Thanks for the input on my previous post about Benadryl. I think my point about taking the Benadryl-D (+ Decongestant) got lost in the translation. I've used regular Benadryl (Diphenhydramine) but it seems like I need a decongestant or my nose is clogged up and hard to breath. Higher heat on my humidifier has limited effectiveness.
Does anyone have and good tips on what types of therapies / vitamins / pills / nasal sprays / prayers / foods / treatments / remedys / etc. works for nasal congestion?
SnoreNoMore2005
_________________
CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): humidifier
Anyone got any good nasal decongestants?
-
SnoreNoMore2005
- Posts: 228
- Joined: Thu Jul 07, 2005 12:58 pm
-
Sleepless on LI
- Posts: 3997
- Joined: Mon May 30, 2005 6:46 pm
- Location: Long Island, New York
SNM,
Seems like we are both experiencing the same problem right now. This is my first, what I think is a, cold since starting CPAP. Last night, I was afraid I wasn't going to be able to use my machine, which would have been the first time in four months. So I went and used Afrin nose spray. It is the only thing that cuts through my cemented shut nose. IT IS ADDICTIVE. Like I had posted, my father, who is overly cautious about everything in life to a fault, became addicted to it many years ago. It causes the sinuses to become swollen until you use it again if you overuse it or use it for too long. When I get nasty colds, and mine are seriously debilitating, I will only use it at bedtime and only for three days. Regardless of my condition, after that point, I won't use it again. Usually by three days, though, the cold has run its course.
I am also a believer in that if you supress a cold with OTC meds. designed to lessen the symptoms, it makes the cold last longer as I truly believe it needs to run its course and drain. So I only will use something, other than Motrin to take away that sickly feeling, at night.
Hope you feel better. I actually broke out my heated humidifier last night, too, which is something I never use. Thought it couldn't hurt.
Seems like we are both experiencing the same problem right now. This is my first, what I think is a, cold since starting CPAP. Last night, I was afraid I wasn't going to be able to use my machine, which would have been the first time in four months. So I went and used Afrin nose spray. It is the only thing that cuts through my cemented shut nose. IT IS ADDICTIVE. Like I had posted, my father, who is overly cautious about everything in life to a fault, became addicted to it many years ago. It causes the sinuses to become swollen until you use it again if you overuse it or use it for too long. When I get nasty colds, and mine are seriously debilitating, I will only use it at bedtime and only for three days. Regardless of my condition, after that point, I won't use it again. Usually by three days, though, the cold has run its course.
I am also a believer in that if you supress a cold with OTC meds. designed to lessen the symptoms, it makes the cold last longer as I truly believe it needs to run its course and drain. So I only will use something, other than Motrin to take away that sickly feeling, at night.
Hope you feel better. I actually broke out my heated humidifier last night, too, which is something I never use. Thought it couldn't hurt.
L o R i
-
Guest
nasal spray
Not only addictive, but Afrin has a rebound that's bad. My doc gave me a prescription for Nasacort AQ. No rebound, but I believe it's a steroid?
-
Sleepless on LI
- Posts: 3997
- Joined: Mon May 30, 2005 6:46 pm
- Location: Long Island, New York
Re: nasal spray
Does the Nasacort AQ actually work, though? I have trouble finding something that can really give me 12 hours of relief, and Afrin can do that for me. I am just extremely careful with it. I think what I'm calling addictive is the same thing you're talking about with the word "rebound." My father's nose would automatically stuff up if he didn't use it again and would only clear up if he did. He had to be weaned off of it using other sprays that were non-habit forming. Not good.Anonymous wrote:Not only addictive, but Afrin has a rebound that's bad. My doc gave me a prescription for Nasacort AQ. No rebound, but I believe it's a steroid?
L o R i
-
SnoreNoMore2005
- Posts: 228
- Joined: Thu Jul 07, 2005 12:58 pm
I've tried Nasacort and Flonase, both are Rx drugs. Neither seems to help much or for for very long. Even the regular Benadryl (Diphenhydramine) is only good for four hours. I did use Clariten-D 12 which is good for 12 hrs last night. I felt better and it worked better although there is no drowsy effect and I don't see Clariten as a long term solution.
My ENT has told me I have narrow nasal passages and a spur in one of my nostrils.
No, I don't want to undergo any type of nasal surgery. I'd start wearing a FF mask and relearn to breath through my mouth first
SnoreNoMore2005
My ENT has told me I have narrow nasal passages and a spur in one of my nostrils.
No, I don't want to undergo any type of nasal surgery. I'd start wearing a FF mask and relearn to breath through my mouth first
SnoreNoMore2005
Sorry about the lost in translation post from before. I have done quite a bit of studying on my own on OTC products.
I too was addicted to Afrin for over 3 years. I now have an appointment with my ENT to have my turbinates reduced with RF therapy, also my deviated septum repaired(a few broken noses in my earlier life)
Here is what I use with much success:
NasalRinse and the Netti pot that you can buy at Walgreens works wonders. I don't use the Netti pot instead I use a Turkey baster...That's right a Turkey baster to rinse my nasal cavity before bed. I add a 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to the Nasal rinse packet and about 6 ounces of luke warm water. You tilt your head to the side while breathing through your mouth and completely rinse your nasal cavity on both sides. Blow your nose and then use the AYR saline nasal spray. I top it off EVERY NIGHT with the BreathRight nasal strips these things are a godsend and keep your airway open through the night.
Hopefully when I get done with my ENT I wont need to do this. For now this is the only thing that works for me and it is completely safe.
Hope this helps
I too was addicted to Afrin for over 3 years. I now have an appointment with my ENT to have my turbinates reduced with RF therapy, also my deviated septum repaired(a few broken noses in my earlier life)
Here is what I use with much success:
NasalRinse and the Netti pot that you can buy at Walgreens works wonders. I don't use the Netti pot instead I use a Turkey baster...That's right a Turkey baster to rinse my nasal cavity before bed. I add a 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to the Nasal rinse packet and about 6 ounces of luke warm water. You tilt your head to the side while breathing through your mouth and completely rinse your nasal cavity on both sides. Blow your nose and then use the AYR saline nasal spray. I top it off EVERY NIGHT with the BreathRight nasal strips these things are a godsend and keep your airway open through the night.
Hopefully when I get done with my ENT I wont need to do this. For now this is the only thing that works for me and it is completely safe.
Hope this helps
-
Sleepless on LI
- Posts: 3997
- Joined: Mon May 30, 2005 6:46 pm
- Location: Long Island, New York
SLPYHED,
Is that whole procedure to get you off the Afrin? Sounds horrendous. Sorry you have to go through that. My dad's rehab was much easier and it worked very well. If I remember right, they just put him on some natural type of nose spray, may have been the AYR saline spray, and weaned him off the Afrin. Just the thought of doing what you're doing makes me shudder. Good luck to you!
Is that whole procedure to get you off the Afrin? Sounds horrendous. Sorry you have to go through that. My dad's rehab was much easier and it worked very well. If I remember right, they just put him on some natural type of nose spray, may have been the AYR saline spray, and weaned him off the Afrin. Just the thought of doing what you're doing makes me shudder. Good luck to you!
L o R i
I am a long-time sufferer of sinusitis and sinus infections.
It has taken years to find the right treatment (and a few surgeries, which worked somewhat), but here is what works for me (and has allowed me to throw away the Afrin):
NasacortAO + Astelin (a spray anti-histamine) + daily saline rinse (I use a waterpick with a nasal attachment I got on the web).
It was the Astelin that tipped the scales.
Good luck!
It has taken years to find the right treatment (and a few surgeries, which worked somewhat), but here is what works for me (and has allowed me to throw away the Afrin):
NasacortAO + Astelin (a spray anti-histamine) + daily saline rinse (I use a waterpick with a nasal attachment I got on the web).
It was the Astelin that tipped the scales.
Good luck!
"First rule of holes: when you are in one, stop digging"
-
rock and roll
- Posts: 1222
- Joined: Mon Nov 01, 2004 7:30 pm
- Location: Texas
Afrin and other 12 hour nasal sprays are addicting. But the cure for it is realtivley harmless. They put you on Prednisone for a week or so and the inflamation goes down. I would not recommend it for a long time use, but you won't get addicted in a short term usage. It takes long term usage. I find that using saline nasal spray helps. But during those times of year that my allkergies flare, I use the 12 hour sprays. No sleep is worse than being addictied to nasal spray.
I've been using this...
http://www.sinucleanse.com/
Actually works pretty good, its safe and can be used as needed. Not as easy as a spray though.
The rhinocort I was using only works for a while, the more you use it the less it seems to work.
http://www.sinucleanse.com/
Actually works pretty good, its safe and can be used as needed. Not as easy as a spray though.
The rhinocort I was using only works for a while, the more you use it the less it seems to work.
-
stryker5777
sinus problems
Yes I can say that I've also been helped by sinucleanse and sinus rinsing. Even now I have a cold and the nasal rinsing has helped.
However, Don't under any circumstances use the prepared name brand or generic equivalent saline sprays and such. These typically come in squeeze bottles and have preservatives and other chemicals that will burn and sting your sinuses for hours!!! Never use these products for sinus rinsing or even causal use!
I tried one of these such products and it hurt for hours and hours. Sinucleanse or self prepared saline solutions (salt and distilled water) work great.
However, Don't under any circumstances use the prepared name brand or generic equivalent saline sprays and such. These typically come in squeeze bottles and have preservatives and other chemicals that will burn and sting your sinuses for hours!!! Never use these products for sinus rinsing or even causal use!
I tried one of these such products and it hurt for hours and hours. Sinucleanse or self prepared saline solutions (salt and distilled water) work great.
-
wading thru the muck!
- Posts: 2799
- Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2004 11:42 am
-
Sergeant Bob
- Posts: 50
- Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2005 2:37 pm
I used Afrin for years, then I just decided to quit using it and did. I guess I was lucky in that I had no real problems getting off of it.rock and roll wrote:Afrin and other 12 hour nasal sprays are addicting. But the cure for it is realtivley harmless. They put you on Prednisone for a week or so and the inflamation goes down. I would not recommend it for a long time use, but you won't get addicted in a short term usage. It takes long term usage. I find that using saline nasal spray helps. But during those times of year that my allkergies flare, I use the 12 hour sprays. No sleep is worse than being addictied to nasal spray.
As for using Prednisone, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone unless it was life or death (although for just a week at low dosage might not be so bad). I was on it for 3 months and it really messes you up (although it did save my life). It has some really bad side effects. I don't know if you'd experience them in short term usage.
Re: nasal spray
I use Rhinocort Aqua. I don't know if it is fundamentally the same as Nasacort AQ or not, but I'll report on my own experiences. The answer is yes, if you use it properly.Sleepless on LI wrote:Does the Nasacort AQ actually work, though?
Actually I find that Rhinocort Aqua can give me much more than 12 hours of relief. The problem is that it can give many days of relief, and they you are tempted to stop using it and the problem comes back. When you do use it it doesn't work right away. It can take up to 10 hours to start working, and then the effects are cumulative over consecutive days of use.I have trouble finding something that can really give me 12 hours of relief,
Rhinocort Aqua (and I assume Nasacort AQ) are preventatives and not for immediate relief. Used that way they work great. But if you find that you are stuffy at 10PM then it is too late.
The CPAPer formerly known as WAFlowers