overuse of decongestant nasal sprays - what else can I use?

[olivo]

For most of my adult life, I have relied on decongestant nasal sprays like sinex to get me through cold. I am aware that they can cause rebound congestion so try hard to only sue them when I really need it. For the past about 6 weeks, however, I have had seemingly one sinus infection after another, following a cold at the start of Novemeber. i have tried not to use the decongestant too much but have now been using for well over the recommended week. I did try to get a Drs appt before Christmas, as I really think my sinuses need sorting, i've had a lot of pain, headaches, and yellow snot, but I couldnt get one.

I have tried using saline sprays and steaming, but nothing else helps in the middle of the night when I cant breathe to sleep.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Please!

Here's the tip I read - works for me! To be used once you've developed rebound/dependency:

Use your Sinex or whatever in ONE nostril. Choose the most blocked one. Leave the other one alone - not perfect, but not awful either. If it helps, take some Piriton or other antihisamine which dries up secretions a little and will help you sleep (I take a 12 yr old's dose of Medised, same as I do when I have a bad cold - prefer it to Night Nurse etc ). Repeat on second night. When the un-sinexed nostril is consistently clear, which may take a few nights, stop the one-sided spraying. It honestly made stopping the stuff less scary and barely more than uncomfortable, for me.

On different note, if you find your nose is easily congested/constricted at night (which I do at this time of year), you can try the snoreeze strips - they are surprisingly good at keeping nasal passages open. dh uses them - they do'nt stop him snoring, sadly, but he says he sleeps better when a bit coldy.

Good luck

thanks, I will try this. I have taken an antihistamine tonight, and started again on the steroid nasal spray. I sleep on one side only so will keep this side clear with the decongestant and see how i go. I find it is the one nearest the pillow that is permanently blocked so tend to concentrate on the other!

will look for those strips tomorrow in town. it does help me breathe if I kind of pull my nostril out, so it sounds as though they might do the trick.
thanks for your help.

Sterimar I'm absolutely smitten with this stuff. It's just saline and you stick it up your nose and it blows all the snot away. Chemists sell it - honestly, I produced so much green goo I looked like I'd slimed the sink!

I've got it , but find it rubbish!! it all just dribbles out and that's that!!

It's meant to - you have to use it every few hours and then blow your nose. Are you shaking it vigourously, putting it up your snozz (right up) and then pressing for a full three seconds and then blowing your nose?

I think you should see if the doc will give you a thorough check. I was constantly getting sinus infections and after a scan, it turned out that one of my nasal tubes from my sinus had almost closed up. I had a small operation to widen the tube, and (touch wood) have had no problems since (4 years ago). Like you, I relied on nasal sprays, sinutab tablets and steam (only the sinutab ever worked well). Hope you find some relief as it's so horrible to have sinus pain.

maybe i havent been using the sterimar correctly - i have been squirting it right up, for several seconds, till it comes back out, then giving it a couple of minutes and blowing, but with no success. Am i meant to wait till iv'e done it a few times till i can breathe clearly?(ie, several hours?)
the ting about the decongestant is that i can use it in the night, get relief and go back to sleep.

Go, that's interesting, i will push for an appt after new year. they usually fob me off with antihistamines and a steroid spray, but i havent been able t obreathe through one side properly for well over a year. will try and see someone else, maybe.

Not a few minutes. I wait about a second and then blow. After a few minutes, it's dribbled out and you have no momentum with the snot IYSWIM. I often do it once, then do it again so I get all the stuff out.

ok, will have another go. i want to slime the sink too

LOL at 'momentum'

Blow and see if you can make your ears pop!

No problem with the blowing - I used to have to use a tube with a baloon on the end, to blow up with one nostril to get rid of glue ear!! i'm the queen of trumpeting!

will try tonight once the sinex has worn off!

I would go back to the gp and say something like "This is affecting my quality of life, I wonder if there are any other options for me to try?" IME gps do not always add up repeated bouts of the same thing and realise there might be a bigger problem.
It sounds to me like you need to find a better way to control these symptoms.

YOu're right, schroeder. My whole nose has not been right since I broke it, but there was no follow up, possible because I moved countries twice not long after it.
Im ust be more assertive at the drs - i tend to have a bit of white coat syndrome!

ifthe inside of your nose is inflamed you might need a beconase inhaler to reduce the swelling and that blocked feeling.

I was told to use ibuprofen as it is an anti-inflammatory.

This is the time of year that my cold usually turns into a sinus infection. I think I have spent the last two new years on anti-biotics that has prevented me having any alcohol.

Hope you feel better soon

thanks everyone. I have made it to evening with out using the sinex; still no luck with the sterimar, but i have got an olbas stick thing that you shove up your nose, and have started using antihistamnes and my flixonase spray so may only need it once on one side to get to sleep.

have also bought some breathing strip things, as DH said my snoring is probably what is waking DD2!!

i have the same problem...snore like mad too. otrivine does work really well for me too but i darent use it for too long. doc has give me nasonex because beconase didnt help much. do you have a post nasal drip too. my snoring would wake the dead.

Sinurinse works a treat for me, the infected snot just gushes out like a waterfall - disgusting I know but the relief is well worth it. I also had no luck with the Sterimar.

I had chronic sinus pain and was using decongestants too much.

The doctor prescribed beconase nasal spray and it's been fantastic. I've been pain free and not bunged up for several weeks now.

36 hours with no sinex now, a record! the breathe easy strips really helped too, although DD1 was a bit fraeked out in the night when I had to get up to her!!
yes, I do get post nasal drip too, persistant low level sore throat,etc. i used to love Otrivine but they dont seem to make the menthol one anymore. Beconase didnt work for me, flixonase better but not hugely successful.

I will be checking out the other things mentioned, thanks!

if you have a post nasal drip it normally a sign that all the mucus membranes are inflamed so a steroid spray may well sort it out.

I had this for well over 2 years, lost my sense of smell in the end from repeated steroid spray overuse. I got a referral to an ENT surgeon who found large polyps and had a nasal polypectomy to remove them. Have been free of symptoms ever since.