Chronic sinusitis - any tips/suggestion for relief? Antibiotics haven't worked.

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My partner has had sinusitis for many months now. Three courses of antibiotics hasn't cleared it, nor has the steroid nasal sprays. He has a headache literally every day and we are are now concerned at the amount of painkillers he needs. A GP has just agreed to refer him for an ENT consultation.

I'm wondering if the the many magical minds of Mumsnet have any suggestions on possible 'cures' or ways to relieve the symptoms for the time being? It's understandably driving him mad - the constant stuffed up-ness alternating with the nasal drippage.

At this stage, we'll consider anything!

Sounds awful. Have they taken a swab to actually check what bug is causing the issue? If the antibiotics aren't clearing it- it might be a fungal infection which requires different treatment. Hopefully he gets to see the ENT very soon.

ENT recently recommended a sinus rinse. Neil med or something like that. I was in hospital for something else and it had only been going on for a month but the congestion in my sinuses could be seen on a CT scan hence asking ENT. It did work. You get a bottle and 60 sachets of stuff to mix with water for about £18 at boots/Amazon etc.

I had this for several years including constant headaches. Has your partner tried a saline rinse/neti pot? You can buy all the doings for it but my GP gave me a large syringe and I made up the mix - 1 tsp each of bicarbonate of soda, salt and sugar dissolved in warm water.

I thought I was suffering from sinusitis. After an optician’s appointment and high pressure being detected, I was referred to the eye clinic at the hospital. I have narrow drainage ducts from the inner corners of my eyes. I am having an operation at the end of the month.

I use the NeilMed rinse daily, and it helps a lot. I just add half a teaspoon of table salt instead of the packets, which are expensive and mostly just table salt.

I was sceptical of Chinese medicine, but around 12 years ago friend suggested Bi Yan Pian during a really nasty bout of sinusitis where I was literally crying with the pain and headache. I took 2 of the tablets she offered and within minutes I could feel my sinuses gurgling and emptying, a sort of bubble bursting inside my head sensation, most odd - and the pressure & pain just dropped away, much to my amazement and relief. So I got my own supply, and after finishing a course of these, I can honestly say it's never returned. I've had colds and sore throats, but not had that tight painful sinusitis headache that brings tears to your eyes level anyway.

I’ve sent you a DM.

I've suffered with the same thing for years it is horrendous and so depressing. How long has he tried the nose spray for? Because I started using beconase daily and it has stopped my symptoms, but it didn't happen straight away it took a couple months for my symptoms to completely stop

I think he may be way past this point but a nurse recommended to me to bend over a chair back or side of the bath and massage the pressure points on your face, preferably with some steam too. May have been coincidence but after a few days of that my sinusitis cleared that I'd had for about 6 weeks

Thank you for all your replies and suggestions! Will respond to you individually soon, some good stuff there.

Just to echo salt /saline rinses

He could try filling a bowl with boiling water and bending over it (carefully!) under a towel - it can help to shift congestion and (as long as you don't tip the bowl over!) it won't do any harm.

I really sympathise, I've suffered from this since childhood, with multiple antibiotics over the years. ENT found nasal polyps blocking one nostril, after a CT scan, which showed all the blocked sinus drainage points. Using cortico steroid nasal sprays daily can help once the immediate problem is solved.

Also maybe get his teeth checked for infection, the roots of some teeth can become Infected, and those very long roots can often be in the sinuses if you get me, and the infection can spread upwards . See a dentist perhaps

YouTube have great videos on sinus exercises and massage. I use them weekly and they work like magic. Some vicks in a bowl of hot water and sniff it in with a towel over his head for a good ten minutes will work wonders.

If your dh lies on his back with his neck tilted up and back that should also drain them.

Lots of luck. I've had sinus problems my whole life. ENT might recommend that he gets stents.

After antibiotics failed to sort mine I, very sceptically but also desperately, tried acupuncture. To my utmost surprise, it fixed it.

For immediate relief, I would use this naturesown.com.au/products/immunity-wellbeing/triple-strength-garlic-c-horseradish/

but, for other reasons, I gave up gluten. It also meant that gave up chronic sinusitis. Heaven. I will never go back. It’s been 30 years now.

I had chronic sinus probs, linked into infection from teeth, plus polyps etc. I ended up getting sinus op plus teeth removed & it totally cured it.

I've just got mine better after having it ongoing since march!!nothing has helped until last week I started salt water snorting and it's amazing.just filled a bowl with salt water and snorted it,three times a day,it literally washed my head out and all the snot cleared amazing. You can imagine what it's like when surfing and you get a nose full if salt water,all the snot comes out.its amazing and cleared it brilliantly.im now down to twice a day and haven't had a headache since I started it,I definitely recommend it,a few days of salt water snorting and so much better!

I totally agree with the Neil Med / Neti pot suggestions. I had a 9-week infection in the spring. Antibiotics eventually cleared it, but the saline rinses provided instant relief for at least half an hour at a time during the worst of it. My GP recommend doing it 3-6x per day.

Antibiotics won't help if it's allergy related. I find GPs often don't understand sinuses unless they suffer themselves. Go to an allergy clinic/sinus specialist. They'll get him stabilised and on a good daily treatment routine. Sinus rinse may help, when I have a sinus flare up I find a double dose of the salts to clear the nasal passages before using steroid drops/spray helps.

Nothing works for me really, I'm at the end of my tether with it

Best thing that keeps it at bay is Nasonex spray. I'm not supposed to take it constantly though you can take it for months at a time. I am trying to take it less and alternate with Sterimar spray.

Next stop is an operation to open up the sinuses more but my mum had it and it wasn't successful for her so I don't hold out much hope!

@Ariela - Do you mind me asking where you got your bi yan pian? That sounds amazing - think we'd consider it a miracle if that happened in this case 😀

I was constantly using steroid nasal sprays and they kept it at mostly bay but I still had massive headaches a couple of times a month. I tried taking diphenhydramine every night for 2 weeks and it completely cleared it. I now take a very very small maintenance dose nightly and its v effective. Its an over the counter allergy medicine and can make you drowsy, so I take it before bed and it has the added benefit of helping with my menopausal night wakings too

He might be suffering from silent reflux which in turn can cause sinusitis and headaches. If this is the case then sinusitis medicine alone will not cure and it has to be paired with a ppi like omeprazole.

My chronic sinusitis (one sided, along with tinnitus on the same side) disappeared when I finally had a root canal in a tooth that had had a hairline crack in for 25 years.