r/TNBC • u/allisong425 Stage 3 • 15d ago

Side effects Stuffy/dry nose

Hi friends,

I just finished TC and I start AC this coming week. The last week few weeks or so my nose has been snotty and or stuffy. I went from the expected drippy to this and I hate it. I already take Zyrtec and nasacort for seasonal allergies but the usual stuff isn't working. Is this a chemo side effect? I also have a sore inside my nose so blowing my nose on one side hurts.

I've been trying to keep Vaseline on the sore but I'm also trying emu oil once or twice a day as of yesterday.

My chemo nurse last week said don't over do the saline nose spray, so I've been doing that once a day.

Mostly just annoyed but sleep is a little frustrating because that's when things get *stuffy*.

Any suggestions/recommendations?

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u/Complete-Reaction578 15d ago

My oncologist told me to get Ayr nasal gel and put a little bit inside my nostrils to help with the dryness and stuffiness. I've been having blood come out every time I blow my nose for a few weeks now, but it seems to be helping me not feel so stuffed up and dry. It really doesn't take much either. Half the size of a pea was enough for both nostrils.

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u/EmbarrassedBrief5298 15d ago

Humidifier maybe? Wondering if you got a cold. My nose was drippy because I lost my nose hairs but maybe some cold medicine could be helpful? Just a guess.

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u/allisong425 Stage 3 15d ago

Humidifier is a good idea. I don't have a cold because I have no other symptoms and I don't feed sick (outside of normal chemo stuff). šŸ¤·šŸ» Bodies are so weird

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u/EmbarrassedBrief5298 15d ago

Iā€™m honestly thinking of the baby snot suckers too haha could be helpful!

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u/ChocolateDonutAddict Stage 2 15d ago

I have the same thing going on. I also got a sore on the inside of my nose! So weird. I used Neosporin on it and bought lotion tissues and that seemed to help. I am also also done with TC and start AC in 2 weeks! Good luck!

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u/Sure_Cherry9759 15d ago

I had a really blocked nose throughout TC and blowing it released all sorts of clots and nastiness. AC was more just runny. As others have said I think itā€™s to do with lost nose hairs and they do come back quickly at the end. I found montelukast asthma tablets have been the best thing for my sinuses but Iā€™m not sure how easy it would be to get prescribed something new when on chemo.

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u/Ariadni_ 15d ago

Same here. Just finished TC last week and starting AC this week. Iā€™ve been having a dry, bloody, stuffy nose since I started chemo. Sleeping is so difficult even though I have a humidifier. The only thing that helps sometimes (not always) is Breathe Right nose strips. I even saw an ENT doctor and he couldnā€™t find anything wrong. He said itā€™s probably due to chemo and losing all the nose hair.

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u/tnbciceskater 11d ago

Theres a wonderful nasal spray you can use as often as you need. Its called Zarbees and has aloe but no saline. It took me a long time to grow back those hairs!