C/D: Sinus Infection

Also you people who are in America, there's a machine called the Grossan Hydropulse that is meant to be absolutely amazing for sinus treatment. Never got it cos they were so damn flaky when I tried to order it and literally nowhere over here stocks it. Always wanted to give one a try though. There is a Google Group for sinusitis and people raved about this machine there, CONSTANTLY.

Should I tell my "gross thing the size of a chickpea that came out of my sinuses" story yet again? :D

The heating system here has been irritating my sinuses somewhat, but okay, it's been manageable, better than last year. They did put in a new system after all. However, the weather has warmed up here, and the mold must have come back out. (It had gotten cold enough before that my allergies had pretty much dropped off.) Now I seem to have developed a sinus infection, possibly bad enough that I am going to need to go to the doctor. Despite rinsing my sinuses out three times yesterday and taking enough pseudoephedrine and Excedrin migraine yesterday to (conclusively!) wake me up this morning at 5AM, I have a horrible sinus headache. What is there to say but: fuck this?

Trying to imagine scenario when this could be classic - apart from Jack Lemmon in "The Odd Couple".

I just wish I had bought more packages of Annie Chun's Kim Chee Noodle Bowl (but I just tried it for the first time).

http://www.worldpantry.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prmenbr=26081&prrfnbr=362783

Ouch, 30% of recommended salt intake, so that's 60% really because nobody is going to eat half a bowl. That's a little rough. Whatever, my blood pressure is probably already up anyway thanks to the pseudoephedrine.

Head of death.

Eradicate.

seriously fuck a sinus or fuck a reflux. can't stop swallowing mucus or acid or both for the last week, incessantly gulp gulp gulp and hacking to clear my throat in a really disgusting rude way. when I'm in public I want to tell people I can't breathe unless I do this.

it is crazy how sore and raw my throat gets from constantly having to gulp back this really thick mucus or reflux, whatever it is. nasty.

hahahaha I was thinking I had a VERY long and nasty migraine attack but apparently it's probably a very bad crappy sinus infection. I calledup the doc to talk about my postural low blood pressure (?). I wake up and literally SWIM. It's like my body wants to swing to theother side. So I go and start blabbering on about my symptoms while coughing like an old lady. "Oh I hear you have a nasty cough as well. Probably sinus infection. Did you ever have a nose fracure?" I couldnever much breath through my nose but now it's IMPOSSIBLE. Is it bnormal to be this nauseous? I even wake up due to this and my husband sleeps upstairs cause I make horrible noises. Tomorrow I'm going for a scan.

I almost constantly swallow snot. YUMMY. Is this why I am so nauseous?

Yeah might be sinus infection, which if not treated early can be a major bitch. I once spent all my xmas hols in bed, unable to move my head which felt three times its normal size.

i just got over one of these. the headaches are TORTURE.

My doc wasnt surprised i hadnt come cause of the migraines. Ss i feel ur pain. So no meds cause of pregnancy?

no they gave me a "safe" antibiotic and then some other thing that was supposed to relieve the symptoms but did fuck all.

ah our salesperson couldn't take anything when she was pregnant. at the time i didn't understand how fucking awful that must have been. she also seems to have meniere's (so basically swimming in her head and throwing up as a result).

i did what my doctor would have discouraged. took a sinutab. seems to be full of crap, but fuck it, i wanted to BREATHE through my nose for once. i feel GREAT.

i dunno, there could be something wrong with my nose cause i usually am not able to breathe through one part of my nose. yep, tried it, left side doesn't seem to work properly. so he could be right, that i had a fracture or whatever.

Based on what you're describing a CT scan seems advisable if at all feasible.

they will probably go all crazy looking for my non-existing brain. "sinus? who the fuck cares, she does NOT have a BRANE" we'll see tomorrow.

Good luck s.n. -- had a sinus infection six months back, led to three weeks of agony.

thanks, ned! my friend was angry for not going to the doctor earlier. wtf. i called when i started suffering from the low blood pressure. man, this sinutab is making me feel great. woha. fuck my doc and mom for saying (some) meds are evil.

i finally refilled my nasonex perscription and stopped getting these as a result of horrible hayfever all the time

There have been times when I've been TERRIFIED that I was going to end up with Meniere's Disease, since I used to be prone to inner ear infex. Miserable, miserable, just shoot me. Falling over and throwing up are my specialities.

Occasionally v difficult to explain to my then-British boss that it was different from a hangover.

Oh god, I feel so utterly crap. Yesterday, on my husband's birthday no less, I was sent to bed. I did. I still feel miserable. My husband called up the doctor to come over. Normally I would have gone tomorrow to pick up prescription. Yep, I had to wait about a week for my prescription. (Is this normal in the States/UK? It isn't here.) So here I am with antibiotics, spray and other shit to make me feel better. Gallons of yellow snot (TMI hehe) came out which could mean I have some form of allergy. Urgh. I also have low blood pressure for which the doc wants to prescribe meds later on (after I finished my run of meds now). I don't want to really. I am used to low blood pressure, I can handle it.

My sinus infection is back in full effect. God DAMN it.

I've gotten them really bad my whole life. Regular aspirin only works if you swallow four of them at a time. I am wondering if I have a deviated septum, my friend got the same headaches and surgery fixed that, plus she got a nice new nose.

Ah I too have a deviated septum. Doc told me afterI had a picture taken. Always knew I had it, but now it's affecting me: sinus sinus sinus. Do these go away by'emselves? Sigh, another doc app next week, I guess. I'm wondering if I had'em maybe before and mixed'em up with a migraine attack? Don't think so, cause this feels worse in some respects.

It would be terrible to spend thousands correcting a deviated septum only to wake up one morning and find yourself with yet another sinus headache!

One time I shoved dollops of pain cream in my nose and I am not kidding, it worked really well!

The vapors go right into your nasal passages instead of passing through your bloodstream. Maybe a doc wouldn't recommend it, but it brought quicker relief.

OKAY apparently my previous infection didn't disappear so I have to take TWO to THREE weeks of antibiotics depending on how I feel. Also, he said I needed a vacation. Dude, I have a shop to run and two kids?!? It's mostly my youngest who's stressing/tiring me the fuck out: she woke up and wanted to held for an hour. So I was pretty much awake from 4 to six am. URGH. If it still doesn't heal, we'll have to look into an operation or something. Ek.

I really want to chop my nose off and yank out all the mucus. I feel utterly crap. Really crap. Nauseous, headaches,... I cried cause I felt so bad. When is this gonna stop? My doc said that if it persists we might have to look into surgery?!?

do you have antibiotics yet, nath?

Nathalie, go for the three weeks of antibiotics just to get the nasties well on the run, then begin a regime of daily or even twice daily nasal rinsing with warm salt water using a neti pot. Stick with it even when you feel fine, as it will help keep you feeling that way. If that fails miserably, investigate the surgical option.

did he flush you out? ideal is head tilted back, with light pressure forcing the solution through the sinus cavities. should clean out chunks o'glop.

Oh GREAT! He said to bend over when I used the nasal spray. Seemed weird cause wouldn't it be better to tilt head back so I can really breathe it in?
But no, he didn't flush me out. Didn't know you could do that at the doc's.

Yeah, even though the antibiotics are HEAVY DUTY - normally it's only allowed twice per day, I take'em thrice per day - I think I'll go for the three weeks regardless of how I am feeling. I've been using my meds for several days now and still mucus is coming out.

I googled and sometimes this is a FUNGUS. AAAAARGRGRGRGRRHRHRH

I thought that I get bad sinus infections until my coworker leveled with me about what he's gone through: He's had the surgery to scrape out his sinuses, but he still gets recurrent infections. Not only that, it gets bad enough that his sinuses back up and he gets pink eye (!) because it's popping up through his tear ducts.

gross gross gross

stevie he's right about the spray - i'm assuming it's one o'them topical steroid things, and you want it to get up in the sinus rather than just staying in the nostril or (bad bad bad) hitting the septum, so you tilt your head forward and then spray straight up.

are you seeing a GP/internist or an ENT at this point? irrigation rig should be standard equipment for an ENT and afaik they'll want to blow some goop out to take a culture.

if you need a referral to see an ENT, you should be clear for that if the course of antibiotics doesn't produce a miraculous recovery

wishing you well with this. it's pretty miserable stuff, not least because it's pretty much invisible so there's an element of "oh just get over it."

NB anecdote and received wisdom to the contrary, headaches are not really particularly indicative of sinus infection. Number one symptom: profound, chronic exhaustion.

I'm seeing my regular doctor (I guess that's GP for you lot, no?). He stated that if it continues, I'll be referred to a specialist. Might see the same one as my father in law's as the latter suffered from sinus infections for year until he saw a good one (and had an op). My father in law still gets light infections but can get rid of'em with light meds.

They didn't do a culture which I found odd but y'know what the hell, I'll see what the end result of this three week course is. They did do a blood test (maybe for autoimmune issues, viral infection,...?)

Yesterday and today have been relatively good. I do notice that more sleeping hours help. My nausea is still present but that's probably due to heavy meds.

I'm not entirely sure but I think my frigging sinus infection is back. I neglected to do my last batch of (optional!) antibiotics. I just felt utterly crap taking such heavy meds and thought it was gone. I feel "blocked" again. I feel... well, crap.

I want that flush-out thing that dislodges chunks of glop. I want I want I want!!!

Barring that, I think I'll order a neti pot.

I highly recommend this plastic one. No sinus infections and almost zero seasonal allergy symptoms since I started using one a few years ago. Also, in addition to salt, adding a pinch of baking soda buffers the solution and helps it wash away more mucus.

Thanks, Jaq! I hope that helps, or else I'm going to have to go on some big-guns antibiotics and etc for a while and see if that helps. Rly don't want to have to start eliminating things from my life one by one to find out....

or try the 20th century version!

http://www.dentist.net/images/sinupulse-lg.jpg

if sinupulse seems a little over the top, check out the lo-tech version:

http://blogs.families.com/media/123104%20005.jpg

either way, a step up from the steady-stream/gravity-powered neti pot

No, what I specifically don't like is having the rinse drain down into my mouth. Specifically going for the sideways-applied neti pot that drains from other nostril.

Can't even tell if this is a sinus infection,; just feeling horrible or a migraine. I wanna run into the wall

laurel if you keep your mouth open and exhale gently from the throat it shouldn't be an issue BUT whatever works best for you is what's best

stevie I hope the wall was able to clear your head. sounds awful.

well, i just ordered a neti pot. should arrive on monday. gaaaaaaaah

I tracked one down here in HK but they wanted $30+ for it! so I'm gonna use a teapot instead.

As long as the spout can be comfortably shoved up your nostril, a teapot ought to work OK.

i had one last year. p sure i was given antibiotics for it but i guess thats not the common treatment

i basically have them all the time since 2005, had the operation and stuff, that's why it's a bit of an ordeal, and the doc ends up telling you stuff you know won't work. apparently in the uk they no longer recommend antibiotics for them.

ya it wouldn't make sense for chronic sufferers

I got sent away from the GPs with antibiotics for sinus infection for years until a locum GP pointed out it was more likely to be cluster headaches (easily confused, apparently).

ive had a world of these over the past couple of years. docs are constantly trying to stab people with steroids these days. WTH

Do cluster headaches come with blood and pus?

Suffering horribly with this atm. I get 2 or 3 really nasty ones every year. I can't tolerate the sprays etc., so steam and paracetamol is about all I do.

Me=tooslow

Do cluster headaches come with blood and pus?

No. Pain on one side of the face and a curious blocked nose on one side.

This is definitely a sinus infection then!

Try that machine I posted upthread. It probably sounds a bit "it really works!" but read the reviews and check the rating.

Thanks LG, but it's a bit outside my price range o.O

i basically have them all the time since 2005, had the operation and stuff, that's why it's a bit of an ordeal, and the doc ends up telling you stuff you know won't work. apparently in the uk they no longer recommend antibiotics for them.

That's awful. I had the operation on them and it was very painful, it would be very frustrating to have that done and then find out it didn't help.

Thanks LG, but it's a bit outside my price range o.O

― you may not like it now but you will (Zora), Saturday, April 20, 2013

this is $9.99

http://www.natlallergy.com/images/400/sinucleanse-squeeze.jpg

yeah by all accounts those work pretty well too. despite my total lack of faith in the doc, the two days of steroid spray, irrigation, and anti-histamines seem to be working. i still feel a bit wrecked but i swear my sinuses are calming down.

http://goldenageofmusicvideo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/MagnusPyke.jpg
Sinus!

I'm not big on medicating the heck out of things, but after several bad allergy-related sinus infections I just don't mess around any more. Claritin every day to keep the allergies at bay, and if/when I get any congestion from any cause, I hammer it with decongestants (the kind you have to show a photo ID to buy so they can make sure you're not making meth). And if there's any sign of actual infection -- persistent pain, greenish gunk -- straight to the antibiotics. In my experience, they do not go away on their own, and they will make your life miserable.

(And neti pots or other sinus washes are good too, but useless once you have an infection. They'll help clear out, but won't kill anything.)

jesse otm. I've started on exactly the same regime. In the past ometimes I've done saline spray or even got a scrip for Flonase which worked but at some point, no matter how careful I think I am, sooner or latter the bottle seems to get infected and then I reinfect myself.

so its a basin and hot water and a towel is it

suggest you add a tablespoon of vicks to the hot water, stir it til it melts and then breathe it in. Will help clear your head a bit.

ty will try

Classic.

Had a nasty bout last month but some general 'off' sensations there lingered further after I finally stopped sneezing and it turns out...I have this:

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001641.htm

Gross but manageable so right now I'm living on Claritin and Flonase and etc until I see a specialist in a couple of weeks.

AND SMOKING HURTS.

― the table is the table, Sunday, August 5, 2007 10:39 PM (eleven years ago) bookmarkflaglink

The truest complaint ^^

motherfuck, I haven't had one of these in 11 years, and it's kicking my ass for the last week.

just got antibiotics.

i was about to say...

the vision thing definitely happens. i've been batty-blind.

― the table is the table, Sunday, August 5, 2007 10:05 PM bookmarkflaglink

huh, this happened to me yesterday for 2 hours

i usually get like four of these a year but now that i work from home i haven’t been sick since february

I only previously got them when I lived in my old apt, which I was convinced had some kinda weird mold or shit hanging out that I couldn't find.

Dud