Sinus rinse - is it my technique, or my anatomy that's wrong?

sometimes when I inhaled it burned up inside my forehead (sort of like when you get water up your nose while swimming). Are you using saline solution, just to confirm? Then about two days after the first (and only, at that time) time I irrigated, I was bending over at the waist to brush my hair and water started dripping rapidly from my left nostril. I stood upright and it continued to drip, almost run. I could only assume that some of the solution had been trapped somewhere in my head. I have had solution get trapped and run freely after bending over, although never after such a long period of time. If you bend over immediately after irrigating (for at least 30 seconds), do you still have signs of water being trapped later on? The moistening provided by the nasal irrigation does feel good on my dry nasal passages, but I don't want to be creating some sort of festering swamp inside my head! On the moistening front, my ENT has recommended coating the inside of my nostrils with pure lanolin, available at health foods stores in the personal care aisle. I generally use a Q-Tip to apply daily. It has definitely reduced the incidence of my sinus infections. (However, I don't have Sjogrens; might be worth checking with your rheumatologist before you try this.) I can't answer anything on the structural front -- that's more an ENT/imaging question. On the ENT front, I had very bad luck with a couple ENTs before finding a great one. It might be worth trying again if you can get a good recommendation from someone you trust. Also, pseudoephedrine is generally quite drying, and it can turn on you if you use it too many days in a row; have you asked your doctor about other options? I find Mucinex less drying, personally, but it varies from person to person.

I use (and really like) the NeilMed system, after having used a neti pot for years. According to NeilMed, To Avoid Unexpected Drainage After Rinsing: In rare situations, especially if you have had sinus surgery, the saline solution can pool in the sinus cavities and nasal passages and then drip from your nostrils hours after rinsing. To avoid this harmless but annoying inconvenience, take one extra step after rinsing: lean forward, tilt your head sideways and gently blow your nose. Then, tilt your head to the other side and blow again. You may need to repeat this several times. This will help rid your nasal passages of any excess mucus and remaining saline solution. If you find yourself experiencing delayed drainage often, do not rinse right before leaving your house or going to bed.

Are you blowing your nose at all after you irrigate? You should do a series of short, light puffs on each side (close up the other nostril by holding it shut with your finger). This should remove excess saline. You don't want to blow too hard or you may end up clogging up your ear. It sounds like you may not be blowing your nose enough afterwards and you are getting some saline hanging out up there. Also as a side note: the way you describe your sinus issues sounds exactly like my own, and I have mostly given up on nasal irrigation. Most of the time I'm too congested for the saline to do anything but drip right out of my nostril as soon as I squirt it in. Hot showers and steam rooms, on the other hand? Those are my BFFs.

I irrigate my sinuses every day. Twice a day when I have a cold. After I finish irrigating, I bend at the waist and hold my head to one side, then to the other side, then back and forth a few times, just to make sure my sinuses are all drained out. With a little experience, you'll figure out what gyrations are necessary to drain yours. For me, the daily irritations are totally worth it. It's the only reason I can breathe.

I use Neilmed (and the walgreens generic version) frequently in the winter and don't have this issue. My ENT said to point the the nozzle of the squirt bottle away from my face while squeezing and this seems to work well for me. That is, as if you were pouring a bottle of wine into a glass, not drinking from a glass of wine. If you're concerned with bacteria, be sure you're using distilled or pre-boiled water, not tap water (I am guilty of not always...or ever...following this rule). If you haven't been to an ENT in 20+ years I definitely recommend going again. [Edit:disregard, just saw that you went 2 years ago, nevertheless, maybe see a different one?] There are non-rebound-congestion-causing sprays now as well as a host of other treatments available. I had a http://www.balloonsinuplasty.com/ done a few years ago due to chronic congestion and it was life-changing.

Chronic sinusitis-suffer and dedicated irrigator here. I definitely have to bend at the waist and do a few gyrations with gentle nose-blowing afterward, and sometimes I still get a surprise stream of water falling out of my face later on. However, if I do my irrigating while showering, I don't get the delayed nose-faucet effect. Not sure why this is, but it's been a consistent phenomenon, so, okay. The burning feeling sounds like you're not putting enough salt in your solution. Too much salt burns, but not enough actually burns worse.

I am a big fan of the sinus rinse bottle you linked to and have not experienced anything similar. However, I remember having a steep learning curve when I first started using a neti pot. Are you opening your mouth while you rinse? For me, it was a combination of realizing that I have to open my mouth slightly, plus get my head angled just right. I watched a LOT of youtube videos, which you could also try.

Though (I am pretty sure) I don't have the same sinus issues you have, I have low-grade allergies to a whole host of things, so I rarely have really clear sinuses. I've tried a neti pot a couple times, with mixed results, including some of the delayed drainage you mention. But my worst experiences were when I got fevers the following day, which I assumed was because I flushed infectious material elsewhere in my sinuses. But I continue to use the neti pot, when I can breathe through both nostrils. This improves the amount I can drain out by tilting my head, and if water doesn't drain out my nose or the back of my throat, I stop. Then I lean over a toilet, because I can lower my head more than tilting my head over a sink, and I wait for more water to drain out. Then I stand up and look straight up, which allows some water to drain down my throat, and when that happens, I lean down over the toilet again, turning my head every so often. After all that, I'll blow my nose very lightly, not blocking either nostril, because I don't want to force water elsewhere. For me, I'll flush my nose well before I go to sleep, because I'll continue to drain a bit after flushing my nose. I personally prefer a neti pot to http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/neilmed-sinus-rinse-starter-kit/ID=prod3366526-product?ext=gooHealth_Care_PLA_Expansion_Keywords_Exact_Cough,_Cold_&_Flu_Nasal_Care_Nasal_Washes_&_Neti_Pots_Brand_NeilMed_neilmed_sinus_rinse&sst=03907acc-6193-fbe9-3ad9-000002809653, as the neti pot doesn't add additional force behind the flow of the water, but I've heard good things about all the NeilMed products, FWIW.

Perhaps you should also do http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZXyde7Dh0Y to lubricate your nose more afterwards. You don't need a special nasya oil, you can just use organic, cold pressed sesame.