Nasal Congestion and Pulmonary Fibrosis

[Charlene Marshall]

Thankfully, I’ve never been one to suffer much from seasonal or environmental allergies. As a result of this, I am not accustomed to dealing with nasal congestion and when I do experience it my tolerance for it is very low. This is something I’ve increasingly noticed over the past few months, and some other patients who are also dealing with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), have said the same thing.

Do you suffer from frequent/regular nasal congestion since your diagnosis?

If so, have you asked your doctor about this and do they have any insight they were able to share with you? I know some lung conditions, like Cystic Fibrosis, can cause sinus troubles leaving patients feeling congested on a regular basis. However, I didn’t think this was a symptom of IPF.

This seems to be another unusual and unpleasant symptom that patients living with IPF/PF have to endure. I’m curious to hear if this is something you’re familiar with, or perhaps I do have an allergy that I should look into that is causing this congestion. It is especially bad in the morning!

Thanks in advance for any information you might be able to share.
Charlene.

[Michelle Lantis-Harms]

My doctor told me to use zertec and flonase to help keep my nasal passages open but I have still occasional problems.

[Charlene Marshall]

Hi Michael,

Thanks so much for getting back to me on what is recommended from your doctor to help with this. Are both of those prescription medications, or are they available over the counter? I’ll have to talk to my doctor about this to see if he recommends something similar. I know you said you still have occasional problems, but do you find it is kind of effective for you?

Thanks,
Charlene.

[Brian Sowter]

Hi Charlene

I think we have discussed this before but others may be interested.  I used to suffer from nasal congestion and other GERD symptoms and for years I was told it was post nasal drip.  A  couple of years ago I was told that the nasal congestion was caused by reflux.  Further I was told that the reflux caused my IPF.  Now I treat the reflux with antacids, a sleeping wedge, loose clothing (I now keep my trousers up with old fashioned braces) and careful eating and drinking habits.  I can say that the nasal congestion has stopped and the IPF has not progressed measurably in the last 2 years.  The simple way to see if reflux is causing problems is to take a good dose of Lansoprazole or similar for a couple of weeks.  I felt relief in 3 days.

Brian

[Charlene Marshall]

Hi Brian,

Thanks so much for your reply, and for reminding me of our previous discussion regarding this. I think you’re right, as I vaguely remember talking about reflux and all of the issues it can cause, unknowingly to physicians oftentimes. That is really good to remember and admittedly, I’d forgotten about the importance of treating the reflux. I’m going to give this a try to see if I notice a difference, I don’t imagine it could hurt me to at least try it out. Glad you’ve found some relief through relatively “minor” adjustments to your daily habits… a few good things I can try too!

Thanks again for writing Brian. I hope you’re doing well!
Charlene.

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