Could this be sinusitis??

[jinglebellmel]

So, I've been going a bit crazy lately! After weeks of daily headaches and some other strange symptoms I'd totally convinced myself I had a brain tumor or something equally awful. I'm trying to explore the more logical options while I await a neurology appointment and wondered if my symptoms could be sinus related?

I started having frequent headaches, normally over/around one eye (don't think they are migraine as more of a dull persistent ache), eye pain (a horrible bruised feeling especially when looking to the side, again mostly in one eye) and a twitch(in the same eye). Also had pain across my forehead and occasionally bridge of nose and face. No obvious congested or blocked/runny nose though. Just before this I'd had a bug/virus and a couple of weeks before that I'd had a head cold and nasty cough.

After about a month of the headaches and eye pain getting increasingly worse and more frequent, they suddenly eased off. For about 2 weeks I only had the occasional mild headache and the achey eye feeling. Now they are back :( This time I do have a cold/cough but as that's clearing up the headache and face pain only seems to be getting worse. Quite often the area where my eyebrows are and the bit between my nose and eye feels tender to touch, even if I don't have a headache.

Could this be some sort of sinus issue do you think? Is it possible to have a sinus problem without runny nose etc and would it come and go like this rather than just being constant? If so what can I try to get rid of it?

Really appreciate anyone who has made it to the end of my ramblings and any replies!

It does sound like possible sinus issues. I have chronic sinusitis issues and I often get the facial pressure & pain/sore to touch without congestion or a runny nose. It's possible for your sinuses to get a bit inflamed without an infection, this happens to me if I eat too much dairy. Mine does come and go, some days I'm fine, other days it's awful.

I've never had the eye pain you describe though, I would be inclined to get that checked out especially if it hurts to move your eye.

Things that help me most are steamy showers (put a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil on shower floor), neilmed sinus rinse, sterimar spray (not medical) and sinutab when the pain is really bad.

Thanks Disney :) I’ve had the eye pain checked by an optician and eyes are all healthy apparently. It’s very strange! I bought some nelimed when it was bad a few weeks ago but didn’t use it as it seemed to get better, so I’ll give that a go.

It does sound like it could be. I have chronic sinus issues and often get the headache around my eye and face without any obvious congestion from my nose.
I gave up drinking red wine completely this year due to a different health issue and have noticed that these funny headaches (or face aches as I call them) have become much less frequent.
You could try a beconase nasal spray for a few weeks and see if that helps. When mine are particularly bad that's what I use and it dies make a difference.

I’ve got a similar sinus issue. A dry kind of infection. No runny nose, pain in face (and the twitching!). My doctor prescribed Avamys nasal spray which is fluticasone furonate, and ibuprofen and paracetamol for the pain. No antibiotics because they reckon it’s a virus, although I’d kill for them!
Please go to the doctor and get it sorted.

Thanks ellapaella- any particular spray you’d recommend?

Helz- how strange that you have the eye twitching too, thought I was alone in that one! How long have you had the sinus pain? I’ve been to the Drs twice - first dr was pretty dismissive, said not sinus as no congestion, just headaches, it’s normal to get headaches. Saw a second gp a week later who made a referral to neurology (by this time I was twitching all over, but I do think it’s posdible this was Because I’d become so stressed thinking I had a brain tumour!) I will try some home treatments and maybe go back if there’s no improvement.

I think there must be a virus going around because I had awful sinus pain for almost two weeks with random eye/cheek twitching too, but no cold/flu symptoms. It only just cleared up last week. I was convinced there was something wrong with my teeth the pressure in my cheeks was so bad it made my teeth feel weird.

@jinglebellmel I use this one - it's a hay fever spray but is what the ENT doctor suggested as it's also used for chronic rhinitis and sinus issues. You can't use it for more than 6 months but it really helps when mine sinuses are bad.
In regards to congestion I don't get any with mine - it feels 'stuffy' but I don't produce any mucus if that makes sense.

Sorry this one

And don't worry it's definitely not £53!
It's about £5

Haha thanks Ella, I have a Superdrug hayfever one which I think has the same active ingredient, I’ll double check. So strange that you had the twitch too! My eye has been twitching now for about 10 weeks :( and once I got stressed about it my feet and legs joined in too. I wonder if the twitch would have just passed if I’d not gotten to stressed about it.

Sorry Ella, not you with the twitch that bit was to Disney!

Have you tried any kind of supplements? I used to get twitchy eye and also restless/ crampy legs. My GP just said the eye twitch was stress related and that it was 'normal'
I read on MN about magnesium deficiency and started taking a daily tablet, eye twitches stopped almost immediately and have never come back.

Sounds like it could be sinus-related to me. Have you tried a decongestant like Sudafed? A pharmacist could advise you on that.

Hi Rosie, I’ve had blood tests and all in the normal range, but I have started taking magnesium, b12 and vit d in the hope they might help. Fingers crossed!

I had sinus/ ear pain and it’s a tooth abscess

I’ve tried sudafed, it does help temporarily (but I’m not sure if it’s the decongestant or just the pain killer).

Head not feeling too bad today, unless I bend forward and then my forehead and face throb! Is that a sinus thing? Gp told me that pain when leaning forward was a red flag for brain tumor, but I’m sure I’ve had it before with sinuses?

I use a prescribed spray called Dymista and found it significantly helps with my sinus issues. Hope you manage to get to the bottom of it and feel better soon!

Thanks Jemma, me too!

jinglebell, that pain when you bend forward thing is also a test for sinus infection. In answer to your earlier question, I’ve had this a while, possibly two-three months.
I think Dymista is another name for what I was prescribed. It took a while to build up and start working, and the doc said on the regime of nasal spray, ibuprofen and paracetamol it could take about four weeks to settle down.
Disney, I hope it’s a virus that never crosses my path again. It’s awful!

That’s helzapopin2, reasurring to know it can be a sinus thing too. Can I ask what your regime is please? I’ve got a nasal spray containing beclometasone dipropionate (which I think is a steroid) that I’ve started used twice a day, and I’ve beeb taking pain killers when it’s particulaly bad. Is this similar to what you e been advised by dr? Thanks!

Me too helza! I had to fly just before it cleared up too and omg the pain when landing was like nothing else. Normally I take decongestants when flying and I'm fine but even with those and spray the whole side of my face ached for the day afterwards this time . Luckily there was no one in the seat beside me so I didn't have to hide my tears .

I tried beclametasone at first, but it didn’t help. For me, it was an irritant. The doctor gave me “something stronger”, which was the Avamys, fluticasone, on prescription, and told me to take ibuprofen and paracetamol (with food) saying they work well together. I’ve been taking them three times a day. I’ve been doing this for nearly two weeks and things are only just slowly getting better.

Disney, uuurggh. That sounds unbearable!
My sympathy!

Sounds awful Disney!!

Great, thanks helz, maybe I'll try to keep up with the ibuprofen for a few days rather than just taking it when the pain is really bad, may help any inflammation I guess. I feel a bit of a fool to go back to the GP and ask if its my sinuses now they've referred me to neurology! (although obviously I'll be thrilled if it is my sinuses!) I'll give the nasal spray I've got a go for a week and try to see the GP if no improvement.

My headaches started exactly as you described around my eye, they were awful. I spent over a year trying drugs, seeing neurology, having tests and worrying about a tumour.
Anyway it turns out to be chronic daily migraine, which is now treated with amitriptylene. I also think stress triggers them so I've been trying to reduce this!