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How To Make Your Own Nasal Spray For Sinus Congestion/Sinusitis + Save $$$$

Lotus97

Senior Member
Messages
2,041
Location
United States
I've been making my own saline nasal spray with Xylitol and grapefruit seed extract and it seems to work just as good as the ones you buy. The best bottles to use are Xclear xylitol nasal spray, Nutribiotic GSE spray, or Source Naturals Colloidal Silver nasal spray. Xclear and Source Naturals also have spray bottles for the mouth so make sure not to buy that by accident.

Before I share the recipe there is a warning for anyone using a neti pot or making your own nasal spray. You MUST use distilled water or boil the water before using it. If you're adding grapefruit seed extract to your nasal spray then probably don't need to take this precaution, but I'm not sure.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/03/rare-infection-prompts-neti-pot-warning/

But now, after two cases of a deadly brain infection were linked to neti pots, government health officials have issued new warnings about using them safely.
The Food and Drug Administration last month reported on two cases in Louisiana in which patients contracted infections after using neti pots filled with tap water. The culprit was an amoeba called Naegleria fowleri, which is commonly found in lakes, rivers and hot springs.
This kind of infection is exceedingly rare, but it usually occurs when people get water up the nose after swimming or diving in lakes or rivers; Naegleria fowleri can travel from the nose into the brain, where it causes primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, a disease that destroys brain tissue and is almost always fatal. In 123 known cases from 1962 to 2011 in the United States, only one person has survived, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Last year, Louisiana state health officials reported on two unrelated deaths — of a 20-year-old man and a 51-year-old woman who were believed to have been infected by tap water later found to be contaminated with Naegleria fowleri. Both had used tap water in a neti pot. (Because stomach acid kills the amoeba, drinking contaminated water does not lead to infection.)
As a result, the F.D.A. has issued new warnings reminding consumers to use distilled or filtered water in a neti pot. They can use bottled water, or they can boil water and let it cool before using.

The recipe I found at this site. Make sure to read the instructions included below the recipe.
http://www.quanta-gaia.org/health/coldsAndFlu.html

Water 1 cup (8 fl. oz.) 237 ml
Salt ¼ – ½ level teaspoon † 1.25 – 2.5 ml †
Xylitol 1 level tablespoon (3 tsp.) 15 ml
GSE 4 drops NutriBiotic®
Grapefruit Seed Extract
Baking soda A pinch or two (optional)

Instructions: First, wash your hands with soap and water. Mix ingredients using warm (not hot) water. This helps to dissolve ingredients and, when used as a wash, is comforting. Stir mixture occasionally until the ingredients dissolve completely. Water should be non-chlorinated, filtered or distilled.
Salt is both soothing and therapeutic (in the proper concentration). Too little or too much salt will cause the water to “burn” or irritate your nasal passages and sinuses. Pickling salt, which is usually pure salt, is preferable to regular table salt. Table salt usually has undesirable additives (e.g. iodine and flow enhancers). And additives make it more dilute (per volume) thus throwing off the saline concentration of the formula. Do not use a salt substitute! You want real salt (i.e. sodium chloride, NaCl). Be sure your pickling salt is pure salt and does not contain “alum” or aluminum! Morton Canning & Pickling Salt is pure salt.
†: For a 0.9% isotonic saline solution, the amount normally found in bodily fluids, use 1/3 teaspoon (approx. ¼ heaping teaspoon, or 1.85 ml) of salt. Anything less than this is hypotonic, anything greater is hypertonic. Some research suggests a hypertonic solution may be best when combating a runny nose (as it would have a drying effect), so you might want to go to the higher end of the salt range. You may also want to add a pinch or two of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) to help buffer the solution. A hypotonic solution, however, would tend to be moisturizing (i.e. the lower end of the salt range), and may be what you want in a nasal spray for general prophylactic use. Any amount of salt within the range indicated shouldn’t be irritating to the nasal passages/sinuses of most people.
Note: “Neti pot salt” (or “aromatic salt”) is just a marketing gimmick to sell salt at a higher price. It usually has some essential oils added, which might have some therapeutic value, or which some people may find pleasing. However it should be viewed as a luxury at a premium price, with relatively little practical value. Use it if you wish, but pickling salt is usually just as pure and free of additives, is widely available, and generally inexpensive.
Xylitol. While the xylitol is optional, it helps to wash away germs and pollutants in your sinuses, and makes it difficult for germs to colonize or re-establish themselves.
GSE. The GSE is useful to attack germs and acts as a preservative. Without GSE, use formula within a few days or discard. If mixing for immediate use in a neti pot, the GSE may be omitted without much consequence; its primary purpose is as a preservative for a nasal spray. If you have liquid NutriBiotic GSE, add 4 drops. Other brands may have different sized drops or potencies, so adjust as needed. NutriBiotic has fairly small drops and is 33% Citricidal. Some GSE brands are triple strength, or 100% Citricidal. Too much GSE will “burn” or irritate your nasal passages and sinuses.
Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). Baking soda is optional. It may be useful as a buffering agent when using a hypertonic saline solution.
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
Lotus97

That is the recipe I use, though sometimes I substitute something like nystatin for the grapefruit seed extract.

Sally, I make it because it costs a fraction of what it would to buy it. Since most of it is water, you are paying a lot for distilled water.

Sushi
 

Little Bluestem

All Good Things Must Come to an End
Messages
4,930
Could the xylitol make it difficult for helpful bacteria to recolonize?

I accidentally bought some non-iodized table salt. I used it to make my neti pot solution. It really burned. That must have been caused by flow enhancers.
 
Messages
2,565
Location
US
Some dollar stores have nasal spray. I want a prescription steroid spray and I can't tolerate most brands. I can't afford the one I like.
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
Make sure u arent allergic to grapeseed extract before using it up nose. Grapeseed is a preservative? used in many natural skin care things to which many react too. It gives me a rash so I certainly wouldnt want to use it in my nose.
 

Lotus97

Senior Member
Messages
2,041
Location
United States
Could the xylitol make it difficult for helpful bacteria to recolonize?
That's a good point about the xylitol. I'm not sure. I'm also concerned about the grapefruit seed extract killing the helpful bacteria/probiotics. Someone mentioned using Nystatin instead of GSE which would just kill the candida/fungal infection if that's what's causing sinus problems.
I accidentally bought some non-iodized table salt. I used it to make my neti pot solution. It really burned. That must have been caused by flow enhancers.
I find that plain sea salt causes my nose to burn so I use a very small amount. There weren't any flow enhancers listed on the ingredients though.
 

Lotus97

Senior Member
Messages
2,041
Location
United States
Make sure u arent allergic to grapeseed extract before using it up nose. Grapeseed is a preservative? used in many natural skin care things to which many react too. It gives me a rash so I certainly wouldnt want to use it in my nose.
Colloidal Silver, olive leaf extract, or oregano oil could be used instead. Goldenseal might be another option, but I'm not sure how strong its antibacterial properties are. It would have to be a liquid extract because even a very fine powder can clog the tubes in the spray bottle.
 

Little Bluestem

All Good Things Must Come to an End
Messages
4,930
I find that plain sea salt causes my nose to burn so I use a very small amount. There weren't any flow enhancers listed on the ingredients though.
I found sea salt uncomfortable, but tolerable and it is expensive for salt. I use canning and pickling salt.
 

Lotus97

Senior Member
Messages
2,041
Location
United States
Another thing to watch out for if you're buying nasal spray is that a lot companies including supplement manufacturers like Thorne put Benzalkonium chloride in their product which can cause rebound nasal congestion (a return in symptoms) after a period of time.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7553241
Benzalkonium chloride in a decongestant nasal spray aggravates rhinitis medicamentosa in healthy volunteers.
A randomized double-blind parallel study with 20 healthy volunteers was performed to research the effect of a preservative in a decongestant nasal spray on the development of rhinitis medicamentosa. Ten subjects received oxymetazoline nasal spray with benzalkonium chloride and the others used oxymetazoline nasal spray without the preservative three times daily for 30 days. Before starting the course of treatment and after its conclusion, recordings of the mucosal surface positions were made with rhinostereometry followed by histamine challenge tests. Symptoms of nasal stuffiness were estimated on visual analogue scales (0-100) in the morning and the evening just before using the nasal spray. After 30 days, rebound swelling and nasal stuffiness were found in both groups. In the group receiving oxymetazoline nasal spray with benzalkonium chloride the mean rebound swelling was 1.1 mm and the estimated mean evening symptom score for nasal stuffiness was 43. In the group without benzalkonium chloride the corresponding variables were significantly less marked, with a mean rebound swelling of 0.5 mm (P < 0.05) and a mean evening symptom score of 25 (P < 0.05). The increase in histamine sensitivity in both groups was interpreted as a sign of nasal hyperreactivity. A new type of nasal spray bottle was used that has been shown to prevent bacterial contamination. In conclusion, the long-term use of benzalkonium chloride in oxymetazoline nasal spray accentuates the severity of rhinitis medicamentosa in healthy volunteers.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10566570
Adverse effects of benzalkonium chloride on the nasal mucosa: allergic rhinitis and rhinitis medicamentosa.
Prolonged, repeated use of nasal decongestants for symptomatic relief of allergic rhinitis often results in rhinitis medicamentosa (RM), a condition involving "rebound swelling" and additional congestion. Most decongestant sprays contain the preservative benzalkonium chloride (BKC), which causes toxic reactions in the nose, eyes, ears, and lungs, and may exacerbate the symptoms of allergic rhinitis. Recent studies demonstrate the effects of nasal sprays containing BKC or the decongestant oxymetazoline (OXY) in the development of RM. Using rhinostereometry, a technique that measures nasal mucosal swelling and nasal reactivity (with histamine challenge tests), prolonged use of OXY has been shown to induce nasal mucosal swelling and hyperreactivity. Sustained use of BKC alone induces nasal mucosal swelling and, in combination with OXY, BKC appears to have a long-term adverse effect on nasal mucosa. Its presence may also contribute to the RM resulting from overuse of decongestant sprays. Additional research is needed to confirm the deleterious effects of BKC in nasal products. However, these potential effects may be points of clinical differentiation in the treatment of allergic rhinitis and prevention of RM.
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824
I have experimented with snorting dozens of supplements into my nasal cavities via a drinking straw, in order to clear my inflammatory sinusitis and nasal congestion, and found the following work well:

Sinusitis and Nasal Congestion Intranasal Supplements:

Germanium sesquioxide 20 mg powder snorted intranasally clears sinuses very well.
Reishi powder 50 mg, snorted into nasal cavities.
Arginine powder 100 mg, snorted into nasal cavities.
Beconase (beclometasone dipropionate) 8 sprays helps.
N-acetyl-l-cysteine spray (NAC in a solution of 50 mg of NAC in 10 ml water) helps.
Don't snort anything that is even slightly acidic (tart to the taste), or it will sting like hell in the nose. The following oral supplements seem to work pretty well for sinusitis and nasal congestion:

Sinusitis and Nasal Congestion Oral Supplements:

N-acetylglucosamine 1000 mg.
Horsetail herb 600 mg.
Saccharomyces boulardii clears the nose and sinuses within hours, probably due to its promotion of secretary IgA at the mucous membranes.
Bacterial probiotics have similar efficacy to Saccharomyces boulardii (though perhaps slightly less potent).
Magnesium malate appears to be a good treatment for sinusitis.
Vitamin A 25,000 IU.​
 
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Lotus97

Senior Member
Messages
2,041
Location
United States
I read about someone mixing sodium ascorbate with their nasal spray. Sodium ascorbate is a buffered form of vitamin C (not to be confused with ascorbic acid:eek:). You can also make your own sodium ascorbate by mixing ascorbic acid with baking soda. I haven't tried this myself...anyone want to go first?:whistle:
 

Lotus97

Senior Member
Messages
2,041
Location
United States
I found sea salt uncomfortable, but tolerable and it is expensive for salt. I use canning and pickling salt.
I think I'm having the same problem and my dad who uses sea salt in his neti pot also said too much bothers him. I also tried putting a liquid extract of spilanthes in my nasal spray and that seemed to burn. Maybe I put too much. And it might have been the alcohol and not the spilanthes that caused the problem.
 
Messages
1
This post was a long time ago, but I really like the Himalayan pink sea salt for my neti pot ... it feels better than any other salt I've tried and I don't need to add any baking soda like I do with other salts to buffer it. I use the ultra fine grind, I find it on Amazon.
 

Sean

Senior Member
Messages
7,378
Over the counter saline nasal spray is pretty cheap here in Australia. A 75ml bottle lasts me long enough for the cost to not even really show up in my bills. Guess that depends on how much you use it, I use it maybe twice a day.
 
Messages
2
This is an old article, fingers crossed I'm hoping for a response. :)
I'm wondering why 1 TB of xylitol? The majority of DIY xylitol/gse nasal rinses or sprays call for 1 tsp per 8 oz of water. Is 1 TB closer to what might be used in the Xyclear brand?
Thanks!