missmokay
05-16-2004, 02:50 PM
Ugh!
I'm trying to get rid of what I believe are the remnants of a sinus infection.
Woke up with my sinuses bothering me Wednesday morning and it blossomed into a nearly 102F fever by nighttime and aches all over my body. On and off nausea. At the risk of giving too much info, I got out a handful of chunky, bloody balls of white and green stuff on Friday, which made me feel alot better. Have gotten a little better each day since and temperature is back to normal, but still not feeling 100%. Still feel a little fuzzy and fatigued. Can't take traditional sinus meds because they make me nervous.
Any suggestions on what I can do to ease sinus symptoms without taking some pseudoephedrine or caffeine product which will turn me into Anxiety Woman? Steam therapy? Irrigation? Any other suggestions?
I'm trying to get rid of what I believe are the remnants of a sinus infection.
Woke up with my sinuses bothering me Wednesday morning and it blossomed into a nearly 102F fever by nighttime and aches all over my body. On and off nausea. At the risk of giving too much info, I got out a handful of chunky, bloody balls of white and green stuff on Friday, which made me feel alot better. Have gotten a little better each day since and temperature is back to normal, but still not feeling 100%. Still feel a little fuzzy and fatigued. Can't take traditional sinus meds because they make me nervous.
Any suggestions on what I can do to ease sinus symptoms without taking some pseudoephedrine or caffeine product which will turn me into Anxiety Woman? Steam therapy? Irrigation? Any other suggestions?
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Keraly
05-16-2004, 04:00 PM
Hi!
Are you trying to stay off of antibiotics? I would say it sounds as if you may need one. But...if you have already had one, or don't believe in them, I've heard many say that proper lubrication of the sinuses is very helpful. Try using a humidifier during the night and getting into a nice steamy shower each morning (or twice a day). Also, you might want to try using a saline nasal spray ("Ocean"). I believe you can douse your sinuses with it, and not worry about using too much. It's also supposed to be important to DRINK lots of water. This is supposed to thin out the mucus for you! The better it drains, the less likely there will be residue sitting around long enough to becmoe infected with bacteria. :) Get well! ~ Tracy
Are you trying to stay off of antibiotics? I would say it sounds as if you may need one. But...if you have already had one, or don't believe in them, I've heard many say that proper lubrication of the sinuses is very helpful. Try using a humidifier during the night and getting into a nice steamy shower each morning (or twice a day). Also, you might want to try using a saline nasal spray ("Ocean"). I believe you can douse your sinuses with it, and not worry about using too much. It's also supposed to be important to DRINK lots of water. This is supposed to thin out the mucus for you! The better it drains, the less likely there will be residue sitting around long enough to becmoe infected with bacteria. :) Get well! ~ Tracy
tishea
05-16-2004, 09:42 PM
Sounds like you aren't having a fun time with this sinus trouble. Depending on your financial situation and how desperate you are for traditional healing, I would recommend going to see a massage therapist. A massage therapist can work deep tissues of the face and neck which then works to release congestion. It really works! I do realize this isn't the cheapest method of healing but it's honestly great! Or, a chiropracter has good tricks as well as acupuncturists! I have tried them all and they all have their ups and downs.
Facial steams are wonderful as they will help "thin" the mucus up in there. There are remedies that you can buy over the counter to put into the steams that help to clear congestion also. Hope this works for you
Facial steams are wonderful as they will help "thin" the mucus up in there. There are remedies that you can buy over the counter to put into the steams that help to clear congestion also. Hope this works for you
Ratatosk
05-17-2004, 11:48 AM
Nasal Irrigation. I don't have the recipe. But snort some lukewarm saline. Feels like your drowning at first. Awful feeling -- stuff goes down your throat --spit it out. But feels much better a few minutes later. really clears that gunk out.
tishea
05-17-2004, 06:27 PM
My mother in law tried the nasal irrigation with warm water and salt. She said she thought she was honestly about to die....then fainted. I don't know how healthy this would be for you because when you inhale it, it goes up inside your sinuses (in your head) and it might hurt if there is congestion in there....let me know how it goes :)
missmokay
05-18-2004, 08:36 PM
I did nasal irrigation with salt water when I was trying to break a 3-month's long addiction to Afrin and had no problems with it. In fact, I felt it worked pretty well.
I went to the doctor today and said I did have a sinus infection. He scripted me an antibiotic, a nose spray, and cough tablets, none of which I can afford until Friday even with insurance because I'm desperately broke at the moment. The only one I'll probably get anyway is the antibiotic.
The new development is I now have laryngitis. I feel better for the most part, although still not much appetite or energy. But I can't talk very well.:-(
I went to the doctor today and said I did have a sinus infection. He scripted me an antibiotic, a nose spray, and cough tablets, none of which I can afford until Friday even with insurance because I'm desperately broke at the moment. The only one I'll probably get anyway is the antibiotic.
The new development is I now have laryngitis. I feel better for the most part, although still not much appetite or energy. But I can't talk very well.:-(
Keraly
05-24-2004, 12:28 PM
Try some Advil (if you have some), as it is an anti-inflamatory. It also actually helped my NOSE when I had a sinus infection. I'd kind of forgotten about that suggestion until you mentioned your larynghitis! I give it to my boy when he gets croup, too. Sounds as if his throat is swollen, as you nasal passages and throat no doubt are. Hope you are feeling better soon. Perhaps this post has taken place too late. But it may help you nose feel less puffy and congested to take some Advil (ibuprophen) if you're still having sinus trouble! Worked better than the Sudafed type meds I was taking! One doctor told me about it. And my dear ole Mom was already suggesting it before that! She has MS and hypothyroidism, and has had many bouts with imflamed tissues of the siatic nerve, etc. Knew of it's anti-inflam. properties. ~ Tracy
02magic
05-25-2004, 09:45 AM
Nasal Irrigation with saline is effective. You might want to add a course of Olive Leaf Extract. The label direction will tell you that the reccommended dosage is one capsule. It is a good idea to gradually increase your doseage to test for any allergic sensitivities but if you discover that you have no reactions very large initial doses work best (5000mg-3 times a day). It is primarily an antiviral herb but in large doses works well with other tyypes of infection. I have sucessfully treated my own tooth abcess with it but remember that I was my own "patient". I do suggest that you research Olive Leaf Extract. On a more "medical" path which I am not really suggesting but giving you some added information, Bacitracin ointment on a cuptip gently rubbed in the nasal cavity is an effective means of reducing sinus swelling. Sometimes the problem is low grade chronic staph infection. I am not a doctor and only speaking from my own experiences. I do prefer not using any types of anti-biotic treatments that aren't "whole herb" based however. Olive Leaf Extract is the best I have found.
Drury18
05-25-2004, 11:18 AM
I hear you on the sinuses thing...just got over mine and I ended up with a scratchy voice too.
A few home remedies I used were:
Hot Drinks - Lemonade or Ice Tea mix in hot water is great. When you drink it the steam opens you up, and the hot liquid really opens up and clears out any of the drainage that has gone into your throat or chest. Its great.
Hot Water Bottle - if your having bad headaches with your sinsus, try laying the sore part of your head on a hot water bottle. Make sure to not make it too hot, but you want it quite warm. Just lay on that for about a half hour and it will calm it down, and probably put you to sleep (that's why you don't want it warm
Warm Compresses - Just take facecloths or towels or whatever, run them in some warm water (warm as you can take) and just place them over your nose and cheeks and leave it there until it becomes cold again. You can do this as much as you'd like.
I don't personally suggest the steam idea in the shower since I find I end up feeling congested and start coughing alot, but some people swear by it. Usually its a trial and error type of thing.
The best part of all the things listed above, there is no harm using these over and over again. Worst thing that'll happen is frequent poddy trips from drinking alot of Tea or Lemonade. That's the worst of it.
A few home remedies I used were:
Hot Drinks - Lemonade or Ice Tea mix in hot water is great. When you drink it the steam opens you up, and the hot liquid really opens up and clears out any of the drainage that has gone into your throat or chest. Its great.
Hot Water Bottle - if your having bad headaches with your sinsus, try laying the sore part of your head on a hot water bottle. Make sure to not make it too hot, but you want it quite warm. Just lay on that for about a half hour and it will calm it down, and probably put you to sleep (that's why you don't want it warm
Warm Compresses - Just take facecloths or towels or whatever, run them in some warm water (warm as you can take) and just place them over your nose and cheeks and leave it there until it becomes cold again. You can do this as much as you'd like.
I don't personally suggest the steam idea in the shower since I find I end up feeling congested and start coughing alot, but some people swear by it. Usually its a trial and error type of thing.
The best part of all the things listed above, there is no harm using these over and over again. Worst thing that'll happen is frequent poddy trips from drinking alot of Tea or Lemonade. That's the worst of it.
lori j
05-28-2004, 03:26 AM
My ent doctor gave me an allergy spray called astilin for sinus & allergies, no side effects like oral drugs. You might want to ask your doctor about a spray for sinus.
melodyanna
05-29-2004, 02:38 AM
At Walgreens there is a product called Sinu-cleanse
That's what I bought and used. It really works too. It is a bit expensive initially, about $10, but once I finished that off I use the bottle and make my own saline solution. This bottle squirts up into your sinuses, as you lean over the sink and squeeze the bottle. It doesn't go down your throat, it doesn't feel like you are drowning, and it doesn't burn if you make your own saline mixture. It just goes up and you just relax and it dribbles back out. For a while I'd squeeze my nose and then lean completely over upside down to get the stuff alllll the way up in there. Then go back upright and allow it to drain in the sink. Then blow gently. I had a sinus infection for over six months, had taken a total of three rounds of antibiotics, a round of steroids, a round of decongestants, plus Allegra-D and Flonase for four months. And it STILL wouldn't go away completely. I bought the Sinu-Cleanse thing when I was at my wits end. It totally loosened up all that gunk and it was so gross. But it got most of that gunk out.
There is a thread in the Allergy section where many have tried the upside down sinus flooding using a saline mixture and some peroxide. I personally tried it and that burned and everything clogged up worse for a few days. So what I did was take two cups of water (filtered or distilled), one half teaspoon kosher salt or pickling salt, one half teaspoon of baking soda, that makes my saline mixture that I still use daily. It should taste like tears and it doesn't burn because it's supposed to be just like your natural tears and mucous. I got this recipe off a dr.'s website who is in Austin, I found this site doing a google search for peroxide sinus infection. When I still had brown and green gunk, I would add one teaspoon of peroxide and do the upside down flooding. It worked for me, after a six month long ordeal, my snot finally became clear and not solid colored and I was dancing a jig.
I also took Nettle herb, papaya extract and Goldenseal/Echinacea. You can find this information doing a search for sinus infection irrigation, various ENT's recommend irrigation and I found a dr. recommending the herbs above.
There's also a recommended product called Alkalol that you dilute at one half of this with saline and flood your sinuses. I used that a lot too, and it helped.
I tried a lot of things and I couldn't tell you what one thing worked, maybe a combination of all. I was just very desperate and if someone told me that bouncing on one leg while saying the Star Spangled Banner backwards while blinking my eyes would heal me, I might have tried it! LOL
But that is just my personal experience, and what worked for me. I found out after the fact that what I might have had was a fungal infection. All I know is that it's long gone now.
That's what I bought and used. It really works too. It is a bit expensive initially, about $10, but once I finished that off I use the bottle and make my own saline solution. This bottle squirts up into your sinuses, as you lean over the sink and squeeze the bottle. It doesn't go down your throat, it doesn't feel like you are drowning, and it doesn't burn if you make your own saline mixture. It just goes up and you just relax and it dribbles back out. For a while I'd squeeze my nose and then lean completely over upside down to get the stuff alllll the way up in there. Then go back upright and allow it to drain in the sink. Then blow gently. I had a sinus infection for over six months, had taken a total of three rounds of antibiotics, a round of steroids, a round of decongestants, plus Allegra-D and Flonase for four months. And it STILL wouldn't go away completely. I bought the Sinu-Cleanse thing when I was at my wits end. It totally loosened up all that gunk and it was so gross. But it got most of that gunk out.
There is a thread in the Allergy section where many have tried the upside down sinus flooding using a saline mixture and some peroxide. I personally tried it and that burned and everything clogged up worse for a few days. So what I did was take two cups of water (filtered or distilled), one half teaspoon kosher salt or pickling salt, one half teaspoon of baking soda, that makes my saline mixture that I still use daily. It should taste like tears and it doesn't burn because it's supposed to be just like your natural tears and mucous. I got this recipe off a dr.'s website who is in Austin, I found this site doing a google search for peroxide sinus infection. When I still had brown and green gunk, I would add one teaspoon of peroxide and do the upside down flooding. It worked for me, after a six month long ordeal, my snot finally became clear and not solid colored and I was dancing a jig.
I also took Nettle herb, papaya extract and Goldenseal/Echinacea. You can find this information doing a search for sinus infection irrigation, various ENT's recommend irrigation and I found a dr. recommending the herbs above.
There's also a recommended product called Alkalol that you dilute at one half of this with saline and flood your sinuses. I used that a lot too, and it helped.
I tried a lot of things and I couldn't tell you what one thing worked, maybe a combination of all. I was just very desperate and if someone told me that bouncing on one leg while saying the Star Spangled Banner backwards while blinking my eyes would heal me, I might have tried it! LOL
But that is just my personal experience, and what worked for me. I found out after the fact that what I might have had was a fungal infection. All I know is that it's long gone now.