Very Bad Sinus Problems

[icesktr189]

im pretty sure i dont have an infection because throughout the whole pregnancy i had sinus pressure and problems so i took 2 rounds of amoxicillian. helped but the problems came right back.

i feel like a balloon in my head.. pressure, headaches, eyes feel full..

any advice on what i can take for this? i am VERY nervous on taking anything because i hate feeling drowsy or getting adrenaline surges from stuff.

thank you!

oh yeah i use the netti pot but it doesnt do too much to help.. takes off some pressure but come right back

[juliegee]

New Mommies can't be sick- you're way too busy!

I have chronic sinusitis and have starting using a neti WITH Wilson's Solution. It is an antibiotic mixed into saline. It must be kept refrigerated. I shake it, measure out my dose and microwave it for 5 seconds before using it. My sinus issues are in my ethmoid sinuses (above my forehead). The neti lets me deliver the antibiotic perfectly. I use it AM and PM in each nostril.

Ask your allergist or PCP about this. It's getting very popular as there are practically no side effects & the antibiotic is delivered to the problem area perefctly. I assume it can be used safely long term. My allergist wrote my script for 6 refills. It's helped more than any antibiotic alone & I plan to keep it up indefinately. I still have a plugged ear & occasional feelings of fullness in my face.....but it's getting better.

Kiss your baby's belly for me Feel better!

Julie

[lieze]

Wow that sounds like excellent advice.

I may have to look into that one myself although I"m not sure how well I'll do pouring water up my nose.

My doctor thought I would do well on Claritin and Sudafed.

I took both together one day and thought I'd wipe out. It was too much I never really did keep up with that, she wanted me to work on it til I had it clear.

lieze

[juliegee]

Wow that sounds like excellent advice.

I may have to look into that one myself although I"m not sure how well I'll do pouring water up my nose.

My doctor thought I would do well on Claritin and Sudafed.

I took both together one day and thought I'd wipe out. It was too much I never really did keep up with that, she wanted me to work on it til I had it clear.

lieze

Hi lieze-

It takes some practice pouring the solution up your nose. I watched a neti pot tutorial online first. It isn't pleasant. It feels like when you jump into the deep end of the pool without plugging your nose. It takes about a minute and a half to do both nostrils- not too bad when you get used to it.

Try it if you aren't getting relief any other way

Julie

[firewatcher]

"It isn't pleasant. It feels like when you jump into the deep end of the pool without plugging your nose."

If you feel anything unpleasant, your water is probably too cold. It needs to be body temperature or hotter, any colder and it does feel like you are driving a nail through your nose! I find that if I use as hot a water as I can stand that it dissolves the mucus faster and shrinks the nasal passages. Just try not to burn yourself! I thought it was gross before I did it the first time, now I've been doing using it daily for 8 years.

[juliegee]

Hi Jennifer-

I think it's just going to be unpleasant for me . Mine is a prescription that has to be refrigerated, but I do pop it in the micro for a few seconds to warm it (with pharmacists approval.) It STILL feels like I just jumped into the deep end of the pool. It's bearable, but not fun or easy.

I have a question for you. Does the solution always easily come out of the opposite nostril? I have times (usually when my sinuses feel quite swollen & blocked) when the solution will NOT come out of the other nostril no matter what I do. I still attempt from both sides, blow gently & go about my day. Sometimes later in the day, when things are less congested, I can get the solution to do the right thing. Is this just me?

I've had septoplasty before & my husband blames it on my faulty "set-up" He can always make me laugh.

Thanks for your help.( Sorry to hijack, Dani, but this may end up helping you too.)

Julie

[Chaos]

I've used both the neti pot and the Neil med system. I seem to have more success with the Neil med as far as getting it to come out the other side, especially when I'm really congested on one side. I think you can get a little more pressure with the Neil med plastic squeeze bottle. When I've used the neti pot, it frequently seems like the solution just gets stuck in my sinuses and makes the whole thing worse.

I've also had problems with getting a really bad headache for the first couple days of using either system. Not sure why that is but it does seem to get better if I can stick with it. The problem is when I miss for a few days and then go back to it I get the headache again. Playing with the water temperature hasn't seemed to help with the headache issue.

Dani- I know my allergist told me back in Jan. already that pollen counts were rising for us here in NM. Says we don't get a long enough freeze to really knock them down. Being that you're next door in Arizona, some of your symptoms may be allergy related.? I've been told to use the neti pot etc. twice a day, expecially if you've been outside, to help with allergy symptoms.

Also, if I remember right -never sure about that these days - when you're pregnant, all your mucus membranes get more active. (remember that mucus plug that forms in the cervix?) Anyway, sinus pressure etc during pregnancy is very common and especially if you're nursing now, those hormones that were so active in pregnancy are still active now, albeit to a lesser degree. Hopefully your symptoms will improve in time as the hormone levels slow down in your post-partum state.

Still sounds like Jennifer and Juli have the right idea to try the neti pot etc. for now though.

Juli- thanks for the tip on the Wilson's solution. Think I'll ask my allergist about it next week when I see him.

Enjoy your beautiful baby! They grow up WAY to fast!

Cheri

[firewatcher]

Hi Jennifer-

I think it's just going to be unpleasant for me . Mine is a prescription that has to be refrigerated, but I do pop it in the micro for a few seconds to warm it (with pharmacists approval.) It STILL feels like I just jumped into the deep end of the pool. It's bearable, but not fun or easy.

I have a question for you. Does the solution always easily come out of the opposite nostril? I have times (usually when my sinuses feel quite swollen & blocked) when the solution will NOT come out of the other nostril no matter what I do. I still attempt from both sides, blow gently & go about my day. Sometimes later in the day, when things are less congested, I can get the solution to do the right thing. Is this just me?

I've had septoplasty before & my husband blames it on my faulty "set-up" He can always make me laugh.

Thanks for your help.( Sorry to hijack, Dani, but this may end up helping you too.)

Julie

Julie,

If you can get it to come out the other nostril at all, it should always come out that nostril. You may just be really swollen. Here is a gross solution, but I do it and it gets things flowing usually: close off the lower nostril with your finger and GENTLY suck the water back into your mouth. It will often suck the mucus plug with it and you can spit it out. This causes the water to flow back into other passages that "stage 1" neti does not usually get. This is "stage 2 neti" and takes some practice. Don't suck hard or you'll cause negative pressure on your ears, plus you'll get a mouthful of salt water. Make sure your drain your nasal passages well if you attempt "stage 2" because the water does travel beyond simple gravity. I bend over and tilt my head back and forth till the water stops running out. Again, once you get used to it, it won't be uncomfortable.

It may take a little longer, but if you'll neti with really warm salt-water before your anti-biotic you may get the passages to open up and the medication will be more effective.

Edited March 14, 2010 by firewatcher

[fc3schick87]

i have sinus pressure too, it contributes to my migraines. i use over the counter walgreens brand nasal spray and it does wonders, bad thing is you can only use it for 3 days in a row, i only use it once a week only on my really bad days. wound up with a nose bleed too....

i use saline nasal spray too. doesnt really do much.... but it does help clear stuff out.

i tried the neti pot and i darn near killed myself. it ran down my throat. i am sure i didnt do it right but i tried again and same thing. i guess i just cant close my nose off right by breathing threw my mouth?

i tried nasonex nasal spray and it didnt do anything for me btw.... the walgreens stuff is the only stuff i have tried that helped.

my osteopathic doctor gave me some sinatrol which is a supplement that i should take 3 pills 3 times a day but its just so expensive.. hasnt helped yet.

[icesktr189]

thanks for the replies

im going to give in and go back to my ENT... i hate doing that because last time she removed my tonsils/adenoids (she tends to use "harsh treatments" first hand)

i just cant make it through another round of antibiotics especially when ulcertive colitis runs in my family.

thanks for the suggestions of the antibiotics that go directly in your nose! ill bring that one up.. so they have no side effects? i do have that problem when i use the netti pot of it not draining down the other nostril. i think im just so clogged up

fc3schick87- do you mean the nasal spray that is just saline? just asking because i have not seen another walgreens spray? i would love to try anything that works

[fc3schick87]

i have had horrible migraines for years. i thought it was just my DA, i then realized it was sinus pressure...

i started using a nasal rinse

http://www.amazon.com/Alkalol-Natural-Soothing-Solvent-16-Ounce/dp/B003YFG0M0/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1334463167&sr=1-1

and i started using nasonex nasal spray... i successfully rid myself of any start of any migraine and pressure by using the rinse and i prevent other issues by using the nasal spray daily..

i also drink odwalla juice, superfood (the green one) and it also helps a great deal with any headaches too. i have been migraine free for about 2 years now. i still get some but they are reduced by 80% since i been using a nasal rinse i also dont suffer from colds or sore throats.

[Elfie]

I've had issues with this, you can also get a antibiotic in tube form that you mix with warm distilled water to use in a neti pot. Last year I only had 1-2 sinus infections, but the year before that I had chronic infections for almost 9 months. It was a huge drain. Finally after lots of antibiotics (including very strong ones) and MRIs/catscans and getting scoped I passed a huge blockage that the ENT swears wasn't there. Since then I've been doing better with the sinus infections, but on the downside I possibly have damage to my sinuses or septum which has caused me to inadvertantly make strange sounds.