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Sinusitis and depression / anxiety

Posted , 7 users are following.

thomas96833
thomas96833

Hello,

So finally i have been making some headway into understanding the world of sinusitis and it's not pleasant.

For the last year I have suffered badly with anxiety but my complaints were always congestion, breathing trouble, thick mucus and constant post nasal drip + dizziness and tiredness. I have had a few infections as well but never got taken seriously and offered numerous antidepressants (obviously not helped and bring a whole new world of side effect problems)

I have seen the ENT and had a course of 6 weeks antibiotics followed by a week of prednisolone. I have had allergy testing done and used a netipot plus nasal spray for over a year.

They have confirmed my sinus problems are caused by inflammation and i have a scan booked.

The problem now is, i don't know what is wrong?!

Everyday I am insanely tired, exhausted and fatigued. I definitely have another infection. I have this strange head pressure constantly, and tired (dry) eyes / blurred vision mainly due to the pressure in my sinuses. I am feeling really down and depressed. I have broken down in frustration a few times on my partner.

Work is becoming difficult to get through, mainly due to the headaches / vision problems and the mucus seems so thick i just can't shift it to ease the presure (sorry). By 11am, i am doing everything to stay awake.

My question is, my doctor wants me to start on Sertraline as he thinks Anxiety could be making the sinus problems worse. I know it will help with the panic and depression but unsure about starting it as i am worried of side effects again.

Should i try it or hold out for the ENT? Not sure what else he can offer over than yet more nasal sprays that do nothing but it's becoming so annoyingly frustrating. It's interferencing with literally everything!

Not sure where to go next to just get some relief!

Anyone in the same boat that has any advice?

Thank you

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • anetta94863
    anetta94863 thomas96833

    Posted

    Where do you have the pressure? Is it frontal, sides of you head or back of head/neck? Did you have panic and anxiety brfore starting the steroids? Because they might as well cause that. Is the problem year round, or seasonal? Have you moved recently?

     

    • thomas96833
      thomas96833 anetta94863

      Posted

      Hello,

      The pressure is frontal and around my cheeks mainly / back of neck.

      I had anxiety and panic before this (started during a lot of stress last year) and steroids just rekindled it really also they cleared my sinuses perfectly. No winning.

      My main concern is the pressure / tired eyes. Just been drinking a lot of water mainly.

      The problem has been year round and prescribed antihistamines haven't worked to great so far (fexofenodine + flixonase). It's why i was wondering is the headpressure sinus pain or Anxiety?

      We have recently moved yeah. It's an old house and very dusty which i have has definitely made things worse!

    • anetta94863
      anetta94863 thomas96833

      Posted

      Well, you may have a culprit right there, the dusty house, dirty AC etc. The stress of moving lowers immunity. I started having severe sinus problems after I moved to an old house. I actually had to remove my tonsils which helped, so it was some type of a bacterial involvement, I guess. Now 20 years later I moved to Florida and developed very bad pressure, post nasal drip, vertigo etc. Nothing really works, cant take steroids, antihistamines make me a big crying, anxious mess. I do accupressure on my neck and head , hot showers, warm blowdryer straight towards my face, back of neck and ears. Euphorbium-homeopathic spray, simply saline. No neti pot works because it is not the frontal but the back and ears. When spring comes it is beyond horrible. In places where I have an allergy to it is bad, now I have an allergy to everything as opppsed to 3 years ago.  It actually involves my muscles all over my body, phlegm evacuates from sinuses only when muscle knots are pressed. Perhaps try the more conventional approaches? Mentholated steam? etc. Before you resort to mind altering drugs.
  • anetta94863
    anetta94863 thomas96833

    Posted

    One more thing. Have you done heavy lifting? Check your spine and neck. Go to chiro, many people have problems lik this because of a misalignement.
  • kitkatinthedark
    kitkatinthedark thomas96833

    Posted

    Hi! 

    I'm not a professional, well at least a doctor. I've had sinus problems and anxiety/depression for ages, maybe I'm a pro at that? Not that I've figured it all out.

    From my experience, I'd suggest to treat the anxiety and sinus problems as separate issues. Anxiety makes everything worse! Meds, Cognitive Behavior Therapy and time have helped my Anxiety. Don't let them give you meds that make you more tired! I've used Wellbutrin and good ol' Prozac and now Cymbalta which helps with pain. I also take Lorazapam before bed so I don't lay awake and think about all the things that make me anxious. I'll always have anxiety-it's just me, but I've learned to live with it. It seems your anxiety and sinus issues have occurred at the same time. Could be a coincidence or brought on by the same situation or you could just be lucky like me! I've never heard of sinus problems being brought on by anxiety, but like I said, I'm not a Dr but it seems Anxiety is an unpredictable thing!

    As for the sinuses, well I've had so many sinus infections over the years I'm told my mucous membranes have thickened and I need surgery. I've been putting it off, but I need to make a decision. 8 months ago I got a cold and my sinuses haven't been clear since. Then I developed a cough and now my chest feels heavy. Everyone is giving me new drugs to take! My Primary gave me Singulair (doesn't help and makes me nauseous) and an inhaler for Asthma. My ENT gave me a nasal inhaler-I think it's fluticasone, which did nothing. Then I saw a sleep doctor for an unrelated condition and he gave me an inhaler called Ventolin. It has fluticasone and an antihistamine. I take Benadryl before bed. It helps me sleep, but I don't think it does much else. I'm seeing a new ENT for a second opinion. I was researching the surgery online and found a doctor who uses something called Propel which is a nasal stent inserted after surgery that releases medication that helps you heal better and increases the chance of the nasal passages healing wider. It's the first hope I've had in a while. Also, hot showers and hot towels help for the pain.

    So. I don't know if any of this is helpful to you!? I know anxiety is a Bi*!h and it controls your world. It magnifies all problems. Sinus pain can rule your world too. I've had different kinds of sinus pain...just pressure, pressure and congestion. I love Sudafed for that. Then there are sinus headaches that make me sick-I found out those are migraines. They feel like they same headache though, with some added nausea. It's hard to tell them apart. For awhile I was taking sudafed and 2 Aleve when I got them, but the doc is discouraging of that. She can't find a better solution though. 

    Good luck to you, hope you are feeling better soon!

    P.S. I'm from the US-thought I'd mention it in case the medication names are different.

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