Chronic sinusitis (?); What Do I Do?
Posted , 9 users are following.
Hello, all..
I am desperate for some advice or suggestions on how to feel better...
Since having a baby in March of 2015, I've had severe issues with my sinuses. I had sinus headaches and received shots as a child, but everything went away until a couple of years ago. I began having gunk in my throat, and have had to spit up in a tissue (sorry, gross) about every 20 min (more frequent if I eat/drink something).
I have an incredible amount of pressure for about 75% of my day, and about 50% of that includes a headache. I was having them every day at one point. I've seen my ENT, primary physician, a headache/pain specialist, an ophthalmologist, and an allergist. I was on injections for allergies for about 8 months, but decided to move to proponolol (blood pressure med) in lieu of it since it seemed to be helping more (can't do both since pro. is an NSAID).
I've done sinus rinses (with liquid steroid), nasal sprays (with and without steroid), congestion medication, claritan/allegra, naps in the dark with a washcloth, hot showers, surgeries (one to fix deviated septum, other to remove polyps), and botox. The blood pressure medication seems to have worked the best so far, which leads me to believe that perhaps it's /not/ allergies..? But that also doesn't make sense... the pressure is exactly where my sinuses are, and my allergist says I'm allergic to nearly everything under the sun.
Some weird things: nose is always dry, never stuffed. The only drainage I get is at the top of my throat. Nothing ever comes out with the sinus rinse (except with the rare, stuffed/runny nose that comes with a cold). Sprays have never seemed to help, and for the past week, after using them I started getting bloody noses. I'm getting more blood in the mucus in my nose and throat (though this is probably because it's rather dry here).
I average a sinus infection ~once every two months. I've been on every antibiotic under the sun. I take vitamins and probiotics. Antibiotics don't seem to help entirely, though sometimes the symptoms lessen enough for me to still live life like normal.
My ENT doesn't really know what to do anymore, though I do have an appointment to see him on Monday- maybe he'll have some advice. My primary physician said I need to see a headache specialist and gave me pain meds, but I take enough meds already, so I don't like having to resort to them. My headache doctor has complete faith that the botox his office provides will fix me, but I haven't noticed a difference (except REALLY intense pain and throbbing with the injections that I don't believe is normal...?).
After seeing all the doctors a few times, I feel like I'm mostly waved away at appointments. Like there's nothing more they can do, so live with it. I have an amazing life, but the quality of it is at an all time low right now... I really don't know what to do.
Does anyone have anything similar? Or know what it could be/how to attempt to fix it?
Thank you so much for taking the time to read.
0 likes, 24 replies
raymond24308 ahorst
Posted
Hi. I do not really understand your problem, and I can see that you have many ways to get relief.
I suffered from chronic sinusitis for 50 years before discovering a miracle cure in Evening Primrose Oil. It provides relief from allergic complaints such as hay fever, rhinitis, and sinusitis, as it desensitises the nervous system so that it does not react to normal irritants. It takes about 4 hours to work, and it is effective for a further 24 hours, so one 1000mg capsule daily is usually sufficient.
Evening Primrose Oil is available from good supermarkets, and the cost is minimal.
Give this treatment a try for two weeks and see if your problem diminishes.
Best of luck in your search for a cure for your complaint.
Regards Ray.
pam34048 raymond24308
Posted
Beckybubaloo raymond24308
Posted
I have been looking at posts on here today in desperation and stumbled on your reply in a post. I am awaiting my 8th surgery for sinuses and polyp removal. I have suffered for 30 years and am at my wits end living like this. I have lost so many jobs as it triggers my asthma.. Have recurrent infections etc. I am going to buy evening primrose oil today and give it a try. Will let you know how it goes. Keep everything crossed and thanks for posting
Kind regards
Rebecca
thomas96833 ahorst
Posted
This sounds like I have wrote it! It has been going for for a year and a half for me and makes me very depressed lately as I constantly feel terrible!
I have another ENT appoitment and I am coming to the conclusion it can't be allergy related if every antihistamine under the sun and nasal spray do nothing!
I have had surgery for a deviated septum as well and also take propranolol.
I am going to ask about reflux, or silent reflux. It's worth testing for, have you ever considered it?
deirdre2016 thomas96833
Posted
thomas96833 deirdre2016
Posted
Apparently you can have something called silent reflux or acid reflux in you're sleep and not realise it. The burning of you're throat causing irriation and inflammation, it's this that stimulates excessive muscus production and post nasal drip etc. Sinus pain just comes with the overproduction and being so congested as a result.
deirdre2016 thomas96833
Posted
Try MONTEFLUCAST SODIUM - my ent prescribed for this ! Works great ! Forgot about that - but don't believe it helps with other nasty sinus symptoms .
ahorst thomas96833
Posted
Hi, Thomas! Thank you for the reply. Is silent reflux like acid reflux? I'm confused as to how that correlates to sinus/headaches?
deirdre2016 ahorst
Posted
I feel as if I am listening to myself !
I have all your symptoms- even pain in back of head when I lay down -
My ent doctor took a sample of sinus mucus inside my head yesterday and is culturing it to see what's going on - maybe fungal or infection ?
I have been on 2 different antibiotics- neither worked .i have an amazing life also but no quality now .
My head - sinus pain is ruining my ability to participate in anything fun .
I also have AFIB - which limits the medications I can take for sinus problems,
Good luck on your quest for a solution - keep me posted please!
ahorst deirdre2016
Posted
Hi, Deirdre! I don't think my ENT or allergist took mucus samples, but that seems like a no brainer. I'm headed out soon to ENT, and I'll tell you what he says.
deirdre2016 ahorst
Posted
ahorst deirdre2016
Posted
Hi, Dierdre! I posted below a response to my appointment. I don't know if you get alerts to your particular discussion or overall for the conversation, so just letting you know!
trevor22612 ahorst
Posted
It sounds like you need to get rid of these sinus infections and to treat any underlying allergy that is causing the sinus infections. I used sinusoothe nasal spray to cure my infection and it was amazing. I don't know how effective it is for allergies. Regarding your allergies you could try some natural anti-histamines and nasal barriers (applied to the base of the nostrils and/or sprayed into the nasal passages). But I wouldn't try this all at once. I would use the sinusoothe first to clear away any infection and then wait until the dust settles so to speak before trying the sinus allergy recommendations. Who knows? Maybe the sinusoohe will sort everything out.
ahorst trevor22612
Posted
I hadn't heard of Sinusooth. Thanks for the recommendation!
jared1017 ahorst
Posted
Hi ahorst,
I wish I could help but I am in a similar situation....nothing seems to help.
I've suffered from similar symptoms the past several years; however as bad as they get from time to time it doesn't sound quite as bad yours?
Thankfully they are not accompanied by headaches, pain and rarely any blood, when there is it is minimal.
My symptoms come and go and on a much too regular basis. They mostly consist of the very uncomfortable drainage at the top of my throat and dryness. At times it gets bad, like a "tight" feeling in my throat. It lasts anywhere from a few days to a couple weeks it then goes away on its own.
I was diagnosed by my ENT with mild sinus disease and a very crooked septum he described my major symptom as "post nasal drip" Intially he thought it was caused from acid reflux but I rarely suffer from indigestion and after being prescribed prilosec that was not affective he determined it was not the cause.
You mentioned having surgery. I considered it too but in a recent visit my dr was very honest and advised against surgery citing it rarely results in relief. In addition he mentioned many risks and complications that occur.
I was diagnosed with a handful of allergies, but the test showed me being only mildly allergic to them.
I've tried several meds but none seem to help. As I mentioned this comes and goes for no particular reason that any doctor can figure out. One doctor suggested it was partially phycho symatic which upset me at the time but I do believe it very well may be part of the problem.
I actually logged on to read about others who suffer, yours was the first. I wish I could give advice. I havn't read any of the replies as your was the first I came to.
Feel free to reply,
Thanks Jared.