Key Takeaways
The core story
A winter-time upper-airway illness moved in fast after travel, starting with a mild morning sore throat, then turning into heavy nasal mucus and sudden nighttime blockage in Mexico (North America) in late December two thousand twenty-five and early January two thousand twenty-six.
The practical thread
Saline mist can be used often and is a low-risk helper for thick mucus and a blocked nose, while strong decongestant sprays like oxymetazoline feel “magic” because they shrink swollen nasal lining very quickly, but can backfire if used too long.
The safety thread
With daily fluoxetine and methylphenidate already on board, “one bottle for everything” cold products can be a trap: some cough suppressants and decongestants can clash with those medicines or push blood pressure and heart rate higher.
Story & Details
A trip, then a small throat signal
Travel on December twenty-first was followed by a light morning throat ache that stayed mild and then faded. Sleep remained “more or less fine,” and there was no clear fever feeling. The main goal stayed simple: recover quickly and keep working.
When the nose took over
By the end of December, the throat no longer mattered. Thick nasal mucus became the headline, with a heavy “not at one hundred percent” tiredness but still enough energy to function. The mucus looked yellow at times, which can be normal in a common cold as days pass.
The swing: fine by day, blocked at night
Daytime could feel close to normal, then nighttime would flip the switch. Nasal congestion climbed to very high levels, with pressure felt between the eyes. Walking around helped only a little. This pattern often happens because lying flat changes blood flow in the nose and makes swelling feel worse, and indoor air can dry and irritate the throat and nose.
Why oxymetazoline feels so powerful
Oxymetazoline works fast because it tightens tiny blood vessels in the nasal lining. Less blood flow means less swelling, and air suddenly fits again. The problem is the “rebound” risk: repeated use can train the nose to swell harder when the spray wears off. That can create a loop of needing more spray for the same relief.
The pharmacy hunt and the simple tools
A first stop offered saline mainly as bottled “serum,” not as a mist spray, which felt oddly hard to request. A second stop solved the problem with a nasal saline mist, and the plan became practical: use it preventively when needed, not obsessively, and keep hot showers as a steady support. Honey was not an available option at home.
A calm morning, then the cough
After a night of sleep from 9:00 p.m. local time to 6:00 a.m. local time, the matching clock in the Netherlands (Europe) read 4:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The nose was calm, with little to no mucus. But a dry cough appeared, especially when speaking, about once every fifteen minutes. There was no strong throat pain, and chest discomfort was mild and mainly tied to coughing. This kind of cough often comes from a sensitive throat after a cold, from post-nasal drip, or from dry air and voice strain.
The “feel better now” choice, with daily medicines in mind
Daily medicines in the background were methylphenidate 36 milligrams, fluoxetine 20 milligrams, losartan 50 milligrams, and atorvastatin 10 milligrams, with blood pressure usually well controlled on losartan. A “single medicine for all symptoms” sounded tempting for speed, but the safer path stayed targeted: saline for the nose, rest and fluids for the throat, and careful pain relief when needed.
Paracetamol with caffeine was chosen after morning coffee and methylphenidate, with the first dose taken at 9:27 a.m. local time, when the clock in the Netherlands (Europe) read 4:27 p.m. Energy still felt low because of fatigue, but congestion stayed minimal.
A tiny Dutch phrase set
These short Dutch lines fit a pharmacy visit and simple symptom talk.
Ik heb een verkoudheid. Natural meaning in English: a cold is present. Word-by-word: Ik means I; heb means have; een means a; verkoudheid means cold. Register: neutral and common.
Mijn neus zit dicht. Natural meaning in English: the nose is blocked. Word-by-word: Mijn means my; neus means nose; zit means sits or is; dicht means shut or blocked. Register: everyday speech.
Heeft u een zoutoplossing neusspray? Natural meaning in English: asking for a saline nasal spray in a polite way. Word-by-word: Heeft means have; u means you in a polite form; een means a; zoutoplossing means salt solution; neusspray means nose spray. Register: polite and normal in shops.
Conclusions
The clean ending
By Friday, January second, two thousand twenty-six, the story looked like a common cold that changed masks: throat first, then the nose, then a lingering dry cough. NeilMed NasaMist fit the “do no harm” lane for a nose that swings between clear and blocked, while oxymetazoline explained its own popularity through speed and strength—paired with a real reason to keep it short and rare. With fluoxetine, methylphenidate, and controlled high blood pressure in the mix, the simplest symptom-by-symptom approach stayed the most reliable way to feel better without adding new problems.
Selected References
[1] https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/media/pdfs/Common-Cold-P.pdf
[2] https://www.cdc.gov/common-cold/treatment/index.html
[3] https://www.entnet.org/resource/aao-hnsf-updated-cpg-adult-sinusitis-press-release-fact-sheet/
[4] https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23393-rhinitis-medicamentosa
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538318/
[6] https://www.cochrane.org/evidence/CD000980_vitamin-c-preventing-and-treating-common-cold
[7] https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/laryngitis/
[8] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38569181/
[9] https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/in-depth/blood-pressure/art-20045245
[10] https://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/caffeine-with-methylphenidate-450-0-1606-0.html
[11] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw120Bq-RP8
Appendix
A–Z
Acetaminophen. A common pain and fever medicine, also called paracetamol, used for comfort in colds but not a cure.
Alpha receptor. A type of nerve signal “switch” on blood vessels; when triggered by some nasal sprays, vessels narrow and swelling drops.
Caffeine. A stimulant found in coffee and some pain tablets; it can lift alertness but can also raise heart rate or blood pressure in some people.
Common cold. A viral upper-airway infection that often brings runny or blocked nose, sore throat, and cough, usually improving with time.
Decongestant. A medicine that reduces a blocked nose by shrinking swollen tissue; some are sprays and some are tablets, and some can affect blood pressure.
Dextromethorphan. A cough suppressant found in many over-the-counter products; it can be risky with some antidepressants.
Fluoxetine. A selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant; it can interact with some cough medicines that also affect serotonin.
Intranasal steroid. A nose spray that lowers inflammation over days rather than minutes; often used when swelling and congestion last.
Losartan. A blood pressure medicine that helps relax blood vessels and is often taken daily for hypertension control.
Methylphenidate. A stimulant medicine often used for attention disorders; it can increase heart rate or blood pressure in some people.
Nasal saline. Sterile saltwater for the nose, used to thin mucus and soothe lining; it does not cause rebound congestion.
Oxymetazoline. A strong nasal decongestant spray that tightens blood vessels fast; overuse can trigger rebound congestion.
Post-nasal drip. Mucus moving from the nose down the back of the throat, often leading to throat clearing or cough.
Rhinitis medicamentosa. Rebound nasal congestion caused by overusing decongestant sprays, making the nose feel more blocked when the spray wears off.
Sinusitis. Inflammation of the sinus spaces; it can be viral and self-limited, and a bacterial form is less common and has a different pattern.
Vitamin C. An essential nutrient; routine daily use does not prevent most colds, and starting it after symptoms begin has mixed evidence.
My Diary - Leonardo Cardillo 