Scary sinus discharge and symptoms.
Posted , 4 users are following.
Hi all, I have been suffering from sinus problems my whole life. 2 years ago I had surgery to fix my deviated septum and remove the huge turbinates that kept me congested. I was sinus infection free for about a year, but things slowly started to ramp back up. In November so got a sick and of course my sinuses became infected as well. I finished my course of antibiotics and things were ok. But now I have been stuck on this cycle of infection, never quite getting well. I have been on 3 different antibiotics so far.
Week before last things got ridiculously bad, it hurts in my cheek, above my eye brow and behind my eye on the left side. Only the left side. I can still breath through it though. So strange. Anyway, I decided to use the netipot bc nothing was helping the severe pain in my face and head. Eventually I was able to blow out a bunch of stuff. This stuff was really weird though, it looked and had the texture of browned ground meat. I am not even kidding. It was horrifying. I wish I could tell if it has an odor, but I can barely smell anything.
I went to the ENT and told them about my symptoms and he put me on a 3 week course of oral steroids and nasal steroids. No antibiotic though. Obviously the steroids help with the pain a bit bc they reduce the swelling, but I am still miserable. I have to lay down a lot and close my eyes to ease the pain and I have a very high pain tolerance. I asked if maybe we should run a culture of this horrid stuff that comes out of my nose, he did not think it was necessary.
I am at a loss of what this stuff could be. It is very hard to blow out, in fact I aggravated an old repaired abdominal hernia trying to get it out. Going back to ENT on the first and want to know what I should ask for, or be concerned about.
Any ideas would be amazing.
0 likes, 2 replies
brenda96406 Hotdogwater
Posted
Like you I have suffered with sinus problems for 30 years. I had 4 serious traumas before age 13, and another as an adult. Allergies led to sinus infections about 3x per year. Deviated septum repair at age 53. Continued problems since. I have NTM avium and Bronchiectasis in my lungs, and NTM abscessus in my sinuses which is extremely rare. On antibiotics and steroid indefinitely: 2x daily inhalant with my Neti pot (which spares your digestive tract some.) I see ENT and Pulmo @ Stanford, but wonder if there is a facility where Doctors work more closely together?
I have to use a saline nebulizer and hang upside down for my Bronchiectasis, and I do find it helps clear my sinuses, too, though it does not feel great.
You might try steam or hot compresses for the face pain. Sudafed pain and pressure helps some. Relpax really helps with the constant headaches. I have completely lost my sense of smell, so Stanford recommended olfactory retraining using essential oils, and I do think it is helping just a little.
I have had dark and bright green, dark and bright yellow, white, brown peanut butter-ish, blood color's, but I have not had anything that looks like ground beef.
You DEFINITELY need to be cultured! Stanford targets my antibiotics specifically from what they culture. They also "vacuum" my sinuses out via endoscopy at each visit.
The problem is when they slow down the NTM, the s. aureus takes over. So there's only so much they can do. These microfilm bacteria-types have adapted to antibiotic overuse.
Lastly, may I humbly suggest you pray. Talk to God all you can.
shelia22921 Hotdogwater
Posted
You push for that culture to be done, the brown looking stuff you passed was old, red is new, since you have done the steroids, try this used a warm eye mask for 10 mi three times a day, and Try Mucinex D the mask will help the swelling and anything up there will loosen up, Mucinex D thin it so it will drain, also steam helps to loosen it, I've had four sinus surgey's its a life long thing for me I still washout with saline twice a day, hope this is of some help to you, feel better soon.