How do you cope with acute sinus pain?

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I have chronic sinus problems and every month it seems to flare up and when I get an attack the pain is excruciating

I get no warning of when it's going to happen, it just starts with a frontal headache and goes from there. No matter what I do I can't stop it from developing. The pain is so bad I feel as though someone is hacking my skull open with an axe. I have a reasonable pain threshold, but this is just agony.

I do a sinus rinse, take some mucous thinner, paracetamol, ibuprofen, steam, massage and bed. I knock myself out with Night Nurse and try to get some sleep. By the morning, it's usually at a level that I can manage, so I keep doing the sinus rinses and just take paracetamol.

What's the strongest painkiller I can buy to deal with this as I can't cope with the severe pain. I have taken MIL's tramadol in the past because I've been so desperate.

Have you been referred to ENT to have it checked out? I kept on getting infection after infection, controlled the pain and symptoms with paracetamol NAND nurofen at max doses, used sudafed nasal spray plus sterimar spray, but had to have regular antibiotics too.

Got referred to ENT, had an op 2 months ago and both my last colds did not end up as sinusitis, which they would have normally. Doesn't work for everyone everyone but it did for me!

No, I haven't bothered going to the GP. They prescribed steroid spray a couple of years ago and I just reorder that on prescription, but it doesn't seem to do anything.

What did they say was causing your sinusitis olivio. Perhaps I should ask to be referred. I can't carry on like this.

And get to the dentist...I'd had an abscess for years and it took a referral to the Dental Hospital for it to be picked up.

Had what you're describing for 1 1/2 yrs on and off. The abscess had perforated my sinus.

Tooth out, then antibiotics for a week ET, voila! Pain free ( except for the pain of having to she'll out for a tooth implant.

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I see the dentist every six months and I don't have any problems with teeth. It's definitely my sinuses that are clogged up with mucous because I can feel it draining when I do the massage. It's horrible.

Salt, bi carb soda and warm water. Snort with a straw. It hurts like buggery but clears the infected passages. I went from being on constant anti -b's to none by doing this when the pain first starts. My old GP recommended this to me.

Also a herbal nasal spray (Bauer sinus relief) seems to help too, but may be placebo.

Sorry, just come back to this. I had a deviated septum, it wasn't picked up until they did CT scan of my sinuses, which were not too bad in themselves. It was almost as though it was trapping stuff in my sinuses, causing the pain and grimness. I went to several GPs who dismissed me and said put up with it, then one who said it wasn't up to him to say if it could be made better or not, hospital would decide.

Def worth asking for a referral. FWIW, the steroid sprays are only much good for allergies ( which I also get!)

Hi, I'm sorry you are feeling so crap. I've suffered bad sinuses all of my adult life so hopefully some of the tips I've picked up might help you out.

Try adding a tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide (Boots) to your sinus rinse. This gave me quite a lot of relief when I went through an intense period of sinus issues (crunching down 4 x pseudoephedrine tablets a day & antibiotics not working). It stings, I won't lie.

Steam your face with a bowl of hot water and Olbas oil, which it sounds like you're doing. When I had a very acute case of sinusitis a very helpful GP suggested 10 mins every 3 hours.

If you can help it, don't use the steroid spray if you have an active infection as it dampens the immune response.

If you aren't taking some form of anti-histamine (Zirtek etc) I'd try that as well. For decongesting, it can be more effective to take pseudephedrine than phenylephrine for some people including me. I buy Sudafed Decongestant tablets - plain pseudephedrine.

Are you sure you have no perennial rhinitis issues? I've been quite allergic to dust, dander and grass since infancy and discovered this year that cutting out dairy made unbelievable improvement. I was going through a very down period wondering if I was depressed as I had permanent mental fog from the constant sinus pressure and everything changed once I ditched dairy (mostly my daily latte). I've been assessed by an ENT and told I have very narrow nasal passages and a deviated septum, but not worth operating on.

Thanks. I think I do have some allergy or something because I get red, sore eyes as well and if any chemicals (such as body spray) goes up my nose it sets the pain off too. I also have a constant post nasal drip.

Which antihistamine is best for being non drowsy? I took some of my son's Cetirizine once, but it made me sleepy.

I might ask for an ENT referral just to get checked out.

Ceritizine is a non-drowsy anti-histamine but everyone reacts differently. You could try Loratadine (Clarityn) or anything else labelled non-drowsy at Boots. Best of luck x

Thanks

I take cetirizine every night, and use avimist(?) steroid spray twice a day. If you want a non drowsy ah, try loratidine. I also get post nasal drip, these help a bit.

Def try ENT, my consultant was very up front that he could help with the sinuses but not the allergies!