sneezing sensation but unable to sneeze

[San123]

For the past one year, I am suffering from sensation of sneezing but sneeze does not comes out. This is very irritating. Looking at bright light or saline water was of no help. First, I have been to a homeopathic doctor. He gave me the medicine to suppress the sneezing sensation. My throat went sour and I have to discontinue the medicine. Then I went to another homeopathic doctor but the medicine was of no help. According to an ENT specialist this was no problem at all and advised me not to bother. An herbal doctor suggested that it may due to some nerve problem in head. Recently, I visited a neurologist, he advised me getting Brain MRI. He said this could be due to leakage of some droplets from the brain. He asked, if I ever felt the dripping sensation from brain to throat or nose. My answer was big 'NO'. I never had any such sensation. I am just irritated by the persistent sneezing sensation and do not have any other problem to be associated with this. The neurologist said that there may be minute leakage and thus I do not feel dripping sensation. To my horror, he said this can lead to Meningitis any time. He insisted on Brain MRI. Personally, I do not trust this Neurologist, because I do not have any symptoms of Meningitis and the sneezing sensation is a good 1 year old. I don't think meningitis takes so long to surface. I have not got Brain MRI done yet. I want your advice on this. Please tell if I could be a Meningitis patient???  Or is there any other serious disease I may be suffering from??? How can I sneeze when the sensation is their??? I do not want to suppress the sneezing sensation but want to sneeze when the sensation is there.

[apple1472]

I am only 13 and I can't seem to be able to sneeze but the sensation of sneezing is really annoyin me, should igo see a doctor?

[mimi1111]

A related discussion, why can't I sneeze anymore? was started.

[sneezestuck]

I have had difficulty completing a sneeze for over a year now. I just read about new cases today on your site and am happy to offer my experience and wish others to share theirs. I frequently get the urge to sneeze and go Ahh but the Choo does not follow. I do, however, sneeze once in a while but usually I cannot. I last sneezed about 4 weeks ago but I have gone up to 10 weeks without sneezing at all. I used to sneeze regularly but most importantly when I had to sneeze I always sneezed. Now, the feeling of an imminent sneeze sends me into a panic knowing I will probably fail and be miserable and irritated while waiting for another chance to sneeze and feel normal again.  It is so frustrating because when a sneeze does finally occur I think I'm "cured" only to have the inability to sneeze  resume immediately. What I have learned after doing endless research on scant information and after seeing and talking to Doctors and asking them many questions is that the problem is psychological. If one thinks about sneezing then the automatic, brain controlled sneezing relex is interrupted. It's like inhibiting any reflex by being self conscious about it.  I am a 57 year old man in excellent health. Every sufferer I've heard of who has this very rare sneezing problem seems to be in good health with no related medical problems discovered after evaluation and testing by every type of Doctor. Almost no one seems to know about this very rare malady. One person who read a posting I made a while back suggested contacting the A.M.A  to have a study made. I am told the lack of medical information or research regarding this indicates that sneezing is an irrelevent subject because being unable to sneeze causes no adverse medical problems. Psychological problems is another consideration. Thanks for any information.

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-PW]

The sensation of sneezing is usually more related to an ENT problem than a primary neurological issue

It is not usually a symptoms of a CSF leak, on its own.

CSF leaks can predispose to meningitis but I would not get too anxious about getting meningitis if a diagnossi of a CSF leak has not been made, and their does not even seem to be symptosm suggesting it.

I do not know your specific case, so cannot comment for sure

CSF leaks are not diagnosed by regular brain MRI. A better way of diagnsoing CSF leaks is by a test called radionucletide cisternography if needed

Good luck

[COCO2000]

Hi there! I am new to this site.  I am very sick with so many symptoms myself and nobody can tell me what I have.  And this was one of them.  I wanted to sneeze but it wouldn't come out.  Really bothered me for about 5 months.  

Finally one of the Dr's I recently saw prescribed Mucinex DM (Guaifenesin) 20mg every 12hrs, but you can also buy it over the counter.  It thins and loosens mucus and it comes in a box of 600mg.  I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia as well as Myofascial Pain Syndrome, but I have other things going on that I believe are more severe that have unfortunately been dumped in the Fibro basket.  

It did make my Fibro "flu" symptoms kind of worse but I was sneezing.  I did not take the whole box.  For you maybe just a couple, I am not a Dr or saying you should take it, but I think it might help you sneeze :) I know the feeling.
Hope that helps a little.

[COCO2000]

Also wanted to say ENT did not help me, checked my ears just like 5 others drs, and told me I had no infection and was about to send me home, until I asked her "If she was really expecting me to pay for this, because I had already had that done by 5 other Drs and she was supposed to be specialist".  She then had me to an audio test, turns out I am going deaf in my left ear.  
MRI shows nothing though.