Sinus help!

[UnhappySinuses]

Desperately posting for traffic - sorry!!

DD has had recurring sinus problems for the past 6 months - every 2/3 weeks she’s hit with severe pain and facial pressure, bad post nasal drip (she’s constantly having to clear her throat and swallowing so much mucous that she feels sick) and generally feeling really tired + run down. The GP gives her a course of antibiotics and nasal steroid spray, she’s sorted for a few weeks and then the cycle repeats. It’s really starting to bother her as she’s completely floored with it each time and missing work, social plans etc.

Has anyone experienced symptoms like this? Any tips/tricks to get a bit of relief? What cured it in the end? We’ve got a private ENT appointment booked but it isn’t for another month - DD is absolutely desperate to get things sorted but I have a feeling this is probably going to mean surgery..

For me this was caused by food allergies. Anti histamine and avoiding dairy has helped

I really feel for her. After suffering for a year with similar symptoms and courses of antibiotics I realised it was chronic rhinitis! The saline rinses helped for a short while but I having to do them 3 times a day. Not practical. I was using the Vicks steroid type sprays which helped but then I saw they can become addictive and increased congestion. I started using the piroton, pirinaise spray about 3 months ago and it’s transformed my symptoms. This as recommended as a suitable longer term treatment. I still get the post nasal drip and awful smell and taste in my nose, but no where near as horrendous as it was! I take an antihistamine twice a day before bed and mid morning, this helps stave off symptoms. I also got a dehumidifier and it has an ionic filter which makes such a huge difference when indoors. I never had hayfever before and it started a few years ago post covid so I do wonder if having that, altered my reactions somehow?

I hope your daughter finds some relief as it’s so debilitating 🫂

I also do the saline rinses.It helped.me, does she do this already?

Home-made saline rinses changed my life. Easy, cheap, effective.

Best wishes to the poor lass...it's horrible.

I was like this for about 20 years and had 2 surgeries. I then discovered I was dairy intolerant, once I cut out the dairy my life transformed . I was strict with my diet for about 10 years and then gradually introduced dairy again and it has been okay.

That is why I qualified it with 'if there is no deviated septum, etc'. It's only six months (and I know that feels like forever), six months in which the pollen count has been sky high since February and it's been very warm.

I didn't know a time when I wasn't completely stuffed up and having regular intense headaches and face pain (was sent for a head CT to be told there was nothing wrong and it must be stress, FFS) - it was only when I realised that it improved after I'd been swimming and then found out about Sudafed/neti pots that I began to get some relief. Once I'd been given a gel face mask in a scrabbled together from previous presents by somebody who didn't like me much Christmas gift (thanks, ex SIL, I know giving me something that dramatically improved my life really pissed you off!), I worked out that as long as I minimised dust in the house, took the meds, did the rinsing and used the ice packs from the first sign of discomfort, it would go again in no more than about 3 days instead of getting worse with every minute.

The Sudafed constricts the blood vessels to reduce swelling and pain, the cold packs constrict the blood vessels to reduce swelling and pain, the rinsing encouraged the gunk out now it was open enough to let it out and the anti allergy stuff reduced the opportunity for it to build back up again. Multiple modalities for the desired effect; being able to breathe. If there isn't a structural problem - just telling somebody to do nothing on the offchance it's a structural problem without making a referral to see whether there is something as the GP has done isn't right.

The problem is that the longer you take them, the more reliant you become on them. The same as the over the counter decongestant sprays. If your sinuses are giving you that much grief you really need to push for an ENT referral

Me personally? Oh, I'm fine, only have to take them for about 3 days a couple of times a year at most now (along with hitting it with the rinses, cold packs, etc all at the same time). Had it been left to ENT, seeing as they discharged me without a follow up appointment the moment they saw the CT was normal, I'd still be in excruciating pain now.

As it was, despite their opinion that there was nothing wrong so nothing could be done about it, actually getting them clear meant that everything could heal/inflammation could go down - I went from mouth breathing for 20 odd years to normal for all bar the occasional day when I hit it with everything at the first baseball bat sensation. Even if it did feel rather like I was expelling half my brain on the day after my first sterile saline rinse when everything opened up. 😀

I do agree that referral is appropriate to exclude a structural cause, but a referral in itself doesn't help address pain anymore than a GP saying 'don't do that' but not providing any alternatives can.

I had similar issues for a few years, thought it was an allergy of some kind triggering it but couldn't quite figure it out.

In the end saw ENT. No structural issues, and only allergy was dust mite. He said something along the lines of my system was "over sensitive and over reactive".

I was given a course of strong steroid drops followed by a steroid nasal spray, which somehow seemed to reset everything and I've rarely been bothered by it since.

(ETA had tried steroid sprays and all kinds of over the counter stuff prior to that - it was the course of stronger stuff that seemed to fix it.)

Tried this today for the first time
game changer
thank you so much for this tip, I can actually breathe

Glad to be of help. Just passing on the wisdom of a physio I knew about 20 years ago who suggested it to me.

Cutting down on dairy really helped me too. I also used a Neilmed Sinus Rinse kit which I put off using for years as thought it would be so awful. It has been an absolute game changer for me. Sinus pain is horrible and I am beyond relieved to be virtually free of it.

I see a chiropractor regularly for another issue, but she also did some release work around my palate and head and that has actually provided some long-term relief from recurrent sinus issues I was having (surprisingly!). She said she’s a lot of it due to air pollution.

My DD was prescribed Avamys and that really helped. She has chronic rhinitis that exacerbates her asthma.

I have a similar issue which among other things causes my middle ears to block and after 40 years was prescribed Dymista which is for me a game changer.

A bit of an update - DD saw the ENT consultant last week. He agrees that it sounds like she has a problem within one of her maxillary sinuses. Had a look in her nose with an endoscope and no sign of irritation or polyps so he thinks that it is unlikely to be allergies. She has been referred for a CT scan so will get the results in a few weeks. Have been told that the outcome will likely be a longer + stronger course of antibiotics + oral steroids. Failing that it may be FESS surgery..!

Hi @UnhappySinuses how is your daughter now? I’m currently in the same boat and would really appreciate an update please.

DD is fine now and everything settled eventually. Her MRI came back completely clear so the consultant was as stumped as we were..! Requested blood tests to check for any allergenic cause but again these came back completely clear. There was nothing more he could advise or do other than keep using the nasal spray and sinus rinses as and when needed.

Sorry not to be of more help!

I found using a nebuliser helpful

I’ve not looked right through all replies, so sorry if this has been covered. My daughter suffered for months and months with what we thought were repeated sinus infections. Eventually, she was referred to ENT.
Unfortunately, the pain she was in was giving her sleepless nights and making her vomit, and she was having too much time off work. We paid for her to see a private ENT consultant who diagnosed her with trigeminal neuralgia. He prescribed amitriptylin, which, as long as she takes it every night, has almost stopped the pain.
I suffered with sinus infections when I was a child, and had a sinus scrape under general anaesthetic, followed by repeated washouts (yes it was as awful as it sounds). I’ve had sinus infections since, but not anything like they were.
If your waiting lists are anything as bad as ours, then you’re probably looking at an 18 month wait. My daughter’s pain was too much for her to suffer for that length of time, though I appreciate private consultations cannot be afforded by everyone unfortunately.

@UnhappySinuses thank you so much for the update! I’m very happy to hear your daughter is better now. Sinus issues are so miserable. Hoping that’s the end of it for her. X

Has she tried the dentist? I know when I have sinsus issues it causes me tooth pain so I’m guessing the reverse is possible.

@lovepets your poor daughter! Sounds horrific and glad it’s been diagnosed and under control now.
Thank you for your reply with your experience and advice. I’ve already seen a private ENT who did a CT scan and has told me I need surgery as it’s a structural issue.
I’m just having a nightmare getting rid of this infection in the mean time. Sounds like you have had your own experience of these things! I need surgery to clear it out and open them up I think and fix my deviated septum.

My husband suffered with these symptoms for years, back and forth to the dr with no success. It turned out that he was gluten intolerant, cut wheat out of his diet and he is now fine (apart from when he eats things he shouldnt).