Nasal Congestion

[Anonymous]

I recently started concerta, ramping up week by week. I think I have found the right dose at 72 mg since I have started this dose I wake up completely plugged and with a sore throat from mouth breathing all night. I started to take a decongestant at night just to sleep, but even that it isn;’t working , I am almost at the point I want to try just taking an 18mg concerta so I can breath at night. I am a pharmacist by trade and work in mental health as part of my job, but the combination of perennial allergic rhinitis and ADHD meds causing rebound congestion just doesn’t come up that often. Wondering if this happens to anybody else or in anybody has some answers.

Thanks

Ringo

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[turbo]

Ringo-

Out of curiosity what is the humidity level in your home like? Mine drops pretty quickly as the winter goes on (got down to <30% in January) and that can cause your nose to plug up too.

Not sure if this is your problem, or may be contributing to it.

I now use a humidifier in the bedroom and run it until water is just begining to condense on the windows. I do find it easier to breathe and that I am not so “dired out” come morning time.

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[Anonymous]

Don’t forget these medications are diuretics – they will dry you out significantly. My house has lots of solid wood, and even having steam injection humidifiers on my furnaces, they barely keeps it at 25% during the Canadian winter.

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[Anonymous]

Thanks! I didn’t even think about the humidity. It’s dry as a bone around here. But I am definitely getting some rebound congestion, i know when the medication is working cause I can breath again.

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[Anonymous]

i have allergic rhinitis too. sucks hugely.

you could try adding another pillow to your bed to prop your sleeping self up, and help stuff drain (then you just wake up with an icky stomach feeling if you’re lucky). i use a neilmed squeezy saline rinse 30 mins or so before bed to get everything rinsed out and opened up, you could add a squirty nasal moisturiser to that too? a mentholly smell next to my pillow helps too.

um…. drinking straws shoved up the nostrils to keep them open?

i used nasonex and similar corticosteriod sprays for a long time too- which helped loads… until the lining of my nose apparently fturned to crap- now it bleeds all the time instead of getting blocked with other stuff. grrrr.

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[Patte Rosebank]

Not drinking straws. A Breathe-Right nasal strip, stuck on the outside of your nose. It really does keep the nasal passages open, which makes breathing much, much easier!

You could also start sleeping on your side. That way, the yecch doesn’t drain down your throat.

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[Anonymous]

So I went out and bought a dehumidifier, started a topical decongestant., and got the breath right strips and tried them all a t once in the interest of good science. The dehumidifier has helped tremendously in making my whole face feel better, my nose, eyes and throat feel better. The decongestant and breath right strips help me be able to breath during the night with out a pseudo-stimulant decongestant. Only downside is I still am waking up with a sore throat and now that things are all opened up I feel like I am inhaling half this mucus. But this might have something to do with my allergies not being in control. Thanks for the advice this has all helped quiet a bit, I am finally getting some rest at least.

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[Anonymous]

yeah, stomach full of snot really sucks. you could try spraying a throatnumbing spray in your gob when you wake up? that stuff is great! what are your allergies to? do you need to vacuum? when i start dying its always a sign that i need to do some spring cleaning- much as i hate it! if you have a dust/dustmite allergy and haven’t done so already, the best thing you’ll ever do for it is get rid of carpeting in exchange for a solid floor, and ditch your sprung mattress and boxspring in exchange for a memoryfoam one with a dustmite cover on a slatted bedframe with legs, or a waterbed!

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[Anonymous]

I have tried all of the above. Dust is a bit unavoidable for me. I am renovating a 90 year old home, so I have a lot of dust exposure

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[Anonymous]

hahaha so you’re a masochist then?! i can relate though- we’re renovating here too. maybe you need to sleep in a dust mask. or the car. or something?

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[Anonymous]

Just an update, I have discovered an effective treatment for my congestion, I have to run my humidifier for 2 hrs prior to sleeping and throughout the night. just before bed take intranasal decongestant, wait a few minutes then use my steroid spray. After all of that put on a breath rite strip, best sleep I have ever had.

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[billd]

ENT gave me a free solution to my constant nasal congestion:

A mix of water, a bit of baking soda and a bit of salt in a squeeze bottle like the OTC stuff comes in.

Not habit forming, won’t irritate, and can be used as often as you want or need – even every hour if you like.

I’d tried all the stuff like nazenex (sp), the steroid stuff, etc. etc.

Nothing worked but the stuff that was habit forming and eventually was causing damage (Afrin – long term use of this stuff will lead to damage).

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