Customer Reviews

NeilMed Sinus Rinse Saline Nasal Rinse, Premixed Packets, 50 ct.

5 star:		(65)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

My story is like many others. I have allergies, and increasingly frequent sinus infections drove me to try this kit (which a sinus surgeon nurse gave me something like 3 years ago and it sat in a drawer in the bathroom till this summer).

Well, it is pretty weird to think about shooting water up your nose (childhood memories of turning upside down in the pool surfaced--ouch) but I finally got desperate enough to try it. And it does feel pretty weird the first few times, but I am now using this twice a day almost every day. It actually feels really good and it is amazing how much gunk comes out even when I feel relatively clear. It's not as entertaining as a Biore strip, but hey, what is?

Here are a few thoughts that are more random than the numbering might indicate:

1. I aim the nozzle tip at the opposite eye rather than straight up, and that seems to rinse better and not give me the upside-down-in-the-pool headache. The headache did happen a couple of times when I first was learning to use it and it hurts just like I remembered. Once I figured out the right angle it doesn't happen, so don't let that deter you.

2. It does travel easily, but my main problem is either being able to boil water or getting distilled water. I do not use water straight from the tap at home (boiling water at home no problem as I have an electric kettle) or traveling (one hotel I stay at frequently has very moldy pipes--can I shoot what I'm allergic to directly into my sinuses? Can I?), and that is the one pita. Otherwise, the packets and bottle are easy. I even carry a dry dock with me to hang it up on the mirror in the hotel.

3. The great thing about this kit is the pressure and speed it moves the saline solution. It actually is kind of "over before you know it." Sometimes one rinse doesn't feel like enough. I tried the 16 oz bottle and the pressure is not as strong. Now I just refill the 8oz if needed and use it twice in one session.

4. Hypertonic (green) vs. isotonic (blue--the ones that come with this kit) saline packets: I use both and don't really know that one helps more than the other. The green can be used with the 16oz bottle to make the regular solution or the 8 oz bottle to make the hypertonic (concentrated) solution. The green sometimes burns a bit. I'm still experimenting.

5. Definitely follow the instructions on heating up the water in the bottle. I fried one bottle because I didn't test my previously boiled water to see how hot it was before I put it in the micro. Normally about 35 seconds gets room temperature water to a good nasal rinse temp for me, but since the boiled water was already warm it got too hot.

6. People will think it quite strange if you give this as gifts. I tried to tell them that "Santa and I were worried about your sinuses" and it just didn't fly.

7. I find the packaging hilariously cheesy, almost like the Dr. Bronner's liquid soap labels (though definitely not as trippy). Don't ever change, Sinus Rinse!

Overall, I am very pleased with this product and think of using it like I think about washing my face, brushing and flossing (though it is recommended that you do this several hours before bed so you don't get a lot of drainage when you lie down--plus you want to allow a little time if you use a spray like Flonase, so I try to do this in the early evening). I have one at home and one for travel, and sadly for the recipients, have given some as gifts.

Oh well, they'll thank me when they pull it out of their bathroom drawer in a couple of years.

A few months ago I got one of the worst sinus infections of my chronic sinusitis sufferer life... It was so bad that my top/left row of teeth hurt like they were being crushed in, no joke.

Since I've gone the antibiotics route so many times before, I feared going that route one more time would end up fueling some sort of mutant bacteria that would eventually jump out of my nostrils and beat my dog up or something... What did my poor little pooch ever do to them??? :(

As I laid in bed, curled up in a ball whimpering, my wife, not able to bear the thought of her husband turning into yet another infantile big baby, decided to take matters into her own hands. She drove off to the pharmacy and returned with a box that looked like a cubed infomercial... Short of asking the camera guy if he was still following, it pretty much had every other base covered. Sham Wow!

Anyway, I was a bit skeptic but in too much pain to really care what the consequences were (which, at this point, I thought would mostly involve my wife's own amusement at my expense)... So, I read the instructions on the outside of the box, the inside of the box, the instruction booklet, the bottle... By the time you're done reading this thing from every flap on the box you'll have a Dr's degree on rinsing your sinuses. Diploma still pending, I filled the thing up with warm water and mixed it in with the provided solution...

I wasted no time... Went straight for the kill. I about passed out when I witnessed what followed... The first words out of my mouth (as soon as all the salty and gooey water finished dripping off of it) were "SWEETIE, COME TAKE A LOOK!"

I never knew such grotesque (spelling?) matter could come out of the human body... At least from that end. I quickly switched to the other nostril and repeated the process... By now I had acquired a strange (and perhaps sick) sense of enjoyment.

The most amazing part (and probably what you're most likely to be interested in) was the almost immediate relief I felt. That is, until my wife had to ruin the moment by saying "Good... Now you can go back to work!"

I continued to use it for a few more days (twice a day) and my sinus infection was completely gone with no antibiotics. And, best of all, my dog gets to live another day! =-D

I suffered from chronic rhinosinusitis for years. Terrible stuffiness and drainage. I saw several doctors who treated me with various antihistamines, sprays, moisturizers, and even immunotherapy injections. One told me I had to get rid our our two cats. Finally saw a doctor who took me off everything except Nasonex. Then he told me to begin a sinus wash. He gave me a SinusRinse Starter Pack.

The first couple of times I used it I thought it was horrible and I suspected I would discontinue the use of the product. And then a strange thing happened... I began to breath better than I had in years. Air flowed through my nasal passages freely. I smelled things I hadn't smelled in years. The drainage began to decrease. I became more comfortable with the process and soon purchased the extra-large (16oz) Sinus Rinse bottle. Today I use 16oz (two cups) in each nostril twice a day (total 8 cups/day) and I literally cannot believe the difference the sinus rinsing process makes. To those who are turned off by the process the first time you try it, I would say that you get used to the process fairly quickly and while I would not describe it as particularly pleasant, it is not nearly as unpleasant now as the first couple of times I went through the process. And the benefits FAR outweigh any small bit of unpleasantness. The easiest place to perform this is in the shower.

The first week, a lot of mucus was flushed out but since I began using the large bottle and rinsing twice a day, very little excess mucus is in there to be rinsed out. I warm my bottle in the microwave (Careful! You want the water comfortable warm, NEVER hot. ALWAYS TEST the temperature with your finger BEFORE you rinse your nose.)

My doctor recommended NOT purchasing the pre-measured salt packets. It is much cheaper to simply purchase a box of PLAIN salt (i.e non-iodized). I keep a Tupperware container of plain salt in the bathroom with 1/2 teaspoon measure in the container. However, the pre-measured packets sold by SinseRinse are very convenient if you travel or want to keep a rinse bottle at work.

Do take the time to read the handy, one-page instruction sheet that comes with the product.

Final tip: There are pockets in your sinus passages where water collects after rinsing (formerly these pockets contained lots of mucus, dust and allegens). Approx. 10 minutes after your rinse, take several tissues and bend over holding your head upside down. Slowly stand up and these pockets will drain. If you don't remember to do this, you may embarass yourself later in the day if you need to bend over.

Neilmed Sinus Rinse, 1 kit

In summary: It is simple, inexpensive, and it works. It is lightweight and easy to take when traveling. No need for an electrical outlet.

For years my allergist nagged me to irrigate my sinuses. But his recommended method was to mix the saline solution, then pour some into the palm of my hand and snort it up my nose. I just kind of gave up on that because 95% of the saline went down the drain - before getting to my nose, but usually after dripping down my arm and all over the bathroom counter.

Then I heard of the attachments for devices like the WaterPik, but they didn't hold up very well (usually broke within 5-6 months), and the waterpik machines kept leaking all over the bathroom counter, so I stopped using them too.

Then, several years ago, my allergist told me about this new product, Sinus Rinse. What a difference it has made! It is *SO* easy to use with the pre-measured packets, that I use it more often than I would ever have considered doing with the old methods.

I'm sure that since using Sinus Rinse, I've managed to fight off some sinus infections that otherwise would have required antibiotics. The pre-measured packets are simple, convenient and inexpensive.

I highly recommend this product.

Although I did not purchase this product through Amazon, I feel compelled to highlight its effectiveness and share this with my fellow sinus sufferers. I have been plagued throughout my adult life with the most horrific of sinus conditions. The Neilmed Sinus Rinse Kit really helps keep things clean. I have noticed significant changes for the better while I have been using this product over the past several months. I am not experiencing the chronic sinus infections and throat infections I usually deal with since using the product. My nasal drip and other problems may still exist, however this product seems to keep things really clean and that has helped significantly reduce the sinus infections. I recommend for those folks who have come to accept the fact that they have sinus issues and seek a way to manage them and keep themselves relatively healthy during the process

This bottle uses active pressure to irrigate sinus passages and works much faster than the gravity driven Neti Pots. I have used both to relief sinus congestion, and would recommend this one without hesitation.

The bottle is a soft plastic that completely compresses to eject the saline. It comes in two easy to clean parts- a bottle and a cap/tube.

I strongly recommend pure salt if you choose make your own mix. Regular cooking and table salt have aluminum and iodine and all sorts of unnatural chemicals you don't want to inject into tissues one inch from your brain.

My doctor at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center allergy/asthma clinic gave me this last week to use twice a day as part of my treatment regime. I'm allergic to pollen, trees, dust and animals, and I've been congested every Feb.-Oct. since moving to Tennessee.

The other meds I was given will take a week to kick in, but I am IMMEDIATELY benefiting from the sinus rinse. My nasal passages are clear for the first time in months and months. I love that they're clear naturally, without another pill. I hear this prevents sinus infections, but as far as I'm concerned this is just a side benefit. The sinus rinse clears my nasal passages and also washes away pollen and dander so it won't irritate me all night as I sleep.

Cleaning out your nostrils every night may not be consistent with your hipster image, and the idea of squirting water into one's nose is uncomfortable for anyone. Please believe me when I say that, if you're congested, the benefits outweigh both of these. I've had a pool-water-up-the-nose phobia since I was a little kid and was dreading this, but it's not bad at all. I wish I'd given it a try months ago.


UPDATE: 1.5 years later

This is still the best asthma/allergy aid I've ever tried. We're in serious pollen season here in Tennessee, and I feel better than I've ever felt in the spring. Over the winter, this was also EXTREMELY helpful when I caught a bad sinus infection that became complicated by my allergies. During that time, I used what the NeilMed instructions call a "hypertonic" solution -- two mix packets instead of one. Again, I have very serious allergies, and this has been so helpful for me. I love no longer being "that person" at the office who is constantly sniffling and sneezing. I know the idea of this is initially a little creepy, but I recommend it -- I wish I had started using it long before I did.

I am 16 years old, and 3 weeks ago I underwent FESS for my left sphenoid sinus and my left maxillary. I also had a concha bullosa, which the ENT took care of. I been having these sinus issues for over a year and a half. After the surgery, I was advised to use Neilmed's sinus rinse (after I got the packing out and 2 weeks after the surgery), and it helped me alot. At first I was afraid to use it, because having water come into one nostril and out the other doesn't seem fun, but I tried it and it took out all that extra drainage stuff which was pretty gross. And I felt SO MUCH BETTER AFTERWARDS. If you have sinus issues, I advise you use this stuff. It works pretty well. But, you have to make sure you don't put too much/too little water. If you do, it will burn when you use the solution. If you do it correctly, you will have no problem at all and it won't hurt one bit. It's relieving, if anything.

After trying many nasal irrigation products including neti pots, nasal syringes and saline solutions, I found that this is the easiest and most sanitary methods to irrigate the nasal passagways. It does a good job of cleaning the sinuses and I have found that using this product during colds has kept me from having recurring sinus and ear infections.

After 3 sinus surgeries and a screwed up immune system caused by chronic antibiotic use, I went to the ENTs at UVA for a possible revision surgery. I was given the NeilMed Sinus Kit. It sat around the house for 6 months til I got disgusted enough with myself to try it. I had used a bulb syringe before and couldn't imagine this to be much better. I was totally wrong. I probably don't use it often enough but when I get that tell-tale sinus headache of a sinus infection trying to flare up I whip out my Neilmed and start using it 2 times a day. It usually takes about 3 days and I am back to normal. So far I have avoided using antibiotics for my sinus infections for close to a year and haven't had that revision surgery. Its an amazing solution to the problem of allergies and chronic sinusitis. I am looking for the 16 ounce bottle because I always feel that 8 isn't quite enough. Its working well enough but maybe more is better.

Mary Lou