peppermint21 is offline peppermint21 Post #1  December 23,2009, 8:20pm
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Does anyone else have this issue?

I've had problems with sinus headaches all my life. They were manageable with pseudophedrine until earlier this year, when I got a nasty sinus infection.

Since then, whenever I catch a cold or my allergies flare up, I'm stuck with incredibly thick mucous for days on end. I can't lie down at all and can't sleep more than 2hrs at a time because I wake up choking. My doctor gave me a prescription antihistamine and nasal steroid spray (Flonase) and it works...kinda. I'm still generally miserable. I also do nasal lavage when I start having problems, both the pot and the bottle.

Has anyone found long term relief to recurring sinus problems? I really don't want to consider surgery but don't know how I can function if I'm down for 2 weeks everytime I catch a cold or the pollen count rises.
 
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1Horselady is offline 1Horselady Post #2  December 23,2009, 8:56pm
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peppermint4209 wrote :
Does anyone else have this issue?

I've had problems with sinus headaches all my life. They were manageable with pseudophedrine until earlier this year, when I got a nasty sinus infection.

Since then, whenever I catch a cold or my allergies flare up, I'm stuck with incredibly thick mucous for days on end. I can't lie down at all and can't sleep more than 2hrs at a time because I wake up choking. My doctor gave me a prescription antihistamine and nasal steroid spray (Flonase) and it works...kinda. I'm still generally miserable. I also do nasal lavage when I start having problems, both the pot and the bottle.

Has anyone found long term relief to recurring sinus problems? I really don't want to consider surgery but don't know how I can function if I'm down for 2 weeks everytime I catch a cold or the pollen count rises.
Yes, I have the same problems. I'm supposed to have surgery on the right side, but can't afford it right now( I wonder why?). I'm using Nasonex for it. but I get sinus infections like a drop in the hat. And every time the weather changes, I feel it there too. Not fun. You have my empathy. Hang in there, Suzie
 
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PR_Princess is offline PR_Princess Post #3  December 24,2009, 5:09am
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Hello peppermint...good question as always and being a fellow sinus sufferer myself here is my little pearl of wisdom:

* You didn't mention if you were seeing a specialist (ears,nose,throat doctor) if that is the case get your referral now if you are able to do so under your health plan.

*I would go as far as to say also see an Allergist. The reason being sometimes something as simple as a food allergy or environmental one could be what is triggering your problem. Once you find out what it is and deal with the problem there may not be a need for surgery at all.

*How often are you irrigating your sinuses? Remember that anything done to excess is going to be met with an equally strong reaction from your body.

*Personal experience: I live in allergy central (San Antonio,TX) with a winter that is basically non-existent and a moist environment that allows mold to flourish all year round. I actually had to move from my former apartment because it was old and quite often there would be leaky pipes and yes you guessed it ....mold. My allergic reactions were so bad that I would get fever, chills and very agitated sinus issues. I still suffer but not to the same extent.

- At home: I frequently wash my hands and remove my clothing when I come home. Invest in a vaccum with a hepa filter and use it a few times a week. Make sure to use the exhaust while cooking or showering because if it is mold, your apartment is now a petri dish. Don't set your heater/conditioner too high or you may dry out your sinuses. Clean your carpets with allergy control cleaner. Reduce the amount of atomized sprays ( personally I used to work in a place that would use all kinds of spray cleaners on a daily basis-bad for sinuses and lungs-I mostly clean now with vinegar diluted in water and baking soda and use scented cream lotions or perfume oils.)
-I have also progressively been changing my diet over the years to include more fresh produce and less processed. I remember a co-worker of mine who had severe asthma but was able to reduced the amount of medication he was taking by juicing.
-I also find that better managing my emotions helps my condition as well. Taking up the practice of Yoga and significantly reducing stressors in my life have improved my overall well-being as I have found a direct link to stress and the coming on of a sinus attack.

Observe what happens to you before you have a sinus attack and what are you doing/eating/traveling on the long periods of time when you don't. Record these things in a journal and then read, read, read as much as you can on your condition as you may find a link to what you are experiencing and a certain treatment and then consult your doctor as to the safety of the method. May you soon start to experience more sinus healthy days ahead.
 
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yoga_gal is offline yoga_gal Post #4  December 24,2009, 6:08am
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Peppermint, you have my sympathies. I have been down this road for years at a time. Sinus problems may not sound like much to someone that doesn't have them but can make your life miserable.

I agree with everything PRPrincess said. A lot of good info there. I only have a few things to add.

1) You are on Flonase. If you don't think it is completely addressing the problem then try other nasal steroid sprays. I have found vast differences in which ones work for me. Rhinocort is the one that helps me the most.

2) Cut out all dairy for a while and see how that helps. I use to drink milk daily and yogurt was a favorite snack. Someone told me this and I tried it not expecting it to make a difference. It probably reduced my sinus problems by 3/4. I now only have cheese as a part of a dish or on a sandwich which is not all that often. If I have a lot of cheese (hey, I am still tempted my a cheese tray etc) I notice a difference in congestion and viscosity the next day. I drink soy milk for my milk and it does not contribute to the problem.

3) If you have carpet and can, then get rid of it. I have hardwood floors and carpet just holds on to all that stuff your sinus system hates.

4) Avoid cigarette smoke. Gives me a sinus headache immediately.

Hope these suggestions help. Keep us posted.
 
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PR_Princess is offline PR_Princess Post #5  December 24,2009, 9:21am
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Two thumbs up for the diary connection Yoga_Gal. Personally I have become lactose sensitive over the years and so avoid it but never made the connection to my sinus issue. I remember an Ayurvedic remedy that involves a small amount of preferably ghee or light sesame oil to lubricate after nasal irrigation and also to prevent some allergens traveling up the passages but most people wouldn't be up for that lol. Personally I mistakenly used toasted sesame oil (as it was the only thing in my cupboard at the time) with less than pleasant results p Reserve that only for stir fry!
 
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peppermint21 is offline peppermint21 Post #6  December 25,2009, 7:10pm
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Thanks for all the great responses. You've got me thinking about all the factors in my life that could be contributing to it.

1Horselady wrote :
Yes, I have the same problems. I'm supposed to have surgery on the right side, but can't afford it right now( I wonder why?). I'm using Nasonex for it. but I get sinus infections like a drop in the hat. And every time the weather changes, I feel it there too. Not fun. You have my empathy. Hang in there, Suzie
Yep, the weather gets me every time. I used to be able to catch it with some sudafed, but things have been wonky lately. I live in humid, moldy Florida, so anytime we hit a rainy spot, I'm down for the count.

PR_Princess wrote :
Hello peppermint...good question as always and being a fellow sinus sufferer myself here is my little pearl of wisdom:
I'm going to start checking my plan for specialists tomorrow. This has really gotten out of hand. When I first got my neti, I was doing it twice a day...until I noticed I was having more problems and a doctor friend of mine warned me about not giving the good bacteria a chance to repopulate. I cut back to once a week and whenever things start to feel strange.

I've thankfully rid my life of carpet and sprays. All wood, laminates and tile in my house now. It might not be as warm, but they're a lot easier on the lungs and nose.

yoga_gal wrote :
Peppermint, you have my sympathies. I have been down this road for years at a time. Sinus problems may not sound like much to someone that doesn't have them but can make your life miserable.
It's funny that you mention the dairy. I've been eating pretty well for the bulk of this year...more produce and MUCH less dairy (switched to almond milk and cut back on cheese...I love cheese). But in the last month or two (yes, the holidays), I've slipped...which I allow myself to do, but if this is what happens, then it's definitely not worth it.

I think I've finally turned a corner (I got 8 hrs last night in 2 blocks of 4, but that's better than the 1 hr the previous night). Unfortunately I'm traveling tomorrow to west Florida where my sinuses always go nuts, so I'm bracing for that. Definitely going to see an ENT or allergist soon.

Thanks all!
Last edited by peppermint4209; December 25,2009 at 7:13pm.
 
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grlnxtdr is offline grlnxtdr Post #7  December 25,2009, 7:50pm
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I have some pretty bad allergies. I have found a combo of Veramyst (steroidal nasal spray,) in the morning and Patanase (Antihistimine nasal spray,) in the evening, because of drowsiness, help out the best. I use the netti pot maybe once a week. I also use sudafed if I have an additional flare up on top of the daily sprays.

Keep in mind sudafed if taken everyday, can create a rebound effect, meaning, you take it, your sinuses clear, but then after a couple of days, bam...the stuff doesn't work and your nose is ten times worse. Maybe that is why you are super stuffy after a couple of days. The sudafed dries your nostrils out too much. A really cheap and effective way to moisterize your nostrils and help clear up stuffyness, is to take a cotton swab,,,dip it in Petroleum jelly (Vaseline,) and then apply inside your nostril, do it to both nostrils. When your nostrils are dry, they create more mucus to protect your nose and it's delicate tissues from allowing bacteria to enter you body through the passages. So if you provide moisture via Vaseline and a protective barrier, then your nose doesn't have to create mucus to protect it. I like to do this at night. Sometimes you will notice a funky smell from the vaseline in the morning, but nothing dangerous, so in the morning just wipe your nose and the smell should be gone.
With the medications sometimes you have to try all kinds of combos until you find one that works. It took me several months to find my combo. But get a doctor that understands allergies and the need to try differant medications, it's not a one size fits all approach.
Good luck.
 
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brneyedangel is offline brneyedangel Post #8  December 27,2009, 6:52am
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My doctor put me on Allegra-D because I was constantly getting sinus infections when I'd get the smallest cold. This was 5 years ago. Going from 7 or 8 sinus infections a year to 2 total in a 5 year period of time tells me it's working. And my allergies are much better, too.
 
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Lilycat is offline Lilycat Post #9  December 27,2009, 7:20am
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You could also try cutting out gluten - this can be a worthwhile experiment on yourself.

What happened to me some years back is I did a colon clense that consisted of fiber, digestive enzymes and probiotics. This is not the type of thing you see on the shelf normally, it is far more gentle, takes about a month to do, and combined with a good diet (get rid of the over processed foods, and eat as simply as you can, easy on the lactose, easy on the gluten/yeast if you cannot completely get rid of it)

You are readjusting your digestive system to act the way it should.

A happy side effect of this was that my chronic sinus congestion disappeared for a while and rarely if ever comes back as it used to unless I mess up royally on my diet.

The food journal is a great idea - going over this can really bring some issues to light for you, amazing what is interrelated.

Good luck!

Lilycat
 
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peppermint21 is offline peppermint21 Post #10  December 29,2009, 8:36pm
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I just wanted to thank everybody for the advice/support. I spent Christmas sick, but I'm back up and running now...bye bye dairy
 
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