Running nose

[fydo]

(sorry for my bad english)



30 years old male - running nose and no sense of smell for the past 12 months.



No asthma/smoking/alcohol/drugs/coffee.

Does not seem to be location dependant (a few 5-days travels didn't affect it).



After 4 visits to the MD (ie 4*5 minutes) and a ton of experimentation:



Bacteria analysis (nose and throat) resulted clean. [for an unrelated condition I took two classes of antibiotics and they didn't affect my nose]



I used to sleep 5-6 hours/day.  Now less than 8 means the nose will be running really bad.

If I sleep 10 hours or more, it's acceptably OK, but still no sense of smell.



Hot weather alleviates it a little.  I have some relief when I drink hot beverages.

I also feel much better for a few minutes after doing some excercise (ie jumping).



Antihistamines don't work (Loratadine 10mg/day 30 days, Allegra 120mg/day 10 days).



Anti-inflammatory drugs:



- Diclofenac sodium 100mg/day - no effect.

- Rofecoxib 12.5mg/day - seemed to work somewhat, but killed my stomach.

- Fluticasone 50mcg*4 shots/day - alleviates the running nose a lot, but still need a kleenex every 30 mins or so, and no sense of smell.  This is the doc-approved thing to use.

- Prednisone 10mg/day - WORKS! At least when the weather is hot (been taking it for 6 days: 3*20mg, 3*10mg).



Prednisone makes all symphtoms dissapear most of the time.  I'm already experiencing some unpleasant side effects and read it's not a nice thing to take for extended periods, so I'll gradually reduce the dosage and quit taking it.



Anything else I can try?



Thanks!

[National Jewish]

Sinusitis is an inflammation of the mucous membranes that line the sinus cavities.  Inflammation of the sinuses could be due to an allergy, an infection, or ongoing exposure to an irritant, such as pollution or smoke.  Symptoms can include a headache or pressure in the area of the sinuses, achy teeth, a stuffy nose, a runny nose, postnasal drip, cough, sore throat, loss of your sense of smell, lightheadedness, constant low fever, and thick, yellow to green nasal drainage.  A CT scan of the sinuses is the best way to identify sinusitis.  If your symptoms are due to sinusitis, this will last as long as the inflammation continues.



The most common cause of sinusitis is an infection, especially when the mucus is green.  Sinus infections can be difficult to treat since they respond slowly.  When any of the openings that drain your sinuses is blocked it will take longer to clear a sinus infection.  If a viral infection is the cause it’s a matter of time until the sinusitis clears on its own.  When a bacterial infection is the cause you may need to take an antibiotic for at least 3 weeks.  Even after an antibiotic clears the infection, it is possible for the inflammation to linger.  However, inflammation of the sinuses could also be due to an allergy or ongoing exposure to an irritant, such as pollution or smoke.



This inflammation can block sinus drainage and cause increased mucus production.  The mucus can drain from the nose and sinuses down the back of the throat causing a constant or intermittent postnasal drip and sore throat.  This can fester sinusitis.



An antihistamine can dry up the postnasal drip.  However, it may make the mucus thicker and more difficult to move.  A decongestant like Sudafed® (pseudoephedrine) can thin the postnasal drip and relieve your blocked sinuses by decreasing the swelling so they drain better.  Often a prescription antihistamine and decongestant are taken only when the postnasal drip gets bad.  It may be more helpful to take the antihistamine and decongestant on a regular basis.  Check with your doctor to see if either of these would help you more.



Drinking plenty of water will help to thin the mucus so that it moves more easily.  As long as you are not on a fluid restriction you should be drinking 6 to 8 8-ounce glasses of non-caffeine non-alcoholic fluid daily.



Your sinuses can be very important to your sense of smell.  When the drainage of your sinuses is blocked, you may lose your sense of smell.  Until the blockage is cleared your sense of smell will not return.  A nasal wash helps remove mucus and germs from the nose and sinuses.  This can temporarily decrease the postnasal drip and help your sinuses to drain better.  You may have short-term return of your sense of smell, but you may lose it again because the blockage is not completely cleared.  Please read our Nasal Wash MedFact at http://www.nationaljewish.org/medfacts/nasal.html for more information about this technique.  Share this information with your doctor to see if you would benefit from this daily treatment.



If your symptoms continue, your doctor may recommend a prescription nasal steroid spray.  There is much less risk of side effects, so this is a good option instead of taking the prednisone.  This can decrease mucus production by decreasing the inflammation in the nose and sinuses.  This generally provides a more lasting decrease in the runny nose and improves sinus drainage.  This may lead to a return of your sense of smell.  To get the most help from a nasal steroid spray use it after doing a nasal wash.  A nasal steroid spray does not provide immediate relief of symptoms.  It may take several weeks of routine use to become effective.  Sometimes it takes the antihistamine, the decongestant, and the nasal wash followed by the nasal steroid spray ALL used routinely to give you back your sense of smell.



You will need to see your doctor to learn why your symptoms are continuing and what treatment would be best for you.  Please read our Sinusitis MedFact at http://www.nationaljewish.org/medfacts/sinus.html for further information.  An ENT would be the type of specialist to identify if blocked sinuses are causing your symptoms to continue and the best treatment.

[disey]

I am puzzled. I have seen my primary care and a dermatoligist. Both have told me that I have rosacea. I don't seem to think it is because I don't really have acne. It is only my nose. It gets red often and now the condition is worse with red bumps on one side of my nose. My left side of my nose is also a bit swollen and is starting to look disfigured. I also periodically have a clear runny nose. I am wondering if I have an allergy. I took tetracyline for two weeks and it did nothing. I am putting a topical ointment that the dermatoligist gave me on twice a day and it seems to be getting worse. I am not sure where to look for answers at this point, but this just won't go away. I started noticing it around the same time that I started taking synthroid for my underactive thyroid condition. Could I be allergic to synthroid? Would it only affect my nose? Could it be rosacea? I just want to get rid of it!