I am a long time 'victim' of sinus infections. I had my septum straightened and my tonsils out in 2002 and found some improvement in the number of sinus infections.
But basically since last October i have been having trouble again. Rounds of antibiotics, nasal wash, nasal saline spray, flonase. I wore up this morning with horrible pain under my left eye and pressure on the roof of my mouth. The weird thing is my nose itself is essentially clear. I know that my sinuses are screaming in there bc they must be full....but I can't get them to empty.
I have a distant friend i used to work with that had sinus surgery for her problems. Any advice or experience?
Sniff...sniff....lol
I had frequent sinus infections which I got rid of by eliminating dairy from my diet. Sometimes I will "cheat" and eat some of my kids ice cream, and I can feel the sinuses swelling the next morning.
Nothing to lose, give it a try!
Good LUck!
surgery did not help me one tiny bit. What finally helped after years of sinus infections one after the other was cutting all yeast, yeast extract, and MSG from my diet, Its worth a try!
Hi,
I'm not sure if by nasal wash you meant a Neti pot. But they've actually worked really well for people I know with major sinus troubles. I hope you end up feeling better soon!!
Your Sinuses are inflamed/swelled.
Thus, even if you have no noticed sinus goo in your nose... it is still inflamed etc.
My Husband uses Sudadfed, that you get behind the counter. You gotta ask for it. Non-Drowsy, 12 hour. Pseudoephedrine.
It is the ONLY thing, that helps my Hubby. Who has always had sinus problems.
Then, he also gets his Sinuses irritated, by a certain skin lotion my Mom uses. Even if she is 30 feet away, he gets affected by it. His nose, gets all stuffed up, instantly. And he gets the mega headache etc.
I too deal with a lot of sinus issues, be it congestion, infection or simply allergies. I have found the absolute best remedy for the stuffiness, pain and pressure is Motrin 800 (or 4 of the OTC Ibuprofen 200 mg tablets). It is an anti-inflamatory, so its main purpose is to relieve swelling. If you relieve that swelling, the mucus can drain easier. Ever since I figured that out, I don't take any cold/flu type meds at all. If I have a fever, then I know its an infection requiring a visit to the doc, but otherwise, the Motrin is all I use for it.
I have chronic sinus infections. The surgery for them (scraping them) that is usually done is worthless up HERE, because the cause is entirely environmental (mold, mold, mold, mold... we have more molds in our area than the Amazon). Infections just reestablish after a few months. ((It's so nice when I get to leave Seattle for awhile, my sinus infections vanish within 12 hours of leaving W. Washington.))
Pseudoephedrine HCl (the old version of Sudafed that is behind the counter, but you don't need an Rx, just ID) is a gift from the gods. Instant relief.
Flonase (a steroid nasal spray, so it's not addictive, but not everyone can take it) is killer on reducing inflammation. Although as anyone with chronic sinus issues know, there's a BIG difference between their sinuses being full of mucus and the accompanying inflammation.
I've had several friends who had the sinus surgery, and it was miserable, intolerable, and not very effective. Long recovery in some cases, and minimal results. I have several other friends who had persistent sinus infections and did everything you are doing (nasal washes/neti pots, endless antibiotics which become less and less effective), but got their results with nutrition, especially cleaning out the toxins & allergens in the system. You could try that first - nothing to lose and everything to gain, plus other benefits for your body. Let me know if you'd like to talk to them. One of them is a long-time sports professional, well-regarded in this area, who knows his stuff. He's helped me a lot. I haven't had a cold, a sinus issue, or bronchitis in over 3 years. It's great to be able to breathe, and I sure don't miss those dark circles under my eyes!
me too sistah'. like barbie, i take claritin first thing in the morning every single day. don't wait for symptoms to flare, just take it. (at BJs the generic is very affordable, the name brand is way too expensive - just as effective no worries). i have not had the surgery though it was suggested to me - reading the stories, i think the odds aren't good enough that it will help. it helps some people but it doesn't seem to me that anyone gets a big improvement. so my regimen, which is working, is claritin, astelin and flonase in the a.m. plus my neilmed sinus rinse and flonase again before bed (i only sinus rinse at night also if i have a cold). i also use zatidor eye drops (OTC). i'm sure you know all the other stuff: get rid of the carpets, keep the windows closed, no pets in bed, wash your sheets (or at least your pillowcases) a lot, etc. i see my allergist 2x a year...i love him if you're in the brookline area i can give you his name...and we just stay on top of it. good luck!
Hello There,
I too suffer from sinus infections. After a very bad year (8 sinus infections/bronchitis,etc.) I had the surgery. They scraped the sinuses and removed some pollyps. The pollyps prevent the mucus from coming out, thus backing up the sinuses and causing huge pressure. Unlike that other respondant, I have had good luck since my surgery. Yes, I still get 1-2 sinus infections/year; most of the time I just ride them out without antibiotics, as they will go away on their own. The neti pot does help and I also agree that RX motrin definitely helps with the pain. The other thing I do now is take claritin EVERY day. It works for everyday allergies, but keeps things consistent and I believe holds the sinus infections at bay. When the seasonal allergies come around, I add nasonex to the mix to keep things in control.
I literally feel your pain and wish you good luck!
