Have you ever used a neti pot? Where am I going wrong????

Ooh, that's interesting that it works for you on one side, but not the other. Does the water get stuck inside of you when you try it through your right side, or does it just come back out of the same nostril? I'm glad you've found that it helps you a bit anyway. I'm thinking of using a saline nasal spray, or even just making a little bit of the salty water solution and using that as nose drops, with a dropper. Thanks for your answer and for the suggestion.

The water comes out of the same side so I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong or not. I presume if it works on the left side, I must be getting something right but these Neti pots don't come with very detailed instructions.

i dont use the neti pot but a different kind that is a squeeze bottle that pushes it with more force and my allergist said to use it on the side that is the most stuffy because if you do the opposite will just get trapped and not be able to come out the stuffy side..

Thanks fruitcakeliz (great name, lol!) I think you're right, it must have ended up in my sinuses somehow. It begs the question how big are one's sinuses? There was a lot of water going in there, are they that big that none would have needed to come out again? I am completely ignorant about this, maybe they are in fact huge!? I would think that it's all absorbed by now. I did feel a lot more congested and achy for a while but that feeling's gone quite a lot now. Think I'll just drop the salt water in using a dropper (in smaller quantities this time!) That might be my best bet at a natural solution. Yep, if you don't like water in your nose this is probably not the thing for you. I have tried looking around on the web since posting this discussion. Apparently if you have a deviated septum you could have problems, and a doctor did once tell me that mine was a bit deviated (after I was hit in the nose with a shuttlecock..) So maybe that could be why. Thanks for your answer!

i am really not sure how much room there is in the sinuses, but with out a lot of pain, i can't imagine that too much would be able to get trapped up there...but i am not being able to do any successful searches for information on this right now *sad* i have found this though..about using a netti pot with a deviated septum.. "People who have a deviated septum and decide to try using a neti pot sometimes find it difficult to get the salt water to move into one nostril and out the other. If one nostril is completely blocked, that will stop the salt water from flowing. The salt water simply won't travel all the way over to exit the other nostril. Usually, however, the blockage is not complete, and eventually the salt water will flow after a few tries. Sometimes people with a deviated septum say that they can get the salt water to flow one direction, but not the other direction. If that is the case, go ahead and do it on the side that works, and continue to try on the other side. Usually the blocked side opens up after a few tries. Remember that it takes a few seconds for the salt water to wind its way through the nose, so give it some time when you try it and make subtle adjustments to your head position to find the position that works best for you." (from the website http://www.intothescentedgarden.com/Neti_Pot_Questions_s/31.htm#septum ) And this about having problems getting the water to flow through with a netti pot Your Neti Pot may not empty due to the reason listed above, so be sure and rule out the possibility that you are shutting the flow off at the nostril. If this is not the case, then you may be experiencing a problem due to either excessive congestion, or you may have an anatomical obstruction such as nasal polyps, etc. The first thing to try is to attempt to flush from both sides...see if the water will flow from the other nostril. If there is an intitial flow and then you feel the water stop, there is a good chance that you have either excessive congestion or a blockage from a polyp or similar problem. If you are able to get the warm water into one nostril, try running whatever amount will enter the nostril and then let it stay there for a few minutes. Alternate filling the nose and draining it to see if you can get the water to flow. Warm water will sometimes relieve swelling in the nasal turbinates and thus open the passageway. If you are unable to open the nasal passages after trying the steps above, then consult a physician. (from the site http://www.neti-pot.biz/neti-pot-problems.html/ ) sorry i am not of much help!!

Thanks, I'm thinking of doing this, as I do want a natural solution, but don't want cups of rogue water mysteriously floating around my sinuses. It could be that it is absorbing into the tissues eventually. At first it felt a lot more pressurised in there and the sinus pain was worse, and I also got a bit of head pain . The tingling feeling from the salt felt nice though. It's difficult to judge whether it helped me to breathe. I'm still having problems (from the original sinus infection), but I don't know how I would have been if I hadn't tried it. I think I'll try putting drops of solution into my nose instead. Less volume and less pressure! No, the neti pot didn't come with any useful instructions unfortunately. Thanks for your reply and your suggestion of using a dropper.