Or he could have legit sinus issues. If you've ever had ear problems when you were younger they usually migrate to your sinuses as an adult and it doesn't matter what time of year it is. I have this issue and it's even worse since I broke my cheek bone and my nose when I was drunk in the states.
if he has legitimate sinus issues, the protocol would not be to take an antihistamine (does nothing for "sinus issues" that would not be related to allergens) and it certainly is not smart or beneficial to take a stimulant every single day.
especially if he is an olympic athlete.
the proper protocol for chronic rhinitis would be to use a saline lavage (Neil Med Sinus rinse, for example) and/or a nasal corticosteroid. I assume the latter would be on the banned list for the IOC simply because it is part of the steroid family and the IOC would have a zero tolerance rule, but it isn't important because Backstrom clearly wasn't checking this with the powers that be or the powers that be had the biggest and most obvious brain fart one could have. like, pseudoephedrine is so bloody obvious to anyone on Sweden's medical staff that your suggestions are borderline comical.
anyways, if his rhinitis is chronic and becomes chronic sinusitis, then there are options such as Singulair, which may help. If his rhinitis is deemed to be bacterial (and Claritin wouldn't help), then antibiotic treatment with a steroid for 3 weeks would be the treatment of choice, followed by surgery.
also, the difference between Backstrom and you is that you have healthcare run by the province. Backstrom has private healthcare, as do all professional athletes in Canada and the US. he has physicians, trainers, physiotherapists, massage therapists and nutritionists at his beck and call. he never has to wait for an MRI or doctor's appointment, unlike mere mortals like you and i.
It's not completely banned. You can have 150mcg/ml in your blood. Backstrom had 190.
wow. almost 30% above the maximum levels allowed. Try telling a judge about that if you get a DUI.
Anti-histamines make you drowsy, doesn't it make sense that he'd be taking an anti-histamine + pseudoephedrine to keep him from feeling dopey during games?
most second-generation antihistamines are non-drowsy. Reactine's the only 2nd generation antihistamine that really isn't non-drowsy (somnolence occurs in around 25% of patients). Claritin, Aerius and Allegra are all non-drowsy. they also are available with decongestants. i'd almost never, ever recommend the decongestant w/the antihistamine due to the crazy stimulant side effects you get. basically, you're taking what used to be a 4 times a day dose and are taking it all at once. just imagine you drinking 5 cups of coffee a day but, one morning, going "what the hell...going to drink all 5 cups at once!"
It's not completely banned. You can have 150mcg/ml in your blood. Backstrom had 190.
unless they had a pharmacist or physician with their masters or PhD in pharmacokinetics, trying to predict the appropriate blood levels of an oral banned substance so one can get some "benefits" but land below the maximum allowed level is stupid. as you can see, one played with fire, and one was burned. i don't have the time or data to guess what the Cmax (geek talk) would be for 1 tablet of the Claritin Sinus that Backstrom took, but i can give you an educated guess and suggest that taking the maximum commercially available dose of a banned substance is the best way to have above-Cmax blood levels. i mean, if he was semi-smart, he'd have taken Advil Cold and Sinus twice to 3 times a day, had lower adverse effects (like I actually believe that he was afraid of adverse effects and not taking the medication for the stimulant benefits) and been below the Cmax.
so there you have it, future Olympic athletes. Take Advil Cold and Sinus 3 times a day and you likely won't get flagged.
