Apologies if this meanders a bit, but my thoughts have been very scattered for a couple months now.
I've been using this product for about a month, and I feel like I'm still learning. I really haven't had the energy to properly track my progress. But I'll note some things I think I've learned.
The product comes with no instructions, but others have put up their experiences on YouTube. Such as this video Dr. Chris Sovey did with a similar L. Sakei product that ships from New Zealand.
Dr. Sovey mixes his powder with water, then applies it with a cotton swap to his inner nostril. You can see this at the 2 minute mark in his video.
I tried Dr. Sovey's water method. I also tried just applying the powder dry with a cotton swap in a similar fashion. I didn't notice much difference, and both methods were very effective in quickly improving my sinus congestion. I noticed an improvement within 12 hours!
Immediately, I was breathing better at night.
However, swabbing the inside of my nose really wasn't reaching the deeper regions and progress slowed.
I wanted to reach deeply into the nasopharynx, especially after
reading a thread by
@Hip on PR.
I quickly learned just how unpleasant using a swab to reach the nasaopharynx was. I wouldn't recommend trying it.
So instead, I tried 3 different methods to get the probiotic to get deep to the nasapharynx:
- Mixing the powder with water and used a rubber Ear Washing Syringe Squeeze Bulb to squirt the liquid deep into my nose.
- Snorting the dry powder (usually off a spoon, use a finger to close the other nostril).
- Snorting the dry powder through a straw or paper tube (just like you see on tv crime shows!).
All 3 methods seem to work pretty well. Wet and dry both seem effective. Try different methods; see what works for you.
How often? From 1-3 times a day. I also varied the amount of powder I used. When my sinuses were more congested I increased the amount and frequency of treatments. If irritation or excessive soreness developed, I decreased the treatments.
Do other things to loosen and get rid of excess mucus:
- breathe steam to loosen mucus
- occasional nasal washes as needed
- occasional nasal spray as needed (I use the nutribiotic nasal spray plus product)
- blow nose often
- watch YouTube videos on sinus massage to help drain sinuses.
What comes out when you blow your nose? Pussy mucus, clear thick mucus, scabby stuff, fuzzy grey stuff, green cottage cheese like stuff. Only once did I get a small amount of blood. After about 3 weeks, it was only clear thick mucus and a bit of whitish pussy mucus.
Unpleasant side effects.
- As regions of my nasal passage and sinuses became exposed, I experienced some mild pain that decreased with time. Although I couldn't see what was happening, it felt like a sore exposed to air that gradually healed over.
- Sinus pressure in different regions when my sinus were draining. This could be mildly painful. I could feel and hear fluid moving around. It often had a "crackly" sound.
- Sore throat for the first 3 weeks. This seemed to be due to sinus drainage. As the drainage decreased, so did the sore throats.
- Excessive sleep. Almost as soon as I started the nasal probiotic, I started sleeping 11 hours a night instead of my usual 8. Currently I'm sleeping about 10 hours. I don't feel like I'm oversleeping, and unsure why my body needs this much sleep.
- More fatigue. In addition to being sleepier, I've generally felt more fatigued and housebound. Hopefully this will improve.
- Not every day will be an improvement. The treatment has been a "2 steps forward 1 step back" kind of thing. While not every day is better, every week has been.
So, after almost a month, where do I stand?
My sinuses are clearer than they've been in 15 years. And for a week now, no sore throats.
It's been a gradual process that has been slowly working its way from clearing my outer nostrils to the nasopharynx and deep sinuses. My deep sinuses are still not completely clear, but I would say they are 60-80% drained.
I can current feel a deep sore in my left nostril that is hurting more as it gradually becomes exposed to air. I expect it will heal over in a few days like the other less deep sores have.
I plan to continue this product, and have already ordered another packet. The first packet is nearly gone after a month. I'm hoping to see continue gradual progress and at some point either discontinue the product or just use it occasionally.
Some random thoughts:
- Snorting the powder may have the additional ben efit of getting some of the probiotic to your lungs, which is the second biggest microbiome in your body after the gut.
- I've had some acne on my shoulders that wouldn't heal. Using some of the probiotic powder on the acne sores seems to stop the itching and greatly accelerate the healing.
- I tried putting my head upside down to get the powder deep up into my sinuses, but only managed to create a mess. This trick works well with nasal sprays, however.
- Using more powder helps to clear my nostrils and sinuses, but too much can irritate. Finding the fine line between enough to help without causing too much irritation is half the battle.
- Sometimes only one nostril will feel congested. Use more probiotic on that side until it clears up.
Hope this is all readable and helps somebody.
