Nasal passage blocked

@zaa I haven't noticed my nose being very dry. Also have not heard of any issues with using a nasal rinse twice a day. The nasal spray has helped a lot for me but the little spray bottle leaves a lot to be desired (IMHO). It has a 2 inch plastic tube that is really not flexible attached to the top of the pump bottle and you have to hold the bottle at an angle to pump which is OK when the bottle is full. Now that I have less than half left in the bottle I have to mess with it because I can't bend the tube to keep the bottle upright when pumping the spray. It's definitely worth a try to avoid any kind of nasal surgery.

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The NeilMed squeeze bottle does not have a tube. They are available at any drug counter. They also have med packets.

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Hello @ablema1, Welcome to Connect. I am responding to your comment in the Nasal passage blocked discussion so that you can see my original post about the Mayo Clinic proprietary nasal spray. The 3 ingredients are Mometasone to reduce inflammation, Ipratropium to reduce nasal drainage and Diphenhydramine which is an antihistamine to help reduce nasal drainage. The product description on my prescription is MOMET 0.033% - IPRA 0.02% - DIPH 0.02%. I think an ENT doctor may be able to write an RX so that you can get it from a Mayo Clinic Pharmacy but you may want to talk with your doctor and/or give the Mayo Pharmacy a call. Here's the Mail Order phone information:

Phone: 507-284-4041, 800-445-6326
Mon - Fri 7:30 am - 6 pm
Sat - 8 am - noon
Closed Sundays and Holidays

Do you have a blocked nasal passage or breathing problems?

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@zaa I have the same problem. As long as I can remember I have always had problems breathing through my nose. Mostly it's the right side of my nose that is blocked and hard to breathe through. I was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea a couple of years ago and have had some difficulty with the face masks due to breathing mostly through my mouth.

I have been using a nasal wash every so often in the evenings which is a 50-50 chance of clearing the nose. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't clear up after using the nasal wash. I had been thinking about a septoplasty for a couple of years to correct my deviated septum but I wanted to learn how bad it really is and what my options were. I talked with my primary care doctor who gave me a referral to a Mayo ENT doctor for a consultation. I met with the ENT doctor and PA Monday and discussed the options available to me. After the exam and the little camera they poke in your nose and record a little movie they were able to explain what they thought was causing the blockage and what my options were. He also mentioned I have a longer nose and one of the options to fix the issue is to open the nose and do reconstruction. He mentioned that I have a couple of small bone spurs and enlarged turbinates which could be reduced in size to help as an option. Then he went through the risks and no guarantees talk about what the surgery involves. He also explained that they have had success with more conservative treatments using a special Mayo proprietary nasal spray compounded in their pharmacy.

I opted to try the conservative treatment for 90 days to see if it helps before considering surgery or just living with it. They gave me a Neilmeds sinus rinse starter kit which I already had one at home. I have to use it twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. After rinsing I have to use 2 sprays in each nostril of the Mayo spray which contains Mometasone to reduce inflammation, Ipratropium to reduce nasal drainage and Diphenhydramine which is an antihistamine to help reduce nasal drainage. I started using it Tuesday and was pleasantly surprised with the results. I can breathe through both nostrils freely now and it seems to be helping with my CPAP. At 78 years old I really don't want surgery unless it's a last resort and will help quality of life. I would have never guessed the Mayo proprietary nasal spray would have worked this well as I have tried all of the normal nasal sprays with no help at all. I'll know for sure in a couple more months.

I would definitely have a meeting with an ENT specialist if you have not already seen one.

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It is now 5 months later since I wrote here about my ear/nasal issues. I thought I should write again about my experience in case it helps others. All the sprays/washes etc never helped much with nasal issues. I could feel all the inflammation in my body and one ear (my good ear) was experiencing flipping in and out of hearing. I could hear my own voice extremely loud when I was speaking and could hear myself breathing. VERY annoying. It has a name but can’t remember. I had lost 25 lbs and diagnosed with PMR which is chronic arthritis. ENT wanted to do eustasion tube surgery. I waited to see if my drugs I had to take were the cause. The prednisone I was taking for PMR instantly cured my nasal issues but was still having the ear issue. I read up on the eustasion tube condition and found that losing weight quickly can have this affect. SO, fast forward, my ear issue resolved once I started to gain weight back. So thankful for not letting ENT do surgery.

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@zaa-thank you for sharing this information. As you diligently explained, there are so many different things that affect the area above the neck. It was so wise of you to pay attention to your own sensations, listen to yourself and tune into what you thought it could be.
It sounds like you had patulous eustscian tube, where the tube remains open. Many of these types of issues do self correct. Good for you for not listening to the ENT and avoiding an unnecessary procedure.

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Thanks for sharing. My situation is kinda similar. Trying nasal breathing, seems good for BP (lowered 15) but uncomfortable esp. walking uphill. I suspect I've had the problem long term, but mostly mouth breathed thru it! 77 & not interested in surgery!

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