Sinus and nasal congestion | Arthritis Information

 

pyskadlo38787.3483564815

Bob; I'm on Humira and have notice more congestion than before Humira. I wish I had some advise for you; but I'll be following this thread closely to see if anyone can suggest something.

I do use Flonase fairly often; but don't want to get too use to that stuff. Hear it's pretty addictive....but it does help short term.

 

I'm on Enbrel and also have nasal congestion causing  me to sleep with my mouth open. Do you have Sjogren's syndrome? I have it and it affects my eyes throat and nose. My nose is very dry but when I take Enbrel it runs for a few days and I have to be careful. When I'm congested and feel like I might be getting a sinus infection, I take a hot bath(which I do every night anyway) and take a hot washcloth, wring it out, and put over my nose and sinuses. It seems to help with the congestion. I think a lot of people with RA and other auto immune conditions have allergies and

sometimes it's hard to tell  where one leaves off and the other begins.

I'm either skinny or Lindak. I'm so computer illiterate that I somehow signed up under both names. Good luck and keep in touch. 

lol~I wasn't sure what to call you. I was getting confused.

I have sjogren's too. First noticed that with my eyes and the eye doctor said it was dry eye. My RD says sjogren's. My skin is super dry lately too. I think that's related too.

 

Lovie, I completely messed up getting started posting and somehow signed up twice, once as skinny and once as lindak, so I'm either or. The skinny comes from when I was a little girl and very underweight and my big brother called me skinny Linny. My real name is Linda. Sorry to hear you have Sjogren's too. I have the same problem and I use a product called "SaltAire Sinus Relief"
Package also says "refreshing drug free nasal wash that cleans and moisturizes nasal passages"  I would not be without it.  The minute that I feel a sinus headache coming on, I use it.  I used to call it "yucky" because as you spray into one nostril, it comes out the other nostril.  After the fact you feel very refreshed.  Actually it's only saline solution.  And,during the day I use saline spray as needed.  I try to grab a few minutes each day with the sun on my face and that helps too. 

Luv, Justme Justme38787.7529513889Have you tried a antihistamine-decongestant like Claritin D? Some of the nasal sprays contain norepinephrine. They are putting that in diet pills now cause it is kind of like speed. That is the stuff that some people get to liking a little bit too much. There alot of temporary fixed for nasal congestion like hot steam from the shower, a vaporizor or humidifier in your home, a cup of hot tea, a hot wet wash cloth accros your nose and eyes...I  hope one of these will help you.  I used to have seasonal allergies untill about 3 1/2 years ago. They stopped and I started getting hives and developed eczema instead---yipee!  I basically traded one allergy symptom for another.

mary

I posted this on my 'other board's OT'.  Although this relates to sinus allergies, it is also helpful for congestion as well without using some of the more awful sinus drugs out there.  PLEASE avoid Sudafed, that stuff is nasty and hard on your overall system.  Instead, try Coriciden or another type of sinus medication.  I also advise not to use the "multi-symptom" OTC remedies.  Keep a humidfier going at night, be sure to keep yourself well hydrated and Mucinex will work in thinning the secretions. 

That time of year is rapidly approaching. Every year I get pinged about sinus problems and allergies. Although there are a plethora of OTC remedies and Rx remedies out there, some prove successful and others not. Some aren't very good for you either.

So, here is what I have found that will 'help' with sinus allergy problems. These are by no means a panacea but some people have had very good success in following a daily sinus routine.

First is start using a natural (normal saline) spray, every day. It won't be effective unless you start before the season starts and don't do it religiously. If you have very bad sinus allergies I would recommend doing this every 12 hours. This is not a drug but will serve to keep your sinuses healthy, moisturized and not produce as much mucous. Not only will this help your sinuses wrt allergies but also has been proven to help prevent getting colds.

Some people irrigate their sinuses, this is a very effective treatment but is one that here in America isn't practiced much. It involves using an irrigation system like this:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...g=UTF8&v=gl ance
or this
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...g=UTF8&v=gl ance
This technique effectively 'washes' out the sinuses and can be used along with a nasal saline moisturizer, it is also good relief when one has an infection or cold.

Finally and somewhat controversial is the employment of honey. It is essential that the honey be produced locally and is not heated or strained (golden and clear). One or two teaspoonfulls in the morning will 'innoculate' your system against the local pollens that will naturally be part of the honey. I know people who swear by this who have had serious sinus allergies. The trick is to start early, before things begin to bloom and do it religiously. Find a good source of honey that you are sure is locally produced, it will have the pollens in your area that give you trouble.

Try to avoid using antihisamines that dry your sinuses out and in particular nasal sprays like Afrin. You can become 'addicted' to them if used for longer than a few days making it impossible to breathe through your nose without it. Been there and done that myself.

Okay, end of lecture hopefully some of you will find these more natural remedies effective against what is misery for many people during the warm months.
Yes, I have heard about the Local Honey concept, I had forgotten all about that one!  Good call
Copyright ArthritisInsight.com