Sinusitis- what the fuck?!

[LottieLou90]

Hi all,

Apologies, posting here for traffic.

I’m sure I have sinusitis. I am currently getting over what has been an awful cold / flu thing and I feel like my head is going to explode now.

My nose is blocked to fuck, my eyes, ears, head, cheeks, jaw basically my whole face and head is so bloody painful I want to cry but I can’t because I might pass out from the pain. Also, my nose is making this ‘clicking’ sound like it’s attempting morse code and whenever I blow my nose, it’s like I’m blowing Slimer from Ghostbusters out (sorry tmi)

I’ve managed about 2 hours sleep so far. The things I have tried, and failed, to ease the pain - warm flannel over face, propping myself up in bed, paracetamol and ibuprofen, vicks rub under my nostrils and temples, massaging (practically rubbing) my head and face.

Nothings working. I’m fucking fucked off, DD6 will be up in about an hour as she is excited about mother’s day and it’s my birthday in a couple of days 😫

I just want to sleep. I’ve gone from feeling very sorry for myself to just pure anger from the agony.

Please, does anyone have any tips or advice? Does this sound like sinusitis? Need to hopefully minimise the pain for today at least.

Thanks.

I get this after every single cold, It's miserable. The only thing that helps for me is sudafed capsules or Boots own version. I take them as stated on the box and drink lots of water and lemon tea. It does start to clear after a couple of days.

I once had it so badly that, like others, thought I was having an brain hemorrhage . My DH was away and DD1 was about 5. I remember thinking, I must leave the chain off the door so that if I die in the night she can open it for the paramedics. It was horrific. And i've had bad sinuses since I was in my teens.

I have to say that when it gets as bad as you're describing, the only thing that will touch it is an antibiotic. I've also found acupuncture hugely helpful in the longer term and I'm not into alternative medicine in the slightest. The other solutions suggested here are great, but only give short-term relief. In my experience, pseudoephedrine is next to useless as it pulls it all out but aggravates so that the gunk comes back even more violently!

@Monty, I can imagine the look on DH’s face if I bought the vibrator and tell him it’s for sinuses 😂😂😂
Btw, any size will do or are there any specific ones?😉

Hi, you have my sympathy, sinusitis is very painful, For me it feels as though your head is literally going to explode when you bend forwards.

I would like to say that the NeilMed sinus kit is fantastic, very gentle but effective at clearing out the sinus cavities using only the pre prepared sachets of rinse which you add to cooled boiled water. Its easy to do after the first few go's, even my 10 year old does it to address her post-nasal drip and she copes well with it.

In terms of decongestants, PLEASE be careful not to over use the nasal sprays containing oxymetazoline. They should be used for 3 days ONLY as per the label. Use longer than this cause what is known was rebound congestion, which means that your nose becomes dependant on the spray to breathe. You find yourself using more and more, often and oftener, to get the same effect, until you literally cannot breathe freely out of your nose without the spray every 30 minutes or so. In this way it can become 'addictive' and then it is a process of MONTHS to wean yourself off the sprays. Its called rhinitis medicamentosa (rhinitis caused by medication). I know this because I was in that boat! (Long story). Now I only use the spray when I have a terrible cold, and then only to get to sleep at night so that I can breathe through my nose. It's never a solution to rely on these decongestant sprays and they are overused by most people.

Steroid sprays are different, and it will be up to your GP whether you need one or not. Long term use is generally safe.

Antibiotics are a possibility, but again, your GP will decide. They may shorten the sinusitis attack by a couple of days but many GPs will not prescribe them off the bat for sinusitis unless they are positive it of bacterial origin.

The best thing you can do are the sinus rinses and NSAIDS (Ibuprofen) within reason.
Hope you get well soon.

Sorry for above spelling mistakes!
Forgot to say oral decongestants are ok, make sure you get the ones with Psuedophedrine (NOT PHENYLEPHRINE) as they are far more effective. You will have to ask for these over the counter as they were taken off general sale a few years ago due to being abused by some people (pseudophedrine is similar to 'speed' in chemical composition I think). Phenylephrine on the other hand was proved no more effective than a placebo in clinical trials for this, so is pretty useless.

Cheers.

@Monty, I can imagine the look on DH’s face if I bought the vibrator and tell him it’s for sinuses 😂😂😂

. I've accidentally left it out on my bedside table when we've had builders around doing the bedroom window as to me it's just my face vibrator so I forget it needs to be put away! It does wonders though, really gives massive relief! Especially if you press really hard just under the cheek bone!
I bought just a 20 quid one on amazon!