Neti Alternative?
April 27, 2024 4:40 AM Subscribe
Seeking some sort of alternative to a neti pot. Is there such a thing?
Details inside...
My wife has been suffering from some pretty severe sinus headaches. She’s been to her ENT, been scanned, gone through multiple rounds of various antihistamines, sprays, antibiotics, what have you, with not much success in alleviating the problem.
All through this, her ENT has been gently encouraging her to try using a neti pot, which I heartedly agree with. I’m a big fan of neti pots. My wife has seen how well they work for me.
She’s tried a neti pot in the past and it was a disaster. My wife has a huge phobia about drowning. She freaks-out in a pool if the water gets close to her chin, even if her feet are touching the bottom. Using a neti pot brings that drowning phobia roaring back and it’s a traumatic experience. Deep down, she knows flushing-out her sinuses could be a good thing to do in this instance, but she just can’t get past the sensation of drowning while she uses it.
Is there any viable alternative to the traditional neti pot? I’ve seen the pump-driven appliances and wonder if those might be a good alternative. You can sit upright, and not in that bent-over-the-sink-while-pouring-the flush-into-your-head position.
Do any of you have experience with a pump appliance? Is the experience more comfortable? Is there anything else out there than might provide a less traumatic experience for my wife?
My wife has been suffering from some pretty severe sinus headaches. She’s been to her ENT, been scanned, gone through multiple rounds of various antihistamines, sprays, antibiotics, what have you, with not much success in alleviating the problem.
All through this, her ENT has been gently encouraging her to try using a neti pot, which I heartedly agree with. I’m a big fan of neti pots. My wife has seen how well they work for me.
She’s tried a neti pot in the past and it was a disaster. My wife has a huge phobia about drowning. She freaks-out in a pool if the water gets close to her chin, even if her feet are touching the bottom. Using a neti pot brings that drowning phobia roaring back and it’s a traumatic experience. Deep down, she knows flushing-out her sinuses could be a good thing to do in this instance, but she just can’t get past the sensation of drowning while she uses it.
Is there any viable alternative to the traditional neti pot? I’ve seen the pump-driven appliances and wonder if those might be a good alternative. You can sit upright, and not in that bent-over-the-sink-while-pouring-the flush-into-your-head position.
Do any of you have experience with a pump appliance? Is the experience more comfortable? Is there anything else out there than might provide a less traumatic experience for my wife?
No experience with pump appliances or phobias, sorry, but the NeilMed squeeze bottle is a simpler alternative to the neti pot. I use mine in the shower to minimize mess and awkwardness. When I started using it I would just remind myself "don't worry, the water's just coming out the other nostril, it's nowhere near my lungs." Really, there's no sensation that the water is anywhere near the pharynx and you can continue breathing through the mouth.
posted by JimN2TAW at 4:49 AM on April 27 [5 favorites]
posted by JimN2TAW at 4:49 AM on April 27 [5 favorites]
Yeah I am a huge fan of the Nelimed bottle. So much more control. That said, there is a learning curve with any of these and especially if your sinuses are ganked up some of the water can go out the back and feel kind of gaggy or chokey. But ah, the satisfaction of seeing a giant slug of snot come out of your nostril!
I agree that starting by using it in the shower is a good way to try - firstly, the shower can help loosen things up already; secondly, less mess; thirdly, if you're already wet in a safe way, the water in the nose feeling might be less triggering.
posted by mskyle at 4:54 AM on April 27 [6 favorites]
I agree that starting by using it in the shower is a good way to try - firstly, the shower can help loosen things up already; secondly, less mess; thirdly, if you're already wet in a safe way, the water in the nose feeling might be less triggering.
posted by mskyle at 4:54 AM on April 27 [6 favorites]
I use the NeilMed bottles with the little packets of solution powder plus the distilled water. I have to microwave the distilled water first and get it to slightly warm otherwise I feel like I’m snorting pool water. The temperature makes a huge difference for me.
posted by loulou718 at 5:43 AM on April 27 [1 favorite]
posted by loulou718 at 5:43 AM on April 27 [1 favorite]
We own a Navage - which is one of the pump-driven devices you have mentioned. It’s very effective - albeit a very…unusual sensation to have water both simultaneously pumped and vacuumed through your sinuses. It takes some getting used to - I don’t expect it will alleviate your wife’s discomfort with the process, but it might be worth a shot.
posted by gnutron at 5:56 AM on April 27 [7 favorites]
posted by gnutron at 5:56 AM on April 27 [7 favorites]
I have had really severe sinus issues this year and after feeling like my Neti was coming up short I went out about bought a Navage and it's the best fucking thing ever and I am now a total convert. Suction! Suction is the way!
It's a bit pricey, but it does a much better job than the Neti and I find the sensation much more pleasurable.
However, my wife sounds like your wife. She tried to use a Neti once and nearly threw up. She just can't stand water like that. I got her to try the Navage once and it was similarly a disaster. So. I don't know. If she can't stand water in her sinuses like that, I don't know what alternative is going to work.
But I would take a bullet for my Navage. The sinus relief it has provided me is truly amazing
posted by kbanas at 6:09 AM on April 27 [2 favorites]
It's a bit pricey, but it does a much better job than the Neti and I find the sensation much more pleasurable.
However, my wife sounds like your wife. She tried to use a Neti once and nearly threw up. She just can't stand water like that. I got her to try the Navage once and it was similarly a disaster. So. I don't know. If she can't stand water in her sinuses like that, I don't know what alternative is going to work.
But I would take a bullet for my Navage. The sinus relief it has provided me is truly amazing
posted by kbanas at 6:09 AM on April 27 [2 favorites]
The best part of the Navage is the reservoir at the bottom where you can see all your sinus gunk. It's like popping a pimple but so much better.
posted by kbanas at 6:11 AM on April 27 [3 favorites]
posted by kbanas at 6:11 AM on April 27 [3 favorites]
The Navage is especially nice because you can breathe through your mouth as you …navage. I guess technically you can with a neti pot but it’s drippier.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 7:05 AM on April 27 [2 favorites]
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 7:05 AM on April 27 [2 favorites]
Would steaming work for her? A hot steaming bowl of water and towel draped over her head to capture the steam? Takes a bit longer but my nose and throat loosens up this way.
posted by tipsyBumblebee at 7:26 AM on April 27 [4 favorites]
posted by tipsyBumblebee at 7:26 AM on April 27 [4 favorites]
I much prefer the neti squeeze bottle, too, but it's still an aversive sensation.
I wonder if it might help her to build up to using it gradually, almost like a graded exposure program for anxiety, so that she gets used to the sensation in multiple sessions? Starting with something like a small nasal spray, which is really just a squirt of up into your nose, enough to wet the nasal passages but not force a large amount of liquid into them. Then progressing to something stronger, then to the neti squeeze bottle.
posted by fire, water, earth, air at 7:30 AM on April 27 [2 favorites]
I wonder if it might help her to build up to using it gradually, almost like a graded exposure program for anxiety, so that she gets used to the sensation in multiple sessions? Starting with something like a small nasal spray, which is really just a squirt of up into your nose, enough to wet the nasal passages but not force a large amount of liquid into them. Then progressing to something stronger, then to the neti squeeze bottle.
posted by fire, water, earth, air at 7:30 AM on April 27 [2 favorites]
n-thing Navage, which is the absolute bidness.
All you have to do is sniff in gently as it starts and then breathe through your mouth and then it's not so weird/uncomfortable.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:55 AM on April 27 [1 favorite]
All you have to do is sniff in gently as it starts and then breathe through your mouth and then it's not so weird/uncomfortable.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:55 AM on April 27 [1 favorite]
After using the Navage, I would no sooner attempt to clear my sinuses using a neti pot than I would attempt to mow my lawn with a 1950's style push reel mower. It might be arguably the same process, just mechanized, but it is several orders of magnitude easier and more effective.
Like, really... I pity the neti pot people now.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:30 AM on April 27 [4 favorites]
Like, really... I pity the neti pot people now.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:30 AM on April 27 [4 favorites]
Like, really... I pity the neti pot people now.
So, just to harp on the point - last week my Navage died, because I did something stupid (I got water in the battery compartment). They were great about it, and they sent me a free replacement unit - and they sent me a replacement unit before even receiving my broken unit back, because, in their words, "we want to get you back to breathing better as fast as possible" - and lo, I had my replacement unit two days later. The customer service was so scary good.
But for two days I had to go back to my old neti pot, and let me tell you, I know it's absolutely off the rails, but I seriously considered going out and buying *another* Navage, just so I wouldn't have to use my neti pot for those two days. I resisted the impulse, but, like, it's not like going back to a 1950's style push reel mower, it's like going back to a fucking scythe.
And I used a neti pot for like ten years before I discovered the Navage.
My wife kind of thinks I'm in a cult. Maybe I am?
posted by kbanas at 8:38 AM on April 27 [1 favorite]
So, just to harp on the point - last week my Navage died, because I did something stupid (I got water in the battery compartment). They were great about it, and they sent me a free replacement unit - and they sent me a replacement unit before even receiving my broken unit back, because, in their words, "we want to get you back to breathing better as fast as possible" - and lo, I had my replacement unit two days later. The customer service was so scary good.
But for two days I had to go back to my old neti pot, and let me tell you, I know it's absolutely off the rails, but I seriously considered going out and buying *another* Navage, just so I wouldn't have to use my neti pot for those two days. I resisted the impulse, but, like, it's not like going back to a 1950's style push reel mower, it's like going back to a fucking scythe.
And I used a neti pot for like ten years before I discovered the Navage.
My wife kind of thinks I'm in a cult. Maybe I am?
posted by kbanas at 8:38 AM on April 27 [1 favorite]
And before someone says it, yes, the pods are the Navage people's real grift and that's where they make their money.
But there isn't a neti pot user alive who, if someone said "Give me a quarter and I will make this work 3x better in half the time" wouldn't immediately begin looking for a quarter to hand over.
We probably are a cult, though.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:49 AM on April 27 [4 favorites]
But there isn't a neti pot user alive who, if someone said "Give me a quarter and I will make this work 3x better in half the time" wouldn't immediately begin looking for a quarter to hand over.
We probably are a cult, though.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:49 AM on April 27 [4 favorites]
And before someone says it, yes, the pods are the Navage people's real grift
This is absolutely true. The pods run between $0.40 and $0.50 a pop on Amazon, depending on how many you buy in a pack, and you need to use a fresh one with every use, but if you lean into it there are some advantages...
Like, they make eucalyptus pods? So you can do your nasal rinse but also inject some ecualyptus-ness into the whole process? And it burns a little bit, but in a good way, and kind of makes you feel like you injected a cough drop into your sinuses, which maybe sounds fucked up but is fucking great.
OK, I realize I'm way too into this thread, so I will now bow out. Good luck to your wife!
posted by kbanas at 9:05 AM on April 27 [2 favorites]
This is absolutely true. The pods run between $0.40 and $0.50 a pop on Amazon, depending on how many you buy in a pack, and you need to use a fresh one with every use, but if you lean into it there are some advantages...
Like, they make eucalyptus pods? So you can do your nasal rinse but also inject some ecualyptus-ness into the whole process? And it burns a little bit, but in a good way, and kind of makes you feel like you injected a cough drop into your sinuses, which maybe sounds fucked up but is fucking great.
OK, I realize I'm way too into this thread, so I will now bow out. Good luck to your wife!
posted by kbanas at 9:05 AM on April 27 [2 favorites]
This sterile nasal mist spray from Walgreens is not at all like drowning.
posted by amtho at 9:24 AM on April 27 [1 favorite]
posted by amtho at 9:24 AM on April 27 [1 favorite]
I came in to recommend the NeilMed bottle as well. I have bad seasonal allergies and it’s been such a game changer for me. I think the self squeeze on the bottle will really help her feel like she’s in control. It also allows me to stand upright when doing it (I do tilt my head a little) which’s also helps to keep me from feeling dissoriented.
posted by raccoon409 at 9:42 AM on April 27
posted by raccoon409 at 9:42 AM on April 27
NeilMed has replaced my neti pot completely. It's better, because I can vary the pressure by how much I squeeze the bottle. So it's more flexible. Most doctor's offices have a drawer full of them to give away. If not, they are often on sale on Amazon for less than ten dollars. It's also easier to clean, and its price makes it easier to have a spare in an office or a car.
The reason they give them away is because they expect to make money selling you expensive refill packets. But you can make your own refills. This formula is sanctioned by the American Academy of Asthma, Allergies, and Immunology, so I trust it.
posted by seasparrow at 9:51 AM on April 27
The reason they give them away is because they expect to make money selling you expensive refill packets. But you can make your own refills. This formula is sanctioned by the American Academy of Asthma, Allergies, and Immunology, so I trust it.
posted by seasparrow at 9:51 AM on April 27
I, too, have Concerns about drowning, and I would like to second the rec for sterile 0.9% saline spray. Specifically the push button kind (the squeeze bottle is cheaper, but the push button means the spray quality is consistent and gentle). You control how much fluid you're putting in your nose, you can remain upright the whole time (I shake my head to swish the water around in lieu of larger volumes of water).
Is it going to get as much out as a neti pot? No, probably not. But it gets way more compared to not rinsing at all.
As a note, I've tried both the not-marketed-directly-for-babies size bottle amtho linked (though the Target generic) and the marketed-for-babies kind I linked above and didn't notice a difference in the sensation of the spray.
(Avoid hypertonic saline for this use case- it's useful if you're very congested, but stings otherwise and that's definitely not a sensation you want for a first trial at this. Also avoid the saline gels- they're meant to cling, which you don't really want for a rinse.)
posted by smangosbubbles at 11:13 AM on April 27 [2 favorites]
Is it going to get as much out as a neti pot? No, probably not. But it gets way more compared to not rinsing at all.
As a note, I've tried both the not-marketed-directly-for-babies size bottle amtho linked (though the Target generic) and the marketed-for-babies kind I linked above and didn't notice a difference in the sensation of the spray.
(Avoid hypertonic saline for this use case- it's useful if you're very congested, but stings otherwise and that's definitely not a sensation you want for a first trial at this. Also avoid the saline gels- they're meant to cling, which you don't really want for a rinse.)
posted by smangosbubbles at 11:13 AM on April 27 [2 favorites]
So, you’ve probably seen nasal aspirators for kids- you put the hose on their nostril and you suck really hard to pull the boogers out into a trap? There are electric ones with motors so that you don’t have to do that.
Naturally, after watching it work its magic on the baby, I tried it on myself.
It. Was. Revelatory. It felt like how you feel after doing the neti pot, but with your dignity still intact.
I suggest trying one of those.
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 4:05 PM on April 27
Naturally, after watching it work its magic on the baby, I tried it on myself.
It. Was. Revelatory. It felt like how you feel after doing the neti pot, but with your dignity still intact.
I suggest trying one of those.
posted by BuddhaInABucket at 4:05 PM on April 27
Eye massager?
Perhaps this? I'm only suggesting this because a coworker just got one, and she said that, besides being great for relaxing, it made her sinuses run! Maybe the massaging feature will help your wife too?
posted by annieb at 4:14 PM on April 27 [1 favorite]
Perhaps this? I'm only suggesting this because a coworker just got one, and she said that, besides being great for relaxing, it made her sinuses run! Maybe the massaging feature will help your wife too?
posted by annieb at 4:14 PM on April 27 [1 favorite]
I get the whole drowning thing when trying to use a neti pot and similar devices, borrowed from my neti-loving allergy-prone father. It’s truly terrifying. What have never caused me anything but relief are the simple saline nasal spray bottles. Regularly using saline spray when I travel, when the pollen count is ridiculous, and when there is forest fire smoke is a massive upgrade for me and something I really need to remember is an option more often than I do. I’m sure it’s not the same relief as a neti pot might give, if I could use it, but it’s great all the same. Also bonus, a little bottle is super cheap so she can give it a try with very little commitment.
posted by Mizu at 4:00 AM on April 28
posted by Mizu at 4:00 AM on April 28
I find there are some good “full stream” style saline sprays that do a reasonably good job without being nearly as intense as a neti pot. I use one called HydraSense but I think NeilMed does one too.
posted by eekernohan at 2:18 PM on April 28
posted by eekernohan at 2:18 PM on April 28
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posted by ch1x0r at 4:47 AM on April 27 [15 favorites]