collinsj
02-18-2001, 06:06 AM
I am in my thirties. I'm hoping someone out there can help with a recurring allergy problem. I seem endlessly susceptible to the following multi-phase allergic reaction (to what I don't know).
Phase 1 consists of a burning post-nasal drip. (Even when I'm feeling healthy I have a drip 24-7, but it doesn't cause me discomfort) The burning drip quickly causes painful welts to form at the back of my throat. My nasal passages also feel raw and sometimes bleed. This goes on for 2-3 days.
Phase 2 consists of The drip reducing significantly, and the welts in my throat going away. Now I have sinus congestion that is painful enough to rival a migrane headache and bottom of my throat near my bronchial tubes becomes raw. I develop a dry cough that feels like I'm ripping steel wool along my throat every time I cough.This goes on for another 2-3 days.
Phase 3 is the final phase. It can last as long as 3 weeks. The congestion and head ache go away. The dry cough becomes a wet one invariably accompanied by yellow to green phlem.
I've learned that if I can stop the burning drip via an anti-histamine within 2-3 hours, I'm fine. If not, I'm on the roller coaster of hell. I almost always end up on antibiotics and miss work/play for a week.
I've seen an ear,nose and throat specialist who tells me there is no scarring in my sinuses to indicate these are recurring sinus infections. He says they are rhinus infections due to alleric reactions. I didn't even know there was a difference. I took allergy shots. After the first year of the shots, the allergic reaction described above stopped, but I continued to have the ever-present post-nasal drip. After 4 1/2 years I re-tested and showed no reaction to any of my orginal allergens except mold. My allergist terminated my shot treatments on the basis of this result. That was a 1 1/2 years ago. I've also tried nasal steroids like Vancenase and Flownase with little to no change.
Does this sound familiar to anyone? Do you know of a successful treatment?
Phase 1 consists of a burning post-nasal drip. (Even when I'm feeling healthy I have a drip 24-7, but it doesn't cause me discomfort) The burning drip quickly causes painful welts to form at the back of my throat. My nasal passages also feel raw and sometimes bleed. This goes on for 2-3 days.
Phase 2 consists of The drip reducing significantly, and the welts in my throat going away. Now I have sinus congestion that is painful enough to rival a migrane headache and bottom of my throat near my bronchial tubes becomes raw. I develop a dry cough that feels like I'm ripping steel wool along my throat every time I cough.This goes on for another 2-3 days.
Phase 3 is the final phase. It can last as long as 3 weeks. The congestion and head ache go away. The dry cough becomes a wet one invariably accompanied by yellow to green phlem.
I've learned that if I can stop the burning drip via an anti-histamine within 2-3 hours, I'm fine. If not, I'm on the roller coaster of hell. I almost always end up on antibiotics and miss work/play for a week.
I've seen an ear,nose and throat specialist who tells me there is no scarring in my sinuses to indicate these are recurring sinus infections. He says they are rhinus infections due to alleric reactions. I didn't even know there was a difference. I took allergy shots. After the first year of the shots, the allergic reaction described above stopped, but I continued to have the ever-present post-nasal drip. After 4 1/2 years I re-tested and showed no reaction to any of my orginal allergens except mold. My allergist terminated my shot treatments on the basis of this result. That was a 1 1/2 years ago. I've also tried nasal steroids like Vancenase and Flownase with little to no change.
Does this sound familiar to anyone? Do you know of a successful treatment?
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kdoubleu
02-19-2001, 05:20 PM
Have you been tested for environmental and food allergies?
collinsj
02-19-2001, 10:20 PM
No, I haven't. Do my symptoms indicate I might have one or both of those?
kdoubleu
02-23-2001, 05:01 PM
It's possible. My food and environmental allergies cause itchiness (eyes, ears, etc.), congestion, post-nasal drip, and sinus pain as well as the food ones cause digestive trouble. Finding out what I was allergic to helped with all that. I'd recommend getting tested for both. At the very least it would eliminate another possibility.
I used to get very bad coughs before I was treated for asthma. So you may have a few things going on causing the different symptoms. The doc who helped me with much of this is a sinus, allergy, and asthma specialist.
I used to get very bad coughs before I was treated for asthma. So you may have a few things going on causing the different symptoms. The doc who helped me with much of this is a sinus, allergy, and asthma specialist.