I agree in that Atrovent is a drying agent.  To me, it is the "Majic
Bullit" that I needed to overcome the chronic nasal problems that
afflicted me since I was an early teen.  Problems with my nasal
passages have been vrey traumatic and life altering.  When your sinus
passages don't drain properly, then you have pressure in your head.
This manifistated in both drowsiness and mental confusion.  It also
resulted in medical mismanagement.   I was given Ritalin for my
complaints of drowsiness.  I was given benzoadiazimines and tricyclics
for the mental confusion.  All these drugs have had some very serious
side affects and raminifications in my life.  Strangely, I have had
success with Afrin as a vasoconstrictor and means of open clogged
nasal passages.  A google reference states that Afrin should not be
used with MAO inhibitors or with tricyclics.  Further research states
that some tricyclics have an antihistamine affect.
There is something affecting the nerve transmissions from my brain
stem that cause excessive mucus production.  The end results are a lot
of physiological problems.  I have been to see ENT doctors.  They use
a mild solution of Coccaine as a nasoconstrictor.  The results of
Coccaine are almost immediate.  It opens the nasal passages so that
the doctor can look into an unobstructed nasal passage.  Coccaine in
larger dosages gives a feel good affect due to the drug causing a
flooding of Dopamine in the brain.  I think a lot of the drug abuse in
this country is due to attempts of increasing a brain's dopamine and
seratonin.  The result is a quick fix and a need to have more drugs to
give instant pleasure.  anticholinergic agents can be chemicals like
pestisides and nerve agents and as mild as Atrovent (ipratropium
bromide).  These are drugs that affect the CNS in living organisms.
This is one of the reasons for the popularity of organic foods because
people are starting to take notice that even mild dosages of
pestisides are  affecting their CNS as cholineregetic agents.