Nasal Steroid Sprays

[Prefect]

I've had what they call non-allergic rhinitis practically since the week my mystery illness started 20 years ago.

Background on my illness:

http://forums.phoenixrising.me/index.php?threads/my-story-i-can-exercise-so-what-is-it.48539/

This symptom is totally random in relation to the rest of my symptoms. Basically my nose has been stuffed up for no reason. No allergic discharge, no sinus infection, nothing. And my eyes are dry and bloodshot when I wake up in the morning. This is all year round, and it's worse when I lie down and get horizontal. The mucus is thick and white when I irrigate with a neti pot.

This affects my sleep tremendously and often I wonder how much it aggravates my condition as a whole.

But every time I take a nasal steroid spray (Nasonex) my anxiety goes through the roof. This makes no sense to me since the spray should have no effect beyond my nostrils whatsoever.

Does anyone else on this site have this reaction to nasal steroid sprays? And if so what alternative do you use? On one of the posts I saw someone says their nose clears up when they use N-Acetyl Glucosamine?!! (which puzzles me too, I can't see why it would have this effect).

Thanks,

 

[xrayspex]

I tried flonase several times in like the last 15 years and not a good idea...insomnia, manic-ish, irritablity........yea I marvel at friend of mine who has taken it daily all along and reports no known problems.....doesn't seem safer than certain drugs of abuse I can think of for me

 

[alicec]

But every time I take a nasal steroid spray (Nasonex) my anxiety goes through the roof. This makes no sense to me since the spray should have no effect beyond my nostrils whatsoever.

There is likely to be a very small amount of steroid enter the circulation. I can give an example of this for a cat but there is no reason to think that humans would be different.

I had a cat with allergic asthma and an inflammatory skin condition. These were managed by inhaled steroid and regular injections of a desensitising vaccine.

After several years, the condition was completely under control and I started experimenting with the nasal steroid.

Eventually I stopped it. The asthma did not return but the skin condition flared up.

Like you I didn't think this could have anything to do with the nasal steroid but the vet said it could well. The tiny amounts of systemic steroid were necessary along with allergy desensitisation to keep the skin problem under control.

Sure enough when I reintroduced the nasal steroid, the skin condition cleared up.

 

[Prefect]

Ok. I went back on the nasal steroid spray a couple of weeks ago to unstuff my nose and get better sleep, and get rid of a bit of a post-cold sinus infection.

I slept better for a week, got rid of the sinus infection, and now I'm a basket case, it's like my brain is empty of all neurotransmitters.

The depression is severe, like I have to think to even do basic tasks (it's not brainfog, I can tell the difference, this is depression).

It makes no sense, it's a nasal spray. I stopped it this morning. Never again.

 

[borko2100]

It has been suspected that vasomotor rhinitis is due either to a hyperactive parasympathetic nervous system or an imbalance between it and the sympathetic nervous system. The exact relation has not been determined. Recently neurological laboratories have been developed in which a battery of tests can be performed to determine reactivity of the autonomic nervous system.

CONCLUSION: Autonomic nervous system dysfunction is significant in patients with vasomotor rhinitis. Possible factors that trigger this dysfunction including nasal trauma and extraesophageal manifestations of gastroesophageal reflux are discussed.​

​

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11081594

Basically, dysautonomia can cause this symptom. I have the same issue as OP.

I've read several reports of people with CCI getting immediate relief from nasal and sinus symptoms during cervical traction, thus further supporting the hypothesis that autonomic dysfunction can cause it.