Netipot Failure (Ed: actually NeilMed Sinus Spray Rinse)

[plr66]

I have had no history of sinus congestion in my lifetime, except during occasional colds. Since using cpap, I have had mild but annoying nasal stuffiness during the days & evenings, regardless of whether I use passive humidifier, or low level HH. Seems to make no difference. I have been trying the NeilMed Sinus Rinse over the past few months, and have found absolutely no benefit from this. I'm curious & disappointed about it, since so many here report positive results. Yes I have carefully followed the instructions. Any thoughts?

[Ms Piggy]

I have the same problem. I can go for a few, or even several nights with passover only and then my nose will start to block.
I find that if I use heat it is better, but then I get rain out - the dial on my humidifier has never worked properly, it only starts working over 2 on the dial! I didn't use, or need, it for the first 2 yrs approx., but after that it became necessary at times.
the only thing I find helps is to flush my nose with saline netipot type of thing, and or squirt it liberally before bedtime with a puffer of saline mix. If it blocks during the night, or usually early a.m., I use the saline puffer thing plus a Vics inhaler. If you find anything better let me know.

[OCNorsk]

I don't know what the NeilMed Sinus Rinse is, but does it actually have a neti pot with it? For years before I had a neti pot I used to "snort" saline which some say is not a good idea, but it does get the stuff in farther.

My nose has been basically blocked on one side or the other or both for... ever.
When I can't make anything else work, I use Afrin...which is totally addictive so you have to be prudent. If you use it too much your own systems stop working correctly.
But as a last resort I can open my nose with a little squirt. I buy the drug store brand and it's fine.

[mightynuke]

I also have some breathing blockage, mostly in the dry winter months. I am a long time CPAP user. To open my sinuses I use several aids depending on how badly I'm stuffed up and/or on the convenience of the method. 1. The most effective (strongest) is Afrin, which I hardly every use because of the rebound effect -- but it is there to use (for a desperate case) and it is convenient. 2) A much safer, non-addictive remedy is ALKALOL, an over-the-counter soothing nasal wash, mucus solvent and cleaner. This is behind the pharmacy counter, just ask your pharmacist for it, but it is non-prescription. It comes in a brown, plactic bottle, 1 pint size, cost is only about $5 and it lasts me a long time. Ask for a nose dropper with it (free). You fill the nose dropper with about 20 ml per nostril (squeeze the bulb on one end to draw the liquid into the stem), turn your head to one side and dispense the liquid into the nostril (about 1/2 of nose dropper or up to a full 20 ml) into your nostril. Repeat for the other side. The mixture can be diluted with water if it is too strong for you but try it full strength first. I use it full strength. This is like a netipot treatment only stronger. It works great and it is not addictive and it is easy and convenient to use in the way that I've described. 3) Costco has an aerosol can with a plastic dispenser on one end - containing a saline solution. This is easy to use and effective. It is not quite as strong as Alkalol, but it works. Sometimes you may have to wait a few minutes and then try it again. This is very convenient to use in the middle of the night. 4) Netipot using saline solution with only barely luke-warm water. I like the netipot and feel it is effective. For one thing, I flush more fluid through the nasal passages with this method than with the other methods. But it is a bit inconvenient, especially in the middle of the night or if I'm on travel. Bottom Line -- My favorite remedy is Alkalol. I take a small bottle of Alkalol with me when I travel and a nose dropper. (I transfer it into a small bottle from the larger bottle). I'd be very interested to know if anyone else has tried Alkalol and please report your results back to me. Thanks. Mighhtynuke, Albuquerque, NM.

[plr66]

Thanks so much for such a concise and detailed description of alternatives, Mightnuke. Since this mild stuffiness has never been a problem for me until cpap, I'm just unfamiliar with appropriate remedies. I would not even consider Afrin or similar, as I am not struggling to breathe through my nose, and I am well aware of the dangers. OCNorsk, I've actually been using the NeilMed squeeze bottle, and not the traditional neti pot--but using the same pre-packaged saline doses. I just end up with the same level of stuffiness, even after the nose-blowing routine--and I have been careful not to be too forceful about that part of the process. I may try the Alkalol, but would like a little more info about it. (Why is it kept behind the counter??). And does anyone know the name of the aerosol item from Costco and whether available elsewhere? Thanks again.

[tattooyu]

plr66,

While issues other than simple sinus congestion could certainly be attributed to your stuffiness, I would keep trying the neti pot. It took me about a week or two before I saw consistent results. Here are some tips that helped me greatly:

1. Make sure the water is the correct temperature for you; somewhere just above your own body temp. When I finally realized this, for me it needed to be warmer, it made a huge improvement.
2. If the salinity doesn't match your nasal passages, that can cause irritation, thus swelling and more congestion. The general rule is 1/4 tsp. salt to 8 oz. of water. For me that wasn't enough salt and caused irritation, burning and MORE stuffiness/congestion. I used more of a heaping 1/4 tsp. and that is perfect for me. For you, you might need less salt.
3. DRY YOUR SINUSES WELL! Bend over the sink and carefully but forcefully (using your abdominal muscles) blow the air out of both nostrils. Also, you can try bending forward at the waist so the top of your head is above the floor. Blow out your nose a few times. In the instructions for my neti pot, the bending is not recommended if you have high blood pressure.

[ww]

I don't know what the NeilMed Sinus Rinse is, but does it actually have a neti pot with it? For years before I had a neti pot I used to "snort" saline which some say is not a good idea, but it does get the stuff in farther.

My nose has been basically blocked on one side or the other or both for... ever.
When I can't make anything else work, I use Afrin...which is totally addictive so you have to be prudent. If you use it too much your own systems stop working correctly.
But as a last resort I can open my nose with a little squirt. I buy the drug store brand and it's fine.

With a very similar problem, it took several weeks of misery to finally and completely get over the Afrin addiction and will never use it again. There is a squeeze version of the Netti-pot that actually works much better for me (and I have both). Good luck.

[jnk]

". . . There is a squeeze version of the Netti-pot that actually works much better for me . . ."

I think that is a VERY important point. The squeeze-bottle is generally considered more effective. The regular neti pot is only best for those who cannot tolerate any pressure at all when doing the rinse. Other than that, the squeeze bottle is the better delivery method. This is stressed in the Neilmed literature, as in the following quotes, but the principle would apply for all brands of squeeze bottles as opposed to gravity-only systems.

From the Neilmed site, which this board isn't letting me link to right now for some reason:

"The . . . easy-squeeze bottle system . . . allows the user to deliver the solution with sufficient pressure to thoroughly clean the nasal passages . . . Positive-pressure saline nasal irrigation systems provide the greatest relief to patients with nasal allergy and sinus disease."

As for systems with no squeeze bottle:

"Neti Pots operate on the principle of gravity. Tilting your head and simultaneously raising the Neti Pot device allows the solution
to flow through the nasal passages due to the effect of gravity. They are suitable for patients who cannot tolerate even the smallest
amount of pressure in the nasal passages. . . . The biggest limitation of all Neti Pots is that gravity alone cannot create sufficient pressure to wash away all the undesirable mucus and nasal irritants. While it may seem to provide some immediate symptomatic relief, long term relief is unlikely because most of the mucus and associated pathogens remain in place."

Color added by me.

[mightynuke]

PLR66 - in answer to your question about Alkalol. (from the bottle label) It was formulated in 1896 by Jame P. Whitters, a pharmacist in Taunton, MA... Whitters family continues to provide this "finest" nasal wash and mucus solvent available. Ingredients: Purified water (USP); Menthol: Eucalyptol; Thymol; Camphor; Benzoin; Oils of Wintergreen, Spearmint, Pine, and Cinnamon; Potassium Alum; Potassium Chlorate; Sodium Biacarbonate; Sodium Chloride; Alcohol (2/100 of 1%); caramel color. I don't know why it is kept behind the counter, except maybe because it is not a real big seller?? It is not a prescription item. Anyway, I apply to each nostril with a nose dropper (with a squeeze bulb on one end). My squeeze bulb stem takes about 2.5 - 3 ml (about 1/2 teaspoon) - there are larger nose droppers available but I find this is plenty for one nostril at time. Sometimes, if I'm really stuffed up, I'll wait a minute or two after blowing my nose and do a 2nd application. This stuff works. Let me know if you try it.

[SaltLakeJan]

Hi, As if Sleep Apnea isn't enough to deal with, you can't get your nose to clear. Anyway, I started with the NeilMed Sinus Rinse bottle. It helped a bit, but since I have Chronic Sinus and have had 5 sinus surgeries - which I think made the nasal tissue more sensitive and compounded the problem, I bought the Grossan Nasal Irrigator. It is similar to a water pic and sends jets of saline water into your nares. It was around a $100.00, and I found it on the Internet. I had personal recommendations from people who had been helped by this system. I really did not want to spend the money, but after starting Cpap, my sinuses became worse.I still use the Neil Med sinus saline packets in it.

I use it morning and evening, and if I get busy and miss it a couple of days,my nares closes over. I am sorry your system isn't working for you. When I first started using the Positive Pressure Nasal Irrigation system, it felt like I was Waterboarding my self, but it has helped me. My Dr also told me to use distilled water rather than tap water. I don't know about your tap water, but I looked up our local water system, and in addition to the chlorine, there are pages of additives.

Do think about trying Distilled Water.

The Costco Product that I use occasional is called "Nasal Pump, 12 Hour No Drip, for severe congestion. The best to you.
Jan

[plr66]

I just realized that I was using "Netipot" in my subject line as a sort of generic term for sinus irrigation or sprays....sorry, as that was clearly misleading despite my stating that I have been using the spray bottle with the pre-packaged salt. I have no idea about this stuff, as I said.

I really appreciate the many great suggestions here. I have been using the spray bottle daily or 2X daily for most of 2 months. Tattooyu, I have only used distilled warmed water, but have not tried altering the temp or altering the amount of salt used, and I shall mess with those two factors a bit. I have always followed all the other instructions explicitly. Mightynuke, I did check with a pharmacist yesterday and was told that Alkalol is requested about once a year, so they only special-order it. For some reason, the components you have kindly listed for that product make me a little uneasy, but I've just not had to use nasal sprays or similar in the past, so am unfamiliar about what's okay. And SaltLake Jan, I am afraid that the pressure jet that you use would blow out my ears, as I need to be careful not to do that with just the spray bottle. Thanks for everyone's time in posting their experience here, both for me and for others!