little red ones work, that the twelve-hour version does not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 I remember one awful flight when I was congested where my ears hurt horribly. But I really, really hate the way decongestants make me feel and I wouldn't want to combine that with a 5-hour flight. So I'd take ibuprofen before boarding and again before landing if I were flying with a bad cold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 I think I'd be just doing anything to keep myself liquid. I like saline for that. I've also had the my head is going to explode sinus flying thing. It's miserable. Though I will say, I've had it, um, loosen up some gunk too. Not as good as a swim in the ocean, but still. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted January 2, 2015 Author Share Posted January 2, 2015 Ugghh! I just realized oldest can't take the decongestants as they interact with one of her daily medicines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 I flew once with a massive sinus infection. As the plane was landing, I thought my head was going to explode. It was fine before and after, but the descent--yowza. Load up with Sudafed, the real stuff, before and during. My family swears that only the little red ones work, that the twelve-hour version does not. You may even feel pressure in your teeth. I would take a decongestant and ibuprofen, just to get through the flight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Ugghh! I just realized oldest can't take the decongestants as they interact with one of her daily medicines. Can she take a Mucinex (as opposed to Mucinex-D)? That may help. Lots of fluids for all, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 I used to travel for work constantly, and I have trouble clearing my ears. This is what I learned. Don't take any decongestants for a couple of days before the flight. You need to get them out of your system before hand. They make your passages bigger, but that allows them to fill up more. You need the decongestant to expand the space, not just keep it the same. Then take a short-acting powerful one two to three hours before landing. There was one day that my ears Did Not Clear. I stayed in the hotel room and moaned in pain for almost a day. Then I realized that what I really needed to do was get back up in the air. Fortunately, I wasn't home yet. So, I got back on a plane, and Oh My!, The relief when my ears cleared going up! Then I took the decongestant, and all was well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 I spent several years of my life with a woman who was an airline Flight Attendant. Your post brings back this memory, but I don't remember what symptoms, if any, she had, before she began the trip. She went from Dallas to New York, but instead of returning to Dallas with the aircraft and her crew mates, she went (by bus) to her mothers home in CT. I think the problem was intense ear pain. GL P.S. Medications can cause different reactions at cruising altitude... Ask your ENT doctor... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 I hope you guys are OK during the flight! One thing I would gently suggest, though, is that because you already know you are ill, please consider wearing masks to help protect your fellow passengers from catching your colds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyGF Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 I remember crying the entire flight when I flew with a bad head cold at the age of 12. I now take decongestant when I go on flights with a cold. I nearly never take decongestant otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 We're fans of combining aleve and that Sudafed they keep behind the counter for extreme situations. It might be worth a trip to an urgent care clinic to get something stronger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 IMHO the closer your home is to sea level, the more of a problem I suspect you will have. The cabin is probably pressurized to approximately 7000 feet when the aircraft is cruising, which is the majority of the flight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandragood1 Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 I know it's too late to help the OP, but Afrin plus these Ear Planes were very helpful for me when I had to fly with a bad head cold. I bought them in the store at the airport but drugstores and Amazon carry them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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