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    • #27743
      Iris Rivera
      Participant

        Hi everyone, my Dad is on a high flow of oxygen (9 to 10 liters) and is experiencing severe nasal crust that makes it hard to breathe. Any advice on what can help with this? We’ve asked his doctors and nurses, but the traditional treatments aren’t working well. He uses water reservior on his oxygenator, nasal sprays nasal gels, Vicks steamer and cold steam humidifier. The only relief comes from warm water rinses that takes him up to 1 hour at night, but expends a lot of energy and drops his oxygen levels very low.  Thanks in advance for any ideas,  all ideas welcome. Regards, Iris

      • #27764
        Robert Morgan
        Participant

          I have similar problems. I use Arm and Hammer Simple Saline mist several times a day. Nasal rinses in the morning or as needed. Mist and saline gel at night. The gel stays in my nostrils as I sleep. I also have used saline mist gel but not convinced how much it helps. At night I have a high-end AirOSwiss humidifier to keep the bedroom air moist. Despite all this I have persistent nasal blockages that can be difficult to clear. I have tried decongestants like Flonase and Sudafed but they made the congestion worse. I am seeing an EMT doctor in a week and hope he will have solutions.

          The pain may be from the saline or the high oxygen or both. I did not have the nasal congestion at lower flow so I did not need to use saline.

          • #30646
            Darlene Cochran
            Participant

              Hi,  I have found the saline spray from Arm and Hammer is most helpful with the dryness from the oxygen for my nasal passages.  Easy to use, comes in a pack of three.  Not expensive and really has helped me.  Might be worth a try.  God Bless you and your Dad as you trek on this path, it is rocky for sure, but good stuff happens too! Regards, Darlene

          • #27765
            Iris Rivera
            Participant

              Hi Robert,

              Thank you,  I’ll share these tips with my Dad. I found a product that I thought would work but the manufacturer would not confirm with me that it wasn’t flammable and would be safe to use with oxygen. Product is an unprotoleum, but my Dad is hesitant to use it because we don’t know if it’s safe.

              I truly appreciate you and this group.

               

              Regards,

              Iris

            • #27771
              Eleanor Heppleston
              Participant

                My husband was having the same problem. His O2 is only at 5l with humidification but he had crusting that was painful. The pharmacist recommended Secaris. It’s a lubricating nasal gel suitable for use with oxygen according to him.  No petroleum listed as an ingredient. My husband says it helped.

                 

              • #27780
                Christie Patient
                Participant

                  Hi Iris, I have never used a cannula myself but have found Aquaphor to be a great protectant against dry crusty nose when I visit my arid hometown coming from the humid tropics where I now live. I’m not sure what doctors’ thoughts would be on using a thick ointment like that paired with a cannula but it might be worth asking. In my opinion, it works much better than Vasoline or Mentholatum because it is thicker.. doesn’t just liquefy and run out. Also, I’m not sure what type of nasal rinses he is doing, but a Neti pot is a great solution for post-nasal drip, allergies, sinus infections, etc. It might be helpful and it only takes 5 minutes or so. Heat up distilled water in the microwave, put it in the pot with some medical-grade salt and tada!

                  • #30918
                    Mary
                    Participant

                      My husband said the scaris gel helps him but not enough.  I will tell him to try some of your helpful finds. Thanks

                    • #31011
                      Phyllis Della-Latta
                      Participant

                        Please note that vasoline should not be used in the nose because it is a petroleum gel product. Seek gel that are petroleum free. Be well.

                    • #27790
                      Iris Rivera
                      Participant

                        Thank you Eleanor Heppleston, I’m going to try to order <span style=”color: #303030; font-family: ‘open sans’; font-size: 13px;”>Secaris, it looks like it’s only available in Canada,  but I’m going to try to order it online. </span>

                        Regards,

                        Iris

                      • #27791
                        Iris Rivera
                        Participant

                          Thanks Christie, I can reply to your post now.  Again,  I appreciate all of your insights.

                          Regards,

                          Iris

                        • #29073
                          Mary Millwood
                          Participant

                            I use an over-the-counter Saline Nasal Gel
                            called Ayr. This relieves discomfort from
                            dry nasal passages caused by oxygen use.

                          • #29082
                            Patricia Meadows
                            Participant

                              I would have replied sooner but just now saw your post. When I was first diagnosed with PF my nostrils were over half full of dry scabs which only added to the stress of finding it hard to breathe. My doctor sent me to a wound clinic where the nurse said (off the record) that I could pick off the scabs, then smear Vaseline in my nostrils. Within two weeks the scabs were gone, and for the last eight years I’ve been smearing a little Vaseline in each nostril before bed.

                              HOWEVER, I realize Vaseline CANNOT be used when a person is on oxygen. As Iris mentioned, Secaris is a water-based lubricant/moisturizer. It’s quite expensive if you’re going to use a lot, so a much cheaper alternative (and essentially the same product, also water-based) is KY Jelly. Yes, the “intimate” lubricant. Just make sure you don’t buy a tube of the “tingling” or any other variety. Make sure you buy the plain one with absolutely no perfumes or other “enhancements”. I found KY Naturals Extra Moisture 100% Natural (did they mention that it’s natural??) priced at $16.99 CDN for 100mL (about 3.5 ounces). Compare that to 30g (about 1 ounce) of Secaris for $8.99 CDN.

                              I really feel for people with the crusty nostrils and hope that those on oxygen and not can benefit from my experience. It’s sort of gross to start picking away, but I’m so happy that I don’t have that to deal with any more.

                              Good luck!

                              • #29132
                                Sam Gilmore
                                Participant

                                  Thank you I have found that a product called Neospoin.. it works greatly a few days in nose couple times s day works thank you

                                  • #29151
                                    Christie Patient
                                    Participant

                                      @samgilmore I believe Neosporin is also petroleum-based.. best to check with your doctor about using it with oxygen. Patricia makes some good suggestions about water-based lubricants that could be a good substitute for you.

                                • #29087
                                  Steve Dragoo
                                  Participant

                                    @irisr

                                    Hi Iris,

                                    Sometimes when my nose is sore I will use a small face mask instead of a cannula.  Usually solves itself in a day.

                                    Steve

                                  • #29122
                                    Chris Soper
                                    Participant

                                      Agree with Steve, at those levels you’ll probably find a small face mask is better for you.

                                    • #29163
                                      Luke R Matthews
                                      Participant

                                        If anyone dislikes their cannula as much as me, then I want to share my discovery for a replacement. A Canadian company makes an open air mask called Oxymask. It works with a delivery 1-15 liters. You can go to YouTube and search oxymask to see a short video. Or search Southmedic.com. My DME company gave this to me when I told them how must I disliked the cannula. I don’t know how long this product has been out, my guess is a while, but it is a game changer for me

                                        I posted this on another thread a few weeks back. Hope this helps.

                                      • #29166
                                        Shannon
                                        Participant

                                          Respiratory Therapist prescribed a machine called myAirvo 2 for my mom. Made by Fisher & Paykel. It connects to O2 concentrator and heats and adds moisture to air coming from O2 Concentrator. AMAZING!!!

                                          • #30929
                                            Deb Nichols
                                            Participant

                                              Shannon….do you have the AIRVO 2 machine? My husband has been hospitalized & just came home. The AIRVO kept him off a ventilator, but we were told he could not be on the AIRVO at home!

                                          • #29169
                                            Karen Martin
                                            Participant

                                              I love Aquaphor, but the main ingredient in it is petrolatum, which is “a byproduct of petroleum refining”  Good for lots of things but maybe not here?

                                            • #29170
                                              Shafi
                                              Participant

                                                I tried all I found olive oil. I apply with qtip in my nasal cavity
                                                I help me lot.without side effects.I Take 8 liter of oxygen. My nose was Bleeding. I found this solution. I anyone think my solution is better please let me know.

                                                • #29186
                                                  Christie Patient
                                                  Participant

                                                    @shafi What a brilliant, simple, and accessible solution! I wonder if other common oils, like coconut would provide similar relief.

                                                • #29187
                                                  Shafi
                                                  Participant

                                                    I haven’t tried but when I use I will let you know and other

                                                  • #29189
                                                    Sam Gilmore
                                                    Participant

                                                      That sound good l have found Silver Shield gell works great it softens stuff in nose makes it easy to remove

                                                    • #29190
                                                      Karen Martin
                                                      Participant

                                                        This question is a little different, but since you all are high oxygen users I am hoping you will have some answers for me.  I can use less oxygen when I am sitting quietly, but I need 10L when I am up and about.  I have my home concentrator in a central part of the house, not right next to me because of the noise and heat it puts out.  I don’t turn it down when I sit down to relax because I then often forget to turn it back up when I am up and about.  My question is, do you think this is a problem?  Am I making myself more dependent on higher rates of oxygen by doing this?  Any suggestions?

                                                        • #30561
                                                          Earl Robinson
                                                          Participant

                                                            Karen, I talked briefly to my pulmonary therapist, and she said it all depends on your own condition, and since there are a number of issues that we each have our own treatment.  In my condition she said “you don’t have to worry about being overly oxygenated”  but that doesn’t mean your condition would have the same answer.  You will have to talk to your doctor about your condition.      I have had another idea that I bounced off my doctor and that is we O2 users that need to adjust the O2 flow need a Blue Tooth app. so we can remotely adjust the concentrator to different levels of O2 output.  If my O2 Concentrator is on 6L and I want to move around I need to change it to 10L my O2 level drops and then I have to wait until I get back into the 90’s and after I’m ready to sit for a while I have to go and turn back the concentrator to 6L and by the time I get back to my chair my O2 level has tanked again and I have to wait to recover.  Do any of the rest of you have this problem?

                                                             

                                                            • #30580
                                                              Karen Martin
                                                              Participant

                                                                Earl, thanks for the reply.  I will look into the idea of a bluetooth app for that.  Who would have thought of it?  Well, not me, evidently!

                                                          • #30514
                                                            DAVE WALKER
                                                            Participant

                                                              My dad has same issue and has tried absolutely everything he can get hold of, recently using coconut oil which seems to ease the crustiness, still hoping to find something to stop the never ending plug that forms disrupting his sleep to the point of sometimes zero sleep.

                                                              • #30935
                                                                Anne Rhodes
                                                                Participant

                                                                  I find Klear nasal spray to be very helpful in keeping the nasal passages clear and blowing out those plugs.

                                                              • #30515
                                                                Shafi
                                                                Participant

                                                                  I have same issue with coconut oil use saline spray that will easy stuffy nose

                                                                • #30516
                                                                  John Oman
                                                                  Participant

                                                                    Does your dad use a cannula or wear a mask like device over the nose? If a cannula, I’d suggest trying a mask. I can imagine that having that much oxygen jetted directly into the nose could cause excessive and unnecessary nasal tissue irritation.

                                                                  • #30517
                                                                    Shafi
                                                                    Participant

                                                                      Does oxygen company provide

                                                                    • #30519
                                                                      Steve Dragoo
                                                                      Participant

                                                                        @irisr,

                                                                        Hi Iris,

                                                                        Does your father use/need a CPAP? If so hooking O2 through it may help, if it can handle his high O2 needs. Also, suggest going to a face mask for O2. I switch to that once in a while and that solves the problem temporarily anyway.

                                                                        Stay well…

                                                                        Steve

                                                                      • #30520
                                                                        john styles
                                                                        Participant

                                                                          My ear nose and throat doctor said to use the nasal spray with aloe, I have and it has eliminated my nose bleeds due to oxygen use.

                                                                        • #30521
                                                                          john styles
                                                                          Participant

                                                                            My ear nose and throat doctor said to use the nasal spray with aloe, I have and it has eliminated my nose bleeds due to oxygen use.

                                                                          • #30522
                                                                            Shafi
                                                                            Participant

                                                                              Thank we’re did get Aloe gel. Thanks

                                                                            • #30530
                                                                              Bert Maidment
                                                                              Participant

                                                                                I use AYR (saline with aloe) for the nasal issues: it softens the crusty build up so that after a while you can blow your nose to eject the crusty build up and open up the nasal passages for easier breathing … also quells nasal bleeding.  I hope this helps others …. BERT

                                                                              • #30531
                                                                                Bert Maidment
                                                                                Participant

                                                                                  I use AYR (saline with aloe) for the nasal issues: it softens the crusty build up so that after a while you can blow your nose to eject the crusty build up and open up the nasal passages for easier breathing … also quells nasal bleeding.  I hope this helps others …. BERT

                                                                                   

                                                                                • #30533
                                                                                  Shafi
                                                                                  Participant

                                                                                    Sure I do the same

                                                                                  • #30536
                                                                                    Shafi
                                                                                    Participant

                                                                                      Just use Aloe and saline spray. That help me and lot of other on this forum.

                                                                                    • #30588
                                                                                      Christine McCann
                                                                                      Participant

                                                                                        I was told by the Lincare tech that high liter oxygen use takes a bigger canula size. I don’t now why that is not something that is told to patients at the time of prescription.

                                                                                      • #30595
                                                                                        Jack Blum
                                                                                        Participant

                                                                                          Hi,

                                                                                          I have had a double lung transplant, but was on oxygen for 5 1/2 years. When on 7 liters I developed bloody painful scabs in my right nostril. Went to a ear nose and throat doctor and he took my cannula and clipped the ends at an angle and that directed the oxygen flow up my nasal passages instead of against the scabs in my nose. It healed up in a couple of days and ended the problem. Hope it works for you.

                                                                                          Jack

                                                                                        • #30619
                                                                                          John
                                                                                          Participant

                                                                                            Hi everyone, I feel a need to respond to this topic. I have followed this forum for many years before joining and posting today … kudos to Charlene Marshal who is so key to success of the forum and to all who contribute.
                                                                                            I started using a Navage device to flush out my sinuses when at a very early stage in this journey. I used the device occasionally at first … only when needed. When I got into higher oxygen use, the Navage device became more essential, for all the reasons mentioned in this discussion. I bought mine in the US and know they are available in Canada.
                                                                                            I currently flush my sinuses twice each session (once each direction) and have two sessions a day … my needs at this time are higher perhaps than most. Navage uses a simple saline solution that comes in pods. The pods can add up in cost, but for me it is more than worth the expense. I have heard of people using a temporary work around but have not pursued this. I also make use of Vaseline like products after each session to help keep things loose. This is a significant issue for oxygen users. I wish you all the best in dealing with the difficulties of this disease.

                                                                                            • #30629

                                                                                              Hi @johnbs

                                                                                              Thank you so much for your kind words re: the forum! They are deeply appreciated 🙂
                                                                                              Thanks for sharing information about the Navage system as well; I can imagine it will be helpful information for those of us who struggle with sinus congestion caused by IPF/oxygen use.
                                                                                              Take care and happy holidays,
                                                                                              Char.

                                                                                          • #30645
                                                                                            Robert Griffin
                                                                                            Participant

                                                                                              Luke,

                                                                                              I also have an OxyMask and Love It and recommend it.

                                                                                              I am on a constant flow of 6L /24 hrs. My canula was making my nose crusty and sometimes it bled.  I keep my nose hairs trimmed short to keep the crust at a minimum, which helps. I read a recommendation  in the forum to use some olive oil and it worked fairly well but I still had the crust build up overnight. I started to look for alternatives to the canula and came across the OxyMask and bought the largest one, me being about 6 ft tall, and not knowing the size that fit my face,  I used it for about a week and noticed no crusty build up and my nose was healing. I also had to adjust it’s positioning on my face often. I noticed the package showed different sizes so I ordered the regular fit through Amazon (about $20 US) and it works great so far. I still use my canula when I am eating. I hope this helps.

                                                                                              Robert Griffin

                                                                                              • #30921
                                                                                                Luke R Matthews
                                                                                                Participant

                                                                                                  Robert, my DME company gave me  a bottle which is filled with distilled water that straps on top of the concentrator and the O2 goes into that and then the tube to the mask comes out of the side of the bottle.  I am glad you found the Oxymask beneficial to you.

                                                                                              • #30652
                                                                                                Willie X Shapiri
                                                                                                Participant

                                                                                                  I find using the netti pot is very helpful

                                                                                                • #30916
                                                                                                  Christine McCann
                                                                                                  Participant

                                                                                                    Every morning when I awake my nose is dry an stuffed up, what works for me is to take a tissue and put it with one finger on one side of my nostril and one finger on the other and massage it around for a few seconds , it loosens all the dryness and then I blow my nose , I can breathe OK after than. I hope that makes sense to everyone. Works for me.

                                                                                                    • #30919
                                                                                                      Karen Martin
                                                                                                      Participant

                                                                                                        Sounds simple enough.  Thanks for the idea.  I will be trying it as I also have a problem with this.

                                                                                                    • #30917
                                                                                                      Christine McCann
                                                                                                      Participant

                                                                                                        How can I tell which canula is high volume?

                                                                                                        • #30920
                                                                                                          Karen Martin
                                                                                                          Participant

                                                                                                            It has been my experience that the high-flow is linked to darker green tubing.  Anyone else fine this to be the case?

                                                                                                        • #30923
                                                                                                          Ben Robinson
                                                                                                          Participant

                                                                                                            I also tape one 11 Hour small hand warmer to the mask and the heated air helps a whole lot  I have been using rebreather masks from vitality medical and changing every week. I will check out the above machine

                                                                                                          • #30940
                                                                                                            Brenda
                                                                                                            Participant

                                                                                                              I hope my oxygen usage doesn’t go as high as many of yours. I’m only at 2 at night and 3 when I’m up and about. My nasal passage seems dry all the time. Then it hurts. Then I start feeling the cannula in my nose and then I feel like I could crawl out of my skin. I have a couple questions for you all. Why aren’t we supposed to use Vaseline in our nose?  How do I figure out how much space between the cannula nose prongs is correct?  Mine keeps falling out. I tighten it but the tightening slide has been loose on my last 2 leaving me to constantly push it tight.  After all the good hints I’m going to look for a mask to buy! I use Ayr saline nasal gel. I’m going to try a couple new ones from the notes I took from here. Thanks.

                                                                                                            • #30955
                                                                                                              Earl Robinson
                                                                                                              Participant

                                                                                                                Like many of you, I’m using between 6 and 10L of O2 and I have been using Vaseline in my nose for 6 months or so and it is the only product I have found to help me. I apply it in each nostril a couple of times a week and it helps keep the crusty build up soft so it can be removed easier, and it keeps my nose from getting sore. I’m not sure why it is frowned on other than it is a petroleum product. The flash point of Vaseline is 400F so if you keep that kind of potential heat away from your face I doubt you would have a problem. I hope you all find a solution. This is a great place to connect and be able to assist each other with this challenge we face. Keep the faith and press on. Keep a positive attitude for this will pass when we believers pass on to glory.

                                                                                                              • #30976
                                                                                                                Robert Griffin
                                                                                                                Participant

                                                                                                                  Karen,

                                                                                                                  My hiflow O2 tubing is green also.  If you have a bit of both types of tubing you can see that the green tubing is sightly larger in diameter if you put the high and low flow tubes next to each other.  Also my O2 delivery company confirmed that their green tubing is high flow.

                                                                                                                • #31017
                                                                                                                  Mike McCutcheon
                                                                                                                  Participant

                                                                                                                    I have had great results from AYR gel a OTC available at most drug stores

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