Looking for empathy!! Nasal congestion

[garyland]

I have tried everything short of surgery for my congestion problem. Maybe surgery is my only hope, although I would like to avoid that at all cost. I will recap my problem here as some of you may not have been following my story. Since getting off Afrin around Nov. of 2008, I have had problems with congestion. I don't have allergies or mucus. It is just an inflammation kind of problem. I get stuffy off and on many times during the day and night. This is typically the way my night goes. I go to bed about 9:30pm and fall asleep about 10am. I wake up at 1 or 2 am because my nose will stuff up. I get out of bed, and go downstairs. I will be down there for 15 min to 2 hours waiting for my nose to clear on it's own with a little help from my Simply Saline. I trot off to bed and sleep maybe another 3 hours until I get stuffy up again. If I have a string of nights with less than 6 hours I will take a nap during the day.

So are there any out there that just live with a problem of off and on congestion during the night with fragmented sleep and just live with it. I would like to know that I am not alone here with this problem. Just hearing from others will make me feel a little better.

Thanks,
Gary

[BeanMeScot]

Congestion can be caused by too much or too little humidity in the mask. Have you tried changing that to help?

[sleepycarol]

I know you said you don't have allergies --- but have you been tested for them? It seems there are soooo many things one can be allergic too that you may have some that are not as "in your in face", but still giving you fits.

I went for years and didn't know I had allergies. I chalked it up to bad sinuses and although I was on antihistimines, it wasn't until I had to switch doctors that I was told I probably have severe allergies. Sure enough I do.

I can empathize as it seems like I am always stuffy --- or runny, seldom "normal" when it comes to my allergies. Even with meds it is a fun game we play.

[garyland]

Congestion can be caused by too much or too little humidity in the mask. Have you tried changing that to help?

Yes, I have tried everything from no humidity to full on humidity.

Thanks,
Gary

[garyland]

BTW i have an appointment with a new ENT on June 18th. Maybe he will have some ideas.

RE: Allergies. I have no mucus. I almost never blow my nose because there is nothing to blow. I don't have a runny nose. I have tried anti hists and it does not change anything.

Thanks,
Gary

PS My nose can stuff and clear within seconds....go figure.

I know you said you don't have allergies --- but have you been tested for them? It seems there are soooo many things one can be allergic too that you may have some that are not as "in your in face", but still giving you fits.

I went for years and didn't know I had allergies. I chalked it up to bad sinuses and although I was on antihistimines, it wasn't until I had to switch doctors that I was told I probably have severe allergies. Sure enough I do.

I can empathize as it seems like I am always stuffy --- or runny, seldom "normal" when it comes to my allergies. Even with meds it is a fun game we play.

[mars]

Hi Garyland

I too am permanently stuffy, but obviously not as bad as you. However, I do have a suggestion that possibly you may not have tried.

Due to other problems with my throat I sleep every night with a vapouriser on, which prevents the air from getting too dry. With the vapouriser comes a bottle of TAAV Mentholaire Vapouriser Fluid, and you add a few drops to the vapouriser if you are congested.

The bottle says - For Use With All Steam Vapourisers. An .........inhalant medication for use in vapourisers. Soothing medicated steam helps prevent nasal congestion. This is Australian, but no doubt you will have something similar where you are.

Instead of Simply Saline you might want to try a decongestant, perhaps combined with steam. (Thats how I got through childhood, with my head under a towel and over a steaming bowl of hot water with eucalyptus oil and menthol mixed in.)

Good luck with sorting it out.

cheers

Mars

[enso]

What's your objection to surgery?

I had very similar symptoms and surgery did the trick for me. Don't regret doing it one bit, even though in my case, I had to re-do it about a year later. Totally worth it being able to breath at night. I hate mouth breathing.

[garyland]

I have tried Vicks Vapo rub on my nostrils to no avail. I could look for something to put in my water resovoir i suppose. As far as oral decongestants, I can't use them because of my thyroid, prostate and HBP issues.

Thanks,
Gary

Hi Garyland

I too am permanently stuffy, but obviously not as bad as you. However, I do have a suggestion that possibly you may not have tried.

Due to other problems with my throat I sleep every night with a vapouriser on, which prevents the air from getting too dry. With the vapouriser comes a bottle of TAAV Mentholaire Vapouriser Fluid, and you add a few drops to the vapouriser if you are congested.

The bottle says - For Use With All Steam Vapourisers. An .........inhalant medication for use in vapourisers. Soothing medicated steam helps prevent nasal congestion. This is Australian, but no doubt you will have something similar where you are.

Instead of Simply Saline you might want to try a decongestant, perhaps combined with steam. (Thats how I got through childhood, with my head under a towel and over a steaming bowl of hot water with eucalyptus oil and menthol mixed in.)

Good luck with sorting it out.

cheers

Mars

[garyland]

That is a great question.

1) I don't want to take any benzodiazepines (sedatives) prior/with surgery as I was once addicted.
2) Since I don't/can't mouth breathe at night i must breathe thru my nose or not sleep at all.
3) the recovery requires some time being congested and not nose breathing so i would be sleep deprived for a week or two.


I would consider a surgery that is the most non invasive. I am also hoping that in the near future there may be a new non invasive procedure that I may try.

Thanks,
Gary

What's your objection to surgery?

I had very similar symptoms and surgery did the trick for me. Don't regret doing it one bit, even though in my case, I had to re-do it about a year later. Totally worth it being able to breath at night. I hate mouth breathing.

[garyland]

What was the name of your surgical procedure?

Gary

What's your objection to surgery?

I had very similar symptoms and surgery did the trick for me. Don't regret doing it one bit, even though in my case, I had to re-do it about a year later. Totally worth it being able to breath at night. I hate mouth breathing.

[BleepingBeauty]

Have you considered the use of a Neti Pot? I've never tried one, but many here swear by it for relieving congestion.

Just a thought. Good luck.

[garyland]

Yes, i have tried a netti pot. I basically works like my Simply saline spray. It is hard to get up in the middle of the night and fiddle with a neti.

Thanks,
Gary

Have you considered the use of a Neti Pot? I've never tried one, but many here swear by it for relieving congestion.

Just a thought. Good luck.

[mckooi]

Hi Gary,

I have right nostril blocks for a long time (god know how long years) and still fighting for it. Right after had deviate septum and removed the inferior turbinate head surgery twice during 20 yo and 35 yo and clear for many years. But now been having almost the same situation like you. I suspect due to blood flow as explained by the ENT Sergent and advised to use the FESS Nasal De congestion spray but still facing the right nostril block from time to time (within less than an hour or so it came back to with total block). I had used many sprays and event removed the carpet at my premises to avoid any allergy from dust or dust mites since last year but the right nostril still block....kind like sensitive to temperature and dryness ( I read some where this is like the nose physiological cycle, I noticed that you have this problem during sleep hours ). Sometime it just block for whole day I keep tilting and sitting slant to the left to test whether it was due to the blood flow like the ENT Sergent said....but still block. Now I am embarking on using the NetiPort to have better cleansing on my nose and will try with the sodium chloride (salt without any preservative or iodine) with Lukeware water....the may apply the Olive oil or Sesame oil or combination of both. Seems that after using so many different types of sprays and did not work well. This is worth a try. Check it out and let me know so that we can learn from each other.

This is the site that I did some research about nostril block ......

http://guest.6.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=2870

http://www.himalayaninstitute.org/NetiP ... utine.aspx

Mckooi

[garyland]

The Fess products apparently come from Australia. Is that where you are from? The eucalyptus saline product looked interesting. I emailed the Fess company to see if I can buy it directly from Australia. To my knowledge no saline spray exists in the US that has eucalypus in it.

Thanks,
Gary

Hi Gary,

I have right nostril blocks for a long time (god know how long years) and still fighting for it. Right after had deviate septum and removed the inferior turbinate head surgery twice during 20 yo and 35 yo and clear for many years. But now been having almost the same situation like you. I suspect due to blood flow as explained by the ENT Sergent and advised to use the FESS Nasal De congestion spray but still facing the right nostril block from time to time (within less than an hour or so it came back to with total block). I had used many sprays and event removed the carpet at my premises to avoid any allergy from dust or dust mites since last year but the right nostril still block....kind like sensitive to temperature and dryness ( I read some where this is like the nose physiological cycle, I noticed that you have this problem during sleep hours ). Sometime it just block for whole day I keep tilting and sitting slant to the left to test whether it was due to the blood flow like the ENT Sergent said....but still block. Now I am embarking on using the NetiPort to have better cleansing on my nose and will try with the sodium chloride (salt without any preservative or iodine) with Lukeware water....the may apply the Olive oil or Sesame oil or combination of both. Seems that after using so many different types of sprays and did not work well. This is worth a try. Check it out and let me know so that we can learn from each other.

This is the site that I did some research about nostril block ......

http://guest.6.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=2870

http://www.himalayaninstitute.org/NetiP ... utine.aspx

Mckooi

[dllfo]

I use Nasonex. Prescription type. I searched for some info since my memory is not 100% reliable these days. IF you have an inflammation, this might be of some help. It is a Corticosteroid and you should read about it before trying. It has its own side effects. I was tested in 2000 and told I have quite a few allergies. Then I was tested at the #1 Respiratory hospital in the USA in 2007. They said I did not have ANY allergies!!!! I am going to be tested next week for allergies.
I admit I am curious to see what we find. I take 360mg of Allegra (antihistamine) a day, but have had to quit it for a ten day stretch prior to my next allergy test.

"Nasonex nasal spray prevents and relieves the runny, stuffy nose that accompanies hay fever and year-round allergies. It contains a steroid medication that fights inflammation."

Another "long shot" might be a sinus problem of some kind?

You can email the National Jewish Hospital in Denver, CO. They have a program wherein you can ask a couple questions a year for free. If you lack a good health plan, they even take patients for free. Here is there web address. I spent over a month with them in 2007 and they ARE the best in their field.
http://www.nationaljewish.org/

Good luck...Dave