Hi,
This may be a crazy post, but I'm flying tomorrow from Houston to San Diego and I've been suffering terribly from allergies and therefore have a lot of congestion and sinus pressure. Having had a terrible experience flying in such a state before, I am solicting advice as to how to minimize any discomfort on the flight tomorrow. I have a stash of degongestants, "earplanes" ear plugs, chewing gum and Afrin nasal spray. Is there anything else I could try? Any favorite product you swear by? I really want to avoid the terrible ear pain I experienced on a flight to NYC years ago where I was basically deaf for a couple of days from the eardrum pressure. Thanks in advance!

I don't think it is a crazy post, but I think you would be crazy NOT to talk to your doctor.

I did talk to my doctor's office, and got the typical response (nothing I didn't already know). I know Fodorites often have brilliant suggestions, so I thought I'd put my question out there.

Did you tell your doctor that your ears were plugged up and you were really really concerned? When I do that they prescribe super decongestants that do the trick.

i am not a dr. but this is what i take when flying for my allergies, and just allergies in general.
all OTC,2 sudafed and one claratin. a pharmacist, recommended that combo to me years ago and it works for me.
but don't take my advice without seeking your own medical professional.

I just did a trip with some serious sinus discomfort. My doctor suggested I get a neti pot. It looks like a miniature watering can, and it allows you to run saline solution through your nose and sinuses. It also helped my ears pop. It sounds crazy, but my doctor highly recommended it. It might be good to do both before an after your flight.

You should be able to get one for $15 or so at a Walgreens/CVS/Duane Reade.

I use a nasal spray daily at home and on the road. On the day of the flight I double the dose, or I'll have terrible earache.

Maybe increasing the dose of whatever you normally take/use will help?

(I use NasalCrom only, sold over-the-counter in pharmacies, work better then stronger prescriptions, use on advise of the allergist)

One of our kids (in college) was supposed to take a six hour flight, recently. She had a painful ear infection so she asked my physician-husband if it would be OK to fly. He gave her an emphatic NO! Listen to your doctor and heed is advice.

Another vote for nasal rinsing via neti pot, Nasopure, etc. If you get one today and rinse a couple of times today and in the morning before the flight, it will remove a lot of congestion and add moisture to the inside of your nose which also helps relieve pain.

I think Earplanes do help. Using the decongestant spray about an hour before takeoff and landing helps.

i use a neti pot on a regular basis but it's not something you could use on the plane as you need to make your saline solution and it should be warm other wise it's not very comfortable.
you could buy a little bottle of saline solution and keep that in your purse and use that like a neti pot.

Thanks for the suggestions everybody!