Help with Sinus problem please

[Grace]

My sinuses have been full for quite awhile now. I don't have a cold and am not "sick", but I do have bad allergies and my sinuses have been getting progressively more full for a couple of weeks now. My problem is nothing will come out. It's SO deep. If I breathe in and out through my nose it's completely clear - I can breathe just fine. If I try to blow my nose, absolutely nothing comes out. But my head is killing me. My forehead, behind my eyes, along my cheek bones, it's awful. I'm sure it's exacerbated by the fact that I sleep on my stomach. But I can't sleep well any other way.

I refuse to use a Neti pot (sorry), and I have been taking mucinex for two weeks now. It helps slightly. The pressure becomes less and I'm somewhat more comfortable, but the minute it wears off it's all just as bad as before if not worse.

DH says I need antibiotics to clear it up - it's probably an infection deep in my sinuses. I think he might be right - sometimes my head gets really, really really hot, and my scalp tingles and all kinds of other weird sensations. Not to mention my face and head hurt pretty much all the time.

I called the doctor today thinking he'd call in a prescription for me, but he wants to see me on Saturday (fine I guess). Not sure what he'll be able to "see" but I'm cool with going in. In the meantime though he told me to take something over the counter. I don't know for sure what that should be, or if I should even do that. I know from experience when I take a decongestant it dries up my sinuses even more and whatever's in there gets thicker and makes the pain and infection worse. So I refuse to take a decongestant. I mean that's just exactly opposite of what mucinex does, so why would I do that? Is there something else I can take? I have had this for weeks now and I'm the kind that will be near death before I call the doctor so the fact that I called means I'm pretty uncomfortable. The fact that I now have to suffer for another two days is depressing me. I don't know if I can deal with another two days of this with no relief.

I do take allergy pills (Allegra) to keep my allergies down and keep the sneezing/build up of mucous to a minimum. But the Allegra isn't working all that well lately. I still sneeze a lot :( Not sure why.

Someone tell me what I can do (besides a neti pot!!) until Saturday......

Thanks!

Editing to add: OOPS!!!! Sorry - I meant to post this over on Other Stuff - I wasn't paying attention to where I was when I posted. Sorry. If someone wants to move this for me I'd be grateful.

[Ali]

I had a bad bout with sinus issues, kept getting sinus infections. I myself refused to try the netti pot for years, but finally broke down and bought it. It really cleared things out and I coud breath again. So not sure if your reasons were the same as mine for not trying it, but I can say from experience that it is worth trying.

[Grace]

I can breathe just fine. When I breathe in and out through my nose everything's perfectly clear. That's the problem. My clogged sinuses are very, very deep. I doubt a neti pot would even work for it. But I won't use it because I just can't do it. To me it's like trying to make yourself puke or something. I just can't do it. I don't even want to try again.

[wallycat]

A few suggestions (and I agree, the neti pot is a god-send, but I understand not wanting to do it).

1. Steam...either home made or a nice steam room at a gym.
2. Warm compresses over your forhead.
3. A hit of very spicy food that will thin out and help mucus flow.
4. Nasal spray (decongestant) that may help a little, but do not overuse or you will get rebound stuffiness. Otherwise a pill form decongestant.
5. Hot drinks...tea or coffee or soup...

Hope you are feeling better soon.

[mightyh]

Would Afrin help? I know you might be thinking it just clears out the nose, but I think it goes a bit deeper....

Signed, Another one who loves the pharmacy version of a neti pot....

[clairea]

Grace, I know exactly what you are talking about. I am sorry you are miserable. Personally I am a fan of the Neti pot and I do think it helps with this kind of issue if you use it consistently, but since that is not an issue for you I would try steam (lots of it!) and afrin as others suggested. Warm compresses (as hot as you can stand) on your face might also help. The other thing that is really helpful (and has saved me from antibiotics several times when I thought they would be my only remedy) is a nasal steroid spray (nasacort, flonase, etc.). This is a non-systemic steroid (it only hits your sinuses and doesn't affect the rest of your body). It does require a prescription, but your doctor might be willing to call this in.

[Grace]

Grace, I know exactly what you are talking about. I am sorry you are miserable. Personally I am a fan of the Neti pot and I do think it helps with this kind of issue if you use it consistently, but since that is not an issue for you I would try steam (lots of it!) and afrin as others suggested. Warm compresses (as hot as you can stand) on your face might also help. The other thing that is really helpful (and has saved me from antibiotics several times when I thought they would be my only remedy) is a nasal steroid spray (nasacort, flonase, etc.). This is a non-systemic steroid (it only hits your sinuses and doesn't affect the rest of your body). It does require a prescription, but your doctor might be willing to call this in.


Actually, he gave me some of that last time and I didn't use it :o I guess I have something against putting things up my nose :o :o :o

I still have it I think and maybe I'll go try that. Thank you so much.

Editing to add I do still have it and I just tried it. I don't know how far up it went :rolleyes: since I'm such a wuss and wouldn't breathe in when I sprayed it - but we'll see if it helps any! I suppose it can't hurt....

Thanks again for reminding me about that stuff. I imagine that's probably all he'd give me again on Saturday when I go in anyway. :rolleyes:

[stefania4]

I've had sinus surgery twice to remove polyps from inside my sinuses. I'm on daily neti pot use for life! If you do have a polyp or other blockage issue, the ENT may be able to see via a scope or may order an MRI.

[Libra20]

Here's what you do. This really works. :D I've had great success with it for sinuses. Buy Organic, RAW, Un-pasteurized Apple Cider Vinegar (Braggs makes some as well as some other brands). Put 2 Tablespoons in a glass of very warm water. Drink it through a straw (since vinegar is harsh on the teeth enamel). Do this twice a day. I've cured and prevented sinus infections doing this. It thins the mucus membranes.

Here's the website where I first heard about this. You can see from their feedback that out of 118 people, 113 had a positive result from the ACV. It also mentions grapefruit seed extract. I also use that with great success as a natural antibiotic. www.earthclinic.com/CURES/sinus_infection.html

[ourthreegirls]

Grace, I literally feel your pain and have no words of advice since I've tried just about everything. I am the point now that my ENT is recommending sinus surgery. The cavities next to my nose and in my forehead (sorry forget the medical terms for them) are pretty much completely blocked according to a CT scan I had two weeks ago. I did try zicam for sinuses which gives me temporary relief and I also regularly flush with a nasal saline spray (same concept as neti pot? not sure...).

Slight hijack though...stefania, tell me what to expect from sinus surgery from a patient's perspective. Of course my dr. (who has horrible bedside manner, but is supposedly an excellent dr.) says that it's really not that bad and I can expect about a week's recovery. I haven't committed to the surgery yet (just increased the allergy shot serum to see if that helps), but my gut tells me I'm headed in that direction....

Thanks!

[Beth]

I thjink I was in that same place last spring. I've tried the sinus rinse, but it didn't do it for me when I was like you are. Go try the nasal spray (mine is Nasonex). I can tell a difference within minutes of using it, but some folks need 2-3 days to improve. I had the same feelings about sticking things up my nose, but I became a believer. The sinus rinse is okay too, it just isn't going to clear packed sinuses -- at least not in my experience.

[Libra20]

Grace, I literally feel your pain and have no words of advice since I've tried just about everything. I am the point now that my ENT is recommending sinus surgery. The cavities next to my nose and in my forehead (sorry forget the medical terms for them) are pretty much completely blocked according to a CT scan I had two weeks ago. Thanks!
I had sinus surgery and had worse sinus infections after the surgery than before. I regret having it.

However, my CT did not show blocked anything, even though they still recommended surgery.

[clairea]

Just wanted to add that sometimes I do have to use the steroid spray for 2-3 days to really notice relief (as Beth mentioned). If it doesn't help right away, don't give up. Keep using it regularly and see if it helps.

[luvItalian]

PLEASE TRY SINUS BUSTER!!! I can not tell you how many people I have turned on to this all natural product. I have not gone on antibiotics for 2 years since I have been using it. My friend was on the phone with one of the founders last week (she placed a big order as this is what she gave to everyone for Christmas) and he mentioned business is going so well that they will soon be advertising on TV.

Here is the link www.sinusbuster.com.

[stefania4]

stefania, tell me what to expect from sinus surgery from a patient's perspective. Of course my dr. (who has horrible bedside manner, but is supposedly an excellent dr.) says that it's really not that bad and I can expect about a week's recovery.

Certainly - my two operations were very different. For reference - maxillary sinuses are in the cheekbone area, ethmoid (sp?) sinuses are between your eyes and sphenoid sinuses are, for lack of a better explanation, through the middle of your head.

First Surgery - The MRI showed that my left maxillary was completely blocked. The huge polyp was causing pressure against the cheekbone and my left optic nerve (which runs behind the maxillary sinus). That explained the headaches and pressure behind my left eye. Had I decided not to have the surgery, there was significant risk of the infection spreading to the bone which is bad, bad, bad. They scheduled me ASAP and told me to be ready to go early if they had a cancellation.

During the procedure the ENT discovered that, in addition to the large polyp they knew about, there were one or two dozen smaller ones as well (including on the right-hand side). They removed them all. Recovery was sheer hell. I had to keep bags of frozen peas on my face to reduce the swelling, couldn't blow my nose for 2 weeks and wasn't allowed to sleep lying down until after my first pre-op appointment, 4 or 5 days after the procedure. I was allowed to eat, but what can you really eat when your nose is packed full of cotton? I wasn't allowed to drive for 5 - 10 days afterwards and wasn't "allowed" to catch a cold for the first 6 months afterwards. Like I said, this was a really problematic condition.

Once I finally recovered, I could breathe for the first time in YEARS. I didn't realize that the whole reason I hadn't been doing cardio was because I couldn't breathe! When I did catch a cold I got over it much, much faster, because I didn't have the polyps causing fluid backup and then infection.

Also, the ENT ordered allergy tests. I knew I was allergic to some things (e.g. cats, pollen) but I had NO idea I was so horribly allergic to dust. The nurse actually gasped when she came into the testing room to check on me. Needless to say, I started shots and installed some air filtration at home, which also helped considerably.

My second operation was exactly a year after the first. I noticed constant pressure in my right ethmoid sinus, called the doc, he quickly saw the problem with his scope, and he scheduled the procedure. He found no other problems. I was back up & on my feet pretty quickly; I'd say within 3 - 5 days I had resumed a light schedule. No workouts for a little while and lots of rest, but I wasn't in any way bedridden.

Hope this helps; feel free to PM me. Honestly, having the surgeries changed my life for the better.

[Grace]

Thank you everyone for all the great responses. The Nasacort hasn't helped much I don't think (so far), but I won't give up. I'll keep trying at least until Saturday when I have my appointment.

I will consider trying the Sinus Buster stuff. It scares me too though :o :p :rolleyes: , but I'm desperate for a cure here.

I am surprised that so many of you have these same problems. You would think if so many people have problems they'd have a good solution for it. I don't think I have any polyps or anything like that. This is a relatively new problem for me, not something I've suffered my whole life with. I think it comes on with my allergies and then gets progressively worse. I only got allergies a few years ago - I was never allergic to anything before.

I hope the nasacort kicks in soon though, although I'm glad to hear that there's still hope it might work in another day or two. Thanks again everyone.

[jmarie]

Grace, I didn't read through all of the suggestions, but my MIL recently read in an old "Cure What Ails You" book, that a saline spray sprayed up your nose as often as needed works. It can be found in the cold and allergy section at Wal-Mart...I was coming down with something or maybe it was my Twistmas Twee(?)....I went and bought it because her remedies usually work and I was amazed at how quickly I felt better....My throat was a bit raw, but after using it 4 times, I was feeling better. It isn't working as good with DH but he was well into his infection when he started this treatment. My throat got better overnight. I am very pleased with this remedy.

Amazed that saline spray costs 2.97, considering how inexpensive it probably is to make it.

My doctor shines a little light into my sinuses and can telll by how the light shines through or something if they are blocked up. He can also tell by the color of whatever is sliding down the back of your throat.

Good luck, I hope that you feel better soon.

PS I wouldn't take decongestants, either.

[Beth]

Don't give up on the spray. I think I am unusual in being able to notice a difference. It's notthat my sinuses open up immediately, but I can feel the nasal membranes shrink and drainage starts moving (not so pleasant, but necessary) in minutes. The saline spray is a lesser version of the sinus rinse -- can't hurt and might help thin and drain. Our pediatrician also says not to take decongestants when sinuses back up -- that they can dry and make it harde to get clear. Take Mucinex and drink lots of water. Good luck!

[karen w]

Grace,

Right now I am in the same boat as you. I have a history of sinus infections so I suspect that may be my problem now and I may need antibiotics. What you describe sounds like a classical sinus infection. I can't comment on the recommendations given so far, but do go to the doctor. He/she probably wants to get an x-ray(or head CT) to look for a sinus infection before just writing a Rx for antibiotics. We(doctors) have to be careful about writing for antibiotics without a documented infection. Besides the fact that they all have side effects, we don't want to select for resistant organisms if there really is not a bacterial infection. Good luck and I hope you(and me:( ) feel better soon.

Karen

[Julie O]

Here's something that has really helped me with sinus problems and it's much easier to use than a Neti Pot. It won't irritate your throat or make you gag like some of the other products that are out there. I use mine at least twice a day. I went from taking antibiotics every 2-3 months to not needing them for 10 months straight. It will reduce the pressure in your sinuses, especially the ones below your eyes. You can get these at a lot of places now, like Walgreens and Wal-mart. The site lists here where they can be bought.
http://www.unimedprod.com

http://www.unimedprod.com/images/main-kit2.gif (It's the one on the left.)
I often have the pain and pressure you've described without having noticeable drainage or having nothing come out while blowing your nose. Like Karen said, it's probably a sinus infection.

[Grace]

Update! I am feeling MUCH better today! I'm so glad that stuff is working. I will keep using it until I feel completely better. I can't believe I put off using it for so long (I actually forgot about it altogether until clairea mentioned it and I remembered I had some of it - never used :rolleyes: ).


I guess I'd rather use this than get antibiotics. So thanks again everyone!

[sparrowgrass]

I am glad you are feeling better.

I had sinus surgery 2 years ago--one of my maxillary sinuses was totally blocked--they had to remove bone to open it up, as well a several polyps.

I thought the recovery time was a piece of cake, with very little pain.

I used to have 3 or 4 sinus infections every winter, and would develop bronchitis/pneumonia with them, meaning that I was basically miserable for most of the time.

I have had one cold since the surgery, and it lasted a week, with no bronchitis.