Here is a message I posted about a year ago.  Since I began the "sinus
steeping" procedure I have not had any sinus problems; this from a
former chronic sinus sufferer!  As I wrote, I hope this procedure
helps others.  For xylitol references see the papers I included last
year.  Geoff

I would like to relate my experience with xylitol because I hope it
can
help others in this group who suffer from sinusitis.
I have had 2 sinus operations and initially found them to be of some
benefit, because I did get fewer sinus infections.  Last March I got
a
sinus infection.  I tried biaxin, which had always worked in the
past,
and avelox.  Both had no effect.  The third antibiotic, ketek was
effective and the infection cleared.  In May, I got another sinus
infection and my doctor suggested tetracycline, which I tried but to
no
effect.  Once again, I tried ketek which now had no effect.  Over the
years I have used all the standard antibiotics and my sinus flora are
resistent to all of them.  Back in 2003, I started using nasal
irrigation with isotonic saline which seemed to reduce the number of
infections but not to zero.  In May of this year when I realized that
antibiotics would be of no benefit to treat my sinus infections, I
came
across the xylitol threads on this group and decided to try it.  Here
is my personal xylitol protocol:
I use a  xylitol solution comprising of approximately 45 ml of
xylitol in
approximately 250-300 ml of water.  I boil the solution to sterilize
it.  When I
'steep'  with this solution, I lie down flat and gently dribble the
solution into each nostril with a squeeze bottle.  I keep the solution
in my sinuses for about one minute and then blow my nose. What is
surprising
is the amount of mucus that comes out  using this xylitol mixture.  I
have tried this procedure using the saline and very little comes out.
The xylitol seems to really loosen the mucus.  I always empty my
sinuses into a clear plastic container because it  gives me a rough
idea of how much mucus is coming out because the clear container
makes
it very visible.  This also allows me to make day to day comparisons.
I do this modification of irrigation,  It seems to have greatly
improved my symptoms,
which are extreme fatigue and some stuffiness.  I have been doing the
sinus steeping  every hour or two for the last 10 days.  Even when I
get up in the middle of the night, I do it!  The result is that I
have
been slowly feeling better day by day and the amount of mucus has
been
decreasing.  Sometimes I breathe steam and then do the seeping
procedure and the steaming seems to help even more.  Let me know your
experiences  with this.  I felt that I was at the end of the line
knowing that all conventional antibiotics were ineffective while in
the
middle of a full-blown sinus infection.  I hope this procedure
benefits
others, Geoff