Don't really know what is wrong!!! Sinus related?? Please help if you can.

[lizzi493]

I have been feeling unwell now for about 6 weeks. On 4th September, I visited an ENT specialist at the hospital and was told that I had Sinusitis and Rhinitis. My nose was running and I felt alot of congestion. I don't feel that now but my ears are ringing and I feel very tired and lethargic. My thinking is foggy and I feel shivery and cold. I am sometimes a bit nauseas and dizzy. I am worse in the mornings, usually feeling a bit better as the day progresses. I have been off work and feel that I don't probably have the energy to return. I was on a course of antibiotics which finished last Saturday and did feel a bit better for a couple of days after that. Could you give me an idea as to what could be wrong. Is it to do with my sinuses do you think or is it something else?I am a woman aged 46. Many thanks,

[lizzi493]

Thank you so much for your help. I will make an appointment to have the bloods tested that you suggest. You are right, the symptoms are vague and until now, I had really thought that it may be hormonal or age related but test levels have suggested otherwise.
At the age of 42, I moved house, a large new build with many many problems. I remember spending the year in negotiation with the builders, having floors removed and walls pinned - it was all very hectic. During that year, I remember spells of feeling weak and tired and having flu like symptoms without the usual cough or cold. It was at the end of that year when I had gone into work one morning that I suddenly felt unwell and had to go home. I lay in bed that afternoon and at 6pm the doctor called and immediately called for an ambulance. My pulse was faint, my blood pressure extremely low and I was dehydrated. I was taken to hospital and did lose consciousness and remained on a life support system for 3 days. Pneumonia was diagnosed and doctors told me that it was touch and go for a while. Within 10 days I was home and a month or so later was back on my feet. That was in June 2006. I would feel that to be a turning point in terms of my health. It was from this point that my foggy thinking, crashing tiredness,despite sleeping well the night before, and many non descript little symptoms came into play. I was ill more often, colds and flus that I would normally have shaken off took hold, bloating in my stomach, the inability to lose weight despite an active exercise programme (I am probably about 8 or 9 lbs over the weight that I should be for my height and build). There have been times also when I have felt a bit breathless and lacking in energy and also times where I would feel quite anxious over small things that I would never have considered a problem before. The sinusitis and ear problems are just the latest in a series of difficulties!! It all seemed strange to me as I was so fit and healthy, hardly having a cold or flu!! I should also add that it has been discovered that the office I work from has been found to be riddled with damp - although few mold spores were evident. I have been in that office for 5 or 6 years and the damp has been there throughout.
When I described my skin, it is an all over feeling. I am cold, everyone else is warm and as I write this, I am sitting in a warm house with a huge fleece on.
I am vegetarian and have been for the last 20 years or so. My diet would be considered fairly healthy although I could cut out the coffee anf the odd nibble.
My cholesterol level was 3.2, measured a couple of months ago. My pulse rate was also normal and my blood pressure on the lower end of normal.
All of what you suggest sounds sensible and I will let you know of any outcome.
My thanks to you once again, your help has been much appreciated,
Kind regards,
Liz.

[tomsant]

Hi,

Glad to have your reply.

I am sure you know this discussion can't replace a formal consultation. As there can be huge differences between the  idea you give me and the one I get. This is not to discourage you; I am only glad to help.  

Except for the one episode of pneumonia, your past history gives a vague picture. And you have a persisting dizziness and nausea, ringing in the ears, in spite of having a normal ear drum.  You said your skin feels uncomfortable to touch; is it all over or only on certain regions like face or hair or arms or legs?.

Try to remember what started your 'sickness' at the age 42? Did you have a change in life or lifestyle, job or a loss or anything like that? Did you ever have a 'loss of consciousness' ? Your tiredness, low energy and foggy thinking of long duration may point to a depressive state. It could occur due to various reasons (even a change in the hormone levels, but yours was normal when checked last) or without any apparent cause. What is your cholesterol level? Presumably, you are not on any medication for the same.

Have you noticed any gain in weight? Your temperature is normal, and I hope the doctor found your pulse rate also normal.

I would ask for blood exam (Hb, WBC Total & Differential count, ESR), and Serum Thyroid hormone levels (T3, T4, TSH) and Blood urea and creatinine levels. If these are within normal levels I would think of depression; but as you said you are a happy person, this may be a 'masked depression' It may be a post infection depression or aesthenia as well.

Please feel free to write.


Best rgds,

Thomas Antony

[lizzi493]

I should also have mentioned that since the age of about 42, I have felt generally under the weather, from being a healthy fit person, I have suffered from alot of unspecific and hard to describe ailments, foggy thinking, weakness in joints, crashing tiredness in spells and even a serious pneumonia which saw me in intensive care around 2 years ago. Don't know if that adds anything?
Regards,
Lesley.

[lizzi493]

Thank you so much for that. Until the beginning of September, I was feeling fine. I don't have any medical conditions and usually don't take any medication. My mood is good and I would say that I am normally a happy person. I have been sleeping very well at night and rarely waken once asleep. I usually fall asleep quite quickly. I don't appear to have a fever as my temp was normal when the doc examined me a couple of weeks back. My body is however shivery and the skin feels uncomfortable to touch if you know what I mean. I feel my ears ringing and full although the doc looked at my ear drums and said they looked fine. I don't have any burning when passing urine and there is no blood. I have been taking sudafed - the liquid decongestant which I have taken a number of times in the past and NASONEX nasal spray. The antibiotic was AUGMENTIN but I felt the symptoms before taking this. My periods are not as regular as they once were and move about a bit - last year around this time I missed a few. The doc did test for the hormone which indicates the menopause - I can't remember what it is called - my levels were normal. That was around June of this year.
Don't know if that helps?
My thanks once again,
Lizzi

[tomsant]

I have been feeling unwell now for about 6 weeks. On 4th September, I visited an ENT specialist at the hospital and was told that I had Sinusitis and Rhinitis. My nose was running and I felt alot of congestion.

>>Fits the diagnosis.  
I don't feel that now but my ears are ringing
>>>May be due to the congestion of the eustachian tube (the tube connecting the back of the nose - or attic of throat - to ear) persisting after the rhino-sinusitis, should pass of in three weeks. An antihistaminic  medicine (which may make you feel drowsy), and steam inhalation should hasten it.

and I feel very tired and lethargic.
>>>Some people can develop side effects to some medicines, can these be due to medicines you now take or have taken?,

My thinking is foggy and I feel shivery and cold.
>>> Wonder if it is part of the illness or a sequelae of illness (like 'post viral fever aesthenia' ) or due to the medicines? Are you having burning pain while passing urine? Do you have fever?

I am sometimes a bit nauseas and dizzy.
>>>Again, due to side effects of medicines? Or part of the ailment?

I am worse in the mornings, usually feeling a bit better as the day progresses. I have been off work and feel that I don't probably have the energy to return.
>>>"Aesthenia"? Do you feel down and feel like weeping?

I was on a course of antibiotics which finished last Saturday and did feel a bit better for a couple of days after that.
>>>If the above symptoms were due to medicines you should be feeling better day by day.
Could you give me an idea as to what could be wrong. Is it to do with my sinuses do you think or is it something else?I am a woman aged 46. Many thanks,

>>>It may be due to the sinuses, but unusual to get prolonged like this. Please let us know the medicines you are/ were taking, for the present illness or otherwise, if you are a hypertensive or diabetic, and how your menstrual periods are. Have you done any lab test for blood or urine?

Also, how is your sleep? Are you unable to fall asleep or do you get up in the middle of the night and find it difficult to get back to sleep? Nightmares? Are you facing any personal problems right now?

May be you are already doing fine. If not, why not add the details noted above?

Best rgds,
***@****