Re: ENT comments on Capsicum (and hence, SinusBuster)

[Guest guest]

Ken,

Thank you for this very insightful post. I have not tried the

SinusBuster spray yet ... my sinuses have been okay lately with

Nasonex and ENT-SOL so I haven't tried anything else. But I am

always looking for more information on this topic as I'd rather NOT

be on the steroid sprays.

Thanks for sharing what you found out and your own personal

experience with the spray, which makes sense and is also

interesting.

Lori

[Guest guest]

I would pretty much concur with Ken's assesment of SinusBuster.

I've been using it fairly regularly for approximately 6 weeks now;

perhaps once per day / 4-5 days per week. As Ken reports the initial

use was quite an eye opener to say the least and I did notice a

signifcant immediate improvement in airflow and congestion. The bite

or burning was very noticeable, but welcome in a way since you knew

something was really happening.

However, over the course of the last 3 weeks or so I hardly feel any

sensation with its use at all, even with 2-3 sprays per nostril.

Also, the relief of congestion is minimal at best for me at this

point. As of yet, I wouldn't say it currently makes my condidtion

worse, but who knows with continued use?

As a chiropractor I've had patients use capsacium based analgesic

creams or sprays for muscular/joint pain or injuries with positve

effectiveness. The mechanism is that it actually acts as a local

irritant stimulating a different type of nerve receptor/fiber in the

area of the injury. Since our brain does not perceive 2 different

types of pain or " irritant " from one localized area at the same

time, the analgesic therefore simply distracts our attention from

the pain resulting from our injury. This is basically how all the

topical OTC analgesics work.

Considering this use of capsacium as an irritant, I have wondered if

it is advised to be spraying it into our polyp-filled sinuses?

However, I'm still perplexed as to why it seemed to work initially,

but now its effectiveness is waning, or in Ken's case making the

situation even worse!

> I just heard a radio interview with one Dr. Cameron, of Rhode

Island.

>

> The issue was a study he did of the effect of Wasabi on sinus

> congestion.

> He did some sort of study which showed that, despite the

perception of

> decongestion from Wasabi, there actually is a slight reduction in

air

> flow, after ingestion.

>

> In discussing his findings, he pointed out that it is totally

logical

> that anything which irritates the nasal passages is ultimately

going

> to constrain air flow. He went on to say that Capsicum (primary

> component of Sinus Buster, discussed in this group last month)

falls

> into this category.

>

> My own experience with Sinus Buster supports this.

> When I first took it, and survived that initial " bite " , so

> stimulating, I could in fact breath better, and actually got my

sense

> of smell back very quickly.

> However:

> - the effect wore off quickly, and

> - the more I used it, the less the effect, until,

> - I became more clogged than ever.

>

> Reluctantly (because that " bite " really is a pleasure/pain thing) I

> stopped using it. I concluded that ultimately it made things

worse.

>

> I just save it for special occasions, now.

>

> Ken West

[Guest guest]

Perhaps it's just like " nose drops " that work simply by irritating the

lining, causing the passages to retract, and " open up " . The problem is

that, over time, the ability to retract lessens, and the lining is

weakened, and so actual damage is done.

If that is what Sinusbuster is doing, then it shoud be used with care.

One of the things that heightened my concern is that the SinusBuster web

site

http://www.sinusbuster.com

really doesn't explain how it actually works -- this raised my suspicions

from the first, but I tried it anyway.

Ken West

> From: " Mike McNeil " <mcneil7353@...>

.. . . snip . . >

> Considering this use of capsacium as an irritant, I have wondered if

> it is advised to be spraying it into our polyp-filled sinuses?

> However, I'm still perplexed as to why it seemed to work initially,

> but now its effectiveness is waning, or in Ken's case making the

> situation even worse!

>

[Guest guest]

I notice a similar effect from the Sinusbuster but I always have a "net gain" when all is said & done. In fact I have been able to taste/smell for the past 7-8 weeks about 90% of the time. My doctor had me do a short course of prednisone and antibiotic to try to clear up a sinus infection. I was doing the Sinusbuster at the time and my taste/smell came back after 2-3 days of the prednisone (it usually takes a week or more) and I have had it ever since. I am also taking flonase & singular. I am not positive that it is the Sinusbuster helping me but I don't want to change anything either.

Rob

ENT comments on Capsicum (and hence, SinusBuster)

I just heard a radio interview with one Dr. Cameron, of Rhode Island.The issue was a study he did of the effect of Wasabi on sinuscongestion.He did some sort of study which showed that, despite the perception ofdecongestion from Wasabi, there actually is a slight reduction in airflow, after ingestion.In discussing his findings, he pointed out that it is totally logicalthat anything which irritates the nasal passages is ultimately goingto constrain air flow. He went on to say that Capsicum (primarycomponent of Sinus Buster, discussed in this group last month) fallsinto this category.My own experience with Sinus Buster supports this.When I first took it, and survived that initial "bite", sostimulating, I could in fact breath better, and actually got my senseof smell back very quickly.However:- the effect wore off quickly, and- the more I used it, the less the effect, until,- I became more clogged than ever.Reluctantly (because that "bite" really is a pleasure/pain thing) Istopped using it. I concluded that ultimately it made things worse.I just save it for special occasions, now.Ken West

[Guest guest]

I agree that the combination of prednisone and SinusBuster was more than the

sum of its parts.

regards,

Ken West

416 654 1398

From: " Rob Cumberledge " <rob@...>

Organization: The Computer Cafe

Reply-samters

Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2004 08:50:18 -0400

<samters >

Subject: Re: ENT comments on Capsicum (and hence, SinusBuster)

I notice a similar effect from the Sinusbuster but I always have a " net

gain " when all is said & done. In fact I have been able to taste/smell for

the past 7-8 weeks about 90% of the time. My doctor had me do a short

course of prednisone and antibiotic to try to clear up a sinus infection. I

was doing the Sinusbuster at the time and my taste/smell came back after 2-3

days of the prednisone (it usually takes a week or more) and I have had it

ever since. I am also taking flonase & singular. I am not positive that it

is the Sinusbuster helping me but I don't want to change anything either.

Rob

ENT comments on Capsicum (and hence, SinusBuster)

I just heard a radio interview with one Dr. Cameron, of Rhode Island.

The issue was a study he did of the effect of Wasabi on sinus

congestion.

He did some sort of study which showed that, despite the perception of

decongestion from Wasabi, there actually is a slight reduction in air

flow, after ingestion.

In discussing his findings, he pointed out that it is totally logical

that anything which irritates the nasal passages is ultimately going

to constrain air flow. He went on to say that Capsicum (primary

component of Sinus Buster, discussed in this group last month) falls

into this category.

My own experience with Sinus Buster supports this.

When I first took it, and survived that initial " bite " , so

stimulating, I could in fact breath better, and actually got my sense

of smell back very quickly.

However:

- the effect wore off quickly, and

- the more I used it, the less the effect, until,

- I became more clogged than ever.

Reluctantly (because that " bite " really is a pleasure/pain thing) I

stopped using it. I concluded that ultimately it made things worse.

I just save it for special occasions, now.

Ken West