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sinus pain and allergies

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Posted 9/30/2012 8:49 PM (GMT 0)
Hello all,

I've had sever sinus pain for about eight months now and have recently come to realise that there is a significant allergy problem going on as well which I think may be connected somehow.

Basically I have a strong pressure feeling inside my head (sinus area, behind top of nose/under eyes) which makes it very difficult to properly relax or focus on much, along with constant slight sniffle, itchy/dry eyes, varying degrees of muscle weakness/aches. Also I feel like I can't fully breathe a lot of the time, have trouble holding my breath for long - this has been getting worse recently, actually felt like I could only take short breaths at times. Lately I have sometimes felt dizzy like I was about to faint too, it does pass after a few hours but a bit concerning still.

Now the pain has been diagnosed as neuropathic and I'm on Gabapentin which has lessened the actual burning sensation, but the allergy symptoms are getting worse every week and I'm not sure what to do or what could be causing it. I've been taking strong allergy medications (Piriton - 'cholorphenamine') and they do provide some relief, along with decongestants and various OTC painkillers. Also a steroid spray. Basically every work day is a fight using however many pills or sprays is takes to make it through.

I'm booked in to see an immunologist in a month's time and I've had some blood tests that they can analyze. I just wondered if anyone else has experience anything like this and if so what will help?

Post Edited (holydiver) : 9/30/2012 3:01:58 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 9/30/2012 9:13 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome, holydiver, to the forum. I hope you are having a better day.



I don't have an answer for you because my treatments haven't made a difference. Were all your treatments prescribed?

I've had sinus headaches for 3 years, after an accident where my nose was broken. My ENT kept sending me to other docs, allergist, neurologist, etc. I've had x-rays, CTs, MRIs. He also took cultures. Every test showed sinus infection. I've been on all sorts of antibiotics. They worked for a brief time, but the infections came back over and over. He did sinus surgery to enlarge the openings into the sinus cavities, which didn't help. When I've been hospitalized and on IV antibiotics the problem has gone away for up to a month, but it's back again. Some of the steroid sprays help, but the relief only lasts briefly.

I suggest going to a neurologist, also an allergist, if you haven't already. A CT or MRI might show if a sinus is full.
Posted 9/30/2012 9:31 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks, sadly not so good today hence the motivation to make this thread, heh. Sorry to hear you suffered so bad with sinuses, chronic sinus infections are really bad, doctors have told me its really hard to get antibiotics in there because there's not enough blood or something. They thought that's what I had at first.

Yes everything I'm taking is prescribed or recommended if its OTC. I've had a CT scan a few months ago and it was clear, but that's the only examination of sinus I've had. The doctors are pretty sure is not an bacterial sinus infection based on that. Certainly feels like there's something wrong with them but I guess the CT is pretty conclusive.

I've also seen a neurologist who advised that I up the dose of gabapentin to the point where the pain is under control and eventually it will go away somehow. I've done this and its lessened the actual pain overall, not got rid of it totally by any means though, last night it was very bad. But all the other symptoms are still there regardless, the pain is only one component.

So next stop is allergy which I've read can cause sinus pain so hopefully I'll get some answers here. Its really getting me down to be honest, not really a very pleasant existence.
Posted 10/1/2012 11:52 AM (GMT 0)
Good morning,
My goodness, you both have been thru a bunch of stuff :( Sorry to hear that.. I have had years of battling sinus stuff as well, so I can sympathize with you.
It seems you are doing all you can with your doctors. I am going to offer this, as it has worked for me..even if it offers relief for a little bit (few hours), it is easy, and worth a shot.
When sinus issues were lurking about, my grandmother always made us take a brown paper bag (lunch bag size), put in like 2 cups of a large grain salt (canning salt, epsom salts), and heat it in microwave. Not too hot, but to a comfortable heat, lay down and place bag on your face for 15 minutes or so. Your face may be oily or greasy when you get done, just wash it with soap and water. This always helped draw out any dirt, or infection stuck not only in your sinus', but in the skin as well.
Just a suggestion...let me know if you try it and how it works for you.
Good luck :)
Posted 10/9/2012 10:38 PM (GMT 0)
Mrsbugzy, thank you for that! I will try it. My problem lately is I have been snoring really badly at night and waking up often with a very dry mouth, so dry I have to drink water to get it moistened up. I finally figured out I have a working sinus infection again....I have been prone to these for years, but this one is coming on different. I have been really trying to use a neti pot for now, as I don't really have too many symptoms that my doctor would give me antibiotic for. Just can't breath that's all, no problem right!!

I'm sorry the others here have been through so much. I have had one nostril worked on and widened, and the other was going to get done, but didn't. I have a chronic area in my sinus that is plugged and that was going to get cleaned out but on the day of surgery several years ago, I was found to be anemic and they wouldn't do the surgery. After that I backed out!

And yes antibiotics are very hard to get to work on the sinuses as they just don't get inside there. I already have a few other autoimmune diseases to work with. I was looking around on here trying to find a remedy that doesn't involve drugs. I take too darn many now!

Thank you and good luck everyone.
Tess
Posted 10/10/2012 5:07 PM (GMT 0)
Sounds rough tess, these sinus problems are horrible aren't they :(

Ill try that Mrs bugzy. The problem I'm having is that because the ct scan of my sinus was clear the doctors have ruled out sinus disease yet I have quite insane levels of sinus pressure. So will sinus remedies like steam etc actuallyhelp if there's nothing to clear out?

I'm in so much pain and drugged up to the eyeballs on gabapentin, strong antihistamines, codeine, you name it. And I still feel like death the time! I've no idea what to do any more.

So does anyone have a diagnosis for severe allergy symptoms and unending sinus pressure?
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