Does anyone here use a Neti Pot on a regular basis?

[BuelahWitch]

Any recommendations for a possible newbie user?

[yellerpup]

1. I bought one and used it because I thought I had a new allergy

but as it turned out, I was catching a cold. I didn't use it again until a few weeks ago, and BOY was I glad I had it around. I was having an oatmeal with berries breakfast, taking my vitamins and supplements plus baby aspirin, and chasing it all down with pomegranite juice. Because I had esophageal surgery I have a hard time swallowing big pills, so the ones that can be split up into smaller pieces, I definitely split. When I swallowed, one of the pill fragments landed in such a way that it blocked my larnyx. I had to cough immediately, but my mouth was full of oatmeal and purple juice so I coughed with my mouth closed. Well, all the pill fragments and oils from my supplements blew into my sinus cavities. Luckily, I was able to wash it all out with the neti pot. It took several potsful throughout the day to get it all and I had a terrible sinus headache, but I was fine the next morning and did not have any kind of residual infection after the event. Be sure you make a tepid salt water rinse. Plain water can sting.

[Why Syzygy]

5. I have one

but never used it. It came with salt packets, no problem. My question is, can I use plain tap water, or do I have to warm up distilled water?

[yellerpup]

6. I used tap water with no problem. n/t

[I Have A Dream]

2. What I have kicks a neti pot up a notch.

I have a WaterPik with a special attachment that you can use to clean out your sinuses. It's absolutely wonderful. I used to get sinus infections several times a year until I bought this.

I don't use it regularly, but I use it when I feel that I need it.

The earlier comment about plain water is very true. Salt water is much better. If that still stings, add some baking soda as well. That mix is perfect.

[latebloomer]

3. I have, for periods of time

but right now my sinuses are better.

It helped quite a bit, especially when I used it twice a day.

[arikara]

4. I use it every other day or so

I lost part of my sense of smell a couple of years ago when I was very ill with bronchitis, and now can't smell any bad smells. People think that sounds not so bad, but the problem is that I now can't smell the garbage if it stinks, or if there are animal "messes" in the house. The Mr's sense of smell isn't so great either so I even have to have a friend over to do sniff testing in the house once in awhile. I'm hoping that regular use of the neti pot will fix my nose. I've always had drippy sinuses anyhow, so love the way it makes them feel all cleared out.

Be sure to use a half teaspoon of preferably refined salt with no additives for every cup of warm water. I got mine from the health food store but I suspect the drugstore would be cheaper. I've also added a pinch of baking soda, and a drop or 2 of neem sometimes. I tried it with no salt once and it stung like crazy so just don't do that!

[Dora]

7. My saline recipe

I make a batch of salt using two parts sea salt to one part baking soda. Then I mix 1/4 tsp of this with 8 oz of body-temp tap water. This is part of my morning routine. When allergens are high, I'll do it twice a day.

[ropi]

8. i have one--best thing i purchased!

when i first heard about neti pots from a close friend who had used them for years i thought "nasty"--but after having a bad sinus infection a few years back i gave in and purchased one. it's the best thing ever.

it does take a bit to get used to and you have to read the directions and tilt your head just right--but it does work wonders.. anytime i even start to get the feeling of sinus problems coming on i grab it and start using it.

[Eurobabe]

9. I bought one, but never use it, I use a small water bottle instead

somehow I just found the neti to be too hard to use. The cheapo water bottle does the trick and it's quicker and easier. It really does help to keep the colds/allergies at bay. :hi:

[PinkTiger]

10. I used to. Now I just use a glass.

I found it easier to take a swig, lean over, and expell it from my nose. If you use the right amount of salt (a pinch) it is easy and really works better for me. A neti pot is messier.

[BanzaiBonnie]

11. They seem to work for others

and I wish I could use one because of my problems with sinuses. All I can get it to do is is go in one nostril and then it pours water down my throat. Perhaps I'm doing something wrong, although I followed the directions. Any ideas?

[ropi]

12. hmmm...

that happens to me if i don't tilt my chin a bit higher. try that and see if it works.

[I Have A Dream]

13. The Waterpik with the nasal irrigation tip might work better...

for you. I love mine!

[Dora]

15. Is your mouth open or closed?

Keeping your mouth open will keep your throat open, and the water can't help but flow down there.

To do a sinus rinse with a neti pot...

prepare your pot, stand up straight in the shower or in front of a sink, leaning gently from the hips to allow the water to drain into the sink.

Lift your chin (keeping your mouth closed tight), and gently tilt your head to the right or to the left.

Put the neti pot in whichever nostril is on top. If you tilt to the right, you put the pot at your left nostril, and the water will flow down through the sinuses, exiting out the right nostril.

It seems awkward at first, but once you find the right posture for you, it will feel quite natural.

If you try using a neti pot with your mouth closed, and the water's still flowing from your sinuses into your throat, you may have something going on in your sinus anatomy that's worthy of being checked by a doctor. I suffered from chronic sinus infections for YEARS before I finally visited an ENT who ordered a CT scan and saw that I had a problem with my left maxillary sinus. It was such a relief to have an actual diagnosis with a visually verifiable condition. One sinus surgery later - I'm feeling much much much better, and still rinsing my sinuses once a day.

[katty]

14. yes, it's great - haven't a cold in about 2 years

[NuttyFluffers]

16. wonderful stuff, helped temper my ferocious nosebleeds and hay fever.

i also recommend the recipe of 1/8th tsp. to 8 oz tepid to luke warm water. actually, here's a fast way to make a batch. see that regular personal sized water bottle? most of them are around a pint, aka 16 oz of water. see those paper salt packets you find at some restaurants? those are roughly less than 1/8th tsp -- 2 to 3 packets roughly equal 1/4th tsp salt. grab your empty Crystal Geyser or Aquafina bottle, throw in some salt packets and warm tap water and learn how to tilt just right, viola', instant neti jar wherever you are. saved me many a time when i traveled (in countries where the water is safe of course! DO NOT TRY THIS WITH QUESTIONABLE TAP WATER!)

also i am sensitive to certain salts, so things like San Pelligrino and other mineral water contain salts that kick start my migraines. i think i've isolated it to sodium phosphate as one of the triggers. i found that the salt packets that came with the neti jar carry a mix of sodium chloride and sodium phosphate. last few times i used them also kick started migraines, so now i avoid them like the plague. i've also seen a few saline nasal sprays carry sodium phosphate, which also were related to a few migraines. probably doesn't do anything to you, but for any migraine sufferers out there, fair warning from a fellow traveller.

i used to have atrocious nosebleeds. like literally laying my head back, nose pinched and blood pooling and pouring down the sides of my mouth from all the bleeding from my rear palette into my throat and mouth. used to get upset stomach from all the blood i used to swallow. we are talking monstrous gushers, well above and beyond the experience of general clinics. had one where it was draining so fast into my mouth that i could not breathe and had to lay down and let it clot in my soft palette. naturally that caused a 'back up' and the blood poured from my nose into congealing pools over my eyes and down my cheeks, mouth open like a gaping fish as blood poured everywhere. my poor mother helping me almost had a heart attack seeing that one. even after operations to cauterize several veins in my nose i still had an atrocious nosebleed problem -- until i regularly neti jar. now it is rare and i dare say manageable.

(a friendly word of advice to serious nosebleed sufferers -- in excess of the 15-30 minute nose pinch, head back treatment: sometimes shocking the system works. i used to dip cotton or facial tissue in vinegar and lodge it up my nose to "cauterize" the wound. if that failed there was "breathing" ice cold water as deep as I can, repeatedly. if that also failed, and oh it often did, i just gave up and stood over the sink bleeding until my body got tired of bleeding. you'll be surprised how often your body will stop in order to prevent self-destruction.)

so go ahead and neti jar. i heartily welcome you to the club. sometimes our body just doesn't work right -- you'll be surprised how stupid or dysfunctional its management systems really are (one day i'll tell you about the joys of histamines and swelling!).

[Celebration]

17. Clearing nasal passages does wonders for toddler grandson

It isn't exactly a neti pot, but whatever they sell for kids--a bulb thing. It absolutely is a necessity for every cold that he picks up. I have to say that my daughter did it a little too aggressively at first. She has to be cognizant of the timing and amount, because at first he was swallowing a little too much salt water and then throwing up. Now everything is fine. Her pediatrician should have told her about this. Instead, I did, and the ENT guy did--this was AFTER he had tubes put in his ears. But he has zero sinus infections since he started this.

Anyone who gets sinus infections should clear the sinuses one way or another (and there are several methods). As an example, I used to have a yoga book that had a picture of a floss type thing going in a nasal passage, and yes, coming OUT THE MOUTH. Okay, that is weird. But I guess that is done in some cultures. The odd thing was that the book implied that you could go to the drugstore and buy some sort of floss expressly for this purpose. What an oddity! What do you think the Walgreen's pharmacist would say if I asked about it?