Alleviating Stubborn Nasal Congestion/Dryness

[49er]

Last night, it was so bad that I even had a hard time wearing the Simplus Mask. So I need some suggestions on alleviating this. Here is what I have tried.

1. Nasacort and Nasanex - I gave up on both items after 3 days because they completely dried out my nose making it harder to breath through it. I know it takes about two weeks for nasal steroids to work but it just seemed like these products were making things worse and not showing any signs of helping. Was thinking of trying Flonase to see if that would be any different.

2. Nasal rinsing - Have tried this repeatedly with the squeeze bottle to no avail. At one point, I was using a hypertonic solution that seemed to provide some relief but now it seems nothing works. I tried the Sinugator in the hope that maybe an electric device would help but unfortunately it made things worse.

3. I have tried various OTC nasal sprays. Too many to list.

Additionally, due to going on a high fat, low carb diet due to joining the pre diabetic club, my dairy intake has increased which I am wondering may be a culprit. So I do plan to cut it down to see if maybe that would help.

I am also wondering if I should try a nasal pillow mask since some people report that greatly helps their sinus congestion. Unfortunately, when I tried the P10, I felt like I could barely breath through it but maybe another mask would be more helpful? Then again, even after my septoplasty, I found it hard to use the Aloha mask which has bigger holes than most nasal pillow ones so I wonder if this would be a good option.

I do have an appointment with an ENT in two weeks so hopefully, he will have some suggestions if I can't resolve this issue. But I am hoping by posting a request for help, that I can find a solution more quickly.

49er

[Kallippide]

Hi 49er. From my own personal experience, I find that a simple saline solution works best in keeping my sinuses cleared out. Both my primary and pulmonary docs have said that it can be used as often as necessary because it is all natural. Also, several of my friends use a "Nettie Pot" in the shower to clear out their nasal passages. I've not done that, but my daughter also swears by it.

And you are correct in that your increased dairy consumption is most likely the culprit. My 92 year old father had dysphasia and could not swallow very well. The docs took him off of all dairy products because they caused mucus and made him choke. It was a very sad day for him when he was told "no more ice cream!"

Good luck, 49er.

[49er]

Hi 49er. From my own personal experience, I find that a simple saline solution works best in keeping my sinuses cleared out. Both my primary and pulmonary docs have said that it can be used as often as necessary because it is all natural. Also, several of my friends use a "Nettie Pot" in the shower to clear out their nasal passages. I've not done that, but my daughter also swears by it.

And you are correct in that your increased dairy consumption is most likely the culprit. My 92 year old father had dysphasia and could not swallow very well. The docs took him off of all dairy products because they caused mucus and made him choke. It was a very sad day for him when he was told "no more ice cream!"

Good luck, 49er.

Thanks Kallippide.

I should have mentioned I have tried using simple saline solution which has only helped marginally.

Regarding dairy, unfortunately, due to my diet already being limited for various reasons, it is going to be hard for me to cut it completely out. And I am not talking about ice cream which is already gone due to my pre diabetic diet. But hopefully, if I can limit it the morning, that will help. If not, I will have to reevaluate that situation.

Thanks again.

49er

[RebornSleeper]

I'm fairly new to xpap. I have a lot of sinus problems too. I use the Wisp normally but if I'm extra congested I find my nasal pillows are better. I can't remember the name but is a Phillips Resperonics one.

As for the dairy, there is a protein in cow's milk that about half of the population reacts to. Causing mucous. Goat milk doesn't have this protein and very rarely causes mucous problems. So if you can't give up dairy, maybe goat's milk and goat cheeses are an option?

[herefishy]

And I had some cashew milk ice cream which was delicious - I was amazed.

[WindCpap]

I have been having problems ever since the temperature dropped below freezing. The nasal pillows are a bit of a double edged sword. They do open up your nostrils, and act a lot like those stick-on strips, but the concentrated air stream tends to cause more congestion. If this is the road you go, use as large a pillow as will fit. This will cut down on the airspeed. I am going to be switching to a dreamwear in an attempt to alleviate the issue. I was just going to try the large nasal pillow but then figured I might as well try the dreamwear instead.

I use the Nasugator for the sinus rinse. You should use the packets that come with it as they will be perfectly balanced. I really wouldn't mess with homemade recipes. The nasugator gives the water a little more contact time inside your sinuses compared to the squeeze bottle. Make sure that the water is at about body temperature. The baby bottle trick of squeezing some on your wrist works will. I find that it lubricates things up there, and if I lay on my back with the nasal pillows on, my sinuses drain fairly quickly. I do the rinse about 45 minutes before bed.

[49er]

Reborn Sleeper, I like that screen name. Thanks for the goat cheese suggestion. Yup, that is definitely a possibility. I will see if I can find those nasal pillows you suggested.

Here Fishy, you're killing me with the mentioning of the cashew milk ice cream. All jokes aside, glad you liked it.

WindCap, yeah things seemed to have gotten worse since the temperature has gone below freezing. Sorry you are experiencing difficulties also.
If I get nasal pillows, I will try the large size. Thanks for that suggestion.

Do you have a link to the Nasugator? I tried googling it and it asked if I meant the Sinugator which I returned yesterday.

Thanks everyone for your responses.

[WindCpap]

Sorry, that was the Sinugator.

[lbk454]

I have some congestion issues and every night use a Netty Pot with a saline packet and I add a couple of teaspoons of "Alkalol" to the Netty Pot, which is available from Walgrens, Wal Mart (Sam;s can order it), etc. Alkalol is a natural product and really helps. I also use Breath Right Strips at bedtime which help to open my nose. During the day I use the spray bottles of saline a couple of times. This seems to work well for me.

[MrGrumpy]

Try a REAL full face mask like the Resmed Mirage Quattro. Any leaks can cause nasal and mouth dryness during the night. Also, crank your humidifier up all the way to the max to where you get rainout during the winter. Turn your bedroom temperature down before you go to bed,down to the high sixties. That brings the barometric pressure down and makes the air not so dry during sleep. Turning your bedroom temp down at bedtime makes your humidifier much more effective, even when turned up to the max.

I turn my humidifier up to the max around early November and just leave it turned up to the max until humidity levels naturally start going up around, April. January is probably the driest month of the year, lowest humidity levels. I intentionally crank mine up to where I get rainout in my hose. Using a cover on my hose prevents the rainout from waking me up from cold water dripping into my mask.

[49er]

Ibk454, thanks, I did use the nasal saline spray alot yesterday which I think helped. I didn't think it initially did but maybe I need to use it more often. And I used a breath rite strip last night which seemed to help somewhat. Unfortunately, I tried the alcalol in the past at various strengths and it didn't help. But I am glad it worked for you.

McGrumpy - The Mirage Quattro was my 2nd choice as a full face mask when I decided to get the Simplus as a backup. I will see how soon I am eligible for a new mask. Tried your suggestion of raising the humidity to maximum level with "freezing" temperatures and it did seem to help. So thanks for the suggestion.

[HD4me]

Try Ayr nasal gel. Works great for me even under the worst stuffiness. It's used by many people on oxygen. Coat your sinuses before bed and I think you'll enjoy the relief in the morning. I buy it at Walmart but have to ask for it at the pharmacy counter. Not sure why that is? It's less than $4 for a 1/2 oz. tube which lasts a long time.

Good Luck!

[chunkyfrog]

Dairy milk does not cause excess phlegm:
http://www.abc.net.au/health/talkinghea ... 102703.htm
In fact ice cream is wonderful for a sore throat, and is easy to eat, even with very little appetite.
It is possible that some soy milk might thicken mucus, due to the carrageenan in it.
Excess phlegm is usually due to dehydration, a common effect of not drinking enough water.
Dr Froggie's prescription: moderate amounts of frozen dessert of patient's choice.
Liberal amounts of very cold water.
Note: Nut milks may not contain much nut.

[49er]

HD4me, thanks, I totally forgot about the Ayr Nasal gel. I will give that a shot.

CF, thanks for the link. I would really like to see updated information on this since they said it is from 2005 and links to specific studies . Unfortunately, many articles (not all) will report information that is different from what is in the studies.

[Marigail]

49er I hope you've found something helpful here. I also use the Ayr nasal gel and spray. Put some gel on q-tip and coat each nostril. I do it in the morning and again just before I put on my mask at night. Been working great. Don't have to go with brand name Walgreen's has store brand that is a little cheaper.