sniff sniff

[laura_dropstitch]

Hi everyone. I know lots of you suffer with persistent sniffly nose as a side effect of your heart meds. Do any of you have any home remedies/old wives' tales that have helped to alleviate this? My constant sniffing is beginning to annoy me...and my family! Thanks for your help

[Calliope153]

The aspirin runny nose you mean? Try menthol cough sweet for a very temporary relief..... and if nothing else you can enjoy making other peoples' eyes run when you breathe out......

[laura_dropstitch Heart Star in reply to Calliope153]

I don't take aspirin but I'm guessing it's the same thing. Not sure which of my medications is responsible - maybe beta blockers? My nose isn't ever really blocked but has been constantly low-level sniffly for years. I do like menthol so might give your suggestion a try. Thanks for replying!

[IanMK in reply to laura_dropstitch]

This may be too much information 😖, but is it a very thin mucus (more like tears) that comes from the front of the nostrils rather than the back like when you have a cold? I’ve always thought it was my sinuses draining and that it was related to BP meds (Ramipril?)

I can’t help with a remedy, though. Just carry a handkerchief 🙂🙂

[laura_dropstitch Heart Star in reply to IanMK]

Yes, I'd say that's a good description of it...if a little embarrassing! 😂 I am never without a hankie nowadays. Rock and roll! Ha ha!

[dawnz in reply to laura_dropstitch]

Me too a slightly damp tissue is the new must have.. I take aspirin and bisorporol also diuretics and sniffed and gently dripped away for years it seems

[Shar28]

Hi, have you tried using a salt water spray? It helps to clean and settle the lining of the nose and sinuses and can be surprisingly effective. It doesn’t affect any meds either. You can buy it in chemists or make your own with boiled water and salt - half a teaspoon in a mug - which you then sniff up. It can be disgusting but it gets better!

All the best.

[Lynnca in reply to Shar28]

I find a salt water spray helps

They seem to be very popular at the moment. You can buy a sterimar one at the chemist

[Qualipop in reply to Lynnca]

That's what ENT recommended, My GP's comment? "Oh following the fashion are they?"

[laura_dropstitch Heart Star in reply to Shar28]

Thanks for that - I'll definitely give this a go

[Deanosbeano]

Glad you mentioned this , I didn't know it was so widespread , looks like salt water spray is popular ,I'm going to try this myself too

[Carokai]

I resolved it by giving up Dairy.

I hadn’t realised I had any kind of Dairy allergy, but My Sinuses got worse after my HA, I developed sniffy nose and I started to lose my sense of smell.

Gave up Dairy at Christmas (Oat milk and Avocado spread now) and within a fortnight it had all gone.

[laura_dropstitch Heart Star in reply to Carokai]

Oh no! Cheese is my life 😳 I'll try the salt water spray first but will give this a go if that doesn't work. Glad you've found a solution that works for you x

[Carokai in reply to laura_dropstitch]

Cheese was my life as well (I am Vegetarian) and has been very hard to give up.

However, I had totally lost my sense of smell and that was very distressing !!

[laura_dropstitch Heart Star in reply to Carokai]

I'm vegetarian too so cheese is an important savoury item to me, although I do believe vegans are doing the right thing and I often feel like I should at least be part-time vegan. You know, lately I've been noticing my sense of taste is not what it used to be. Maybe I'll do a couple of vegan weeks and see if that changes anything. Also cheese is really the embodiment of everything a heart patient shouldn't eat regularly! But I ♥️🧀!

[Recoder_Bill in reply to laura_dropstitch]

Hi Laura,

"... cheese ... the embodiment of everything a heart patient shouldn't eat regularly"? ... I think not.

I'm seriously addicted to cheese ... I have an entire shelf in my fridge that is only for cheese ... yum!

Now I have had a prosthetic aortic valve since 2005 but now have had my aortic root and hemi-arch replaced with a Dacron graft with a new integral mechnical aortic valve. Now whether you would class me as a "heart patient" is open to question but ... I seem to be one of those people that don't have high cholesterol so I have no "furring up" of my blood vessels and diary products don't seem to make any difference. This is fortunate ... but I deeply empathise with you over having to curtail your cheese intake.

The other thing I'd like to say is that I was diagnosed with a bicuspid aortic valve 30 ... 40 years ago and was put on Ramipril, even though I had what might be called a normal blood pressure, to protect the aortic valve.

Later on, 25'ish years ago, I was diagnosed with atrial fribrilation (AF) and put on dilitiazem, a calcium channel blocker, to lower my heart rate. More recently, November 2018, I had to have the Dacron grafts to my aorta and after the operation they took me off the dilitiazem and put me on bisoprolol, a beta blocker.

In all that time I didn't have the "old man's sniff" UNTIL I was put on the beta blocker.

So, for me at least, I don't think it's the cheese or the Ramipril ... it's that pesky bisoprolol which I hate with a vengeance!!!! ... and it has other very noticeable side effects too.

So, it's the pocketful of tissues for me ... unless I disregard all pride and join my partner's baby nephew and let the snot run down my face ... somehow I don't think she'd be as sympathetic with me compared to her nephew!

OK, that's my two pennyworth.

I hope your dietry changes work out for you.

Regards,

Phil.

[laura_dropstitch Heart Star in reply to Recoder_Bill]

Oh, I'm not committed to giving up cheese entirely just yet. Will see if the trial run makes a difference to my sniffles and then weigh up the pros and cons. Some cheese may be worth the sniffing!

When my heart problems started I actually asked my cardiologist if it could have been caused by excessive cheese consumption. This question was met with much laughter from every medical professional in the room! Like you, my cholesterol hasn't been an issue so far, so I'm definitely not saying cheese is a no-no for us, but it surely wouldn't do my body any harm to have the occasional cheese-free day/week and there may come a time when the cheese consumption starts to catch up on my arteries, I guess.

And as I type this I'm savouring the last mouthful of a cheese sandwich 😂 which probably tells you all you need to know!

[Recoder_Bill in reply to laura_dropstitch]

Good for you Laura 😂

[Glasgowgirl1947 in reply to laura_dropstitch]

Laura when my husband was told his cholesterol was a bit on the high side he was told he had to give up cheese, honestly, you would have thought he was in mourning!! He couldn't stop, he cut down but is back up to just eating what he likes. It keeps him happy anyway x

[laura_dropstitch Heart Star in reply to Glasgowgirl1947]

Aw, poor guy! I'm sure I heard cheese stimulates the same parts of the brain as the most addictive drugs. I don't find that too hard to believe!

[Hidden in reply to Recoder_Bill]

Hi Phil. Just arrived at the forum from the AFib one. Have you tried asking for your Bisoprolol to be changed to Nebivolol. Much more user friendly.

Di

[Recoder_Bill in reply to Hidden]

Hi Di,

No I haven't, I'll certainly look into that.

Thanks for your input.

Regards,

Phil.

[Qualipop in reply to Carokai]

That's not my problem. I've had cheese just once since last August although I do have mik in my tea- always have without problems.

[Carokai in reply to Qualipop]

I have also always had milk in my tea and didn’t discover it was an issue until I changed to Oatly (Oat Milk).

The change in a week was unbelievable.

[Qualipop in reply to Carokai]

Worth a thought thanks.

[Prada47]

Good Morning Laura your post has brought a smile,

When I asked my GP about this she just replied " It's called Old Mans Drip " So next time you see your GP ask if it's Young Girls drip in your case !!!

Best Regards

[laura_dropstitch Heart Star in reply to Prada47]

😂 Thanks!

[Qualipop]

Well,that explains a lot. I'm now on week 8 of a horrific streaming nose . Night time is he worst as it runs down into my upper airway and I wake up coughing fit to burst. I'm having to sleep propped up which is causing my spinal pain to go through the roof. ENT put a camera up my nose and throat and there's no problem except extreme dryness. They say you produce more mucous because the tissues are so dry. Tried the salt water but it doesn't help. I need to be able to lie down properly before it does permanent damage to my spine .

[laura_dropstitch Heart Star in reply to Qualipop]

Oh, that sounds really awful. Hopefully someone will suggest something here that might work for you. Guessing you've tried steam etc already? Good luck with it x

[Qualipop]

Yep tried steam, menthol, karvol ( no longer available); allergic to olbas oil; salt water, menthol crystals.Taken anti histamines for a full month. Steroid sprays just dry my nose up more. I even had to call 999 once when i was laid down as I simply couldn't get my breath my airway was so blocked with mucous. Being propped up at least it now doesn't get that bad but it's really killing my spine and affecting my legs now with trapped nerves and I'm getting loss of feeling in my hands because my neck's at such an odd angle. Still on aspirin but oddly this has only started since I stopped clopidogrel. Maybe I should go back to clopi and ditch the aspirin LOL

[Glasgowgirl1947 in reply to Qualipop]

I have an Ajustamatic bed and have not laid flat for years, even since having 2 valves repaired I'm still reclining. I raise the bottom of the bed a wee bit and have the top half raised to a comfortable position for lying down. When I'm away from home I take a V-shaped pillow and have to position that and pillows which means I'm usually almost sitting up. The beds are not cheap but they will save your back etc. My bed also has a massage function and I find that very soothing. I use one of the memory foam shaped pillows, wish I could draw it for you xx

[Qualipop in reply to Glasgowgirl1947]

I Know what you mean. Unfortunately I can't afford one. I've just bought 2 mattresses; the first one did something horrific to my spine from which i haven't recovered. The company made a bespoke one for me at a much smaller price and it suits my spine but it's this constant streaming nose doing me in. I have an adjustable backrest but it has a metal frame which hurts if I move and pillows keep sliding down even a V shaped one. Stupidly my actual nostrils are bone dry which ENT says is why it runs so much down the back of my throat. The only time ever I've been comfortable propped up was on a hospital bed. I wish I could have brought it home.

[Glasgowgirl1947 in reply to Qualipop]

Have you asked the physios or your doctor if it's possible to have a hospital style bed? It may be that with your spine problems and this need to be propped up that you could qualify? It's worth asking the question, the worst they can say is no! xx

[Qualipop in reply to Glasgowgirl1947]

No, never thought to. I don't have anything to do with Soc services or such. They even refused me a stair lift when we moved house even though my last one would have fit perfectly and just transferred over. Supposed to be getting a new wheelchair but the chap who serviced it put that request in over 6 months ago. NO word at all. When the consultant asked for a bed for my dad when he had cancer, it arrived 3 weeks after he died. Waste of space the lot of them. When dad died I tried to send back loads of aids and they wouldn't have them. Waste of money too.

[Glasgowgirl1947 in reply to Qualipop]

It's really worth having a go as I say the worst they can say is no! Keep phoning about the wheelchair don't let them forget you. You have to be proactive with these people. Get your doctor or consultant to get in touch with them and keep pushing, you have paid your NI all your days and it's a disgrace the way we're being treated now!

[Qualipop in reply to Glasgowgirl1947]

Oh I shall, no worry. I've been dealing with these people for 20 years and more

[Glasgowgirl1947]

I've had a "cold" for years and didn't realise it might be medication, I've taken Atenolol for so long I can't remember when I started. I had 2 valves repaired in March and am on Bisoprolol now so maybe this will help. I actually tried a hayfever cure last summer as I couldn't think what else it could be. I live on Jakemans Menthol Sweets.

[laura_dropstitch Heart Star in reply to Glasgowgirl1947]

Yes, I thought it was a low-level ENDLESS cold for a long time but pretty certain no cold can last 7.5 years! I'm going to try the salt water spray, maybe that will help you too? Good luck

[Qualipop in reply to Glasgowgirl1947]

Done both of those; taken a month of antihistamines. NO luck

[Billiewizz]

I use a salt water nasal sprays every morning that flushes the nose and sinuses. Not that pleasant but does help.

[laura_dropstitch Heart Star in reply to Billiewizz]

Thanks. Seems like a popular solution - will definitely give it a go.

[Qualipop]

Try a neti pot.

[Hullensian]

My nose continually drips, very embarrassing. It started when I was prescribed Sotalol and Apixaban. Would imagine other beta-blockers and anti-coagulants have a similar effect. Husband has same problem and he's on statins, BP meds (including asprin). It is surprising for him as he also take antihistamine every day for hives, which one would think would take away his "drips". It gets so heavy for him, that sometime he has to insert tissues into his nostrils! I know! "UGH".

[laura_dropstitch Heart Star in reply to Hullensian]

Oh no! Never a good look 🤧🙈

[12345pink]

I’ve recently had blocked nose and my eyes are really tearful which is awful as people look at you and I can see what they are thinking that I’m crying but I’m not. Think il try salt water. The eyes affect my nose too and I just can’t go without a handkerchief. I will try the salt water it’s worth a try. Hope you got yr problem solved.

Ou

[laura_dropstitch Heart Star in reply to 12345pink]

Ohh, weepy eyes sounds very frustrating. Hope some of the suggestions in the replies work for you. I still haven't tried any of them but going to the chemist today so will ask about the salt water spray. Good luck x

[12345pink]

Thanks see what happens. I’m getting a pacemaker on 21 May under light anaesthetic and think to myself will I be ok. Good luck.

[laura_dropstitch Heart Star in reply to 12345pink]

You absolutely will be OK and hopefully will start to feel the benefits of the pacemaker soon. I had my device fitted six years ago and I love it. Getting it fitted is not fun but it's not the worst and in the longer term it is fantastic. Good luck x

[12345pink]

Thank you Laura for reassuring me. I am absolutely terrified. Best of luck with your nose and eyes. I had an optlcians appointment on Thursday and what she said to me boil the kettle let it cool down when it’s cooled put it in a basin get some cotton wool and go along the bottom half of your eyes first wiping the Colton wool over it and massage your eyes then do the lids exactly the same. She said it was the tear ducts being blocked and not doing their job properLy.