C/D: Sinus Infection

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.

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

I've had terrible aaarrgh sinus problems for the last few days. Does this gadget actually work?

I use SinuPulse. It does have some serious problems: the on/off button stopped working after a while, so I have to turn it on and off by plugging it in or unplugging it (really ideal when one is dealing with such a wet activity), the plastic cover that opens and closes over the tank broke off, and one of the little rubber things on the bottom came off, so it's now uneven. Still, I have not found anything better. If you use Waterpik with an attachment (which is how I started), I find that the engine dies more quickly than on the models designed specifically for nasal irrigation. Maybe the salt water just wears a Waterpik out more quickly?

Also, this distributor (who I've found to be reliable) carries lots of other sinus-related goods:

http://www.allergycontrol.com/

Maybe the salt water just wears a Waterpik out more quickly?

I think that perhaps it would, as the salt is still an abrasive even when dissolved in water. Thanks for the info. I'll just get a basic neti pot to start with and see how I get on with that.

ok i tried to sniff saline solution and some of it seems to have travelled up my sinuses to my ear and now MY FACE HURTS.

there was this moment when it had just happened when i tried to blow my nose and it felt like i was about to burst my eardrum from the inside.

i just want to be able to breathe through my nose again! maybe get my sense of smell back? is that too much to ask?

If you're having awful sinuses but aren't generally really sick, like hit-by-a-truck-with-a-fever sick, try some light cardio exercise. Some of the sinus "congestion" is blood flow inflaming the tissues, not the volume of snot alone.

Exercise seems to...I don't know, encourage that blood to circulate elsewhere? Works for me every time. Even though the effect doesn't last long after the exercise, at least you get a break where you can feel your face, OR maybe you can sneak some nasal spray in there while it's still open.

Yeah, I've often found that even a quick brisk walk somewhere when your nose is clogged up frees up the sinuses nicely -- but then it just returns when you stop moving. Which, if you really feel sick and miserable, makes it doubly frustrating since you're supposed to be resting, not exercising or doing much.

Yes, I especially love a good walk in the freezing cold. I get terribly pains when I leave the room closed (inc windows) and the heating on. Usually we sleep - yes, even now in the freezing cold- with the windows open and the doors as well.

Snoball, I use it practically every day. Some use it twice per day, some every once in a while. I do it every morning (unless I just forget but I usually don't). I have to say these things are bloody fantastic!

on my second one in three weeks, this sucks. neti pots are gold, so is flonase and a z-pack.

I just want to chip in and say that the neti pot rules. I've been using one for a year now, and it's made a lot of difference. I used to have a major sinus-triggered migraine at least once a fortnight, in the past year I've had two. It used to take me over an hour to get to sleep because of breathing problems, now it only takes about ten minutes. I can actually smell stuff now (disadvantages to this as I travel by bus). I have fewer colds now, and they seem to be over quicker, and the symptoms not as severe.

yeah a lot of my friends/family thought i was nuts using a neti pot. "what are you some new age weirdo?" blow me snotty.

i got post nasal drip going on

First sinus infection. Five days of terrible gunk in the morning, then feeling ok later in the day. But now the face pain has kicked in. I feel ok otherwise. Any point in bothering with hitting the pharmacy, or just let it go away on its own?

buy a sinupulse. it works marginally for me but i'm a marginal case, the reviews, and mates who've used it, are mostly very positive.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/SinuPulse-Elite-Advanced-Irrigation-System/dp/B001CWT4JI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356828935&sr=8-1

That thing looks good, but this is the first time I've ever had a sinus infection and unless they become chronic I wouldn't lay out that much money. Just wondering whether I should get decongestants and stuff that people mention above, or whether that'll slow down recovery overall (which is the priority, because whilst mornings are grossss and it would be better if they weren't, it's still pretty mild compared to some of your horror stories above). In which case I'll just hydrate like crazy.

fucking dying here. the nhs now recommends that machine i linked to above, incidentally. that plus have some anti-histamines, say five our fathers, and fire all manner of sprays up your nose.

C

yeah sorry, bit out of context of global events. just not thinking straight.

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

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