Foul Smell in Nose AFTER Sinus Surgery

[ricocsk]

I've been reading a lot of posts about "smells" in the nose, but I haven't seen anything with my particular circumstance.
Three weeks ago, I had sinus surgery. I had thickening in the frontal and maxillary sinuses, and a couple of polyps removed. Recovery was going fine until yesterday when I began to have this smell in my nose. I have a relative who has chronic bad breath. The only way I know to describe the smell is to say that it smells like my aunt's bad breath. It can be very faint, but at times will come on very strong like opening a garbage can and getting an intense wave of bad smelling stuff. I'm also getting a lot more drainage down my throat and have actually had to blow my nose more these last two days than I did the first three weeks after surgery.

I have been using saline spray numerous times a day since my surgery, so I can't figure out why I would start having these problems now.

[Tigertimzim]

I never thought boogers would fascinate me...but since my sinus surgery 2 weeks ago I have things far worse than "Men in Black" aliens. They just keep coming every time I use the sinus douche. I am now using it 6 times a day and there just seems an unending supply of boogers. The cat scan showed that all my sinuses were completely full of gunk...so this is coming out. I can breathe properly for the first time in years but have a fairly severe headache....talking to others who have had the same done, it will still be some weeks before things return to normal...

[mikky73337]

Had sinoplasy and polyps removed 3 weeks ago, recovery after surgery was unpleasent but ok considering. Had nose vacuumed 10 days after surgery lots of dark blood clots and mucus, felt good afterwards. Went back to work 13 days after surgery seemed ok, but on night 15 had terrible sneezing and brown mucus come out, pain in nose, thought it was an infection. Went back to ENT and he said all is ok. Now week 3 have developed "The Smell" to me it's wet dog or rotting garbage. I'm not due to go back to ENT for another month, and from reading this post I think it's normal and hoping it wont last too long. Have to say was not told about it pre-op, dissapointed.

[greenlife116]

I've not had any surgery.. however was told often of bad breath- have had right-sinus "problems"/pain: face, headaches, teethaches,etc. Also an r-eye problem that have lasted now about 3 years. have gone from one doctor/specialist to the next. Eye doctor at UCIrvine finally ordered a cat scan of eye and sinus. Shown to be totally blocked and things in it. Contacted pcp again, have referral for ENT in October! (geez) Pcp did put me on antibiotic for 10 days. Now, about twice a week I get big amount of thick, green clumps of stuff out of nose and/or back of throat. The smell and taste is so disgusting, can't even describe it. The stuff looks like clumps of thick and rotten spinach and sometimes hardened pieces. It is just SO weird. This forum is extremely interesting, thank you all for sharing.  Still not sure of any answers, but will press on.  Will get that bottle m-thingy/ will look it up.  I hope that all the green stuff occasionally means something is improving, but I haven't got a clue of course. Don't have the pain(s) I had before- but the past two days I've had headache again and my eye is bothering me more then it had. The eye specialist said I had to go see the ENT, he thought this "mucocele" was pressing on my eye.  None of these specialist seem to communicate with eachother much, and none of the doctors seem to be in a hurry for a solution to make one better. I think they just want to either get their salary and get "done" with their expected patient load for the day, go home and not think or care any further. VERY few physicians thing, practice and diagnose "out of the box" and feel that it is good enough to practice medicine according to what the textbooks dictates /and in so doing only care about having their rear end covered from liability /as long as they follow "accepted" protocols.. Never mind if that solves the problem or not... Sad but true. I work in the industry as an administrator, and even I don't know how to push my doctors I have to go to further then they do go in order to properly treat. Again, thank you all for posting and sharing.. At least I know I am not the only one. Does anybody else have this problem without having had any surgery and is it of interest if I share my further progress/Doctor prescribes/visits. and self management? Let me know?  Oh, I have one doctor (my boss) Medical Director, and he has given me some ADP- it is a nutriceutical of concentrated oregano oil. 1 tablet two or three times a day (depending) it is an anti-inflammation and adds to antibiotic too. It seems to help.

[Linda3434]

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[Linda3434]

So happy to have found this forum.  I had deviated septum repair and balloon dilation sinuplasty (all my sinuses were closed) on June 10th. The first week went pretty well but the second week, I am exhausted, and have that unpleasant smell/taste.  After showering and using NeilMed bottle, I can get thick dark blood snot clots up from my throat.  Pressure in face is back, especially behind eyes.  I tried to take antibiotic after surgery but I have a terrible time taking them and broke out in a rash and became very anxious.  He then prescribed Diflucan with the anitbiotic but that wasn't much better (only did that a day) so I did not take antibiotic. I do take Medi-Herb Echinacea Premium and Andrographis Complex to fight infection.  I'm thinking this is just part of the healing process and not infection.  I hope so!  I have my first appointment since surgery this Thursday, 2 and a half weeks after surgery.  I didn't realize I'd have congestion this long, and now the head pressure I struggled with all winter is coming back.  So tired of feeling sick after a bad year of sinusitis.  I just want to feel well again!  Getting depressed, but trying to stay hopeful that this surgery, after healing, will help!
Linda

[Linda3434]

So happy to have found this forum.  I had deviated septum repair and balloon dilation sinuplasty (all my sinuses were closed) on June 10th. The first week went pretty well but the second week, I am exhausted, and have that unpleasant smell/taste.  After showering and using NeilMed bottle, I can get thick dark blood snot clots up from my throat.  Pressure in face is back, especially behind eyes.  I tried to take antibiotic after surgery but I have a terrible time taking them and broke out in a rash and became very anxious.  He then prescribed Diflucan with the anitbiotic but that wasn't much better (only did that a day) so I did not take antibiotic.  I'm thinking this is just part of the healing process and not infection.  I hope so!  I have my first appointment since surgery this Thursday, 2 and a half weeks after surgery.  I didn't realize I'd have congestion this long.  So tired of feeling sick after a bad year of sinusitis.  I just want to feel well again!  Getting depressed, but trying to stay hopeful that this surgery, after healing, will help!
Linda