Sinus Relief Question About Breathe Ease Nasal Spray

Answer by Murray Grossan, M.D.

Email from Mr G:
Below are the first five items listed on your site under Breathe-ease XL. (See FAQ) Since it appears the Club stopped selling this product, I would appreciate a short phone conversation regarding alternatives or other options. Do you have the composition of Locke-Ringer's solution (the basis for Breathe-ease XL) reported as an efficacious nasal solution by Professor Wilbert M. Boek At the University Hospital, Utrecht in Holland? (Do you know where it can be purchased in bulk at a reasonable price?)

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RESPONSE BY DR MURRAY GROSSAN

Dear Mr G.,

The formula for Breathe.ease XL is:

	%
NaCl	62
NaHCO3	22.2
Xylitol	10
KCl	4.2
Ca Cl2.2H20	1.6

The Locke Ringer's is similar except that they use glucose. Breathe.ease XL is a modified Lactated Ringer's . You can purchase Ringer's at a pharmacy or a hospital pharmacy . It is commonly used for intravenous administration. Some persons have made the Breathe.ease XL formula themselves or had it compounded by a pharmacy. Other information is at Hydromedonline.com

These are other references re use of Locke Ringer's solution for the nose and sinuses:

Physiologic and Hypertonic Saline Solutions Impair Ciliary Activity in Vitro, Boeck, Wilbert. Keles, Nesil. Graamans, Kees, Laryngoscope March 99 No 3, p.396. Certain hypertonic saline solutions cause ciliostasis (the cilia stop functioning) from which the cilia may not recover. If cilia are permanently damaged, the ability to fight infection is lost. Dr Boek recommends the Locke-Ringer's solution for nasal spray and irrigation.

Merkus: Classification of Cilio-Inhibiting Effects of Nasal Drugs. Paul Merkus. Laryngoscpe: 111 April 2001 pp 595 - 601 Use of Locke-Ringer's formula is best for enhancing cilia. (Breathe.ease is a Locke-Ringer's formulation

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Ringer-Lactate solution versus isotonic saline solution on mucociliary function after nasal septal surgery.

Unal M, Gorur K, Ozcan C. J
Laryngol Otol 2001 Oct;115(10):796-7

Irrigation with isotonic saline is one of the most frequently used solutions after nasal surgery. However, the effect of saline solutions on mucociliary clearance is not well known. In a previous study, it was found that isotonic saline solution had a negative effect on ciliary beat frequency but Ringer-Locke solution had no effect in vitro. In this study we compared the effects of Ringer-Lactate solution and isotonic saline solution on mucociliary transport time before, and after, nasal septal surgery in patients with nasal septal deviation. We found that patients who used Ringer-Lactate solution as irrigation after surgery had a significantly better mucociliary transport time than the patients using isotonic saline solution (p < 0.05). In conclusion, it is better to use Ringer-Lactate solution instead of 0.9 per cent saline solution for nasal irrigation.

Dr Grossan's Hydro-Pulse Nasal Irrigator for sinus sufferers and Breathe Ease are available at Allergybuyersclub.com

First Published: September 2002
Updated: April 2007

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