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kenluvsyamam · 06-28-2010, 05:07 PM

i was diagnosed with a deviated septum 6 years ago and at the time they did not want to do any surgery because i was under 18 and still growing.

im now 22 and have been back to the specialist a number of times and he still refuses to do the surgery saying that he has seen much worse, despite me telling him how much hell it causes me.

i used an over the counter nasal spray (oxymetatolzoline) during most of this time, and at my most recent appointment i was advised to stop using it and was given a steroid based spray. unfortunately it did not work at all and im now back on the OTC sprays, which only work if i tip my head back and pour them into my nose.

he warned me to stop using them but they are the only ones that seem to work. at first it was just my right nostril that was affected but now my left has started too. without using a spray i get very bad headaches and dizziness, stops me from sleeping, gives me a completely blocked nose and it causes my ears to crackle/pop/click constantly at times. its driving me crazy.

i dont really want to continue using the OTC sprays, and i hghly doubt my specialist will do the surgery despite how bad i tell him it gets (even my mum has told him), does anyone know of any alternatives to the sprays or any other options i could look at to try and ease it, its becoming a hinderence to my life and the cost of the spray that i need just to be able to breathe each day is becoming ridiculous.

thanks in advance.

Titchou · 06-28-2010, 07:18 PM

Since the OTC sprays work for a while, the deviated septum obviously is not causing that much of a problem. I would venture that your main issue is either allergies or sinusitis. If allergies, meds for that or injections would be the proper course of action. If sinusitis, a sinse rinse or neti pot may do the trick...twice per day.

kenluvsyamam · 06-29-2010, 04:39 PM

i dont think its allergies because if i dont use the spray it is blocked 24/7 in any circumstances, hot, cold, inside, outside, with or without animals around. surely this would mean im allergic to everything.

some days i need the spray more than others its just hit and miss. and only certain ones work specifically asda and tesco's own brand and not otravine or sudafed.

the doctor has never mentioned sinusitis and iv been there so many times, they always put it down to the deviated septum, and iv tried allergy tablets before and they made no difference, i swear if it carries on il break my own nose.

Titchou · 06-29-2010, 05:48 PM

A deviated septum is a structural problem. No spray is going to correct that. Something is causing the tissue to inflame and block your sinuses. When the sprays do their job, this goes away. So, you need to find something that will work consistently. I strongly suggest the sinus rinse (NeilMed is a brand here in the US) or a neti pot - AM & PM.

gcsjr · 06-30-2010, 03:16 AM

Quote:

i used an over the counter nasal spray (oxymetatolzoline) during most of this time, and at my most recent appointment i was advised to stop using it and was given a steroid based spray. unfortunately it did not work at all and im now back on the OTC sprays, which only work if i tip my head back and pour them into my nose.

You ABSOLUTELY NEED TO STOP USING OXYMETAZOLINE. Oxymetazoline is addictive and, after using it for more than 5 days or so, causes rebound congestion that is generally worse than the underlying congestion it is used to treat.

Quote:

without using a spray i get very bad headaches and dizziness, stops me from sleeping, gives me a completely blocked nose and it causes my ears to crackle/pop/click constantly at times. its driving me crazy.

In all likelihood these are symptoms of rebound congestion from the oxymetazoline and have nothing to do with your deviated septum.

Based on your symptoms and situation, I can't imagine any doctor would do the surgery until you get off the oxymetazoline and figure out which of your symptoms are coming from the deviated septum and which are coming from the medication.

Again, the rebound congestion caused by the oxymetazoline is generally much worse than the underlying symptoms it used to treat (if it used for an extended period of time), and it can cause permanent damage to the lining of your nose and sinuses. You absolutely need to stop using it. The only way to stop is to wean yourself off of it using other medications to help minimize the withdrawal - if you're interested let me know and I'll explain the process you need to go through.

kenluvsyamam · 06-30-2010, 03:42 AM

that would be really good if you could help me, cause like i said i know that the stuffs bad for me. iv been using it too long and life would be so much simpler if i didnt have to use it.

gcsjr · 06-30-2010, 04:34 AM

Quote:

that would be really good if you could help me, cause like i said i know that the stuffs bad for me. iv been using it too long and life would be so much simpler if i didnt have to use it.

The process is pretty simple, but it will take some time and you may be a little more congested as you go through it. There are five things you'll need to go through the process:

1. The steroid-based nasal spray your doctor prescribed
2. 12-hour Sudafed (psuedoephedrine)
3. An unopened bottle of oxymetazoline spray (that is not the pump type of spray).
4. An unopened bottle of nasal saline spray (Ayr is the brand we have here in the states)
5. NeilMed SinusRinse kit (saline irrigation bottle with salt packets).

Pick a day to start and, on that day you want to start using the steroid-based spray your doctor prescribed exactly as it was prescribed, and start taking the Sudafed every 12-hour (just as it is prescribed).

Open both the oxymetazoline and the nasal saline spray, wash your hands thoroughly and use a tissue or paper towel to remove the spray top from each (place the tops on a clean paper towel).

Pour out about 1/4 of the oxymetazoline and replace it with a similar amount of the saline spray (so now you've got an oxymetazoline spray that is diluted). Use this spray as you've been using the full strength spray for 2-3 days then follow the same procedure again, diluting the same bottle of oxymetazoline further with the saline. Repeat this process 4-5 times over a 10-15 day period, using each dilution for 2-3 days.

After about 2 weeks you will have diluted the oxmetazoline to about 15% of its normal strength and you should be able to quit using it completely.

Continue using the 12-hour Sudafed as needed (it doesn't have the same rebound congestion issues) and use the steroid spray every day as prescribed.

Throughout this process you should also use the NeilMed sinus rinse twice daily to help soothe your irritated sinus tissues.

The process is really just a way to wean yourself off the oxymetazoline slowly and allow your sinus tissues to return to normal and give the steroid spray a chance to work.

constantsinus · 07-27-2010, 09:37 PM

See another doc! second opinions are good to have

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