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Saline sprays?

Captain's Log, Supplemental

Okay, so this might be TMI, but Captain Caffeine snores loud enough to wake the dog.

He finally went to the doctor, who prescribed both an allergy spray and a saline spray for his nose.

Now, I use a homemade saline spray to help me with my sinus allergies. It's just 1/4 teaspoon of salt in 4 ounces of boiling water, cooled and poured into an old contact lens solution bottle so I can squirt it up my nose (maybe that really is TMI).

However, the saline spray prescribed for Captain Caffeine is this tiny packet he dissolves in 8 ounces of water, and he's supposed to discard the excess after using it just once! Talk about a rip off!

He looked online and lots of recipes recommend sea salt or pickling salt, plus baking power or baking soda (I don't remember which).

Do you guys have any recommendations? Why sea salt or pickling salt? Can't he use kosher salt? And why the baking powder/soda? Have you heard any other recipes for this stuff?

On the snoring front, his doctor's trying to get our insurance to approve a night at a sleep lab. He's got sleep apnea and I'm very glad he's finally going to a sleep lab. Hopefully they can find out what can be done to help him get a better night's sleep.
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Comments

Delia said…
I don't know about the salts and such but I hope Captain Caffeine can get some help with his sleep apnea.
Thu Jan 10, 07:00:00 PM 2008
Danica Favorite said…
Well, since I'm gross too, I'll tell you why he should dump the stuff out. Bacteria. Yep. You put it up your nose, little bacteria transfers to your nose medicine and now you've got a little germ colony growing in your medicine. ICK

The best thing to do is just make a fresh saline every day and snort it up there.

There's a good book, called Sinus Survival, that talks about some of this stuff. It helped a lot with my sinus issues. I'd send it to you, but I have no idea where it's packed.

How weird that of all the posts to comment on, it'd be this one.
Thu Jan 10, 10:24:00 PM 2008
Jennifer Crosswhite said…
I do the sinus rinse stuff daily too and it's been a life saver on my sinus infections. Personally, I use the premixed stuff from www.sinusrinse.com. I like it because it's easy and pretty cheap. But I made it myself for years. The baking soda has to do with the ph balance and making the mucus membranes more inhospitable to bacteria or something, if I remember correctly how my allergist explained it.
Fri Jan 11, 05:13:00 AM 2008
Myra Johnson said…
I'm also a faithful Sinus Rinse user (the packaged kit mentioned by Jennifer, available at most drugstores--starter kit and refills). My allergist recommended it last spring, and it helps TONS by rinsing out pollutants, allergens, and, uh, all that other yucky stuff up there. My hubby is an occasional snorer, too, and I got him to try it a few weeks ago. It has actually made a difference for the better.
Fri Jan 11, 08:17:00 AM 2008
Allyzona said…
has anyone ever tried Sinol? I read it's ingredients and it's all natural...the main ingredient is from cayanne pepper...have you tried it and had success? Please let me know...I only like to take meds with all natural ingredients.

Thanks
Ally
Fri Jan 11, 11:45:00 AM 2008
The Farmer Files said…
My husband tested positive for sleep apnea in a lab. Do you know what happens then? You should warn CC! The next step is to sleep every night with a mask on that regulates the amount of oxygen he gets every night, indefinitely. You will never sleep better. He might find it uncomfortable at first, but every one is much happier afterward.
Fri Jan 11, 04:36:00 PM 2008
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