Pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) is generally safe and effective, and it is available over the counter. In 2006 it was removed from over-the-counter because of its ability to be made into illegal drugs. You can now buy it in the pharmacy without a prescription at the pharmacy counter. The pharmacist is required to take your name and your driver's license, but you don't have to have a prescription to get it.
If I was congested, and I needed something over the counter, I would take Sudafed.
I would also recommend, and I recommended this to somebody yesterday—cromolyn sodium. It's an old spray that works to stop histamine release. It gets under-utilized in my opinion. When you have that little tickle, you're congested, and your nose is running, if you use cromolyn sodium nasal spray, it works phenomenally—it's awesome. It's not addictive and doesn't require a prescription.
Sometimes it’s kind of hard to find it. You may have to ask the pharmacist, but it’s available over the counter. All of the Singing River hospital pharmacies keep it in stock.