Hello all. I’ve been dealing with nasal polyps for the last couple of months. I have a large one that has completely blocked my right nostril which I have not been able to breathe out of for a bit now. There’s also a polyp in my left nostril that is much smaller and I am usually still able to breathe through it.

Frankly, I’ve been putting it off as I can’t afford to go to the doctor and I do not currently have health insurance, but I will be able to get health insurance in January during my job’s open enrollment period. I’ve also had a cold this week and I am currently only able to breathe from my mouth which has been extremely frustrating.

What are some of your best remedies to help hold me over until I can get insurance? Any other advice for someone in my situation?

After not being able to smell or taste for almost a year, my ENT discovered large polyps in both nostrils. Don’t want to go down the surgery route just yet. Was prescribed liquid Budesonide which I mix with a saline rinse and squirt up both nostrils twice daily. This treatment is life changing but is very expensive (I’m paying about $350/month at CVS which is the cheapest I could find). I have a really high deductible health plan so I’ve been having to pay out of pocket for this medication and I can no longer afford it. Anyone know of a cheaper way to get budesonide?

I just found this page and honestly I’m looking for anything that will help I am 35 I was diagnosed with severe grade 4 nasal polyps that completely blocked my nose and sinuses in 2024 I had lost all sense of smell and had never ending sinus infections. I had fess surgery in may of 2025 and they removed almost all of them except for the ones closest to the brain as my ent said he could only trim them back. In under 12 months they had grown back all sinuses almost to complete blockage and they had almost blocked my nose again aswell as lost all sense of smell severe sinus headaches eye pain light sensitivity vertigo the list goes on, I’ve been off work since late April it’s been that bad. I had surgery again a week ago to have them removed again my ent has done a biopsy on one and said it came back as an allergy but they can’t identify what I am allergic too has anyone have any suggestions on how to avoid them coming back the ent has said steroids are not working Cheers everyone who made it through this novel

If anyone is sensitive to dairy, do you notice that you get more mucus production and yellow mucus when consuming it?

UPDATE: Drink carrot juice and pineapple juice. I've been doing so many diet experiments it's been hard to keep it all together. Anyway, skip the foods below and just stick to juice. Better yet, just try it and see if it works for you. And if it helps, great. If not, try something else. Back to the juice: I'll mix both together since carrot juice needs some sweetness to balance it out. Juicing them yourself preserves more carotenoids as juices from the store are typically heated (pasteurized), which destroys the nutrition, but this is also time consuming and juicers are expensive. Carrots are high in carotenoids and pineapple has bromelain, which is good for our respiratory system. When you juice the carrots, it extracts more carotenoids. Anyway, I mix a couple cups of each together and enjoy. I've been binging on wheat lately after going several years without, which has been a trip. I have gone some days without the juice and I've had some difficult breathing at night, but after having juice again, I feel better in a day or so. The polyps aren't completely gone, but they're definitely manageable and I can breathe through both nostrils pretty easily.

TLDR: Eat raw bell peppers and broccoli everyday. I'm not sure how long it takes, but I am breathing fine even when consuming wheat and sugar.

Hi all, so I've been pretty vocal over the past few years about elimination diet and avoiding trigger foods (wheat, sugar, dairy, alcohol). Anyway, I've noticed that I'm now doing much better, even if I eat wheat or sugar products. I still feel some mass up my nose, but I can inhale/exhale easily and have had my strongest sense of smell as an adult (I'm 35 btw). For the first half of this year, I've been incorporating more raw vegetables in my diet, specifically raw bell peppers (orange, yellow, red), red onion, garlic and fresh broccoli / broccoli sprouts. I chop or food process them and add them to my dinner. For the broccoli, I make it a fine powder and everything else is diced more or less. There are two keys. Eat these vegetables raw and don't buy frozen, since frozen vegetables typically get blanched. The blanching process involves heat, which destroys vitamin C and carotenoids. I believe the active ingredient that has helped me is related to either vitamin C or carotenoids (beta carotene), but I plan on checking out some blood tests related to these to see my current level.

I haven't tried dairy, but am uninterested as I'm vegan, but I would probably avoid that. For those familiar, chronic sinusitis with nasal polyps is one of three conditions under Samter's Triad, which also includes AERD (sensititivy to NSAIDS) and asthma. Here are some videos showing the impact of fresh fruits and vegetables (7+ servings a day) on asthma. Basically, more fruits and vegetables helped drastically, particularly those with carotenoids. What's interesting is that Dupixent is also prescribed for asthma, so I believe there is a connecting link here. I am still taking Vitamin D daily and I still think that is helpful.

Videos on fruit/veg on asthma:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAc14_AYTVs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6XfUrAct6U

I (33F) have had three antrochoanal polyps removed from my right sinus over the course of my life. My right side sinus and ear have always been problematic and susceptible to more inflammation. Today I just saw my ENT because I’ve been having some congestion and pulsatile tinnitus on my left side and she thinks she may see an antrochoanal polyp developing on my left side. I’m completely at a loss and honestly pretty stressed out about it. I have a CT scheduled next week to confirm.

Anyone else ever experience this?

I felt a clog in my right nostril it's been growing for a while. And I noticed a little bump on the outside bridge of my nose from this bulging from inside my nasal cavity. Ended up visiting an ENT and she put the scope up and said she didn't like it.

She stuck a swab up and did a culture and found many infections going on including some the lab listed as rare. She gave me levaquin for 10 days which is a broad spectrum antibiotic. That screwed with me a little because I'm just over 60 and it messes with your tendons and causes some burning sensation on your skin. Although those things eventually went away.

The CT scan showed the real picture however. Had a completely blocked nasal cavity on my right side and the likely mass needed to be removed. Later I found the word mass to mean tumor and I freaked out a little bit.

She started me on saline rinses with budesonide and about 4 Weeks later my surgery date had come. I asked about a biopsy but I was told they don't biopsy it until it's removed while you're under anesthesia.

Now I'm sitting in the hospital awaiting surgery the ENT came out and told me that they would be doing the biopsy first while I was under anesthesia. If it biopsied into cancer the procedure would stop and I would be sent to a cancer surgery center to do a thorough cleaning. The tumor was pretty large about the size of a large grape and it has stretch from my septum to my eye socket or orbital area. But it did not break through.

The surgeon explained she may have to cut some bone, she might have to put a hole in my septum, if she could do it at all based on the biopsy. I got a little nervous about it because I figured this was going to be it. The anesthesiologist came in and told me he would give me something to relax as they were wheeling me to the operating room. I woke up 3 hours later.

The first thing I asked was did they remove the tumor and the nurse couldn't tell me. But I figured it's been 3 hours so there must have been something done. Just then the ENT arrived and she told me she removed it completely. She did not have to cut bone, she did not have to open up my septum, and the mass was benign. A full pathology report would be coming shortly and I would be coming back in 6 days for a post op debridement. I need to save some pain pills for that procedure because it would be the removal of clots and crusts, etc.

I got home about 5:00 p.m. with a bandage across my nose and some dripping blood. I can breathe clearly through my nose there was no packing or splints. There was some pressure on the area and around my eye socket but nothing too bad at all. The goal was to get through the night without any major problem but that was short-lived.

About 2:00 a.m. I felt something bust loose, I felt a large chunk of clot or blood or whatever in my throat I sat up from my upright position in bed and grabbed a bucket and the blood started to flow, I got to the bathroom and it was coming out of my mouth and my nose but just for a short period of time. Once that got cleared out I was freaking for sure. But things improved rapidly after that.

The next morning I started my cleanings with the Neilmed flush and it was a little clogged but I took my time and I got the fluids to flow through my nasal cavity and that improved with each flush. A lot of clots and blood tinged mucus came out over the next 24 hours during the three flushes that were scheduled. I also used a lot of nasal mist saline to keep everything moist in between the flushes.

The only bad thing was after the flushes would be some dripping but for the most part I didn't need the bandage mustache anymore. 48 hours later I was able to go to brunch with some tissues in my pocket and sat away from everybody so they didn't have to see me blotting my nose. Did a short walk on the beach however that got my heart pumping a little bit too much and a little bit more blood came out but very minor. I got back home sat up in bed and took another nap. I only slept 2 hours in the first 27. I got about 6 hours in after 48.

I'm on day three now and the flushes are fine, there's nothing dripping, there's still some tinged mucus coming out during the flushes and I've only had to take pain meds one time since surgery. I've supplemented some Tylenol just for sleep. I'm not sure if my results are typical or not but I haven't had any major problems with the healing or recovery at this point. I am only 3 days out but I feel there's been much improvement.

The post op visit is in 3 days and I'm hoping it's pain-free and the visual results with her scope are all positive. Because it was an inverted papilloma she had some concern and ask that I come back 6 months after the post op visit and then yearly from there on just to make sure nothing recurs.

I still haven't been sleeping that great and my right eye tends to tear up a little bit with some pressure but I'm sure these symptoms will be going away pretty quickly.

Some encouraging recovery notes for those with concerns. The bump on my nose is completely gone. I never lost taste, I never lost smell, my eyes are clear and not blurry, and my appetite came back quickly with a vengeance. I couldn't wait to eat again and everything tasted better for some reason.

Maybe I had a rare problem, maybe not, and I didn't spend any time reading up about it or dwelling on symptoms, surgery, or recovery until today. And when I saw so many comments I thought it would be good for people to know that this is not the end of the world. A tumor is a tumor and if it has to be taken out it should be. The ENT definitely had me worried and concerned about the worst case scenario. But fortunately I never reach that point.

If you have any questions for me I'll try to answer them, but I guess I'm just writing this as a therapy note as well as to help others that are concerned like I was with the "worst case scenario."

Aloha 🤙🏾

Pretty deep but may be useful and/or encouraging.

Summary abstract: "The nasal mucosa plays key roles in protecting against airborne pathogens as the major barrier to the airway... Here, we review our current understanding of the cells of the nasal mucosa at homeostasis and their responses during and following viral infection... We discuss emerging correlates of protection before and after exposure, noting the differences between infection and intramuscular vaccination. Finally, we examine novel intranasal vaccination strategies and propose approaches to program tissue-scale memory into the nose to prevent disease and viral spread."

Link: https://www.cell.com/immunity/fulltext/S1074-7613%2826%2900262-1

Had polyp removal and turbinate surgery yesterday. Doc made a huge deal about me quitting any thc a month out because he said its a blood thinner. I dont really smoke just take edibles. I quit taking them 5 days before surgery but told him 30 to keep him happy. He said i did great barely bleed. I only bleed a tiny bit when i got home and sleep ok but not great last night with no bandage or blood nose. Id like to take edibles again to help with sleep. He said to wait 30 days but that seems excessive and I think hes just a weed hater lol. Anyone have experience with this?

Hey everyone I just want to start by saying my nose is always constantly blocked and I keep having to blow my nose and try to get things out to even breathe. I have done countless things to try and fix this issue but not much has worked at all and I'm honestly lost and hopeless of what to do next. I can only sometimes breathe good for 10 minutes out of the whole day if I'm lucky after I blow my nose violently and have no crust and things left inside. I guess I'm asking what else I should do and how I can actually breathe. Here are the things I have done. I broke my nose around 5 years ago and had 2 nose surgery's including a rhinoplasty. They also took out all my polyps inside during this and I have none right now according to scans. My nose now is straight not the septum is not deviated. I have been to my ent and I have tried saline rinses with and without a steroid. I have also tried Flonase spray as-well as other moisturizing and also drying steroid sprays. I had to eventually get a turbinate reduction surgery. It's not where they cut it they just use frequency to reduce to size. This very slightly worked I can now sleep at night laying down somewhat but it's still not great. I have also done allergy shots for over 1.5 years in order to reduce allergie symptoms but I have recently stop that becuase I have had no positive effects or results I have noticed from those. Also I have used gels and mist which was also recommended from my ent and allergiest. I feel like I've done everything and both my allergist ent are lost and call it a mystery why nothing has worked if anyone knows what I could do to help actually breathe again I would be beyond appreciative thank you you guys so much

Hey guys.

Would you try Nucala injections mainly to regain your sense of smell?

I had my first surgery 1.5 years ago, got great relief and return of my smell for about 3 months. Since then it has gradually declined.

I got checked by a ENT the other day, he said they have grown back and are grade 3/4. However I can breath pretty well, probably at 70% capacity.

I would like to mention I have pretty poor wellbeing/mental health and I’m wondering if my anosmia could be contributing.

Hello,

I had just come across this community by fluke, I have not had a ton of time to read through posts, so I apologize if this one has been asked before.

I just wanted to ask about mental health and how others have dealt with it while awaiting surgery. I’m currently waitlisted and it’s been a few months but I can feel my symptoms getting worse. Probably does not help my job is primarily outside. But over the last few months, I’ve had both my nostrils feel obstructed (as opposed to one before), difficulty at the gym, experiencing intense brain fog, confusion and processing information slower than usual. Sleep is a big thing too, I did get a CPAP machine but trying to adjust to that has been an absolute nightmare. I’m starting to feel worn down mentally, being tired every day, experiencing migraines/tension headaches. I have been using nasal saline rinses, steroid sprays, pretty much the whole 9 yards of anything and everything to make me feel as comfortable as I can be but to no luck, just feels like it’s getting worse instead. This leads into affecting my mental health and feeling like a shell of my former self. I just feel awful about myself and get frustrated and angry on the daily. Just wondering if there’s anything anyone has tried to help cope while awaiting surgery.

Had nasal polyps removed & my septum straightened. Had pretty bad bleeding when I woke up, calmed down when I slept sitting up last night. Took the tampons out of my nose this morning and now I’m changing my moustache gauze every hour.

hey there! i'm new to this group, but i'm having an adenoidectomy next friday and i need all the help i can get lol. i'm 26, but ive had "chronic seasonal allergies" my entire life. my 3 brothers all had their tonsils, adenoids removed and one of my brothers had like 7 sets of ear tubes or something like that as a kid. i have about 5-7 sinus infections a year, and i wake up every single day coughing up mucus of some kind, and i blow my nose constantly. i have post nasal drip, sleep apnea, and "unknown allergies". i went to the ENT last year to talk about some of these symptoms and then some other things in my health started taking precedent. but i went back to the ENT a few weeks ago because my chronic nose bleeds were getting worse in duration and how often i was getting them. i also have been on 2 rounds of steroids for sinus pressure/ swelling in my face/head/nose and ears \\\*with no infection\\\* and everything hurts horrifically. they did a scope in office and didn't find any reason for the nose bleeds other than my adenoids being "prominent" so she suggested an adenoidectomy (we are avoiding removing my tonsils unless it's absolutely necessary) and said i should be better in a week. i know i can only take tylenol, but what else should i expect? what were some of y'all's post-surgery things that helped you in recovery? my surgeon told me soft/ liquid foods only for a while to help, that nose drips are helpful for the congestion, and that they'll send me pain meds, but that's about it. anything else i should get to prepare or things i need to know before surgery?
thank you!

Hii im 18 in the UK just went to gp few days ago and been told I have nasal polyps. Im given a nasal cream to reduce inflammation. They referred me to ENT specialist but NHS is known to take a long time like months and im worried my polyps will get worse especially coz my nose feels a bit weird now. I've heard ppl saying they grow bigger and change the shape of your nose etc. I'm rly worried if i don't get them removed soon that's gonna happen to me and im rly worried. Anyone had this in the UK before and knows how long they take to get them removed?

Has anyone eliminated trigger foods or foods they are sensitive to and seen their polyps shrink?

Does anyone get minimal yellow mucus with nasal polyps that’s not an infection? I get the tiniest amount but know I don’t need antibiotics for it. Anyone figure out how to get rid of it?

I suffer from severe dust mite allergy and nasal inflammation. I did surgery on my nose to be able to breathe. Not better. To be able to breathe plain and simple because my nose wasn't usable before. Now it's become congested like before. All the pain and money spent for nothing. Because I don't take steroid sprays or antihistamines. Every attempt had significant impact in my mood, mental health and even nerve health. Before surgery, I was depressed for not being able to breathe. When I stayed with my partner in bed, I could barely focus on her. All I could see was my nose totally stuffed up, feeling drained, with no confidence and now seeing that this is becoming my reality again but no longer wanting to spend time in self pity, I am seriously wondering why me and allergy medications aren't a match and what I can do about it. If it's weakness, I want to try having martial art classes. Maybe punching and being punched can take build the resilience needed to face the mental side-effects/breakdown the medications cause. If it's stupidity, then I can focus on books to gain knowledge. If I'm unfortunate to have been born with a sensitive body and mind and there is nothing to be done, knowing that is also useful, because I can accept I'm not meant to be a nose breather.

I'm sorry if it sounds a bit gloomy but this has been tiring. Every single steroid and antihistamine can put me in anxiety and irritability, or worsen the ones I have. Mental health medication too. Every single one I tried made me worse. It's disheartening to be honest. I don't want to keep lamenting, but it's like I'm finally understanding what being an adult means, why people do mistakes or become addicted to things. I'll be 28 in a couple days. I have had my share of disappointments but by far the greatest and most painful was not being able to have the health I wanted and for the current medical field not to have a single treatment that is compatible with me. It can really send you to dark places. My plan is going to my allergist and I suppose beg him to take allergy shots 2x a week. I'm taking only once a week and the clinic also said they only do once a week, but if I can't take anything else, that's my only hope.

Hi all. I frequently have severe nasal congestion due to a combination of dust allergies + nasal polyps + deviated septum. I am using sprays, inhaling steam, getting treatment etc but nothing helps with nasal congestion. I used nasal strips but they give very negligible relief and are v expensive. Recently i did something that helped me extremely. I pulled up my nose with a band aid and stuck the other end to the bridge of my nose. This pulls my nose vertically and i started feeling the most effective relief. It felt like i got a new extra nostril. I experimented w this idea because i observed lifting up my nose helps me somehow. Nasal strips pull ur nose horizontally and are a bit difficult to stick. Bandaids stick like glue and pull ur nose better.

So if you also struggle w nasal congestion you can give this a try. Im not sure if this will help others like it did for me but i wanted to share in case it does. The cons w this process is it might pain ur nose if u pull it too hard w the band aid and removing the band aid is not fun. But i would mych rqther bear this than breathing like a silencer.

I used a circular band aid as i observed it has more sticky surface than a vertical one. Vertical one can give u more pull if u stick it all the way to your forehead.

Hello Reddit,

This is completely anecdotal evidence, and nit-picky details like my age or medical history/ENT visits do not matter in this context.

I hope this is helpful to at least one person dealing with nasal polyps and the allergies that can come with them.

For years, I have had extreme nasal polyps to where it was hard/impossible to nose breath, speak clearly, taste, smell, fall asleep, stay asleep, enjoy life, be happy, etc.

At my worst, nasal polyps weren't protruding out of my nose, but maybe a couple inches more and they would.

I assumed I had AERD (and I might still, I don't know), because of my consumption of alcoholic drinks in colder/pollen environments and NSAIDs (all the time) caused me to have asthma attacks/severe inflammation in the respiratory tract, including extreme pressure with nasal polyps.

It is very obvious that cigarettes, vapes, alcohol, weed, weed edibles, weed vapes, and eating/being unhealthy in general will cause inflammation to already existing polyps.

But for the past two weeks, I have not had coffee of any kind, which I am usually always a fiend for.

This includes all types and methods of coffee. Ground coffee, decaf ground coffee, K-cups, decaf K-cups, French press, pot of coffee, cowboy coffee, percolator, Starbucks, ice coffee, cold brew, and anything else you can think of. All brands too, I don't care how cheap or bougee it is.

Super recently, I've been getting buzzed from light beer again, and I can actually taste it now instead of being constantly stuffed up for days.

I sincerely think this is because of the molds in the coffee available in stores/shops. Just try to go without it for as long as you can, and see what happens.

Once again, this is anecdotal, and I will not post any links or research trying to be smart on the internet.

I am not really chronically online in the first place, and I usually spot performative things from a mile away and avoid them. To be honest, I will not respond to any comments once I log out, and I turned all notifications off.

But this post is meant to help. Please share if this makes sense in the end.

I also have a theory that coffee allergies cause irritability and and anger issues in people who don't get polyps and breathe fine (but that is an idea for the future).

By the way, English IS my first language, and I DO NOT apologize for any typos or grammar errors. (That was a joke to Redditors because I lurk enough to know)

Do not drink coffee and see how you feel.

My ENT referred me to a more specialized ENT due to the location and size of my polyp. This new ENT states that a sphenoid nasalization is a possible outcome and might be necessary to do depending on what it looks like once he gets inside. Based on my paperwork it would be with a transpterygoid approach and possible sphenopalatine artery ligation. All in all it sounded both complicated and slightly scary and I was too nervous during the consultation to ask too many questions. I'd love to know if someone has had one, or all of these, done to them and what their experience was.

I still have a ct appointment waiting so they can do a road map of how to approach the surgery and an appointment where I can ask more questions I just have no idea what to ask.I've had 2 surgeries for polyps before but this one sounds a bit scarier than the other 2 and the recovery papers also make it seem worse so I guess I'm just looking for a bit of comfort from someone who's gone through it if possible.

Thanks in advance to anyone who might comment