HORRIBLE rhinitis (stuffy nose) of pregnancy- help!

[Celticqueen]

I write this at 4 am because I eventually had to leave the bed so I would stop waking my DH up. I can only breath through my mouth. I haven't been able to breath out of my nose for 2 months now! I thought it was just another sinus infection or allergies but it's not. I went to my ENT yesterday and he confirmed that it's just pregnancy. He remarked "wow, all of your membranes in there are completely swollen and your passages are completely closed off!"

I've tried researching this and am at my wits end here. I'm exhausted, sleep deprived. My last 2 pregnancies I never had this so this is so new to me.

Any other sufferers out there? What are you doing for it? Please don't suggest netti pot or salt water solution- I do that 10 times a day. There has to be something

Sudafed does help a little bit...but not enough to get rid of the problem. All I want is sleep, and to stop being so grumpy. This is so hard.

[LivingSky]

I don't have any suggestions for help, but I do feel your pain I've been congested to one degree or another since about a week before I got my BFP. It feels like it's been forever since I could properly breathe out of my nose. I haven't found any real solution - though putting Vicks Vaporub on before bed does help a bit. Other than that I've just gone through about a million boxes of Kleenex trying to keep things open enough to breath.

[bethany42309]

Something you probably dont want to use.....Afrin (or a generic version of).  Will clear it up instantly.  Even if you just used it to sleep at night, at least you'd get rest.  Be careful if you do decide to use it....its addictive!  That's why I say only use it at night to sleep.  I had this problem with my first pregnancy plus it was spring time and I had hay fever on top of it....couldn't take it! 

Hope you get some relief!

[Jaimee]

How did you doctor confirm it wasn't allergies or exacerbated by allergies?  I tend to get rhinitis of pregnancy as well, but I can mostly control it with the neti pot IF my allergies are under control.  I take rhinocort to keep my allergies in check.  It's cat. B and I find after a few days of the prescribed dose I can cut the dosage in half or even take it every few days or so and still get relief.  OTC nasal decongestant sprays do work great but the tissue becomes addicted after about a week (depending on the dose/frequency you're taking)- meaning you have to keep taking it to get relief and when you stop it's 10x worse than before.  Just be careful!

[bethany42309]

Yes she's right about the decongestant sprays....that's why I say only use them if you are desperate.  And why I only said use them at night to sleep, not around the clock. 

I was on allergy meds at the same time, but I can't remember what now.  We've since moved to the Oklahoma panhandle (originally from NC) and have not had one allergy problem.  It's to dry out here and there's hardly and flowers so I've had no problems with that this pg.  But I had the rhinitis before hay fever season last time and it got worse as that time of year came around. 

I wish I could of stayed away from those sprays before but I absolutely can not stand to not be able to breathe.  And it got to me.  If you use them long term you will have to wean yourself off.  It wasn't that bad.  Just stop using it in one side of your nose at a time.  When the one side clears up where you're not using it then stop using it in the other side as well. 

But it's totally up to you on how much you can bare!  I whimped out and took the spray, I just couldn't handle it anymore.  I had constant headaches from being so stuffy, plus no sleep and working full time...I needed something to give.

Hope you feel better soon!

[Strong Mama]

I used BREATH right strips my whole twin pregnancy. I had this same thing, those were the only things that helped.

[mamabelle]

 I was trying to just wait for allergy season to be over, but I have also been suffering for at least 2 months now.  I hate not being able to breathe through my nose!!  I try to do the neti pot 1-2x/day, which helps, but I still get stuffed up again when I lie down at night.  I think I'll try the breath right strips, thanks for the tip!

[Celticqueen]

Originally Posted by Jaimee 

How did you doctor confirm it wasn't allergies or exacerbated by allergies?  I tend to get rhinitis of pregnancy as well, but I can mostly control it with the neti pot IF my allergies are under control.  I take rhinocort to keep my allergies in check.  It's cat. B and I find after a few days of the prescribed dose I can cut the dosage in half or even take it every few days or so and still get relief.  OTC nasal decongestant sprays do work great but the tissue becomes addicted after about a week (depending on the dose/frequency you're taking)- meaning you have to keep taking it to get relief and when you stop it's 10x worse than before.  Just be careful!

I am a huge allergy sufferer- been suffering from them my whole life. That's how I knew something was wrong. Rhinitis is worsened if you've had a history of allergies. A double whammy, so to speak. When my ENT looked in my sinuses with his scope, he had to actually force it in because they were so obstructed and swollen. So you are correct, it's half allergies, half hormones. But I kenw something was wrong when a month after I got pregnant, I flat out couldn't breath through my nose at all- without sneezing, without any other symptoms. That's not allergies, and I know allergies, unfortunately. My left nostril is in a permenant state of clogged. 

Ok, so, update- I got the prescriptions the ENT perscribed me. Nasonex and another decongestant spray. I started it an hour ago and can already see noticable changes! I will continue this and update if it worked. So hoping to combat this asap!!!

[Seuriu]

I have chronic sinus problems and allergies which have been made 10x worse with pregnancy. I've started using the Neilmed Sinus Rinse and it makes a HUGE difference! I use it once a day, on occasion twice a day. I thought it would be really horrible and uncomfortable to use at first but it actually feels quite good - in a weird way.

[Jaimee]

Originally Posted by Celticqueen 

I got the prescriptions the ENT perscribed me. Nasonex and another decongestant spray. I started it an hour ago and can already see noticable changes! I will continue this and update if it worked. So hoping to combat this asap!!!

Why Nasonex?  I know it's supposed to be gentler to your sinus tissue- more hydrating, not causing that dry feeling that leads to nose bleeds.   But it's it's category C.  Rhinocort is category B.  Did your doc have a reason you needed Nasonex instead?

[Celticqueen]

Originally Posted by Jaimee 

Why Nasonex?  I know it's supposed to be gentler to your sinus tissue- more hydrating, not causing that dry feeling that leads to nose bleeds.   But it's it's category C.  Rhinocort is category B.  Did your doc have a reason you needed Nasonex instead?

At the doctor's appointment, we talked a long time about this. My history with my ENT is rather large- back in November I got sinus surgery to try to make it easier for infections to drain (I have a huge history of infections), and have seen him 5 times since surgery with terrible infections. A lot of good surgery did 

So, here I am, pregnant, symptoms worse than ever. And this is what he found by using his intra nasal scope (a large, uncomfortable tube with a camera at the end that goes deep in the sinuses to look at the membranes and see how much infection is in there.

The results shocked me. NO INFECTION. A tiny bit of yellow mucus, but not enough to be classified as anything big. The problem is that my membranes are so swollen form pregnancy, that even with 10x a day salt water that I've been using for months, it's done nothing. I couldn't smell. I couldn't breath at night. It's been a nightmare. So glad I went in!

To answer your question- we decided Nasonex wasn't the best solution and he instead gave me Triamcinolone Acetonide (snorted steroid, much like Nasonex). Many pregnant patients use it, and even my own midwifery clinic perscribes it- although I don't know the category. The problem is, and I know this sounds terrible, but even if it was in a questionable category, I'd still probably take it. That's how desperate I am. It's either this, or continue to take Sudafed every day (which is not good to take in pregnancy every day!). The risk of inhaled steroids entering the bloodstream is extremely unlikely, so I've researched and been told- which is why it's perscribed. I also have to take an inhaled steroid for my chronic asthma. The way I see it is this: I am a severe asthmatic, and allergy sufferer, all made worse by pregnancy. I'd rather the baby get oxygen and me get enough sleep to grow the baby, than not take steroids. I don't know if that's the best attitude for me to have, but it's just the truth.

Asthma and rhinitis combined is horribly terriying. Waking up at night unable to breath through the nose and wheezing because there happens to be a tiny bit of dust in the air or the window was left open. It's suffocating!

Wanted to update after using Triamcinolone...I've been using it for 4 days now and I haven't woken up once at night. Beyond that, I am blowing my nose like crazy because everything is finally draining!!!!!! I have no more sinus pressure, nothing is trapped anymore, and I am so relieved. 

I highly recommend it for rhinitis of pregnancy. It's been doing me wonders and I am so grateful to have found it!

[Jaimee]

Originally Posted by Celticqueen 

To answer your question- we decided Nasonex wasn't the best solution and he instead gave me Triamcinolone Acetonide (snorted steroid, much like Nasonex). Many pregnant patients use it, and even my own midwifery clinic perscribes it- although I don't know the category.

It's category C.  I am happy to hear that you're feeling so much better.  I  do feel your pain... I cannot sleep at all if I can't breathe through my nose.  I had a sinus infection this winter that was so horrendous that I was totally incapacitated for weeks.  I didn't sleep much more than 10 minutes at a time.  Not breathing is awful.  I'm just wondering if it's worth it to try Rhinocort now that you're clearing out.  It's a steroid too and should act similarly on your nasal tissue to the triamcinolone, but more studies have been done on its safety during pregnancy.  Just a thought...

[Lisa1970]

Total sufferer here. Nothing is helping. I hate it. I am so sleep deprived over it. I am almost 28 weeks pregnant. 12 more weeks of this.

[Celticqueen]

Well, the idea with steroids (at least this is true for asthma) is that you don't continue to use them forever, and the idea is that it will make your airways permenantly open. This is one reason why some asthmatics grow out of asthma (lucky them! I still suffer immensely). Not sure if it's the same for nasal passages though. I will say thought that I've not used the nasal steroid for 3 days now, and it's as if I'm still using it- I think using it for 2 weeks really opened everything up, and I hope I don't have to use it anymore!!

[lactatinggirl]

My first pregnancy was exactly the same. I was stuffed constantly. I didn't want to take any sort of medicine for it, so the only time I got any relief is when I would take a really hot shower and blow my nose multiple times (while in the shower, which some people may think is gross). Some nights I would shower and then head straight to bed. The only good news I would say is that, for me, literally hours within delivering I could suddenly breathe through my nose again. It was awesome. 

[element2012]

How weird that pregnancy could bring this on.  I am in the same boat, but really my sinuses are always an issue.  I've never taken anything, but I do keep lots of tissues around, and I try to to be dilligent about making sure there is no dust under the bed and that the air filter is clean which has helped some...