Going cold turkey

[Venturous Randy]

Nope, not tobacco or booze, but nasal spray.

For the last three years I have had some spring allergies. Part of fighting it was me using nasal spray and this year it got me. I now have gone thru Afrin and it is no longer effective and then another one and I am now at the point of not being able to breath thru my nose at all. I had been told I need to be careful, but it was just so easy to take a snort and almost instantly, I could breath. After doing a little research, I am learning that the more you use it, the more IT causes what you are trying to help.

So, for the next week or so, no more nasal spray, other than maybe some saline nose spray. So, in about a week or so I should be feeling better. I am already at the point of dreading trying to go to sleep, so this should not be much worse.

Randy

[Flyinfool]

Good Luck!

[Freebird]

What you read is true. I used to use way too much of it. I haven't used it in many years now.

[SilvrT]

I've been using Otrivin for appx 35 years. I've tried others ... either they didn't work or they worked too much and gave me nose bleeds. I started because since I was in my teens I started having problems breathing through my nose. Seen a couple doctors about it in my late 20's and early 30's and they said there was nothing wrong ... that I just had a cold. B/S! Then I heard about Otrivin and tried it ... almost instantly I could breathe and I then learned how to walk around without my mouth open LOL. Research will tell you all kinds of negatives. But there is positives. I live in a high humidity, high allergens climate and Otrivin is the only thing that helps me breathe. After 35 years of using it, I use less of it now than I did 10 years ago. I might snort it 3 - 5 times in a day compared to as much as twice that back then. After that length of time I really don't care what the research negatives tell ya ... it works for me and I don't intend on stopping using it. I tried a few times and I just went back to not being able to breathe properly. I snort it once when I wake up (if I'm plugged up which isn't all the time) and once before I go to bed and maybe 1 or 3 times during the day depending on need.

 

Use it or not ... it's a personal choice and this is not advice to anyone, just my experience.

[bongobobny]

Yup! I've known about THAT for years, so I use it very sparingly, pretty much before bedtime when I am suffering from a cold just to sleep. During the day when sick I become a mouth breather...

 

Good Luck Randy!!

[SilvrT]

On another interesting note, my wife has had breathing problems most of her life. She was always under the impression it was from allergies. She tried my Otrivin and that did help her but not enough. Her problem affected not just her breathing but also her ability to speak in that she would often have to clear her throat before speaking and she would get terrible sneezing attacks. She went to a doctor and had all kinds of allergy and other tests done and discovered it was all caused by some form of acid reflux. She got some meds for that and it's almost cleared up. She rarely has the sneezing attacks, seldom has to clear her throat, can breath much better .... hhmmmmmmm now I just wonder ... could this also be my problem??? Maybe I'll try some of her meds (without her knowing coz she's a real stickler about such things)

[videoarizona]

Randy, I'm on fluticasone. Spray it twice daily. No long term issues. Only problem with it is if you do get off for a while, it takes a while for it to be effective again. The normal OTC stuff is more powerful but not for long term use. This stuff is...supposedly!

 

Good luck with the nose.

david

[cowpuc]

Randy, I'm on fluticasone. Spray it twice daily. No long term issues. Only problem with it is if you do get off for a while, it takes a while for it to be effective again. The normal OTC stuff is more powerful but not for long term use. This stuff is...supposedly!

 

Good luck with the nose.

david

 

WOWZY,, we sure are a nosy bunch of lop eared varmints ... David,, I have been on that Fluticasone since discovering the Meninga Seal leak.. Just got back from another CT Scan of my sinus cavity to double check that things are well in there.. We must be brothers of different mothers or something

 

Randy,, and all the rest,, I can SO relate to all this!! There is NOTHING like having to breath thru the mouth all the time - I still struggle with it... For me, one of the worst parts of having to be a mouth breather involves going to the dentist.... You varmints gotta know what I am talking about,,,,, having to close off the throat to keep instruments and drill grindings from going down your throat but then almost passing out cause you get no air.... Plus my eye's leak all the time and if I happen to get what ever is leaking from them into my eyes its instant blindness..

Wanna hear something really far out and crazy? Until I was 45 years old I had NEVER suffered from any form of allergic reaction.. I was a health wise.. Then one day when I was 45 years old I was out on my dirtbike riding some single track in the river bottom.. Rode thru a large field of reeds and weeds.. By the time I got out of there my eyes were on fire... I had a friend who suffered a lot of allergies and remembered him carrying antihistamine every where he went.. I stopped at a small grocery store that day, bought some cheap antihistamine pills - gobbled a few of them and within 20 minutes the burning/itching eyes cleared right up.. Knew right then and there that I was on my way to becoming part of the family responding to this thread...

 

Prayers Up for you Randy and for all others suffering with this stuff..

[garyw]

Nope, not tobacco or booze, but nasal spray.

For the last three years I have had some spring allergies. Part of fighting it was me using nasal spray and this year it got me. I now have gone thru Afrin and it is no longer effective and then another one and I am now at the point of not being able to breath thru my nose at all. I had been told I need to be careful, but it was just so easy to take a snort and almost instantly, I could breath. After doing a little research, I am learning that the more you use it, the more IT causes what you are trying to help.

So, for the next week or so, no more nasal spray, other than maybe some saline nose spray. So, in about a week or so I should be feeling better. I am already at the point of dreading trying to go to sleep, so this should not be much worse.

Randy

 

Having allergies to all grasses, trees, molds, dust mites and basically anything you breath in I know exactly what you are going through. There is no worse feeling than not being able to breath freely. I have had 2 major reconstructive sinus surgeries but because of the allergies I still have difficulty. Might I suggest "Flonase" instead of Afrin or Sinex. It is now available over the counter and it treats allergies without shrinking the sinus membranes like the others do. I still do use Sinex as sparingly as possible just to get by. Good luck to you and fight on, it is tougher than many realize.

[BlueSky]

When I was younger I never had allergies. Now that I'm an old fart, every spring when the pines start having sex and dropping the pollen, I get the sniffles and red eyes. I have been using Alleraide. My wife who is a homeopathic medicine expert bought the first at a local grocery store. Now, I have to buy it on line. It used to be made in the Netherlands but now it's made in Mexico but it still works. I highly recommend it.

 

Here is a link.

http://www.vitacost.com/boericke-tafel-allergiemittel-alleraide

[Venturous Randy]

Well, I am working thru my 3rd day and feeling a little better. I am being able to breath a little, but still almost need to sleep sitting up. I did talk to a pharmacist and he said taking Flonase would be ok as it is a steroid and not the same as the Afrin type nose sprays. We are hoping to go camping up on the Blue Ridge Parkway next week at about 5,000 feet up and I hope by then I will be doing good.

I am also getting ready to go back on my C-PAP, which I have not used in a long time and hope that helps my sleeping.

I really do appreciate the encouragement and hope this will help others in getting off nose sprays.

Randy

[videoarizona]

Hang in there, Randy! Getting your smeller back in shape so you can breathe again is a great feeling!

 

Yes... and get back on the Cpap. They even make units that are small enough to be battery powered all night for camping (if one really wants to pack a unit on a scoot). ResMed S9.

I got off the nasty nose stuff too, a few years ago and now on a milder prescription and back on Cpap as well. Now the Admiral got me a FitBit for Daddy's Day at it will read my sleep patterns for me.

 

Interesting technology these days...

 

Congrats on Day Three!

Edited June 26, 2016 by videoarizona
spelling

[Yammer Dan]

This getting old thing. I just ain't gonna do it!!! Cain't do this. Cain't do that. This don't work. NOPE ain't gonna do it!!! Good Luck Randy! That Afrin sure does work. For a while......

[bongobobny]

Randy, how CAN you sleep without your CPAP????? Man, I LOVE mine!! When I don't use it, I keep waking up feeling like I'm out of breath and dieing, because in reality that's exactly what IS happening! SLEEP apnea CAN KILL YOU!!!!!

 

It took me about a half a year to really get used to mine but now I literally can't live without it! I also notice I seem to be less congested using it, and also seem to have less colds. It took a while to find the right mask for me, and several visits to the clinic to come up with the right humidity and air settings. The type of machine, CPAP, VPAP, BiPAP makes a difference too! Now days the great thing is being 80% disabled, the VA picks up the tab on everything!

[Venturous Randy]

Years ago, before I lost about 60 pounds, I used the C-PAP routinely. The weird thing is there were times I could not wait to go to bed and put it on and then there were times I absolutely dreaded it. I really could tell it made a difference.

Now, after gaining those 60 pounds back, I probably need it more than ever. One of the problems I have now is I sleep on the couch as much or more than the bed. I also seldom go to sleep before 2 or 3 in the morning and still wake up about 6:30. Then, I will usually take a morning nap from about 10 to 12. What has got me into this cycle is Linda is absolutely not a morning person. She can easily sleep until noon or 1pm if we don't have plans going anywhere.

Retirement can be tough.

Randy

[cowpuc]

Well, I am working thru my 3rd day and feeling a little better. I am being able to breath a little, but still almost need to sleep sitting up. I did talk to a pharmacist and he said taking Flonase would be ok as it is a steroid and not the same as the Afrin type nose sprays. We are hoping to go camping up on the Blue Ridge Parkway next week at about 5,000 feet up and I hope by then I will be doing good.

I am also getting ready to go back on my C-PAP, which I have not used in a long time and hope that helps my sleeping.

I really do appreciate the encouragement and hope this will help others in getting off nose sprays.

Randy

 

Years ago, before I lost about 60 pounds, I used the C-PAP routinely. The weird thing is there were times I could not wait to go to bed and put it on and then there were times I absolutely dreaded it. I really could tell it made a difference.

Now, after gaining those 60 pounds back, I probably need it more than ever. One of the problems I have now is I sleep on the couch as much or more than the bed. I also seldom go to sleep before 2 or 3 in the morning and still wake up about 6:30. Then, I will usually take a morning nap from about 10 to 12. What has got me into this cycle is Linda is absolutely not a morning person. She can easily sleep until noon or 1pm if we don't have plans going anywhere.

Retirement can be tough.

Randy

You got my thoughts and Prayers Up Rand as you two prepare to head off for an adventure - hope you feel and do great on your camping trip up there!! That Parkway is BEAUTIFUL and AWESOME camping!! Sounds like fun!

Hope your health plans work out and the C-Pap is everything works out perfectly brother!

[BigLenny]

I also use a CPAP. However, the big thing the CPAP taught me to do is sleep with my mouth shut. Once I was able to do that, I started not using it all the time, and would do 2 things that allowed me to still sleep well and quietly: 1) I taught myself to sleep on my side. Sleeping on your side decreases the natural reaction for your mouth to come open once you fall asleep like it will do when you're on your back. 2) I started using Breathright strips. The strips keep my nostrils flared so I can breath better with my mouth closed. I do as many nights sleeping on my side with a breathright strip as I do on my back with the CPAP machine.

 

Just something I've learned.

[bj66]

I cant breathe through my nose hardly at all. Not so much allergies, but I fractured my nose twice in high school. Lets just say my nose leans a little to the left now and isn't quite centered.....Been putting up with it for over 30 years. But I do notice that I am starting to get some allergies as I get older. I do have a bottle of Nasocort and it seems to work. I have only used it a few times and it seems to work for me.