Cold/Sinus Infection & Netti Pot not working

[Ambivalent Dreams]

I have some kind of infection... maybe a cold or a sinus infection. I used up a box of kleenex yesterday. I've used my Netti Pot, but my left nasal passage is completely closed. The water from the Netti Pot won't even go through. The only way I can get it through on the other side is to have the water come out my mouth. Is there anyway I can get the other side opened up so my Netti Pot can do some good for me? I know Afrin would probably do the trick, but it's a category C drug so I don't want to use it. Maybe steam? Something else?

[susla]

The same exact thing happened to me a few days ago. I had had a really bad cold and congestion for over a week. The Neti pot & steam helped for a couple of days and then one night I couldn't get the water to go through my left nostril. I was so miserable and in so much pain. The next day I called my doctor and she prescribed a Z-pack (antibiotics-zithromax I think). About 48 hours after starting it I felt SO much better. The congestion is clearing and pain is gone. So I definitely had a bacterial sinus infection and I'm really relieved that I took the antibiotics--I'm 37 weeks today.

This is all just to say that if your nose is really that clogged, you may actually have a bacterial infection and need antibiotics. Good luck-hope you feel better soon.

[is it puppies?]

steaming is good- maybe with some tea tree or eucalyptus (but not sure if eucalyptus safe in preg).
I actually like to kind of suck the water from my neti back down into my mouth, I find it gets more gunk out. Try warmer water in it and a drop of tea tree. I know there are other herbal tea/mixes you can use in the neti pot.
Lots of vit D (like 4000mg/day+) and vit c (5000mg+) and tons of hot fluids, I also like to put cotton balls in my ears with a drop of tea tree oil (but not put that oil in the ears).
another thing to try is 3% hydrogen peroxide in the ear canal, let it fizz and then drain out, you would have to look up the instructions, but it can help with congestion (even in the sinuses).
all of the above, repeat repeatedly, and something should budge... I think that small doses of sudafed are safe (is it psudoephedrine? but like 1/4 pill) but check with a pharmacist if nothing else works.

[olien]

I agree with last poster. Lots of vit D

If you can get some tea tree oil from Young Living (therapeutic grade) and add it to the netti pot salt first it works wonders!!

[nycmom18]

what other pp said plus, steaming with tea tree oil is great, it goes through your sinuses without pouring it in. i just heat water in a tea pot, then put it in bowl with a couple drops of tea tree oil and put a towel over me and the bowl. i do this a couple times a day. also google osteopathic sinus drainage. i think its on kellymom.com it almost instantly relieves sinus pain for me. eat raw garlic for possible bacterial infection.

[beanma]

Saw this in "new posts". Try massaging behind your ears, especially on the clogged side. You might try taking aspirin if it's okay with your care provider. Sometimes you get swelling of your nasal passages which is not necessarily the same thing as having a lot of snot. Aspirin can reduce the swelling. If aspirin doesn't sound like a good idea for you do try the massage. It can really really help.

[tngirl11]

I've been in the exact same boat this past week! I finally went to the doctor because I was wheezing, and she gave me an antibiotic. I bought my first neti pot and started using it, but sometimes the water wouldn't come out one side (the side that had lots of sinus pain). I did go ahead and use Afrin so that I could breathe a little and get things cleared out. I avoided it during my first pregnancy, but a couple of my friends told me their ob's had told them to go ahead and use it, and that it was okay. I read you just shouldn't use too much. It's definitely been a life-saver at night for me (and this week)!

[Burnindinner]

My sister used garlic very effectively when she was pregnant to kill a cold. You smell like garlic, but if you can't smell anyway, what's the difference? She smashed up a bulb in butter and ate it on toast. I think she ate several over the course of several days.

[Zangua]

Coloidal silver is a great natural remedy for a sinus infection. You put it up your nose much like the neti pot, but it really gets in there and works on the infection/gunk.
http://www.silversinus.com/ss2oz.html