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Same old sinus/allergy problems

Seems we got locked out of our last forum - is everybody still the same?
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726784 tn?1301815302
hey thanks for your reply
I only saw it now cos I wasn't using this site for a while
I still don't know what's up with me
I had one allergy test done it came back ok
I'm doing a blood test too see am I allergic to dust/pollen etc so I dunno what that will say yet
but all my problems started again a week ago =(
I feel so bad .. it *****

by the way was you anxiety due to your allergies ??
xx
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Avatar universal
I HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN TO ME I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE I KEPT GETTING DEHYDRATED AND HAD TO HAVE IVS.  I KEPT HAVING MUCUS CONSTANTLY CHOKING ME AND I COULDNT SWALLOW ANYTHING I HAD ALL KINDS OF TESTS DONE,  SWALLOWING TEST , ACID REFLUX, UPPER GI, AND AN ALLERGY TEST,  IT TURNED OUT TO BE ALLERGIES AND VERY BAD ANXIETY I HAVE BEEN ON THE SHOTS NOW FOR TWO MONTHS AND AM TAKING ANXIETY MEDICINE I CAN SWALLOW NOW AND FEEEL MUCH BETTER.  I HOPE THIS HELPS YOU.  IT IS SO AWFUL TO FEEL LIKE YOU CANT SWALLOW.
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726784 tn?1301815302
Last year I started having really bad swallowing problems and it lasted 2 weeks. I went to my doctor and she said it was to do with my sinuses. I got a nose spray which helped and then my swallowing had improved but only for a few days. Throughout all this I had been moody and not my self.

I had a blood test done and my doctor said she will call me the next day to tell me what it said. That is when my problem started she never ended up calling and I started wondering "what if I have cancer, what if this.. that ..etc"
From that day I got all the anxiety symptoms and would just be scared of dying CONSTANTLY.

It's been happening for 5 months now and I just do no want to settle with anxiety. I had 3 more blood tests and more visitis to that doctor and another one for a second opinion.   Seeing as all my tests came back they just tell me it's anxiety but why. I mean I was never like this it's just not me.

My mum has it but she got is as a result of living in the war and all. and my doctor said I can't get it from her. She also has depression. I've never given any thought to dying before like if I think of it once it jsut goes away after a minute but now it's like always in mind and I hate it. I know everyone is scared and gonna die one day but why can't I stop myself from thinking of it ??

My symptoms are:

yellow nails
chest pain (but near my ribs)
Insomnia
Eye budging
stuffy nose (had a tissues with me at ALL times fro as long as I can remember)
interested in things I like
sadness
irritable
frequent toilet trips
moody
face pains expesh when leaning forwards

and moreee I can't think of right now....

I even had an liver X-Ray and went to an eye doctor and they said I'm all good.

My doctor is so confusing. First she said it anxiety then she says it ain't . =S

well my mum also has bad sinuses which she was meant to get operated but did not...

I just really want it to be something other then anxity I am only 17 and do not want this for the rewst of my life I had enough in 5 months and would not wish this on anyone.
It's so sad that so many people go through this and worse.

so what other things can this be ??
and did anyone ever get told its anxiety and then found out it is not and it was something else causing it ?

help would be greatly appreciated

thank youu
x0.
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Avatar universal
I am so glad you are getting relief with the Singulair and NasaCort.  I am still doing ok, not to say that I don't have a bad day here or there, but now that I know it's helping you, too, I feel a little more sure that that is what's giving me relief and that it's not doing it on its' own, and also my Dr. didn't say anything about waiting 6 months and seeing, so when I go back to my ENT 3-20 I'm going to see what he says.  What a relief, huh?  I'm still worried about spring, hoping I don't lose another summer, but I'm trying to be positive.  Yay for Singulair!  And air cleaners.  I've all but quit the NasaCort.  Maybe one spray a week if I need it when I feel pressure in my sinus or feel like I'll get stopped up.
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Avatar universal
Could there also be an environmental element to your situation. I don't really know? I know a woman with a ten year old daughter that had been on allergy and asthma medications, for eight years of her life. Her mother tried a highly advanced air sanitizer to improve the general air environment in their home. After about a week, the mother went to dispense her daughter's daily meds, and was shocked when her daughter replied, "Mom, I don't need them now". About three weeks after, at her regular check up, the daughter's doctor asked "How are things going with your medication?". When she told him she wasn't taking it, the Dr. stated "That's impossible, I've been treating you for years, what has changed that you now no longer need your medicine?". Three months after this persisted, the Dr. discontinued all of the daughter's medications. If the girl went to her grandmother's house, some of her previous symptoms (difficulty breathing, undiagnosable stomach pains, severe allergies) would begin to show. After the grandmother installed one of these machines, the girl had no further difficulties. To find out what they are using, try www.freshairliving.com/tomp passcode:guest.
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Avatar universal
Quick update on the condition of my condition.  For over five months now, I've been battling with intense pressure in my forehead and behind my eye, along with dizziness and a sort of physical feeling of mental cloudiness.  Generally would subside when I would lie down, and built up throughout the day, worst in the late afternoon.  Multiple clear CT scans, clear MRI, and just found out yesterday that I am 100% negative for all tested allergens.

BUT: I've been on Singulair for two weeks now, and feel better than I've felt since this started.  Not 100% yet, but major improvement -- the pressure is basically completely gone, which is a huge step.  Still some haziness, but I'm so much closer to normal than I've felt in months that I'm excited about the progress.  For people with a similar history who haven't tried it, I would strongly recommend talking to your doc about a prescription for Singulair, and I would give it at least two weeks before drawing conclusions about whether or not it's helping.  In my case around day 10 I started seeing real improvements, but didn't notice much before then.

I'm also starting on Nasacort, which my doc wants me to try in conjunction w/ Singulair for about six months.  Her theory is that I probably had some sort of heinous infection, either sinus or upper respiratory, that caused a non-allergic inflammatory reaction in the mucous membranes of my sinus tissue, which has lasted long beyond the life of the infection (which was treated with four different courses of antibiotics).  Her hope is that with the combination of the inflammation-reducing properties of Singulair and Nasacort, after six months we can take me off the meds and see if my system has re-stabilized and no longer needs meds.  We'll see what happens.

Best of luck to everyone.
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Avatar universal
Just reading these posts, and commenting on the other thread about sinus pain and dizziness.. I think I'm going to print out these threads and send them to every allergist I've been to. Mine acts like I'm crazy for being bothered by the dizziness and eye pressure, like it's normal for people with sinus problems and I should get used to it... the other thread i saw had 174 posts, obviously there are many people with this problem. I feel like I'm going to go crazy if I don't get relief! I'd just like my allergist and or Dr. to see it's not just me ( I think mine thinks I'm a hypochondriac or something... maybe because i thought the eye pressure was a tumor, and the dizziness meant i definitely had one..)I think it's crazy to have to go through MRI's and such and pay for all of this to get no where.
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Avatar universal
Hey guys.  I think I had the problem with some posts not showing up, too, because I didn't see your recent posts until tonight.  But now they're all showing up, no idea why.

Joseph, yes, my sinus problems started all of a sudden.  I literally woke up from a nap dizzy and nauseous and that's when it all began.

I'm like LMNO in that there's not a lot of nasal drainage, it's mostly the back of my throat.  What's weird is that I had a really bad cold in January and since it's cleared up, my sinuses have been better.  It's like the cold helped more than the three rounds of antibiotics I had.  I do still suspect allergies play a part in this, even though the ENT said he didn't "see" allergies in my CT scan... and no, I have NO idea what that means!  I've had allergies for 20 years, I can't believe the ENT would say I didn't based on an old CT scan.  Guess we'll find out when spring hits.
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Avatar universal
I don't remember having any drainage problems back when this all started.  I've always had a drippy nose problem off and on, mostly when I would eat (sounds disgusting, I know) but after all this started it seems like I always  need to keep tissues with me. And when I would have what I thought was sinus I would have drainage down the back of my throat, but never blowing out.  Weird, I know.  It did take about a month for me to see lasting results on Singulair.  At first I'd feel better, then back a couple of days, on and off until the days were getting better and the bad ones were happening less.

I only see this post to Dec., too.  
After so many posts it cuts off, and you have to post a question and then people can see who posted and answer from there.  
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Avatar universal
Anyone else having trouble seeing this entire thread?  For me it's cutting off back in December now.  Just checking to see if this will show up.

Would be nice to have a better forum for this... maybe I'll create one.
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Avatar universal
Thanks for all the info.  I'm crossing my fingers that this Singulair will have a positive effect on me as well.  So far it's not clear that it's doing anything, but it's only been a few days.

One other thing I'm curious about -- did you have a lot of drainage as a part of your condition?  From what I'm reading about rhinitis (allergic and non-allergic), it seems like it's usually accompanied by a runny nose.  I've had almost no drainage with my condition, so just wondering how similar our situations are.  But mainly, I just hope the Singulair works. :)
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Avatar universal
NasalCrom is over the counter, used to be prescription, about $15.00.  It's nasal allergy symptom controller, so you can use it every day continuously, and with other allergy meds.  Yes, I used to live on Afrin - Dr. says take Afrin no more than 3 days -well, I would take it for a month, then have to wean myself off of it.  Always using a very hot water bottle on my face to make the pressure feel better.  I would leave red whelts on my face I'd keep it so hot, but that's the only relief I'd get.  

Yes, this started out of the blue.  I was perfectly fine.  We went for a motorcycle ride, went into a store and was talking to a friend and wham, dizzy, thought I would black out!  And then started the face pressure, total exhaustion, feeling bad, etc.  And then going to the Dr., the tests, ENT, etc.  Which ultimately made my panic disorder worse from all the frustration of feeling bad, thinking I had a brain tumor or lukemia or something.  When I got better my panic disorder got back under control.  I was like that for 5 1/2 months before the Singulair and all the other stuff I do started working.

I'm a 50 yr. old (eeewww) female.  Well, I'm really younger trapped in this old person.  ha!ha!  But seriously, I think there is hope - and the name the ENT gave me was non allergic rhinitis, which he says they don't know that much about.  I read about it in a magazine and there I was.  

  
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Avatar universal
Hi LMND -- thanks for the input, and very glad to hear you're feeling pretty much normal.  That's exciting.  I have to think really hard to remember what that was like.  I'm trying to be optimistic about this Singulair, since it's the one thing my new ENT suggested that my old one didn't come up with.  Still very frustrated that no one can actually explain what is going on, but it does sound like what you and I have is very similar.

About the NasalCrom -- is that something you can take for more than 3 days at a time?  I've tried Afrin without much help, but am more than open to trying something different.  Looks like they at least have different ingredients, so maybe worth a shot.  Did you try Afrin at any point?

Also, just curious, did your condition just come out of nowhere one day?  Did you have allergy issues before?  I just woke up one morning, having been otherwise healthy for more or less all my life (I'm 31), and felt this pressure in my head, which evolved into various other symptoms over the last several months, but mostly what I would describe as pressure that moves throughout my face and ears, sometimes accompanied by a feeling of heat or burning.  Feels like what people describe as chronic sinusitis, but my doc says that's not what it is, because of my clear CT scans.  I think I'd feel better if someone had an actual name for it, and said, "oh, you have X, and you just need some of this."  Instead, it all feels like playing darts in the dark with my health.
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Avatar universal
Yes, I read your last post and I had all those symptoms and more!  The dizzy, sinus pressure, teeth hurt, ears hurt, fatigue, just feel soooo BAD!  Could hardly work.  Missed the whole summer sick in the house!  Thought I was going to die for sure.  Started last July. Was on 2 rounds Z-pak, Keflex, each time feeling like if I had just a little more I might get well...then was sent to the ENT, CT Scan of sinus clear, Prednisone, then a second round of Prednisone, and was doing a little better - and after a few different nasal sprays and allergy pills I have been on Singulair now for over 2 months, and I am pretty much NORMAL!!!!!!  Went to chiropractor, dentist, all ok, and I did have the allergy testing, too, and it came back severe to a lot of things, but I've not started shots and not sure I will at this point.  Maybe when spring comes if I get worse I will. I mean I still have the drippy nose, but I can handle that.  So Singulair, NasalCrom nasal spray (not regularly) keep the air cleaner on in my bedroom, wash the sheets every week in hot water, bought an allergy spray at Lowe's and spray my pillows and vacuum them, vacuum the house every day, use the saline NeilMed rinse every day, and so far so good.  Sounds like a lot of work, but it's worth it.  Oh, and try to keep my humidity level in the house around 40-45.  I mean I have worked hard at all this!!!  I hope this helps you.  I still am worried about spring/summer, with grasses, weeds, as I have to do a lot of outside work - but one day at a time.  Let me know if you try any of this and it helps.    
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Avatar universal
About doctors and pulling teeth, I couldn't agree more.  If I have to leave one more voicemail with a doctor's assistant and wait 2 days for a response, I'm going to start pulling my own teeth out and mailing them in to the doctor's office in protest.

Having said that, I recently had a second CT scan (also clear) and saw a second ENT for yet another opinion (after seeing one ENT about 5 times as well as a neurologist).  New ENT thinks I have some sort of non-bacterial inflammation of the mucous membranes of my sinuses, and put me on Singulair, and says I should give it 10 days to see if it works.  After one day, I feel like a pile of ass, which is now status quo for me for 4.5 months, except for when I'm on Prednisone.

So far, I've been on Prednisone three times, three different types of antibiotics (Z-Pack, Avelox, and Augmentin twice), have had two CT scans and an MRI, and am incredibly frustrated, on the verge of depression as a direct result of whatever my condition is, and barely able to function at work.

Anyone else have luck with Singulair with similar symptoms?  lmnd, are you on this thread?  I read that it sounds like you are making progress with Singulair, which is great.  I was reading another post of yours and it sounds like we've had similar struggles, so I hope I can take that as reason for hope in my own case.  If you or anyone else has had luck with Singulair, how long did it take to start helping?

If I haven't listed them in this thread, my situation is basically this:

1. Problem started 4.5 months ago when I woke up one day feeling dizzy, general weird pressure/haze in forehead area,
2. Thought I made progress w/ antibiotics at one point, thought I was recovering, then only got part of the way there, and symptoms started returning to full strength,
3. Pressure that was concentrated behind one of my eyes and my forehead started spreading,
4. Now I have almost constant pressure in my forehead, and substantial pressure in my ears (the ear thing developed after I thought I was getting better),
5. My symptoms generally emerge after I wake up in the morning, and get worse toward late afternoon, and then subside somewhat at night,
6. I wake up, repeat cycle, and want to tear inside of face out.
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Avatar universal
Joseph, sorry I didn't see your post sooner.  I think something similar happened to me.  My x-rays showed no inflammation, supposedly, although I had just come off a 3-week round of antibiotics.  As the weeks go on my symptoms are slowly returning and I just know I have a sinus infection or allergies, but the ENT won't even consider it anymore.  I think it's all because my sinuses were briefly clear after the antibiotics.  If you can, ask your GP or ENT specifically about that.  I swear, sometimes it's like pulling teeth with doctors.
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Avatar universal
Anyone ever know of a case where a sinus CT scan didn't show much inflammation because a person had been on steroids for five days prior?  I'm fairly sure I have a long-standing sinus infection, but the one scan I got only showed minimal inflammation, so my doc doesn't want to do surgery.  But the day of my scan, I felt better than I had in months, because I was on a massive dose of steroids.  Seems reasonable to me to assume that the way I felt would correlate with the way my scan results would look, i.e. much less inflammation than normal.  But my doc says the steroids wouldn't affect the results of the scan.  I don't get it.  Thoughts?
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Avatar universal
Hi guys im new to this thread thing so im sorry if i have put it in the wrong post.i have been have in headaches for bout 3months no been to my GP just keeps givein me ibuprofen i get no sickness blur vision or anything eles just headaches there not powerfull ones just small aby adivce would be great.
sry again if im in the wrong thread thank you.
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Avatar universal
Sinus suffers !! I've suffered with sinus problems ever since I can remember. After years of dealing with infections I finally pushed and demanded to have something done. In 2000 I had a cat scan, they found a huge cyst up my nose, when the doctor did the surgery he also found polyps behind the cyst as well as on the other side that didn't show on the scan.  I was good for about 1 year, then it all started again. Pain behind the eyes,the back of the head, cheek pain & sore gums 1 infection after the other all year round. A few days ago I noticed pain in my left eye, I had a torn retina in 2001 so I went to the dr. luckily everything is ok & its actually sinus pain, tonight it's right in the forehead I can barely focus to write this but I had to chime in and share some things to try. I've taken every sinus med out there over & under the counter.
I firmly believe you have to be headstrong in life especially when it comes to your health. Tell your dr. what you want & how you feel keep a log book but if your dr. doesn't want to hear your ideas or brushes you off it is time to move on to a different dr. I haven't been to 1 yet but I 'm going to try a holistic dr. they are trained to look at the whole picture and treat with herbal,homeopathic meds. It may help but pills & sprays are not the only answer try alternative medicine. The next thing for me to try is accupuncture.
  
I've taken so many antibotics, decongestants & nose sprays (Nasilcort or Naseril works for me)during my lifetime (only 35) it scares me, the effects on your liver & kidneys + the fact that your body builds up a tolerance to each antibotic you take is terrible. The drug makers push their freebees & doctors say try this pill, try that one, they only want to give you medicine for the symptoms not the find and fix the problem. No wonder health care is soo expensive.
  
A FEW THINGS TO TRY: for others suffering  
1. I get my hubby to put me a head lock and squeeze as hard a he can, it does help with the pain & pressure, just squeeze hold and release repeat.

2. While sitting in a hot tub, or pool or shower get a mask for snorkeling and pull it on and off slowly, the suction helps reduce the pressure.  (yes hubby laughs at me)

3. Get a super cold compress straight from the freezer put it over the eyes & massage the pressure points in the head.

4. NEVER BLOW YOUR NOSE when you have a sinus problem, when you blow you are forcing the fluid to go into the ear canal, then you get dizzy & an awful earache.

Good luck to all & I hope the tips help everyone else I know they sound wierd but it works for me.
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Avatar universal
I have finally found something that has changed my life.  It is called the Neti Pot and can be purchased at Wild Oats.  I  had recurring sinus infections for years and had become resistant to antibiotics.  I felt like I was living in a fog.  I could hardly pay attention and concentrate.  I even took took allergy shots for 4 years.  They may have helped but I am not sure.  The doctor who is my friend even admitted that they are not sure they really work.   Flonase helped tremendously and got me to only 1 or 2 Sinus infections a year.  Now that I have been on the Neti Pot for 3 years I have only had 1 sinus infection.   I still do use Flonase periodically after I use the Neti.  I use the Neti morning and night.  It doesnt hurt but you look really weird.  My family thought I was a nut but now they all swear by it.  The Neti washes the nasal cavities and the throat.  So when your nose gets irritated and swollen the Neti allows you to wash out the drainage rather than let it become infected.  Try it it might change your life also.
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Avatar universal
I've been doing nasal irrigation for several months now.  I've never done the neti pot, but I have used a bulb syringe and a bottle (NeilMed) with warm saline solution.  It does seem to have helped but it hasn't prevented infections for me.  This might be because drainage in my throat seems to be very good, it's the drainage in my nose that's a problem.  I actually have little drainage from my nose, I can never blow my nose, it's rarely stuffy, etc.  I wish it was, so I could get rid of some of this junk.

As for Flonase, I'm on it now.  Nasonex kept sinus infections at bay for me for about 4-5 years, then it stopped working.  I switched to Flonase and, again, it helps but does not prevent.

For anyone looking into nasal irrigation, there's a product called Simply Saline that's really handy.  I also like the NeilMed bottle I mentioned before.
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Avatar universal
AOL
Hello everyone I hope that everyone has had a good holiday.  There is another question that I have.  Does anyone else have the symptom of sometimes just feeling kinda sick to your stomach to where you don't feel much like eating?
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Avatar universal
Were you wondering if they could see a tumor or something behind your eyes?  I think they could if it was right there...but that's it.  They can't see inside your head.  However, don't jump to conclusions....because I think at one point we've all wondered that.  I had the CT Scan and x-rays by a chiro. Even while I was having problems they all said everything was fine.  I'm still deciding on whether to have the allergy shots.  So far I've been doing ok, except burned scented candles Christmas Eve. all day and had a horrible sinus headache that would not go away even with Advil all day Christmas Day.  That's the only reason I can think of that I got the face pressure.  I still get dizzy once in a while though.  I DON'T KNOW.  It's just weird that there's nothing better to help us when there are so many like this.
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Avatar universal
AOL
I also wanted to ask one more thing.  If there was anything really wrong inside your head would the eye doctor be able to see it.  I went a couple weeks ago and she said that everything was fine.
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