Cocaine abuse & swollen turbinates

[plurthoughts]

I was a very heavy daily cocaine user for about six years.  I have been clean for almost two years now thanks to a strong support group that I found in a 12 step program.  My preferred method of using cocaine was snorting it.  For the first several weeks after I stopped using, I experienced a great deal of pain and discharge from my nose.  After that, I was unable to breathe through my nose.

I went to an ear, nose, and throat doctor, and he told me that I had a deviated septum.  He performed surgery on my nose with a laser to clear the blockage caused by the deviated septum.  After I healed from the surgery, I could breathe slightly better, but I still suffered from blockage caused by swollen turbinates.  I went back to the doctor and he basically told me that he had done everything he could and that I shouldn't have used so much cocaine.  He said that cocaine restricts blood vessels in the nose and that now my blood vessels are on the rebound, hence the swollen turbinates.

Since then, my employer dropped insurance coverage.  Can anything be done about this?  Is my nose still healing from the cocaine abuse?  Is this condition even related to the cocaine abuse?

Thank you for your feedback.

[NikkiGee]

I am also a recovering addict. Right now, I am recovering from a Bilateral submucousal surgery for my turbinates for the same reason. It ***** right now, but in a few days i will be able to breathe beautifully! Talk to another ENT doctor and mention the option. Good Luck!


Nicolette

[ENTMD]

There are very good surgical treatments for enlarged turbinates.  Find another ENT doc.