Nasal Congestion: What helps, especially at night?

I have posted about so many things(neuropathy, mainly) that I hesitate to ask another question. About four or five months ago, I began to have serious nasal congestion. Flonase helped a little but was very short-lasting. After a while my voice began to become very muddled, not even sounding like me. Sometimes, it was very difficult to even speak. Early on I had some inner ear pain that eventually subsided. I went to local ENT and was given a look-see up through my nose. I was put on Pantoprazole, Azelastine HCl, 0.1%. Plus, keep up the Flonase. These have not helped significantly. Just short term relief. The Pantoprazole is for supposed acid reflux, although I have never had any expected symptoms. Do I just continue on, squirting all this stuff up my nose and taking another questionable drug? I wanted them to dig deeper, but my ten minutes was up. So frustrating. Any thoughts?

Hi, @patrick1000 - Getting your nose plugged up when you're trying to sleep is not fun. I would like to tag some Connect members who've talked about nasal congestion to see if they have input for you on how you're getting so congested in the middle of the night and how you might proceed @collage @chzuck @celia16 @robbie44 @shooei @dedhambeth @pkalkstein @benchi300 @nrd1 @sueinmn and @pml.

I learned that I was not taking all the ipratropium spray I was prescribed when going through my medications with a nurse. I don't think to take it midday, but it might be helpful.

Is there any chance you are not taking the full prescription of anything?

Another thought is that I believe your nasal spray, which I also take, helps most with runny nose. The fluticasone spray helps most with congestion. Have you talked to your doctor about the congestion and if another spray or medication might help?

Mostly the same story, still need to find the allergy and see a specialist regarding the passages. I think not just uncomfortable but a bit dangerous to have these sleep problems. I'm going back for a breathing test this year and am amassing a checklist.

Hi, @patrick1000 - Getting your nose plugged up when you're trying to sleep is not fun. I would like to tag some Connect members who've talked about nasal congestion to see if they have input for you on how you're getting so congested in the middle of the night and how you might proceed @collage @chzuck @celia16 @robbie44 @shooei @dedhambeth @pkalkstein @benchi300 @nrd1 @sueinmn and @pml.

I learned that I was not taking all the ipratropium spray I was prescribed when going through my medications with a nurse. I don't think to take it midday, but it might be helpful.

Is there any chance you are not taking the full prescription of anything?

Another thought is that I believe your nasal spray, which I also take, helps most with runny nose. The fluticasone spray helps most with congestion. Have you talked to your doctor about the congestion and if another spray or medication might help?

Must be allergies. I rinse before I go to bed completely clearing my nose but then can be plugged solid 2-3 hours later.

I don't often jump in here, but WOW I had a stuffy nose big time this morning - in the dentist's chair; every time he laid the chair back, it was like my nasal passages slammed shut and I could only breathe through my mouth. It brought back memories of childhood, where I breathed fine all day, and got completely stuffed up when I laid down. Needless to say, he was not happy with a mouth-breathing patient while he was drilling.

Step one - my Dad found the first culprit - my beloved, squishy down pillow. (He couldn't use them either, or even have feathers or down in the bedroom.) That helped, but I still got stuffed up about halfway through the night.

One night I realized that whenever I woke up I had turned from sleeping on my side to my back. If I turned on my side, gradually the upper nasal passage would clear enough to breathe. I did that for at least 30 years, suffering chronic sinus & ear infections along the way. As an adult, I finally saw the same ENT who was treating my kids, he found very narrow passageways, eustachian tube dysfunction (he assumed these were narrow too) and a deviated septum as well as crud and scar tissue in my sinuses. He cleaned it all out, reset my nose, and my breathing has been more or less normal for a number of years.

Now, my ancient airways are haunting me again - closing up at crazy times, and I have sleep apnea. I'm working with the ENT on a solution.

Azalastine spray at bedtime has helped, and during allergy season I use it mid-morning as well.

I hope you can find a solution - air hunger in the middle of the night is not conducive to sound sleep!

Must be allergies. I rinse before I go to bed completely clearing my nose but then can be plugged solid 2-3 hours later.

@patrick1000 - I'm not the model saline rinser, but I do try to do it when I can. It does seem to clear out my nose (sometimes startlingly so, if you know what I mean - like a giant vacuum went through).

patrick1000 - Do you have any observations or theories as to why it works for you sometimes and not always?

@carculmer and @orangetiger - other than the taste that one of you didn't care for, do you find the azelastine helpful with your symptoms?