what medical problem other than sinsitus could cause excessive sinus drainage?

[imbabsj]

I have been suffering with a excessive sinus drainage problem that started after having a sinus infection two yrs ago. I have been treated with several antibiotics and medrol packets and use nasal washes yet my Drs. and I have yet to clear this.  I did have  ct scan about a yr ago that showed old remnant of infection that the ENT thought was clearing yet symptoms persist.  I get so much phlemg that there is nowhere for it to go my throat backs up with it and I have to use a tonuge scrapper and oral pik too pull it out it's very disturbing.  I have other medical problems and wonder if there might be some connection.  I have had lupus for 10 yrs and 3yr ago had a very bad flare that attacked my liver. I also have been seen by a allergist/immunologist and he put me on 20 mg prednisone for 5 day which helped  then the next week it was back to bad again and he gave me another course of pred 20mg 5d.  That seems to be the only thing that helps which makes me wonder if this could be somehow be another problem than sinusitis,All alergy test where negative.  Could it be thyroid I had groths removed from my thyroid 2 yrs ago and a partial thyroidectomy not on meds for that. Or could this be autoimmune related?  As you can see I am desperate and input will be appreciated.

[National Jewish]

The most likely cause remains in the sinuses.  I would repeat the CT scan to start.  If that is normal, then other chronic conditions, such as the thyroid problem or an altered immune response possibly related to the lupus, may play a role.  However, chronic sinusitis could be aggravated by other immune problems and difficult to treat.  The response to steroids indicates that this is an inflammatory response in the sinuses.  Sinusitis is still the first choice of the source of the problem.

[imbabsj]

Hi I'm so desperate since things are daily getting worse that I have tried cutting out all wheat , soy and I had already cut out all dairy.  It's really hard to find things to eat!  I'm really sick of rice cakes!!  I've been on this for 3 days no improvment yet but I'll give it 2 weeks at least to see if it is a food allergy.  Today I got scared, I had a very bad coughing spell and this pulling sensation in my chest to my right nasal  opening, and with hard coughing it finally unplugged with bright red bleeding like a nosebleed.  I never have had nosebleeds so it was scary to me. That catch in my chest though tells me that the phlemg is connecting and pulling it's just on my right side which is where all the backup is.  I really think this is a mechanical problem but yet the ent was useless.  I'm waiting for approval from my ins. co to be treated at Univ. of Michigan medical center which would be great since they are a teaching hospital and cutting edge.  I hope this ends soon .  Thanks for the food allergy advice anything is possible.

[Inanga]

i ha years of post nasal drip. It was treated with antihitamine and nasal steroid spray. They didn't help that much and caused some irritating side affects. i had prednisone a couple of times and they helped. Bottom line is it was a food allergy to wheat gluten and soy (and maybe dairy). Since avoiding these the problem has gone away. I had recurring nasal infections and difficulty breathing and a constant cough from all the mucus. Clear as a bell now. I saw an allergy specialist - the scratch tests showed only a pollen reaction and blood tests for wheat were normal. But I still get the same problem back if I deviate from my gluten/wheat/soy free diet. i have noticed the mix your own yogurt gives me the same and as far as I can tell the only possible allergen in that is the dairy, so that's the next thing for me to investigate. all the best.

[littlevicko]

my 10 year old daughter was sick since december with chronic cough with large amounts of phlegm,she would choke on it there was so much,doctors treated her for sinus and asthma,steroids also know as predisone they gave her so much she gained alot weight plus got high blood pressure plus infected her esophagus pretty bad,took her to childrens hospital in memphis lebonheur and they done all kinds of tests,she had acid reflux,infected esophagus(fungal)and sinus disease which she just had sinus surgery lasr weel,had 2 cists in there and was 100 percent blocked and removed adnoids again(she had removed last year and they grew back)shes doing alot better now but at one time she had so much mucuc i didnt know where it was coming from,hope you get your answer and goodluck-littlevick0