Shooting salt water up my nose everyday & feeling good! Anybody else doing this?

[mfpikeil]

I just had the sinus surgery and septum-straightening done 6 weeks ago. The doc ordered me to use the Neilmed at least 3-4 times a day, and for good reason... it cleared all the dry blood and gook out of everything and let the tissue heal properly. It's difficlult to describe the gross stuff I blew out of my head that would have stayed there without the Neilmed. :11:

The only problem I had was getting all the saltwater out of the sinuses and my eustacian tubes. Even several hours after rinsing, I could tilt my head one way or another, or bend over, and huge amounts of saltwater would come pouring out of my nose.

I stopped using the Neilmed after 4 weeks and now use a saline spray several times daily. It seems to keep everything clear just as well without the mess and drowning sensation. That drowing sensation was really getting to me... I was dreading each use. If I start getting a cold or more allergy symptoms, I'll pull out the Neilmed, but I'm not using it every day just for maintenance. I would recommend the saline sprays to those of you who cannot tolerate the large volume of the Neilmed.

Now the good news... I had my first 2 dives since the surgery yesterday... wow, what a difference! Absolutely no problems. The surgery was well worth the temporary misery.

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

Anecdotal doesn't count. Actually this entire thread, (except for the paper below) is predicated upon anecdotal evidence from "believers".

I guess you didn't get the memo. This isn't a scientific medical journal. It is Scuba Board the whole point of SB is to share personal anecdotal information.

If you don't want to try it or don't believe--none of us will make you try it. Either you want to try and feel you have a need to try or you don't.

Are you trying to make this thread the new DIR fight forum? Many of us have used different things to wash out our noses--some commercial--some home brew--it all works pretty well regardless of method.

Why is it that you need people to go to great lengths to try to convince you? Does it give you some sense of power?

Anyway, you will either try it or not. And if you try it, it will either work for you or not. Even with many long and complicated studies-not everything works for everybody. Just read the side of a box of meds or some medical review.

I am not selling anything. If you want to try it, just go the baking section, get some sea salt or table salt without iodine. Mix up 1/2 teaspoon in a cup of slightly warm water, lay on your bed and use a paper towel or thin piece of cloth to drip it in while your head hands off the back of the bed, let is soak as long and you can stand and then roll over on a towel and let the gunk come out.

Anyway, none of us are going to fund a lengthy medical study and post if for you on Scuba Board.

 

[ShoreDiver1]

One thing that hasnt been mentioned it to take sinus cultures to see if the infection is bacterial or fungal. What I read is that sinus issues if fungal, cant be more resistant to medications we have and can linger quite some time. Peroxide is not a freind of molds

 

[emcbride81]

Yup. That seals it. I'm convinced.

I am beginning to suspect that this "treatment" is just like all the other quack treatments out there. I spoke to a few ENTs who all thought that it could not hurt (provided you don't overdo it and only use saline), but that it is of no clinical value.

Yeah, Terry, we all feel better afterwards. I suppose that you could have a hot bath, a sauna or a massage and feel better. It just doesn't do much more than that! :51:

 

[fisheyeview]

Every couple of weeks, at the beginning of a dive, I snort sea water up my nose. It burns a bit, but it cleans me out. When I go on dive trips I do it a couple of times durring my week to 10 days.

I do not recommend this for everyone. It just works for me.

 

[merxlin]

All the reviews seem to come from people eager to sell the stuff. Has anyone seen a real review from a disinterested party? Has anyone published anything on this? I'd like to try it but first want to see some data about the efficacy of the product. It sounds quite benign - that's not my concern. I'm more interested in whether this really works. No anecdotes please...

Radiographic Comparison of Three Methods for Nasal Saline Irrigation

 

[diver_paula]

I am beginning to suspect that this "treatment" is just like all the other quack treatments out there. I spoke to a few ENTs who all thought that it could not hurt (provided you don't overdo it and only use saline), but that it is of no clinical value.

Check out the reference section from this link: Nasal irrigation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I realize it's Wikipedia but the references are scientific studies.

& yes, I LOVE the results I've had with my Neti pot.

Paula

 

[crosing]

I've heard about this for a long time and after reading this thread I decided to go for it. I have chronic sinusitis and use flonase daily and have had surgery in the past.

I did my first NeilMed treatment this evening and too my surprise it was far less onerous then I had imagined.

 

[**Scuba_Steve**]

I ordered the neilmed sinus kit and got a free netipot from drugstore.com

 

[tridacna]

If you don't want to try it or don't believe--none of us will make you try it. Either you want to try and feel you have a need to try or you don't.

Are you trying to make this thread the new DIR fight forum? Many of us have used different things to wash out our noses--some commercial--some home brew--it all works pretty well regardless of method.

Why is it that you need people to go to great lengths to try to convince you? Does it give you some sense of power?

Anyway, you will either try it or not. And if you try it, it will either work for you or not. Even with many long and complicated studies-not everything works for everybody. Just read the side of a box of meds or some medical review.

USBB - I AM going to try this. I've had problems with my sinuses for eons. I just want to make sure that this is not quackery. Anecdotes are wonderful; I'm sure that this helps most. So, I will follow your advice and try it. I'll input my anecdotal stuff into the mix then.

But calling me a spoilsport who won't blow cool aid up my nostrils or join the happy party, because I asked if there is any scientific evidence to back this up is ridiculous. Think about about it. I'm a scientist. That's what I do.

And if you think that I rose to the level of a DIR antagonist...why, thank you very much. That's quite a compliment around these parts! :matrix: