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Has anyone had severe anxiety alongside sinus swelling or infection?

4 replies

MissElizabethGrayling · 14/08/2026 00:15

Just wondering if anyone else has had this as was so weird. About a week ago I woke up with my nose totally swollen inside. I could breathe through it but the nostrils felt so swollen and stuffy. We were on holiday in a different area of England to where we live and I thought it was hayfever so some kind of pollen from different farming and crops and maybe the heatwave making it worse. But even before I took meds I became hugely hugely anxious and jittery, like I was going mad. I could only pace around and fret. Meds helped a bit making nostrils a bit less swollen and Sudafed definitely helped. By yesterday though my whole face was heavy and I clearly had a sinus infection, for which I now have antibiotics.

But I have had hayfever and allergies before, and also sinusitis before, and never had this kind of anxiety panic reaction. Is it normal? It was awful and I want to come up with an action plan to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

It wasn’t the meds making that reaction as the anxiety and jitters came before I started the meds.

OP posts:
Brinny · 14/08/2026 23:52

I have had sinus infections and they are horrible. Ent consultant said to me to wash out with Neil med 1 sachet , 3 times a day , omg it has helped so much. My anxiety goes through the roof before but now I can breath and dont suffer as much.

Ramblingaway · 14/08/2026 23:56

Not sure if you are saying you felt anxious before the antibiotics or before the Sudafed. Sudafed is pseudoephedrine - closely related to adrenaline. And so it can cause panic attack like symptoms.

Sunshineandrainbow · 15/08/2026 00:07

I am suffering at the moment and woke up coughing last night and then couldn't clear it for 2 hours.
Today I have taken sudafed decongestant 60mg of the good stuff and it seems to have helped, also taken antihistamine tonight.

I can also feel feel something dangling in my nose, maybe a polyp but it comes and goes and I am trying to see if anything causes it to appear before I ask for help.

I will get a sterimer spray tomorrow

MissElizabethGrayling · 17/08/2026 11:37

The anxiety started before I took anything and increased with fexofenidine. Sudafed helped. Have finished antibiotics now and so much better. I have self diagnosed that the sinus infection caused a kind of vertigo.

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