Re: Rick's questions

[Guest guest]

Rick, I don't know what medications your wife is on but I would try

any medications before I would ever try surgery. But that is based

upon my experience of needing multiple surgeries over many years and

basically my sinuses now are a mass of scar tissue.

If your wife has surgery it is likely the polyps will return.

Aspirin desensitization is a good route to go, but she may be

required to have surgery before undergoing this. Lots of information

about this in the Links section here to the left on the site.

Irrigation just means getting a solution through your nose, neti pot,

Waterpik, however it is done. I follow this with a steroid spray

later in the day, and many have found the steroid sprays effective,

more effective if you are in a position where the spray can sort of

drain up into the nose, so like lying on the bed on one's back with

your head over the side of the bed.

I don't know if your wife is on Singulair or Zyflo but both of these

have been found to be helpful for many people with Samters, sometimes

in higher than usual doses in the case of Singulair.

My regimen, having had this illness for 20 years and having learned a

lot through the group, plus a lot of trial and error is now:

neti pot irrigation once a day, more if severe congestion

Nasonex steroid nasal spray

Singulair 30 milligrams a day

Advair 500/50, once puff twice a day

reduced dairy and low-fat diet

I have not found any difference for myself with a low-salicylate

diet. One problem I find with it is it could tend to be very high in

fat, which I think is very likely to be a very bad idea for those

with Samters. It also contains almost no fruits and few vegetables,

which I just don't think is a healthy way to eat. I think some of us

may be sensitive to salicylates and some may actually not be. I

don't think that I am. If your wife is, then by all means, she

should try to avoid them. Personally in regards to the general

Samters population I think fat being converted to chemicals such as

leukotrienes which play a role in Samters are probably a bigger

culprit than salicylates, but this is just my opinion. I am

sensitive to certain foods, regardless of the salicylate content, and

obviously I avoid those.

I hope this helps. Also, finding a doctor who's an expert or

somewhat experienced with this disease is very helpful in terms of

the long-term care. Depending on where you live members could

provide recommendations.

Good luck to you and your wife

Lori