Change of rhinitis diagnosis and will surgery help?

[Luckybear]

Hi, I went to my ENT medical officer(diff one that I saw previously) few weeks ago and he says that I have vasomotor rhinitis instead. My first diagnosis by a ENT consultant was allergic rhinitis. The reason he gave me that I didn't have allergic rhinitis because my allergy wasn't scoring high(3+) enough. I scored 1+ on a scale of 1-3. Should I go and see an allergist and request for more tests to be done? What are the tests available out there? If I go for the ELISA test, is it 100% correct? I borrowed this book and read about NARES (non-allergic rhinitis with eosinophilia) and does anyone here has heard abt it or have it?

At the moment, I'm taking Clarinase (loratadine + pseudoephedrine) and Nasacort AQ. Previously, I was having very bad sticky and thick mucus that just wouldn't 'move'. I can't cough it out or sneeze it out. I felt so miserable. Having to catch my breath after every few words I say, was making me too tired and breathless. That time, I was taking Nasonex and fexofenadine. I still am having the mucus thing but the episode are much shorter already. However the Clarinase is causing me palpitations and tachycardia. I already have problems with palps and tachy and it's just making it worse. So is anyone taking Clarinase or pseudoephedrine?

The med officer ask me to consider surgery to remove some of the tissues. He says my nasal passage is block to the point that it's nearly closed up. I would like to know anyone has gone for this kind of surgery? What's it like and what to expect? After the surgery to remove the tissues, will it help with the mucus problem? Any stories or suggestions would be appreciated!

[chigs489]

I would do the following...

First try nasal irrigation using a machine (Grossan Hydropulse is what I use, but there are others). In the resevoir, add the following

1. Warm distilled water (not tap water)
2. Salt
3. A pinch of baking soda
4. 10ml of Alkalol (a mucus solvent -order it from the drug store).

Do this twice a day for a week.

Try Astelin nasal spray (a topical antihistamine). Ask your doctor.

If the nose doesn't clear, and the tissue stays inflammed, consider surgery.

The surgery your doctor is recommending sounds very minor. If you have no structural abnormalities (deviated septum, bone spur, polyps), it is just a question of clearing out some tissue and cleaning the sinuses. We call this a FESS (frontal endoscopic nasal surgery). Recovery will be quick (within a few days).

One word of warning. Do NOT take and quinolone or floroquinolone antibiotics for this (Levaquin, Avelox, Floxin, Tequin, Cipro). They have horrible, life-changing side effects. If your doctor insists on an antibiotic, ask for Augmentin instead.

[Karber]

what side effects?
For me, I have become allergic to Cipro and several other antibiotics because of my need to take so many antibiotics over the year for sinusitis. I am desperate.

[chigs489]

side effects of drugs like Cipro, Avelox, and Levaquin are different than other drugs. We call these "adverse reactions" or ADRs. They are "immune complexes" where your immune system binds with a element of the drug and begins to attack your own tissue, skin, organs, etc.

I took Levaquin in January, and Avelox in March. I now have bilateral ulnar neuritis (nerve damage in the elbows), carpal tunnel syndrome, tarsal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis in the wrists and achilles tendon, nerve damage in the feet, red hands, and anxiety.

and I'm one of the lucky ones. Other people get Achilles tendon ruptures, organ damage, chronic pain, etc.

these symptoms go on for months to years. There is no treatment.

So ask yourself the question "can I afford to take a drug that could put me on disability for up to 6 months?"

Karen, have you had sinus surgery? Have you taken Augmentin?

[MrsLee]

I was having a lot of problems with congestion and breathing through my nose. My doctor suggested the deviated septum surgery and I went ahead with it. Afterward I was still having the same problems. My doctor blamed allergies, but after trying multiple allergy meds with no effect, I insisted on an allergy test.

The test showed no allergies, so I was diagnosed with vasomotor rhinitis. So my point is, if you have vasomotor rhinitis, the surgery may not be the cure you are looking for, since your nose will still swell. If you have no true allergies, astelin will not help much. I would recommend rhinocort, which is a steroid that reduces swelling in the nose. I take pseudoephedrine, it is the only thing that lets me function--I take aquatab, which contains the pseudoephedrine and guifenasin (spelling?). I also take singulair, which helps with my breathing problems.

A new doctor I went to said my problems are due to my turbinates swelling, and there is a procedure to reduce the size of them. I am considering it, buit after my last experience with surgery I am hesitant.

There are thousands of things you could be allergic to, and allergy tests only look for the very common allergies. More tests would be costly and useless. If antihistamines help you, then it probably is an allergy, but if they have no effect, you may indeed have the vasomotor or nonallergic rhinitis. (Note that if it is an allergy med with a decongestant, it may be the decongestant helping, not the antihsitamine.)

A side note about the cipro--they gave it to me after my septum correction surgery and I had an allergic reaction to it--I got all itchy. But I did not know there were so many side effects to it. I am interested to learn more, since I have been having many strange problems lately.