Using Nasonex - observations

socknitster · Post by **socknitster** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 9:30 am

Yes, you do.

And if you have high blood pressure, you should know that the decongestant could be making it worse!

You might try saline rinses to see if they help you when you are congested. I swear by my neti pot.

Just the humidifier on my machine actually helps me a lot with congestion.

A small dose of nasonex if the other stuff doesn't help would be preferable to taking a dose of decongestant--which systemically goes thru the whole body, instead of focusing on the problem area. BUt that is, of course, my opinion.

Jen

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 6:13 pm

Just got back from doc visit. His comment re me doubling my Nasonex dose was fine if it is producing the desired result but like others have posted, he did also say that if I can drop back to the lower dose then do then when I can & for as long as I can.

I also asked him about how to spray - vertical or horizontal - he pointed out that the pamphlet with the spray does suggest angling the nozzle more in than up as spraying straight up goes nowhere useful

DSM

goose · Post by **goose** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 8:42 pm

Interesting what you find when you RTFM!!!!
Reading DSM's post I had to pull out the insert in the Fluticasone (generic Flonase) and take a look-see.....

Fluticasone says to tilt your head slightly forward and hold the bottle upright, breathe in, push the applicator firmly and repeat if necessary.....
It looks like once the bottle gets a bit emptier, moving it more horizontal won't work as the pump pickup is very short and directly into the center of the bottle....

But, I've been using this stuff for like 5-6 years and never read the insert.....(used to be Nasalide -- talk about burning a nostril!!!!). My bad!!!

cheers
goose

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 10:18 pm

Goose,

Actually you are right 'angling the head forward' were the words he used. (I still haven't looked at the leaflet yet but will )

He commented that the nose airway actually goes straight in & not up as we logically think it does (like we often say 'up the nose' when in fact it is more correct to say 'in the nose' (straight in)). Thus angling the head forward as you suggest, allows the pump to work properly & to aim the spray mostly straight in. I fear my prior 6 months efforts may have been a tad less then efficient perhaps the double spray was a way of compensating for the less efficient delivery method I had been using. I should know within days - will drop back to 1 puff each nostril but will 'angle head forward' to where I think the spray is going straight in.

As you said - RTFM

DSM

socknitster · Post by **socknitster** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 7:55 am

My doctor made a point of mentioning to point it ever so slightly away from the septum (off center) because over time it can cause problems if too much is getting on the septum each time you use it. I can't remember exacltly the words he used but it sounded like ulcerative sores or something. He mentioned it every time I got a scrip for it so I am guessing either he experienced this or a patient had an atonishing bad case of it for it to stand out to him so much that he brought it up every time.

You are also supposed to sniff or inhale when you spritz it in there. The idea is that the fine mist will coat all the mucosa evenly and do a good job.

Jen

debst99 · Post by **debst99** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 9:26 am

Socknitster:

Thank you for your response. I have been lucky that I have never had high blood pressure. I am overweight and 55 years old. I bought the Ayr saline spray, but should I buy something different that says rinse. I use the #2 on the humifier after I got bloody nose with #1. How long can people actually use Nasonex? I am always worried about nose sprays because of the stories I heard years ago.

socknitster · Post by **socknitster** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 2:18 pm

The nose sprays and dependency that you speak of is the decongestant kind like Afrin. My grandfather can't breathe unless he uses Afrin a few times a day. Those you are only supposed to use for a couple of days.

The nasal steroid sprays that we are referring to are by prescription only and work locally on only the tissue affected instead of going thru your whole body. There isn't very much delivered at all so you don't have to worry about the steroids in your system like you would if you took steroids systemically by mouth.

I like, whenever possible, to treat only the problem at hand and leave the rest of my body out of it. But I react strongly to pill-decongestants and they definitely shoot my blood pressure up a lot. I'm one of those sensitive individuals who reacts strongly to most drugs, so I try to avoid them whenever possible.

Jen

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 2:41 pm

Never, ever, ever (did I say never) use Afrin for more than a day. I know, I have been addicted to it. It's called a rebound effect. When it wears off the membranes swell to a larger size than they were before you used the Afrin.

The Allergist told my wife yesterday that it's shocking, the number of people who are addicted to Afrin.

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 4:02 pm

Re reverting to 1 spray per nostril (& tilting head forward) - got same old minimal result - tonight's test will be back to 2 sprays (done a few mins apart) & will see if the difference is as marked as it has been before.

It is interesting to read all the comments from embers re their various sprays & experiences.

Brings me to the point that even those of us on cpap for a few years can continue to learn from the collective wisdom & generosity of other members.

cpaptalk is a winner

DSM

goose · Post by **goose** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 5:53 pm

Afrin is in a class called vasoconstrictors. They will open the nasal passages and the rebound will close them worse than before. I don't now the science as to why. It would be wise to google on whatever you intend to use and see if there is a noted rebound effect. It's not a true addiction, but it sure can feel like one.
If you get to used to one it can take a week or more to get your nose back to normal!!!! In the meantime breathing through the nose is nearly impossible!!

Most OTC nose sprays fall into that cagtegory though not all......They are truly meant to be used like one day....I generally won't even use them one time!!!!
Wife had one recently that did not cause rebound, but I don't recall the brand -- but it was OTC!! If I can find out what it was I'll re-post.

Tread lightly!!!! Take care
cheers
goose

OutaSync · Post by **OutaSync** » Sat Nov 03, 2007 5:18 pm

For those that are addicted to nasal sprays, there is a simple way to get off of them. Only spray one nostril until the other side clears up. That might take a week, but you can live with breathing through one side for that long. When you can breathe through the untreated side, you can stop using the spray. Try it, it worked for me.

Ms Piggy · Post by **Ms Piggy** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 7:22 pm

I have used flonaise and Nasonex off and on in the past, think I preferred Flonase.
My blocked nose persisted off and on and last year sprays seemed to make it worse. It was so bad that I thought i may have allergies so was tested for that a couple of weeks ago and it seems that I don't. The doc however suggested that I try a small dab of Premarin cream rubbed into each nostril every night for a week and then every other night until I see him again later this month, this appears to have worked so far. One gets desperate enough to try almost anything. Using my humidifier would probably have helped somewhat but there are times, due to my lifestyle, that I can only use it as a passover so I seldom use it at all, although it would perhaps be preferable to using Premarin, but it is an interesting experiment. Any comments anyone?

Perchancetodream · Post by **Perchancetodream** » Mon Nov 05, 2007 8:09 pm

Ms Piggy wrote:I have used flonaise and Nasonex off and on in the past, think I preferred Flonase.
My blocked nose persisted off and on and last year sprays seemed to make it worse. It was so bad that I thought i may have allergies so was tested for that a couple of weeks ago and it seems that I don't. The doc however suggested that I try a small dab of Premarin cream rubbed into each nostril every night for a week and then every other night until I see him again later this month, this appears to have worked so far. One gets desperate enough to try almost anything. Using my humidifier would probably have helped somewhat but there are times, due to my lifestyle, that I can only use it as a passover so I seldom use it at all, although it would perhaps be preferable to using Premarin, but it is an interesting experiment. Any comments anyone?

Premarin? Isn't that just estrogen? How does that help nasal congestion? And what does it do to your hormone balance?

Susan

Ms Piggy · Post by **Ms Piggy** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 10:37 am

Yes it is, I know,. but this was to do with with some reactions I was having that he thought were to do with drying out of the nasal passages. doubtless the humidifier would address that problem too. I don't intend to keep this treatment up, so am not too concerned with hormone balance, it is such a small amount for a short period of time; we lose hormones as we get older anyway - but I am aware of all the controversy and side effects of this product.

Perchancetodream · Post by **Perchancetodream** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 2:38 pm

I wasn't thinking about the controversy, but rather how it would act to relieve dry sinuses.

I've been off Premarin (oral) for a few years now and would love to find an excuse to start using it to relieve the hot flashes! Vaseline just doesn't do it for me!

Susan