Headaches, Mucus Choking, Cyst, Asthma

I am a 28 year old female who has had severe headaches for the past 3years. They have gotten MUCH WORSE in the past couple of months. I also have a lot of mucus and post nasal drip. I feel as if I am constantly choking on my own mucus. I have asthma as well. I wake up every morning with HORRID headaches, my right eye aches and feels like there is constant pressure behind it. I will also have pain in my upper jaw/teeth area. The headaches and the choking on mucus are by far the worse symptoms. I have been diagnosed with chronic sinusitis, as I usually have 8-10 episodes a year. ( I am on 7 as of now) I usually have to go through 2 rounds of antibiotics and some steroids before any infection clears. I had an MRI done last week to follow a pituitary adenoma (which is stable and causing no problems). I take 1200mg of Guaifenesin daily to help thin out the mucus. I also take advair, rhinocort, zyrtec and motrin 800mg to help with the headaches. I have 2 very large mucus retention cyst in my right maxillary sinus. They each measure over 4cm. They believe there may also be a polyp. My septum is now deviated from the cyst. I also have a thickening of the lining of the mucuosa. I am going in to see my PCP tomorrow and want to ask for a referral to see an ENT. My questions are these:

1. Do you think this warrants a visit to an ENT?
2. Is there ANYTHING else I can do to help with the horrible symptoms?
3. Will I be a possible surgery candidate?
4. If I am a surgery candidate and have it done, will my headaches go away?

Thanks!

[National Jewish Health]

You sound miserable.  Your problem absolutely warrants a visit to an ENT.  Surgical removal of the large mucoceles could help.  This might or might not relieve your headaches, but if the sinus symptoms are relieved and the headaches persist, you should seek consultation at a headache clinic at a university medical center.  The mucus may be an indication of chronic infection or allergic fungal sinusitis.  A good ENT would consider these and order cultures and other tests to identify the infectious organism.

This problem is beyond the expertise of your PCP.  You may want to seek consultation at a well known diagnostic institution, such as Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland or Massachusetts General Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts even if you have to travel some distance to do it.

[mydogiselvis]

Just thought I would update this. My PCP did send me to an ENT and I actually got in today (due to a cancellation..how lucky am I?!) He did a nasal endoscopy (?), which wasn't much fun. Not terrible, just not fun. He found a polyp blocking my passage into my maxiallary sinus. I now have to have a CT to get a better look at the sinus. He said changing my meds isn't going to help because I am on everything he would put me on. I guess I will find out more in the next couple of weeks. I just want the headaches gone...

[JMA03]

A related discussion, response to sinus suffering was started.