I use Fluticasone (Flonase) whenever my sinuses are clear enough on both sides to snort it. That works well, but I’m clear enough only about 1/4 of the time.
The rest of the time I use phenylephrine pills. That works okay, but not as good.
I only found out about both of these from my sleep doctor after I complained about not being able to breath, in spite of 9 psi from the cpap mask.
Afrin actually shrinks sinus tissue. I used it for years until it would not work any more, went to an ENT in 2008 and he found a huge growth called an ‘Inverted Papilloma’ in there that was blocking both sinuses. Had THREE operations to get rid of it all and haven’t been bothered since!
The thing about Afrin is if you overuse it, the tissue becomes saturated with it so that it won’t work any more. At the end I was spraying that stuff every hour trying to get relief. I could not breathe thru my nose at all!
The ENT operated and was able to get enough of it cleared so that I could breathe, then he recommended me to Shand’s Hospital in Gainesville to a specialist at the University of Florida, GO GATORS!, and they had to operate on me twice to finally get it all.
The only side effect was I could not smell anything for several years until the nerve endings grew back completely. But now I’m good to go!.............