Wellness

[Reba055]

i have allergies and take meds for my spinal issues. I stay allergied out and half sick. I've seen several allergist who have basically thrown in the towel. I tried to tell them that the steroid sprays just make me get sicker in the long run but they argue that it's not systemic. Yeah, ok. Well I caved day before yesterday and used Flonase. Big mistake. Yesterday I was already starting to get a sore in the roof of my mouth. And I've noticed the Neti pot seems to cause me to cough (maybe because of the dripping down my throat and acid reflux). It dries me out, upsets my stomach. 

Im going back to the old fashioned OTC cold and allergy meds. It's 10 am and I'm feeling worse than when I got up after the Neti pot.  Grrrr. Anyone else??

[pjoy]

I'm so with you on the steroid sprays! I quit mine after about 8 years and don't have half the problems I had while taking them.

[Snowpuppy]

One thing I did to help my sinuses was to make sure my mouth/teeth were in the best shape possible. Try a water pik or other device. I get a lot of plaque build up and this helps. Dentists say it's just something some of us have more than others.

I also have worse sinuses at night if I have too much dairy or sugar during the day. I get far more stuffy when I indulge in too many sweets.

I gave up the steroid sprays, too. Some Vicks nasal spray works just as well with no script. I use it sparingly.

Read about the rebound effect when you get off steroids. Your body can sometimes respond with a vengence.

[Reba055]

Thanks. @Snowpuppy Luckily I've been off of the steroid spray used everyday for quite some time now. I used it periodically although my last allergist basically called me a liar and said Flonase doesn't work that way. It takes awhile. Well it might to reach full effect, but I can use it and it will almost immediately give me some relief from severe congestion. I know they don't want you to use a decongestant spray, but I'm going back to that too, just not everyday. 

Im getting pretty miserable. Will probably have to take an antibiotic. This all started from me using Flonase for several days a few weeks ago and then everything went to my chest. I've been fighting it ever since. I really think the Flonase made it worse. And I had forgotten that once before I had come to the conclusion that the Neti pot used regularly only added to my misery, lol. 

Thanks for your input. 

[straykatz]

I prefer Simply Saline spayversus the neti pot.   I also use a humidifier in my bedroom at night.   Also bath or shower before bedtime so I am not going to bed with pollens and stuff on my body that I picked up throughout the day....and I drink lots of water....on days I don't drink a ton of water I can tell because my sinuses start drying and clogging.  Now....if I could part with my kitties that would be the one remaining element that is still contributing to my sinus issues and allergies but I simply can't part with them.  

[violann]

I SO share your PAIN.

Mine have been awful, even w Allegra, Benadryl, AND nasal spray.

Looking forward to FROST.

[onlyshopsonline]

I agree about stopping the steriod nasal sprays.  I developed horrible seasonal allergies in my 30's, and was told to try the sprays.  Cortisone and similar products can thin your skin, and I blame the use of those sprays for the chronic nose bleeds I now have.

In fact, now they tell you to tilt the bottle so the spray goes against the outer side of the nose, rather than the inner side where there are many more blood vessels.

[PINKdogWOOD]

@Reba055  You may want to try an OTC saline spray.  I was hooked on sinex nasal spray for a very long time due to allergies, stuffed up nose.  I cold turkey stopped a few years ago and I must say one of the best things I ever did.  Only every once in a great while do I feel I need to clear out the passages and use only a saline spray that my sister told me about.

See if this could work for you.

[ChynnaBlue]

Are you getting allergy shots? They're not a short term solution and require commitment, especially in the first few months, but they are effective and the results last for years. I've been on and off them since age 3 or 4 and they've always made a huge difference.

Have you seen an ENT (Ear. Nose, and Throat specialist) for testing to see if you need surgery to help with sinus issues? Maybe the sprays aren't helping because your worst symptoms aren't actually caused by the allergies. My coworker had sinus issues and snoring that were eliminated  with a surgery.

[Reba055]

@ChynnaBlue I had allergy shots in my 20's. A few years ago I asked about getting them again as I understand they wear off. My allergist said she didn't think it would help that much. I let it go because I too was thinking it was more from medication or possibly something else. In retrospect I wish I had done it to at least eliminate some of my problems and with my insurance at the time they would have cost me $5. 

I did see an ENT then but of course by the time I got an appointment and got in, I was cleared up because they had me on an oral steroid and antibiotic. I didn't have polyps or anything. 

I have a ton of other issues I won't bore you with. I've had multiple doctors who suspect an autoimmune problem but my bloodwork doesn't reflect that (although it doesn't always anyway) but they are not in the specialty to treat it. Those who are want my bloodwork to indicate it. I'm still having various testing done. Bouncing from one to another. It's getting pretty frustrating.  I just have to try and manage it for now. I react weird to medications.  They have discovered some things along the way that could be contributing to it, but it seems they are kinda reaching at this point to figure it out. 

I really appreciate the suggestions. I've tried just about everything at this point.