Come on Mumsnetters, diagnose me...

[ElfOnTheTopShelf]

I was in hospital the other week & seemed to get a cold when I was in there - snotty nose, cough, temperature etc.
After a while, it is just slightly gunky when I cough, but now I have pains in my head. (Bear in mind, admitted to hospital at Christmas with severe migrains & had to have a CT scan).
The pain gets worse when I lean forward, bend down. Pain is in the centre of my forehead, not a migraine as able to focus / talk, when typically I'm curled in a ball! The pain is at the very top of my nose, up the forehead, and slightly over the tops of both eyes. When I touch it, the area feels bruised.

Help!

IMO Sinusitis - very painful, you need a decongestant.

Could it be sinusitis?

Does this sound like it?

Try leaning over a bowl of boiling water with a towel over your head. Add a drop of olbas oil if you have one.

You can get sinus medication over the counter.

well, I thought sinus, but got some sudafed & some of their spray but it doesn't seem to be helping?

It also hurts like hell when I sneeze - yesterday I felt as if the pressure was trying to escape from my ears!

Sorry - too slow . McDreamy got their first!

some information for you

If you have a very severe case you may need antibiotics.

Also feels swolen when you press on it?
The area just above your eyebrows hurts?
Snot comes in different colours? Green, clear, worsed of all yellow?
Yellow suggests an infection: Ie. SINUSITIS.

Not only do you need decongestant but probably antibiotics too, see your doctor.

I have no snot now (gross, sorry!) just a gunky cough. head ache only started Friday evening very bad Sat.

Decongestant will only help a mild case of congestion.
Sounds like you need antibiotics, fast.
Leaning over the water idea is well on paper, but in practice is agony just to lean over.
Lavender oil is also good.

so not likely to vanish by Tuesday & Wednesday when I have my exams

Yep sounds like sinusitis. It may have gone too far for the sudafed to work. You might need anti-biotics. I was getting it nearly every month. I find that if I can stop it advancing if I use beclamethasone (or something like that)nasal spray and 1000mg Vit C combo.

Amoxycillin usually works well for sinusitis

God. So fed up of being poorly and at the doctors - spent most of Dec / Jan there due to my head (having to use different anti sickness tablets, stronger pain killers) then there the other week with suspected appendicitis.

It might if you double-dose on antibiotics starting tomorrow. DON'T take my word for it just because I have done that before, check with your Dr. Also carry on with the Sudafed and try to decongest still.

sinusitis. feels like you need to drill holes in your face bones - don't though!
decongestants needed ASAP - is there a 24 hr pharmacy nearby?

It does seem to come in bouts.
Hopefully the fact that you have been ill recently will help you get an appointment tomorrow.

Steam rooms are great too, but not if it has advanced to the stage it seems you're at.

drill holes in face bones - YES!! just to get the pressue out somewhere!!

Thanks for all the posts btw, will call the docs tomorrow. They're rubbish though - takes about a week to get an appointment

Don't let them get away with it. Insist on being seen. They all keep some time available for emergencies.

will do, thanks

Yes - insist on being seen. Good luck with your exams (if you're well enough to sit them)

Well, they insisted that they could not see me til Wed, and as I have my exam Wed morn, not being seen til nearly 5 on Wed.
Went to the pharmasy instead for advice in the meantime, they have told me can take the sudafed tablets, the sudafed nasal spray, use 4head and also take nurofen.
The sudafed contain paracetamol - can I really take them with nurofen?

Yes nurofen doesn't contain paracetamol, in fact together they work very well as a pain killer.

D'oh, how did I get to 26 without knowing you can take paracetamol & Nurofen, I always do one or the other

off to dose myself up!