Is this possible?! I’m getting straight on the phone to the gp!

[Babsexxx]

Has anyone had sinus problems causing them to go off balance/really dizzy inducing a really bad panic attack?!

My dh said this morning can you please get this looked at you’ve been congested for what feels like months I think you have a sinus problem now it’s not normal!

he’s right my ears have felt constantly blocked I wake up in the night bringing up phlegm ears feel constantly clogged I can’t go anywhere without a tissue and I have a constant feeling of a phlegm film at the back of my throat.

And after a quick google I’ve seen it can cause vertigo to the extreme honestly what is massively causing my panic attacks is this dizziness so if I can eliminate that all of my symptoms will feel much better! As this is what really gets me frightened.

And I’m definitely getting the dizziness before the panic attack yesterday morning took my beta blocker no coffee at all for maximum benefit felt fine just a bit floaty not unusual but I was scrubbing the wall behind the kids toys after a weekend of lol fun and nothing made me anxious at all I felt completely calm I’ve got up extreme dizziness triggering a panic attack that I managed to quickly get under control thanks to the beta blocker but felt dizzy for almost a hour!

Im ringing the Dr as if I get that dizziness under control il feel much better FACT! Has anyone had this? Where it was a dizzy sinus problem triggering panic attacks? Thanks xxxxx

Could it be Minieres disease?

Could be but I’ve been really heavily congested for months! So I’m thinking could be either really but the sinus issue looks far more likely I didn’t realise that you can have a sinus infection without pain!

Yes very possible. Labrynthitus. I had it for about 6 months. It's pretty horrible, sorry to say.

I have ongoing sinus issues and where it starts affecting my balance the GP will give me an antibiotic which usually clears the infection and things go back to normal.

I could have pretty much written your post, I woke on 1st Jan with what I thought was a cold, it immediately started off panic attacks that I have never ever had before, the panic was constant, made worse by the fact I couldn’t breathe properly due to the cold, the panic continued and then I started getting anxiety attacks. I couldn’t sleep. I was walking around the garden at 2am trying to breathe.

This was totally out of character for me, I am usually the least panicked person I know and to be honest it really frightened me.

I’ve had a very very difficult/stressful 2 years and my GP connected the panic/anxiety to that and over looked the cold symptoms, we both thought it I was a virus and would go.

The virus didn’t go and symptoms got worse, my balance was awful.

I have had a dreadful 12 weeks, the virus is actually a severe sinus infection and has caused awful anxiety/panic for which medication has been issued. ( I have never needed this before)

It took several appointments before the underlying issues were looked at, the GP was very focused on the panic attacks etc and I felt I struggled to be heard when I said I felt they were caused by the sinus issues, the panic occurred when I felt I couldn’t breathe.

At one point the swelling over my sinuses was so severe I couldn’t move half of my face and I have nerve pain shooting over my face, neck, shoulder and arms.
One GP was insistent the above issue was stress and prescribed sertraline that I didn’t feel I needed, I just need the infection to go away.

I finally saw a GP who listened and looked at the infection rather than treating the panic.

I have today been prescribed my 5th set of antibiotics for chronic sinusitis along with a referral to the ENT.
Since starting the antibiotics the panic/anxiety has lifted.

I have also been using olive oil drops along with a twice daily nasal rinse which does help, that may be an option.

I honestly wish I had been more focused on the infection in January than the panic attacks.

Good luck at the GP, from experience I would ask that they look at possible infections etc rather than just the panic issues they appear to be causing.

Yes. I have recurring sinus infections and I get so lightheaded and dizzy. Last week I nearly passed out because it was that bad. It's not caused panic attacks but it does really affect my mental health. I'd see a doctor. I've just been started on Dymista spray and so far it seems to be helping!

Omg wow well had my oh not bought up all my Phleming and going I would never of connected the dots!! I also feel scared to eat because it feels like I have a constant film of phlegm at the back of my throat completely unusual for me! my left ear is constantly feeling full and I get weird white noise in it!

By taking the beta blockers seeing things very calmly and logically I can hand on my heart say that the dizziness after movements like tipping my head back in the bath bending down etc is the very first trigger BEFORE any feelings of anxiety then once I’m dizzy panick central! Xxx

@Babsexxx
I was exactly the same, I really struggled to eat due to the feeling in the back of my throat, the saline nasal wash really helps with that but for me I needed the antibiotics.

When the antibiotics started working the panic symptoms went away quite quickly, I firmly believe they were a side effect of the severe infection rather than a separate issue, they appeared at exactly the same time but it did take a while before I felt listened to by my GP sadly.

Did you manage to get a GP appointment?

Ahhhhh right I will do I’m booking a appointment now as I have had problems with my left ear for a long time but this congestion is 1000% nothing like what I’ve ever had not to go on for months I do take the beta blockers which rationalise and make you see things clearly I’d say and I have definitely recognised that it’s the dizziness that triggers wayyyyy before any anxiety!

The beta blockers do definitely help me remain calm in the situation so I don’t completely freak and go full blown panic mode! But still I do wonder if I’d even have panic attacks if the dizziness was removed? Probably not xxx

Ooooo really yeah I’ve lost weight from it not a disaster as my bmi is 26 but I’m definitely getting this looked into further I will push and say in the day the phlegm’s clear but at night when I haven’t blown my nose or cleared my throat for hours il wake up at 2/3am with really thick phlegm plus my left ear feels constantly clogged and I get white noise in it!

I will put my foot down and question as to why the wouldn’t prescribe antibiotics as a precautionary measure! What’s the worst that could happen?? Quick google and actually it’s very common to have sinus problems leading to anxiety! Xxx

They won't prescribe antibiotics unless you're presenting with the symptoms of an active infection. They may look into it more and may prescribe a steroid spray, but you can't get antibiotics because you want them

You can't put your foot down for anti biotics.

OP have you not tried a nasal spray?

I would book a GP appointment.
I had a severe sinus infection in 2018 and it lasted a month.
The antibiotics didn't really help, what helped was Vicks.

Sinus infections are very painful -you have my sympathies,

Hope you get better soon

Is it dizziness or proper vertigo? I.e do you feel unbalanced or does the room feel like it’s spinning, causing nausea? The latter can be a sign of menieres, especially with the blocked ear and tinnitus. I had a debilitating vertigo attack a few years ago which led to an ambulance call out and hospital admission. The ENT told me it was menieres, which terrified me, and led to panic attacks any time I’d feel dizzy. Thankfully I’ve never had a proper vertigo attack since (so hopefully it was a one-off rather than menieres) but I still get dizziness and blocked ears anytime there’s stormy weather, or when my sinuses are blocked. So it seems very likely that it is due to your sinuses, and also that the anxiety is directly caused by the fear of losing control during the dizzy spells. I hope that you get it sorted quickly!

Can I ask how you used Vicks?

O really it feels like I’m really unbalanced no nausea but feels like I could topple over at any minute! Xxx

That sounds much more like a sinus infection then! Which is good news as there's not really a cure for menieres, but hopefully with some antibiotics you'll be as right as rain really soon. x

If your hearing is unaffected, its unlikely to be Menieres. My father had this and the vertigo attacks were horrendous. You coukd literally watch the colour drain from his face to a white/green, then drenched in a cold sweat and unable to move for at least a couple of hours until it subsides. He's now classed as profoundly deaf with hearing aids.

For your sinus, have you tried regular washing with Sterimar? Rinsing them out twice a day, it's astonishing how much mucus comes out. I'm not sure if you can get all the different types in the UK, but there is a copper infused one which is particularly effective for inflammation.

@BigAnne
Hi
I would boil hot water and mix Vicks in it and inhale it with a towel over my head.
Basically inhaling the Vicks.

It did help to an extent in relieving my inflamed sinuses,

Yeah my hearing is affected particularly my left ear feels fuller than my right and I get white noise in it xx

Good idea I have been so congested for months but because lack of pain I genuinely didn’t even think of a sinus issue! Xxx

Thank you @Babsexxx and @Itismarchalready for sharing your sinus problems, related panic attacks and what you have been through and how you have been coping. This has been so helpful! I had almost the exact symptoms as you both around the same dates and I live in Europe. How can this be?
I was very sick with a virus at Christmas which evolved into a cold and on NYE day I had an extreme panic attack, ( never had one before ). I felt my sinuses were blocked but felt no pain. I was trying to breathe with stuffy nose that must have set it off. I was so panicked I had my DH drive me to a&e where I saw a gp and a psychiatrist who gave me diazepam to calm me down. We were all convinced it was stress related.
Almost 3 months on and I still have blocked sinuses so I guess from reading your thread I probably need antibiotics. My DH is a surgeon (no help whatsoever)! Luckily my anxiety has calmed and I stopped the diazepam after 4 weeks.
I hope you are both finally getting better. We all know that viruses travel and spread really quickly but luckily helpful advice does too. ;)

Hi @Babsexxx did you ever solve this? I’ve had it for about 6/7 months maybe more, lots of lightheadedness, blocked nose ringing in ears and nasal drip thinking it’s all connected, cos of no pain tho the doctors haven’t prescribed anything 🫤x