What did you NOT smoke today?

[dk_ace]

So yesterday I had tons of work to be done. I finished up about 6:00, and then found out the wife was going to be gone most of the evening. I decide that I just might light up my first shark. After I finish working out I grab a bite to eat and decide that I will try something before I start smoking.

I've been battling sinus problems for the last few months and my nose has been a little stuffy, which as you know makes it a little hard to realized the full potential a cigar has to offer. My wife had picked up some nasal spray a few weeks ago that I used once and found it to be pretty effective and long lasting. I thought it would be a good idea to use it to open me up so that I could really taste the cigar.

I didn't experience anything unusual the first time I used the stuff, so I didn't expect anything unusual this time. Was I ever wrong! After I squirted it, I noticed that it stung pretty good. I figured it would go away pretty soon. Wrong again! It intensified. Within twenty minutes I was desperate for relief. I felt like I had just sprayed battery acid down my sinus passages. My nose and nasal passages, as well as my throat were on fire. I got online and started searching to see if anyone else had experienced this and what I could do. I found several lawsuits against the manufacturers from people who had experienced this, but no suggestion as to what to do about it.

I layed there helplessly for the next two hours praying it would stop. Apparently this stuff will occasionally cause people's nasal passages to dry out to the point it more or less burns them. There is no solution that I could find. In the end, it took about five hours for the burning to stop. I haven't been that miserable in a long time. Needless to say, I didn't fire up that shark after all.

I think I deserve a few extra cigars this week since that happened!

D

 

[MoeCizlak]

Wow. That sounds absolutely horrible. Hope you don't go through that again.

 

[dk_ace]

Wow. That sounds absolutely horrible. Hope you don't go through that again.

No chance of that as I won't ever be using a product along those lines again.

D

 

[cabaiguan juan]

wow. So what was the name, so i can avoid repeating your episode?

 

[dk_ace]

It was a Kroger store brand nasal spray. The bottle is at home, but I'll post the active ingredient when I get home tonight. I should add that this reaction appears to be pretty rare, so you probably shouldn't worry about it. I just won't take the chance again because I know it has happened once already to me and would probably happen again.

D

 

[bilder]

I have been having sinus troubles and tried nasal snuff last week with positive results. Clears the nose really well.

 

[denverdog]

I have been having sinus troubles and tried nasal snuff last week with positive results. Clears the nose really well.

It works really well for me as well, in fact I was almost too dependent on it for a 3 month period earlier this year. I was/am on the road a lot and used it to help clear my sinuses so I could get a decent sleep while staying in a hotel. The problem I ran into was that my body became so used to it I had to use it every day or I would be miserably stuffy. From what I understand Afrin, (or whatever nosespray you use) makes your nasal membranes shrink (for lack of a better word). When the Afrin wears off, the membrane swells and you can't breath. Long story short, I only use it if I absolutely have to.

 

[dk_ace]

When I used it the first time it worked great for me as well, which is why I used it last night. It appears to be a scattered, rare occurence. I'm not saying anyone shouldn't use the spray. I was just telling my story.

D

 

[Rebel Herfer]

I know where you're coming from - I've been battling a severe sinus infection on an off for a month. Now the Doc is shooting me full of steroids/cortizone and giving me horsepills. This sucks - I can't enjoy some of the great cigars I've set aside for this time of year. I haven't even been on CP as I'm so damn tired!! I'm sorry you feel so bad, I hope everyoine gets better in time to enjoy some smokes, soon.

 

[rectifythis]

I have found what really helps sinuses and blows out sinus infections quickly....I used to be a Sudafed-aholic until my herbalist told me to start slamming ginger. At the onset of a sinus infection, I begin taking 5 caps of ginger 5 times a day. Really really helps. Cheap too. Try it and get away from that synthetic crap.

 

[PuffShePuff]

I had a similar experience using Afrin. Not as bad ,but bad enough.

Jim

 

[gunsandcigars88]

look at the bright side. At least you sprayed that crap BEFORE you put the torch to the Shark.
B

 

[wasy]

Over the counter nasal sprays are bad news in general! They are really bad if you suffer from high blood pressure and they are actually addictive. Next time try a saline nasal spray or as disgusting as it sounds a nasal wash works REALLY REALLY well. Something about blowing a big bottle of liquid up your nose to the point of it coming out your moth is difficult to over come but it can be instant relief so long as you get it before it becomes an infection.

 

[dk_ace]

Over the counter nasal sprays are bad news in general! They are really bad if you suffer from high blood pressure and they are actually addictive. Next time try a saline nasal spray or as disgusting as it sounds a nasal wash works REALLY REALLY well. Something about blowing a big bottle of liquid up your nose to the point of it coming out your moth is difficult to over come but it can be instant relief so long as you get it before it becomes an infection.

You see that's the thing, I thought that that was a saline nose spray. I don't typically use medicines, so I didn't know that there were that many kinds of nose spray. It was just something my wife had in the medicine chest. I'll be sure to pick up a real saline spray next time I'm in the store.

RebelHerfer told me about that wash thing a while back, but I forgot what he called it. I think I might try that one day.

D

 

[Treamayne]

I have been having sinus troubles and tried nasal snuff last week with positive results. Clears the nose really well.

It works really well for me as well, in fact I was almost too dependent on it for a 3 month period earlier this year. I was/am on the road a lot and used it to help clear my sinuses so I could get a decent sleep while staying in a hotel. The problem I ran into was that my body became so used to it I had to use it every day or I would be miserably stuffy. From what I understand Afrin, (or whatever nosespray you use) makes your nasal membranes shrink (for lack of a better word). When the Afrin wears off, the membrane swells and you can't breath. Long story short, I only use it if I absolutely have to.

Afrin and the like are vaso-constrictors, they cause the capilaries in the sinus passages to restrict blood flow to teh are, thereby reducing swelling and opening the passages. They aren't supposed to be addictive in the chemical dependancy sense (unless you are using a steriod spray, but those are prescription) but they can get repetitive in the sense you described since all the swelling comes back as it wears off and the sinus get plugged again, sometimes worse than before. When it dries out the passages I useually use a mister or humidifier, sit over it and breath in the wet air to help return moisture to teh sinus tissues. It takes about 30 minutes to get some releif from the burning/bleeding (when my nose dries like this I start sneezing blood). If you don't have a humidifier, you can get the same results from boiling some water and breathing in the steam (let it cool a little or the steam is too hot and can do more damage). Running plain water through a coffee maker and using the steam there works too, and is generally cool enough to breath.

Doc or someone with more knowledge than just lay experience can probably chime in with more info. I know the advice is a little late for you, but just for future FYI for everyone.

-K-

 

[Seanholio]

I know where you're coming from - I've been battling a severe sinus infection on an off for a month. Now the Doc is shooting me full of steroids/cortizone and giving me horsepills. This sucks - I can't enjoy some of the great cigars I've set aside for this time of year. I haven't even been on CP as I'm so damn tired!! I'm sorry you feel so bad, I hope everyoine gets better in time to enjoy some smokes, soon.

Over the counter nasal sprays are bad news in general! They are really bad if you suffer from high blood pressure and they are actually addictive. Next time try a saline nasal spray or as disgusting as it sounds a nasal wash works REALLY REALLY well. Something about blowing a big bottle of liquid up your nose to the point of it coming out your moth is difficult to over come but it can be instant relief so long as you get it before it becomes an infection.

I noticed there are bottles of nasal saline washes (also called sinus lavages) which will clean you out pretty well. It washes all the mucus down the back into your throat, where you can spit it out in the sink and make fun of all the pretty colors in there. The nice part about this is that you are doing exactly what your body is trying to do: get the contaminants (bacteria or allergens) washed out of your nose.

It's not fun. It's not pretty. It does provide relief.