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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask for Sinusitis advice

43 replies

Twinkletoenails · 27/10/2019 12:50

Apologies for probably the most boring thread in history... but i feel so ill with it. Cant think straight, feel exhausted, can barely hear, pain and congestion in sinuses, persistent and irritated cough (postnatal drip according to dr in prev years) feel a bit sick, headachey, smell and taste gone. Have taken all usual stuff...
Have felt like crap for days now. I suffer with sinuses as soon as I get a cold and also during hayfever season.

Any advice very welcome please. Feel like crying! So pathetic I know

OP posts:
pinkcardi · 27/10/2019 12:53

Sinusitis is a form of torture I think. So awful.

I find that nasal washes work well. You can buy them at the chemist. It's a saline spray that you squirt up there and cleans them out for a few hours. It's almost immediate relief and absolutely recommended.

Cornettoninja · 27/10/2019 12:54

Sinus washes can be good (I never got on with them - I think you need a knack) but I use a saline nose spray, steam, sinus massage and an anti inflammatory like ibuprofen when mine are bad. I don’t think mine are allergy related but an antihistamine might help you.

Sympathies though, sinus pain is the worst Flowers maybe you need to ask your GP for a referral to ENT?

samlovesdilys · 27/10/2019 12:55

You need a doctor - it's really unlikely to get better without antib if you have had for a while, I would ring 111 and ask for ooh or maybe go tomorrow? Meanwhile steam, nurofen, lots of liquids...rest. Have you got a temp? Sinusitis is really lousy, lying on sofa is honestly best thing!! Hope you feel better x

Waveysnail · 27/10/2019 12:55

Ridiculous amounts of water, avoid dairy, ibuprofen for pain, decongestant spray, I find sinus wash helpful, hot flannel on the face.

CupoTeap · 27/10/2019 12:56

Sinus washes don't work for me past a certain point get to the gp

Original poster
Twinkletoenails · 27/10/2019 13:06

Oops *postnasal drip. Not postnatal!

Thanks all. Will certainly try the nasal wash next, I think. Trying to avoid antibs at dr if it can be helped..

OP posts:
Original poster
Twinkletoenails · 27/10/2019 13:08

Temp is a bit up and down I think

OP posts:
TheSandgroper · 27/10/2019 13:12

Garlic and horseradish tablets to help now but giving up gluten fixed it for good. Haven’t had it in 25 years. Life is so much better now.

Time4change2018 · 27/10/2019 13:14

If you've a temp it's likely infected. Antibiotics, brufen are wgat kick it for me plus, chewing string him or extra strong mints if I'm out and need immediate relief.
For this time of year is worst due to change in weather, dry air from heating etc
I have a mild steroid nasal spray from Drs that now keeps it at bay. Spray when I get up and before bed.
Agree with above it is torture. All the best

Fleetheart · 27/10/2019 13:15

It’s very painful. I do sympathise. Keep dosing yourself up. Sit up in bed. And do the steam thing.

MitziK · 27/10/2019 13:20

Nasal wash. Follow the instructions to the letter, especially the bit about used cooled, boiled water.

Get Pseudoephedrine tablets (not Phenylephrine, as they are shit) from the chemist. The over the counter ones are pointless and don't pay extra for the ones with 'extra' ingredients like caffeine and paracetamol. Just take the single ingredient ones with a cup of coffee (or a Red Bull) and two paracetamol. Try to time the Sudafed so that you aren't taking it last thing at night, as it can affect your sleep a bit (but not as much as feeling like you've been twatted straight across the face with a baseball bat).

Use cold packs on your face and head to shrink the blood vessels that are causing you pain.

Make a warm tea of grated ginger, orange juice, honey, a pinch of chilli flakes and garlic if you can stand it. Drink it throughout the day. Make soup with chilli and have lots of it (not 'Cream of' soups, you want something without dairy - a chicken stock cube, frozen veggies, noodles and more chilli will do).

Keep taking the decongestant and doing the rinses for several days after you start feeling improvement.

Do everything from the outset - you need to get the swelling down, you need to get the gunge that's stuck inside your face out and you need to hit it with everything you've got straight away, rather than half measures.

JillGoodacre · 27/10/2019 13:22

I had a course of antibiotics that cleared mine up

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 27/10/2019 13:25

If you are producing yellow, green or bloody gunk, go to a walk in or GP ASAP and get antibiotics.
Alternate hot and cold compresses on your face and massage or tap your sinus area.

Saline washes and antihistamines as well as decongestant and painkillers.

Avoid bending forwards because it really feels like being punished in the face.

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 27/10/2019 13:27

punched not punished Confused

OverByYer · 27/10/2019 13:30

As a fellow sufferer I feel your pain
I’d be careful with Sudafed etc as it can cause mucus to dry and compact.
I use a saline wash and a mild steroid spray like a PP says, that was a revelation haveing that prescribed for me

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 27/10/2019 13:30

I you are getting regular sinusitis then speak to your GP about an ENT referral. In my case, a deviated septum meant it didn’t take much swelling to block up one side completely, which then stopped my sinuses draining.

Brookers01234 · 27/10/2019 13:32

Things I find that give a bit of relief - olbas oil bubble bath, only seems to be available in cheap places like Home Bargains!
Tonnes of saline spray - be careful with the decongestants sprays, I had an ‘addiction’ to them following constant bouts of sinusitis (ended up having 2 x operations to sort my sinuses out, so I feel your pain!) They end up causing rebound congestion if you use them for more than a few days & its a totally vicious circle, as you are then reliant on them!
Also tiger balm applied to the forehead & temples helps - use sparingly as strong stuff & make sure you wash hands thoroughly before touching any other body parts!

Won’t cure the problem but hopefully will give you some relief, sinus pain is the worst ☹️

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 27/10/2019 13:33

Be careful of decongestant sprays like Oxymetazoline as they can cause irritation and rebound congestion of used for more than a few days.

Chewysmum · 27/10/2019 14:06

I have chronic sinusitis, when it gets bad it's hell. I take antihistamines daily and a Nasal Spray at night, as well as a strong anti-inflammatory(Diclofenac) when it's bad, but when it flares up the antibiotics are unavoidable in my case anyway. The Diclofenac are amazing but many people don't like taking them as they can be rough on the stomach, they're fine with me. The Nasal spray I use is called Beconase and this is the one thing that really helps, as long as I don't miss days I very rarely get really bad anymore.

NotExactlyHappyToHelp · 27/10/2019 14:35

Oh god I sympathise it’s utter hell. I was ready to jump off the roof to make the pain stop.

Agree with hot and cold compresses, short term pseudoephedrine (sp?) use, I used a beconase nasal spray which helped and I slept as upright as I could.

I’ve read mixed reports on nasal rinsing and I decided against it but anecdotally I’ve known people have great success with it.

Don’t be too hesitant to go to the Drs. Antibiotics are sometimes the only solution and if you’re very prone to this an ENT referral would be wise.

lynzpynz · 27/10/2019 14:44

I get sinusitis at least once a month totally fell your pain!! I seem incapable of getting a normal cold, sore throat, sinuses block, ears pop then hello chest infection for me is the usual fun journey...

Saline nasal douches, menthol crystals in hot water goggles on and dishcloth over head! Antihistamines, aspirin to help with swelling of blood vessels and get to the docs ASAP this wk if you're infected ie mucus not clear/white. Also weirdly lying face down with head tilted forward can help shift some of the sinus crap if it moves however slowly.

Oh yeah - spicy curry for dinner tonight OP!!

francienolan · 27/10/2019 14:45

I'm just getting over sinusitis, the doctor said it was caused by a virus and therefore not treatable by antibiotics.

The things that really helped were steaming some Vick's vapour rub in water and breathing in the steam, taking a paracetamol or naproxen to reduce swelling, drinking a lot of tea and juice, and rest. I found that they were always the worst when I sat up from sleeping but blowing my nose relieved a lot of the pressure.

TheCountessatHotelCortez · 27/10/2019 14:55

I’ve had the cold for 2 weeks now and thought I was getting better. No cough no sore throat but feeling really stuffy everywhere. Feel like I’m now not getting better, can only breath through my
Mouth at night and now have tooth ache in my back upper teeth

ilovehalloween · 27/10/2019 15:01

When I had a sinus infection it took 2 lots of antibiotics to shift.

Myimaginaryfamiliarhasfleas · 27/10/2019 16:23

Sinusitis is one of the difficult ones to shift. You can do all the nasal washes to help clear it out but you need to kill the infection.

I had a really bad virus last winter, and the sinusitis was the one of my many other symptoms that the doctor decided warranted antibiotics.

Don't put it off.

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