Sinusitis...I want to rip my own head off

[closetotheaction]

Ok maybe that's an exaggeration but fucking hell, this is truly hideous. I've never had it before.

I'm on Sudafed tablets and nurofen plus. I also have a squirty nasal spray thing. They're not really touching the sides when it comes to pain. I swear my head is about to explode. The stuff that is appearing on my tissues is like something out of ghostbusters.

Does anyone have any miracle remedies, PLEASE?!

Sympathies, it is vile. I’ve found a saline nose spray helps (personally I go for Sterimar). It’s the only thing to have shifted some of the vileness lurking in my face.

It's not a remedy, but can make you feel a bit better - hot water bottle, or wheat bag to put your face on for a bit. Dont burn yourself, obvs.

What's the squirty thing - are you washing out the gunk? If so, have you checked technique? It can be useful, or inneffectual.

To get out more grot, get menthol crystals from chemist. V cheap. It's like olbas oil on speed.

I find sinutab the most effective

You can also take paracetamol AS LONG AS you’re not taking anything else with paracetamol in. It doesn’t clash with ibuprofen.

I know that doesn’t help much but lots of people don’t know that and at least it’s another painkiller!

Maybe also google lymphatic drainage massage for face also - that can bring a bit of relief, as well as umm, snot.

Oh wow, so many speedy replies. Thank you all.

The nasal spray is Otrivine. I will take some paracetamol and I'll try a warm compress.

I haven't tried the saline syringe technique which google seems to favour, as if there's an infection I don't want to spread it.

Off to research that massage...

A facial steamer or bowl of hot water and towel. I've got it too, it's grim.
Try not to blow your nose, blow as little as possible, as gently as possible, blowing too much too hard makes it worse and more likely to get it again in future
Drink plenty, it helps to keep the gunk thinner

Sudofed - but only the one you have to get from the pharmacist not off the shelf. I also second the saline spray or Sudofed spray but you can't use that for too long.

A very hot, spicy Thai soup or similar can also clear the passages.

I have sinusitis today, it's horrific! The only relief I get is when I put my head over a steaming bowl and it clears for 10 mins.
Took me ages to sleep last night, thinking of going to get antibiotics tomorrow as I've been ill over 2 weeks now. You have my sympathy, worse than toothache

The ONLY thing that alleviates the pressure is the face sauna things from the 90s and massage. Order one on prime now and hopefully it'll be with you tomorrow. I did it every two hours and the relief is most immediate. Steam, massage, blow repeat.

Good luck

I used to think it was a made up disease. Until I had it. Dreadful. Sympathies.

I had sinusitis the week before my wedding. It felt like my brain was a rock and that every time I moved my head it rolled around and crashed into my skull. Antibiotics were the only thing that worked.

If it lingers for more than 10 days, get thee to a doctor for dare I say it....antibiotics. I know all the rules about over use, but sometimes they are necessary.

I am a long time sufferer. I use anti histamines and Sterimar. Otrivine is only good for three days, then it becomes rebound.

I had a lengthy and severe bout of it before Christmas and am coming down with it again - it’s utterly awful and I sympathise totally. Even worse than the pain was the smell and taste - I’ve never encountered anything so foul before and suffered weeks of it. I second the recommendation of Sterimar seawater nasal spray - it does help a bit.

Sinusitis is truly vile.

It sounds grim but it really helped me the other week. Look at doing a sinus rinse / flush. Make up some salted water (using cooled boiled water) and squirt some up your nostrils. You can buy proper equipment but I just used a calpol syringe. Watch videos for technique but each time it would give me 20-30 minutes of blissful relief!

Btw, a hefty dose of antibiotics is what helped the first time, but a week later I started getting the symptoms again. BAH.

I found ibuprofen completely took the pain in my head away when I had sinusitis, because it's an inflammatory. Otherwise the pain was awful.

So sorry for those that are suffering too; it really is utterly grim

The pain when I lean forward - arghhhh.

I've heard of this rebound congestion business. That's something I can do without.

I have chronic sinusitis- for much of the past couple of years everything smells of pus. Steam can help!

Sorry - meant ANTI-inflammatory.

I meant to add that I react hideously to antibiotics so I'm desperate to avoid that at all costs.

The only thing that worked for me was to get nearly boiling water and put a tablespoon of vicks in it, head over bowl with towel over your head. They say not to do it with boiling water or too much vicks and it does sting but my god it works for me. You wouldn’t believe the amount of gunk that streams out, miraculous

Hope you feel better soon

Stand in the shower for as long as you can letting the hot water cascade onto you face and massage your sinus at the same time

Oh yes the pain when leaning down is something else. And the fatigue!

To a pp, the salt water technique is easier when you just buy Sterimar! But good on you if you have the equipment to do all the faff at home.

My mother suffered also and she always said the sea air really helped. Go figure.