6 ms·

For anyone looking for a sleep supplement, before you go down the rabbit hole of Theanine, Mg, etc. Try an OTC Azelastine or Fluticasone nasal spray for a month

For anyone looking for a sleep supplement, before you go down the rabbit hole of Theanine, Mg, etc. Try an OTC Azelastine or Fluticasone nasal spray for a month. Turns out my chronic poor quality, restless sleep was a dust mite allergy that I should have figured out and treated a decade ago. Would wake up with a stuffy nose and very dry mouth but didn't have too many issues during the day. I was allergic to my bed. Been using antihistamines, and a dehumidifier for several months now and sleeping better than I have in years. Given how extremely common mite allergies are there's got to be a lot of folks with undiagnosed issues here.

IlPeach 2y ago
Thanks, but I'm still missing how I would properly diagnose myself. These symptoms might be all too common ... Anything more reliable?
- collin128 2y ago
  An allergy clinic can run these tests for you. Been doing immunotherapy for allergies for 3 years and it is a complete game changer. Last year was the first year I could breathe through my nose for the entire year. No more stuffy months.
- grumpy-de-sre 2y ago
  You can always go to an allergist for a skin prick test. I'd say hallmark symptom would be chronic night time congestion worsening while in bed (an area of the house that has a very high density of mite allergen). But running a bit of differential diagnosis on this, * Inflammatory & Allergic Conditions (allergic/non-allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, turbinate hypertrophy, nasal polyps). * Obstructive Sleep Apnea (do a STOP-BANG). * Structural Blockages & Airway Obstructions (deviated septum, adenoid/tonsil hypertrophy, nasal valve collapse, turbinate hypertrophy). * Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD/LPR).
wenc 2y ago
You should consider a dust mite vacuum with UV. I bought one on Amazon (this one but you can check YouTube reviews for others). https://www.amazon.com/JIGOO-Vacuum-Cleaner-Dust-Sensor/dp/B0CB821FTX/ https://www.amazon.com/JIGOO-Vacuum-Cleaner-Dust-Sensor/dp/B... I was surprised how much dust this thing picked up (my sheets get washed often, but it’s hard to clean the mattress itself). Back in the day people used to sun dry their mattresses but no one does that these days. This dust mite vacuum picked up half a canister of gunk from my dead skin and environmental dust that has accumulated over the years (and it has a light scattering sensor that tells you how much dust is being sucked up). My nose was clear after sleeping on a vacuumed bed. I now vacuum my bed once a week, and it has really helped. Vacuuming your bed and other fabric surfaces also feels therapeutic. For me, it’s like watching one of those powerwashing videos. You feel cleansed after.
- grumpy-de-sre 2y ago
  Got to say after figuring this out I am tempted to ditch the western style mattress and replace it with something like a Japanese futon. I assume it'd be much easier to wash. In the meantime I need to purchase a mattress encasement, I put one on my pillow and that alone helped a bunch. Long term maybe desensitization is an option but I'm too lazy for that atm.
  - MaKey 2y ago
    I did a desensitization and it helped a little bit. Despite the regular washing and using a dust mite vacuum I'm still having a hard time getting good sleep though. At least my nose isn't bloody in the morning anymore, so I guess that's something.
- seabass-labrax 2y ago
  Vacuuming one's bed makes complete sense to me, but what is special about the model you linked to that makes it specifically a 'mattress' vacuum cleaner? Many canister vacuum cleaners are more powerful and can be used elsewhere in the home too (with a different attachment for hygiene, of course). There's the UV light, but I can't see how this is effective when used only for short periods of time. The dust won't be removed with it and the mites will withstand it too. Not wanting to make you feel bad about your purchase, but is there something unique about this kind of device that gives it an edge over conventional vacuum cleaners?
FollowingTheDao 2y ago
I have asthma triggered by Volatile Organic Compounds. I good activated charcoal room air filter did wonders for me.
- grumpy-de-sre 2y ago
  Indoor air quality these days is particularly awful. Was reading that house dust is actually a major source of microplastics aswell.
- cassepipe 2y ago
  Incidentally, the author made an (counter-)review of air purifiers : https://dynomight.net/ikea-purifier/ https://dynomight.net/ikea-purifier/ I got the IKEA purifier with the activated charcoal filter after reading that
chiefalchemist 2y ago
Thanks for this idea. Can you recommend a particular model? A quick search found mostly just vacs. I have a vac(s). Perhaps I just get in the habit of treating my bed with UV?
vharish 2y ago
Wouldn't changing the matress help? Also, if you using a pillow, consider keep them under the sun every few days. You can even keep the matress under the sun, maybe on the terrace if you have access to it. Pillows can also be washed as well. Telling you from my own experience. It could work for you if you haven't tried already.
- grumpy-de-sre 2y ago
  There's sweet FA sun for six months out of the year here in central europe so not a viable option.
riedel 2y ago
Antihistamines could even work without any allergy since they are typically used as mild sleeping aids. They are also used often off-label for stress reduction. [0] [0] https://fherehab.com/learning/surprising-antihistamine-anxiety-depression https://fherehab.com/learning/surprising-antihistamine-anxie...
- grumpy-de-sre 2y ago
  I find the steroids even more effective but they seem to exacerbate my anxiety after a few days though. Still haven't figured that out. With regular use antihistamines quite quickly lose their drowsiness effects. But it's definitely a nice side effect for sleeping challenged folks. Azelastine is a second generation antihistamine so not particularly drowsiness inducing. One of the interesting Azelastine quirks, is it's apparently somewhat antiviral [1]. 1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38140540 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38140540
  - piombisallow 2y ago
    Cortisone is the main stress hormone, of course it makes you anxious
- amelius 2y ago
  > Prolonged use can lead to increased tolerance, reduced effectiveness, and potential side effects. https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/should-i-worry-about-dementia-risk-from-antihistamines https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/should-i-worry-... > Theoretically, these drugs might increase the risk of dementia by blocking a particular brain neurotransmitter or increasing brain inflammation. In the past decade, several studies have suggested that these pills might increase the risk of dementia, while other studies have found no risk. And all the studies are inherently flawed.
  - grumpy-de-sre 2y ago
    Only Anticholinergic drugs appear to be associated dementia (but as noted the evidence is very weak). Older first generation antihistamines such as Diphenhydramine (Benadryl), Doxylamine (Nyquil) have substantial Anticholinergic activity. A lot of the second generation antihistamines have no significant Anticholinergic activity, eg. Azelastine. Benadryl and Nyquil are terrible drugs. Why they haven't been phased out is beyond me. At least Azelastine is now OTC in the USA.
Aurornis 2y ago
> Would wake up with a stuffy nose and very dry mouth I would suggest people look for this symptom first before jumping onto nasal corticosteroids. Fluticasone and others have low systemic absorption and low side effects in theory, but there are several studies that found some suppression of the HPA axis similar to taking small doses of oral corticosteroids like prednisone. The effect is small, but I wouldn’t suggest trying it out as a 1-month experiment unless you have specific symptoms of stuffy nose in the mornings.
hammock 2y ago
“Before trying a basic mineral with no side effects, try a corticosteroid for a whole month” ??? You have that backwards.
strontian 2y ago
nice! I recently got dust mites out of my home completely, and it was a miraculous upgrade to my health, including several symptoms that are outside the definitions of allergic asthma/eczema/rhinitis. One important thing people are missing about dust mite allergy is the many ways in which they directly damage your immune system and body, outside of the usual frame of "allergies" which is based on type 2 hypersensitivity. This article is a great introduction to the harms they cause at the molecular level: https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(18)30848-0/fulltext https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(18)30848-0/ful... I also wrote a free guide to help people get dust mites out of their house: https://dustmiteguide.com https://dustmiteguide.com
- ovalanche 2y ago
  I’m really glad to see this side discussion on dust mite allergy happening here. I’ve had dust mite allergy since childhood, and I even had adenoid removal surgery at age ~7 to address it. Nothing seems to help. I think dust mite allergy imitates some of the symptoms of sleep apnea, because your nasal passage gets blocked at night, waking you in a similar way to choking. I’ve reached my mid-30s, largely ignoring the symptoms, but over the past few months I’ve been experiencing a truly terrible bout of insomnia. I think it’s time to take the allergy seriously again. I’ll follow your guide and make some changes. If I could suggest an improvement to your guide: it may be useful to have a section (perhaps chapter 5?) on symptom relief. I’ve had friends say that a neti pot works wonders, for example. Either way thanks for posting!
  - grumpy-de-sre 2y ago
    There's an interesting "subcategory" of sleep apnea under the moniker of UARS. I'm pretty confident that a big chunk of folks in that community actually have allergenic rhinitis (or structural issues). I actually had a home sleep study done before I figured out it was allergies. Came back negative for OSA but my RIP [1] band data showed a lot of paradoxical breathing and flow limitation indicating significant respiratory effort. So more or less struggling to breathe all night long. The poor sleep quality really destroys your quality of life. 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respiratory_inductance_plethysmography https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respiratory_inductance_plethys...
Projectiboga 2y ago
You are aware of mattress covers for Dust Mites? And there is an enzyme additive for laundry. Finally a hand steamer for upholstered stuff. I had bad hives from allergies to them, and a medical resident suggested a clearing of all fabric in my life, as best as I could.
webninja 2y ago
An air purifier has the same effect and doesn’t require inhaling chemicals. With one i’d back to breathing through my nose instead of through my mouth.

IlPeach 2y ago

Thanks, but I'm still missing how I would properly diagnose myself. These symptoms might be all too common ... Anything more reliable?

collin128 2y ago
An allergy clinic can run these tests for you. Been doing immunotherapy for allergies for 3 years and it is a complete game changer. Last year was the first year I could breathe through my nose for the entire year. No more stuffy months.
grumpy-de-sre 2y ago
You can always go to an allergist for a skin prick test. I'd say hallmark symptom would be chronic night time congestion worsening while in bed (an area of the house that has a very high density of mite allergen). But running a bit of differential diagnosis on this, * Inflammatory & Allergic Conditions (allergic/non-allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, turbinate hypertrophy, nasal polyps). * Obstructive Sleep Apnea (do a STOP-BANG). * Structural Blockages & Airway Obstructions (deviated septum, adenoid/tonsil hypertrophy, nasal valve collapse, turbinate hypertrophy). * Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD/LPR).

wenc 2y ago

You should consider a dust mite vacuum with UV. I bought one on Amazon (this one but you can check YouTube reviews for others). https://www.amazon.com/JIGOO-Vacuum-Cleaner-Dust-Sensor/dp/B0CB821FTX/ https://www.amazon.com/JIGOO-Vacuum-Cleaner-Dust-Sensor/dp/B... I was surprised how much dust this thing picked up (my sheets get washed often, but it’s hard to clean the mattress itself). Back in the day people used to sun dry their mattresses but no one does that these days. This dust mite vacuum picked up half a canister of gunk from my dead skin and environmental dust that has accumulated over the years (and it has a light scattering sensor that tells you how much dust is being sucked up). My nose was clear after sleeping on a vacuumed bed. I now vacuum my bed once a week, and it has really helped. Vacuuming your bed and other fabric surfaces also feels therapeutic. For me, it’s like watching one of those powerwashing videos. You feel cleansed after.

grumpy-de-sre 2y ago
Got to say after figuring this out I am tempted to ditch the western style mattress and replace it with something like a Japanese futon. I assume it'd be much easier to wash. In the meantime I need to purchase a mattress encasement, I put one on my pillow and that alone helped a bunch. Long term maybe desensitization is an option but I'm too lazy for that atm.
- MaKey 2y ago
  I did a desensitization and it helped a little bit. Despite the regular washing and using a dust mite vacuum I'm still having a hard time getting good sleep though. At least my nose isn't bloody in the morning anymore, so I guess that's something.
seabass-labrax 2y ago
Vacuuming one's bed makes complete sense to me, but what is special about the model you linked to that makes it specifically a 'mattress' vacuum cleaner? Many canister vacuum cleaners are more powerful and can be used elsewhere in the home too (with a different attachment for hygiene, of course). There's the UV light, but I can't see how this is effective when used only for short periods of time. The dust won't be removed with it and the mites will withstand it too. Not wanting to make you feel bad about your purchase, but is there something unique about this kind of device that gives it an edge over conventional vacuum cleaners?

FollowingTheDao 2y ago

I have asthma triggered by Volatile Organic Compounds. I good activated charcoal room air filter did wonders for me.

grumpy-de-sre 2y ago
Indoor air quality these days is particularly awful. Was reading that house dust is actually a major source of microplastics aswell.
cassepipe 2y ago
Incidentally, the author made an (counter-)review of air purifiers : https://dynomight.net/ikea-purifier/ https://dynomight.net/ikea-purifier/ I got the IKEA purifier with the activated charcoal filter after reading that

chiefalchemist 2y ago

Thanks for this idea. Can you recommend a particular model? A quick search found mostly just vacs. I have a vac(s). Perhaps I just get in the habit of treating my bed with UV?

vharish 2y ago

Wouldn't changing the matress help? Also, if you using a pillow, consider keep them under the sun every few days. You can even keep the matress under the sun, maybe on the terrace if you have access to it. Pillows can also be washed as well. Telling you from my own experience. It could work for you if you haven't tried already.

grumpy-de-sre 2y ago
There's sweet FA sun for six months out of the year here in central europe so not a viable option.

riedel 2y ago

Antihistamines could even work without any allergy since they are typically used as mild sleeping aids. They are also used often off-label for stress reduction. [0] [0] https://fherehab.com/learning/surprising-antihistamine-anxiety-depression https://fherehab.com/learning/surprising-antihistamine-anxie...

grumpy-de-sre 2y ago
I find the steroids even more effective but they seem to exacerbate my anxiety after a few days though. Still haven't figured that out. With regular use antihistamines quite quickly lose their drowsiness effects. But it's definitely a nice side effect for sleeping challenged folks. Azelastine is a second generation antihistamine so not particularly drowsiness inducing. One of the interesting Azelastine quirks, is it's apparently somewhat antiviral [1]. 1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38140540 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38140540
- piombisallow 2y ago
  Cortisone is the main stress hormone, of course it makes you anxious
amelius 2y ago
> Prolonged use can lead to increased tolerance, reduced effectiveness, and potential side effects. https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/should-i-worry-about-dementia-risk-from-antihistamines https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/should-i-worry-... > Theoretically, these drugs might increase the risk of dementia by blocking a particular brain neurotransmitter or increasing brain inflammation. In the past decade, several studies have suggested that these pills might increase the risk of dementia, while other studies have found no risk. And all the studies are inherently flawed.
- grumpy-de-sre 2y ago
  Only Anticholinergic drugs appear to be associated dementia (but as noted the evidence is very weak). Older first generation antihistamines such as Diphenhydramine (Benadryl), Doxylamine (Nyquil) have substantial Anticholinergic activity. A lot of the second generation antihistamines have no significant Anticholinergic activity, eg. Azelastine. Benadryl and Nyquil are terrible drugs. Why they haven't been phased out is beyond me. At least Azelastine is now OTC in the USA.

Aurornis 2y ago

> Would wake up with a stuffy nose and very dry mouth I would suggest people look for this symptom first before jumping onto nasal corticosteroids. Fluticasone and others have low systemic absorption and low side effects in theory, but there are several studies that found some suppression of the HPA axis similar to taking small doses of oral corticosteroids like prednisone. The effect is small, but I wouldn’t suggest trying it out as a 1-month experiment unless you have specific symptoms of stuffy nose in the mornings.

hammock 2y ago

“Before trying a basic mineral with no side effects, try a corticosteroid for a whole month” ??? You have that backwards.

strontian 2y ago

nice! I recently got dust mites out of my home completely, and it was a miraculous upgrade to my health, including several symptoms that are outside the definitions of allergic asthma/eczema/rhinitis. One important thing people are missing about dust mite allergy is the many ways in which they directly damage your immune system and body, outside of the usual frame of "allergies" which is based on type 2 hypersensitivity. This article is a great introduction to the harms they cause at the molecular level: https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(18)30848-0/fulltext https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(18)30848-0/ful... I also wrote a free guide to help people get dust mites out of their house: https://dustmiteguide.com https://dustmiteguide.com

ovalanche 2y ago
I’m really glad to see this side discussion on dust mite allergy happening here. I’ve had dust mite allergy since childhood, and I even had adenoid removal surgery at age ~7 to address it. Nothing seems to help. I think dust mite allergy imitates some of the symptoms of sleep apnea, because your nasal passage gets blocked at night, waking you in a similar way to choking. I’ve reached my mid-30s, largely ignoring the symptoms, but over the past few months I’ve been experiencing a truly terrible bout of insomnia. I think it’s time to take the allergy seriously again. I’ll follow your guide and make some changes. If I could suggest an improvement to your guide: it may be useful to have a section (perhaps chapter 5?) on symptom relief. I’ve had friends say that a neti pot works wonders, for example. Either way thanks for posting!
- grumpy-de-sre 2y ago
  There's an interesting "subcategory" of sleep apnea under the moniker of UARS. I'm pretty confident that a big chunk of folks in that community actually have allergenic rhinitis (or structural issues). I actually had a home sleep study done before I figured out it was allergies. Came back negative for OSA but my RIP [1] band data showed a lot of paradoxical breathing and flow limitation indicating significant respiratory effort. So more or less struggling to breathe all night long. The poor sleep quality really destroys your quality of life. 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respiratory_inductance_plethysmography https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respiratory_inductance_plethys...

Projectiboga 2y ago

You are aware of mattress covers for Dust Mites? And there is an enzyme additive for laundry. Finally a hand steamer for upholstered stuff. I had bad hives from allergies to them, and a medical resident suggested a clearing of all fabric in my life, as best as I could.

webninja 2y ago

An air purifier has the same effect and doesn’t require inhaling chemicals. With one i’d back to breathing through my nose instead of through my mouth.