Sudafed

I had a nasty infection in 2003 and my ears  have been crackling and popping ever since. Doctor Bob said that it was probably an Eustachian Tube Dysfunction. The problem gets worse when I have a sinus congestion/headache or travelling on airplane. Sudafed is the only thing that alleviates the problem, so I've been taking it whenever the problem becomes unbearable.

When I got CFS, I also noticed that Sudafed also relieves the CFS body ache, at least partially. Some people thought that it was the stimulant effect of pseudoephedrine. No other stimulant does that though, so I don't think it's the stimulant effect. Rather, I think it's the vasoconstriction that does the trick.

Sudafed relieves the sinus congestion by constricting blood vessels. Whenever I take it, I can feel my hands and feet get cold and nasal cavity become icy. And it is about that time that I start feeling some relief from sinus headache, popping ears and body ache, all at about the same time. My theory is that my body is being sensitive to whatever is in the bloodstream when I'm particularly more fatigued and aching. And Sudafed squeezes the blood out of the muscle by constricting intramuscular blood vessels, resulting in some relief from the irritant.

This, of course, jibes with the sensitivity theory of CFS. I'm continuing down that path until I find an empirical evidence that contradicts it, or someone discovers something that disproves it.