Sinus irrigation bottle - do you know about it?

[Carol]

I wonder if Wegener people know about the sinus irrigation system for their sinuses. I know it sounds yukky BUT it may help you. There is is special bottle which is very squeezable plastic with a tube that goes to the bottom of the bottle to bring the liquid up to the top. So you put a sachet of a salt powder(works out about 30 cents each) in the bottle with body temperature water and leaning over a sink squeeze the liquid up through your sinus. It feels strange at first(I'm a person who hates having their head under water when I'm swimming) but you do get used to it. I sniff it back up to increase the exposure to the nasal cavities. The most difficult part is getting the water temperature right as you need to use boiled water. So I have experimented and I boil the kettle and fill to a certain mark on the bottle and I keep boiled water in a glass bottle in the fridge and then top this up to a certain line on the squeeze bottle. It's always the right temp then. Fess and Neilmed are the 2 brands I know of. I've just ordered more satchets over the internet. The initial kit costs about $17 which includes about 40 sachets. The Eye and Ear Hospital doctor recommended this to me.

[Jack]

I used this method for a long time with great results. It is an ancient yoga practice called Neti and is more usually performed using a Neti Pot. However, I used to use a 50 cc syringe with my own mixture of table salt and sodium bicarbonate. Takes a little getting used to, but clears everything without blowing hard and causing more inflamation.

[andrew]

Hi Carol...
Although I have sinus involvement, I've never tried it. You've made me think more about it though and I might give it a try. Thanks for the tip!

[Rodger]

Forgive me if duplicate posts show up. I was interrupted will writing an earlier one.

I use the NeilMed version 3 times a day in each nostril. Although I use my own cocktail rather than the packets (although I use those for travel). My cocktail is 1/4 tsp backing soda, 1/4 tsp pickling salt (no preservative or iodine--similar to kosher), and 8oz of warm water. My ENT has okayed tap water in my area, and most areas that are not from well water. So far no infections.

I've also used the hotel room microwave for about 15 seconds when I was a little uncertain about where I was.

The Neti pot just did not get the gunk out--not enough pressure after the sinus remodeling the WG did. My ENT uses me as an example for her medical students and always says "See, it looks as if we did sinus surgery in there."

One ENT says there is no need to rinse as often, but it doesn't do any harm and does help.

Try it!

[RCOSSIO]

...after the rinse it is recommended to use a saline gel to keep the nostril and sinuses moist!!!

[Rodger]

Yes, to the moisturizer! I forgot to mention that my ENT recommended Ponaris which is more of an oil than a gel that was developed to protect the first astronauts' sinuses from drying out in space. It's applied with a dropper. It runs me about $13 for about 4 weeks supply. No prescription needed but the pharmacists usually needs to order it or know that you will be a regular buyer.

[Auntie TooToo]

Yes ... wouldn't want to live with all this sinus involvement [including deviated septum/crusty build-up] without my Neli-Med! My ENT put me in line with this wonderful invention not long after diagnosing my deviated septum. This irritation process along with an extremely long hot shower is exactly what the doctor ordered and brings such wonderful breathing results! It's amazing how such two simple things can open up your sinuses so easily .... Very inexpensive, but I would pay more if had to just to be able to use it daily.

[annekat]

Yes ... wouldn't want to live with all this sinus involvement [including deviated septum/crusty build-up] without my Neli-Med! My ENT put me in line with this wonderful invention not long after diagnosing my deviated septum. This irritation process along with an extremely long hot shower is exactly what the doctor ordered and brings such wonderful breathing results! It's amazing how such two simple things can open up your sinuses so easily .... Very inexpensive, but I would pay more if had to just to be able to use it daily.

I might add to the idea of the hot shower, which is a good one. I've mentioned this several times and have gotten no takers. But a relaxing steam treatment with a bowl of hot, boiled water and some herbs is very good for opening up the passages and loosening up the chunks prior to the saline rinse. Just make sure it isn't TOO hot, don't want to scald your delicate tissues, and put a towel over your head to contain the steam and keep it warm longer. People have also mentioned the Vick's personal steam device, and I have one of those, but find the bowl and towel method to be much more satisfactory. I take the Vick's with me for places the bowl won't be convenient. I usually add peppermint to my bowl, but eucalyptus or other herbs would be good, too. Don't use plain water, it is harsh.... if you have no herbs, add salt to it.

[pberggren1]

So, let's see here......hmm.......lol

Nikki: Try rinsing with about 6 or more bottles full of the Neil-Med thing. When I do it I use at least 8, usually 10. So in the beginning you might have to use at least 10 then to loosen up the bad crusties in the far back. Blow your nose in between of each bottle fill, but not too harshly. You have to be patient with the crusties. And even after 15 bottles full at one time you will prob still have bleeding. I always have bleeding, it never ends.

Anne: I am just a frowner.......lol

And isotonic, like what the Neil-Med packets are, is the best way to go. I experimented lots back in 2003 just before I got the Neil-Med and Waterpik. I did all the leg work.....lol. So please trust me when I say isotonic is the way to go. When mixing your own you have to have pure water like RO or distilled. Boiled water from the tap is a BIG NO-NO!!!! Then you also have to use pure salt with no additives like sea salt or coarse salt. Look on the package closely to make sure there is nothing added. And of course baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). It is best to use a bit more of that to make sure you have an isotonic solution that will not irritate the nose. I use 2 heaping quarter tea spoons of salt and 3 to 4 times that much of baking soda to one liter of water. If you have major crusties or are doing this for the first time then one might have to only use about twice as much baking soda as salt.

I hope that makes it a bit more clear to understand.

[annekat]

Oh, wow, here I thought I was going to get yelled at for doing the NeilMed rinse several times in a row! Now I feel exonerated. I don't usually do it that many times, but frequently do it twice. If I feel there is a lot in there or something really big that is stuck, I may do it 5 or 6 times or whatever it takes. I'm not leaving that thing in there! I have often wished that they made a bigger version of the NeilMed bottle. So yes, Nikki, I'd say follow Uncle Phil's instructions and do the rinse a bunch of times at once and see what happens. You can always back off if you feel it is causing too much irritation or whatever. I know the rinse sounds yucky to people at first, but I have come to really like it and feel comforted by it. Of course, use warmish water, not hot, and you will know if it is too warm and then can add a little cold to the bottle to cool it down.