Chronic Sinusitis

MadMardegan

Over a year ago I started to experience stuffiness iny nose and sinuses. I literally couldn't breath through my nose for some time.

After a week of that I went and got some nasal spray from the chemist. I'd always been against them, never liked the idea of putting stuff up my nose but I decided that it was worth it to clear my nose.
I started using it for a few days. It was the best thing ever... My nose hadn't been that clear in years. I loved it!

The problem is that I kept using it. It got to the point where I was dependant on it. I couldn't do without it. I went months without going off it.

I had tried to stop using it because I knew it wasn't good but I couldn't cope with my nose being blocked all the time.

A couple of months ago I asked a doctor that I met while working about it. He told me to take an antibiotic and to stop using the spray. I ran a course of antibiotics (amoxicillin) and stopped with the spray. Things were fine for almost 2 months but then I had to go back to using the spray.

It's gotten to the point where it's affecting my sense of smell and I want to consult a specialist about it.

Can anyone give me any advice about this or recommend a good Ear/Nose/Throat clinic?

Thanks in advance.

gigawatt

this has happened to me when i was using otravine. try using beconase for a week or so to wean yourself off the spray and go back to your doctor and explain whats been happening! only they can make a proper decision about what course of treament you should take!

MadMardegan

gigawatt wrote: »

this has happened to me when i was using otravine. try using beconase for a week or so to wean yourself off the spray and go back to your doctor and explain whats been happening! only they can make a proper decision about what course of treament you should take!

Yeah I started using otravine myself. Have since changed to sudafed, seems to be a lot lighter but still need to stop completely.

My aul one gave me a NeilMed sinus rinse pack a few days ago. It doesn't help clear my sinuses at all... Feels horrible too!

Solair

You should get an appointment with a good ENT specialist. Worth getting their opinion on how to deal with it.

Also, eliminate any mould from your house, particularly the bedroom. Get rid of dust too, good vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter can make a really big impact.
Also don't use feather pillows or duvets and wash your bed linen regularly.

Also worth getting a proper allergy test, particularly for milk, dust mites, animal dander etc. You can arrange this via your GP.
Don't fall for those ridiculous non scientific tests involving hair samples or holding allergens in jars or whatever. It should be a skin scratch test or a blood sample analysing antibodies.

Nasal sprays shouldn't be used long term without medical supervision. Steroids can produce odd problems like making fungal infections worse, or causing damage to mucous membranes!

Wouldn't recommend using these without serious medical supervision.

Also try sniffing olbus oil, drinking warm peppermint tea, etc can help get the mucous flowing and clear it out.

Other than that, plenty of liquids, get out for plenty of walks / jogs etc.
Lots of fresh fruit, veg, garlic etc all has a big impact!
And stay away from cigarettes and smokers!
All helps!

palester

Yeah, I used Otrivine in the past (for about 5 months) and couldn't breathe properly without it. Took me ages to stop using it and my GP recommended Sinutab instead just to get off it! I've a friend who used Otrivine for several years and ended up with huge problems with her nose.....

As for an ENT specialist, your GP should be able to refer you. I doubt you could just make an appointment directly with one....

MadMardegan

Solair wrote: »

You should get an appointment with a good ENT specialist. Worth getting their opinion on how to deal with it.

Also, eliminate any mould from your house, particularly the bedroom. Get rid of dust too, good vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter can make a really big impact.
Also don't use feather pillows or duvets and wash your bed linen regularly.

Also worth getting a proper allergy test, particularly for milk, dust mites, animal dander etc. You can arrange this via your GP.
Don't fall for those ridiculous non scientific tests involving hair samples or holding allergens in jars or whatever. It should be a skin scratch test or a blood sample analysing antibodies.

Thanks for the advice man.

Can you recommend any good ENT specialists? I'd rather not have to pay 55 euro and go through a GP if I can help it.

palester wrote: »

Yeah, I used Otrivine in the past (for about 5 months) and couldn't breathe properly without it. Took me ages to stop using it and my GP recommended Sinutab instead just to get off it! I've a friend who used Otrivine for several years and ended up with huge problems with her nose.....

Jesus... I can only imagine what it's like after several years taking the stuff...

BostonB

I had to stop using a lot of that stuff. I also find those airwaves gum help.

Solair

MadMardegan wrote: »

Thanks for the advice man.

Can you recommend any good ENT specialists? I'd rather not have to pay 55 euro and go through a GP if I can help it.




Jesus... I can only imagine what it's like after several years taking the stuff...

They're only accessible via referral. Unfortunately, you'd need to ask a GP.
An ENT specialist can quite easily look up your nose with an endoscope and figure out what's actually going on.

Couldn't really recommend one, but the main specialists in that area are all excellent in the major centres.
Most of them are fairly well equipped in their offices, so usually you won't need to go to hospital.

Your GP should have a good idea of who to refer to. ENT problems are very common.

Definitely try the removing allergens approach though. Dust and mould are huge contributing factors.

I had a lot of sinusitis and its 100% related to those factors.

Also, Irish weather tends to contribute too. Mild, damp weather produces a lot of mould, fungus and moss growth. The spores from those can really irritate some peoples noses!

Eliminating them from your house and bedroom can have huge impacts. Also check the pollen filter on your car is working and maintained!!

KoemansCC

Don't usually post here but I went through the exact same thing and only got it fully remedied about 2 years ago after years of stuffiness, if I could turn back time I would have gone to see an ENT specialist a lot sooner.

First of all my original GP misdiagnosed my issue as hayfever or dust alergies so I believed this for years, I then used Otrivine on and off but eventually it became less and less effective. The original GP then prescribed steroid drops which temporarily cleared the problem but once you stop taking the drops the symtoms quickly return.

I thought this was going to be my lot until I moved house and changed GP, he referred me to an ENT specialist (went private but the waiting list was still 6-8 months). I had the ENT appoinment and after a CT scan 15 minutes later, I was diagnosed with polyps lining the inside of my sinus cavities; some of my cavities were completely blocked. The ENT scheduled a procedure for the following week and after a 20 hour stay in hospital the change was unbelievable, the morning after the procedure I was able to breath through both nostrils normally...the only side effect was a bit of bleeding from the nostrils for about a week but it was well worth it (about 10 days from seeing the ENT to the procedure).

My advice would be to get your GP to refer you to an ENT straight away, if they won't do it...change GP! Can't remember the name of my specialist but he was based out of the Bon Secours in Galway and has a great reputation from what I heard, a mate went to him with a deviated septem too. PM me if you want to find out his name and I can dig it out.

Best of luck...

Solair

Yeah, definitely worth getting to an ENT consultant. I went to a guy in Cork linked to South Infirmary, which is the largest ENT unit in the country in terms of numbers of patients treated. It's kinda a sub unit within the CUH system that deals with all the complex ear, nose and throat cases for the South of the country and also links into neurootology etc at CUH.

Was seen very quickly and they're all very friendly and totally pro!

Was waiting about 7 days, private.

Just remember though, your nose and sinuses are very complex ecosystems! You can really upset the natural balance by excessively using steroidal nasal sprays and it can definitely be very counterproductive, particularly if you had any kind of fungal infection.

While I don't mean to diss GPs, chronic sinusitis is a serious problem and ENT is a complex speciality. So,get to an expert and you'll get sorted!

It's unnecessary misery otherwise!

MadMardegan

KoemansCC wrote: »

Don't usually post here but I went through the exact same thing and only got it fully remedied about 2 years ago after years of stuffiness, if I could turn back time I would have gone to see an ENT specialist a lot sooner.

First of all my original GP misdiagnosed my issue as hayfever or dust alergies so I believed this for years, I then used Otrivine on and off but eventually it became less and less effective. The original GP then prescribed steroid drops which temporarily cleared the problem but once you stop taking the drops the symtoms quickly return.

I thought this was going to be my lot until I moved house and changed GP, he referred me to an ENT specialist (went private but the waiting list was still 6-8 months). I had the ENT appoinment and after a CT scan 15 minutes later, I was diagnosed with polyps lining the inside of my sinus cavities; some of my cavities were completely blocked. The ENT scheduled a procedure for the following week and after a 20 hour stay in hospital the change was unbelievable, the morning after the procedure I was able to breath through both nostrils normally...the only side effect was a bit of bleeding from the nostrils for about a week but it was well worth it (about 10 days from seeing the ENT to the procedure).

My advice would be to get your GP to refer you to an ENT straight away, if they won't do it...change GP! Can't remember the name of my specialist but he was based out of the Bon Secours in Galway and has a great reputation from what I heard, a mate went to him with a deviated septem too. PM me if you want to find out his name and I can dig it out.

Best of luck...

Have you ever had any relapses or problems since?

What kind of procedure are you talking about?

Sounds like a great success story though man, exactly the type of thing I'm looking for.

Cheers.

KoemansCC

No relapses yet, but the ENT said that the polyps will most likely grow back and I may need a repeat procedure in 15, 20 years, from what he said they are caused by a mild reaction to aspirin (disprin tablets etc).
The procedure was under general anesthetic, basically he went up each nostril with a camera and cutters and cut each polyp away (the polyp was like a small teardrop shape of skin), he had to do both sinus cavities above the eye socket and both below, took abaout 45-60 min in total I think. As the ENT explained the only possible complication was that he could accidently nick a blood vessel or the optic nerve causing possible blindness (remote) as he was working in around and behind the eyeballs (he was very forthcoming with this possibility and was honest and said that it had happened to him once during a procedure).
After the procedure was done he strings a load of small sponges on a thread and stuffs them up each nostril into your sinus cavities to stop the bleeding, removal of these the next morning was the most uncomfortable part of the procedure (not painfull just very wierd). He grabs both threads and pulls them out in about 1-2 seconds and all sorts of crap comes down after them (congelled blood, mucus, etc) and my eyes watered like crazy for 30 minutes; I was home about an hour or two later.
Post op care was just to rinse the nostrils with saline solution and use otrivine for a week or two after, I was able to blow my nose properly after about 2-3 days for the first time in years.
A biot long winded but hope it helps if thats what you need to have done.

MadMardegan

KoemansCC wrote: »

No relapses yet, but the ENT said that the polyps will most likely grow back and I may need a repeat procedure in 15, 20 years, from what he said they are caused by a mild reaction to aspirin (disprin tablets etc).
The procedure was under general anesthetic, basically he went up each nostril with a camera and cutters and cut each polyp away (the polyp was like a small teardrop shape of skin), he had to do both sinus cavities above the eye socket and both below, took abaout 45-60 min in total I think. As the ENT explained the only possible complication was that he could accidently nick a blood vessel or the optic nerve causing possible blindness (remote) as he was working in around and behind the eyeballs (he was very forthcoming with this possibility and was honest and said that it had happened to him once during a procedure).
After the procedure was done he strings a load of small sponges on a thread and stuffs them up each nostril into your sinus cavities to stop the bleeding, removal of these the next morning was the most uncomfortable part of the procedure (not painfull just very wierd). He grabs both threads and pulls them out in about 1-2 seconds and all sorts of crap comes down after them (congelled blood, mucus, etc) and my eyes watered like crazy for 30 minutes; I was home about an hour or two later.
Post op care was just to rinse the nostrils with saline solution and use otrivine for a week or two after, I was able to blow my nose properly after about 2-3 days for the first time in years.
A biot long winded but hope it helps if thats what you need to have done.

That's great information mate.

I would be a bit apprehensive about the possibility of damaging an optic nerve, but I understand that there is always risks with any kind of procedure.

Will probably have to wait till after new year to see my GP, what with christenings/anniversaries/Christmas/new years coming up. Not the best time of year.

If you don't mind my asking, how much did it cost you to see the ENT/have the procedure/post op care?

KoemansCC

Cost off the top of my head

- Initial ENT visit €300 (payable up front but fully reimbursed through insurance)
- CT scan €170 (payable up front but not reimbursed through insurance)
- Procedure (fully covered by insurance)
- Follw up ENT visit €300 (payable up front but fully reimbursed through insurance)

MadMardegan

KoemansCC wrote: »

Cost off the top of my head

- Initial ENT visit €300 (payable up front but fully reimbursed through insurance)
- CT scan €170 (payable up front but not reimbursed through insurance)
- Procedure (fully covered by insurance)
- Follw up ENT visit €300 (payable up front but fully reimbursed through insurance)

Costly enough.

That's great though man, you've been a huge help.

KoemansCC

Probably free going public but you could be a year or two on a waiting list I'd say...maybe longer since the big R kicked in.

MadMardegan

KoemansCC wrote: »

Probably free going public but you could be a year or two on a waiting list I'd say...maybe longer since the big R kicked in.

How long was there between your initial appointment with the ENT and the actual procedure?

KoemansCC

7-10 days...

Blueskye

It's worth asking your GP how long the waiting list is to see the ENT consultant. I went publicly in Cork and only waited 3 or 4 weeks to see the consultant. Had a CT scan about 10 days later, found nothing unfortunately. But it was free which was amazing. I'm now seeing an immunologist privately. 4 month wait for private patients!!

Solair

In general, the major sticking point in the Irish health system tends to be A&E. The ENT services and quite a lot of other specialities are generally quite good at the moment, certainly in Cork anyway.

There are some areas which are a total disgrace in terms of lack of resources and chaos though.

The ENT building itself in the South Infirmary / Victoria is unsurprisingly, a bit Victorian but, the medical and technical facilities seem excellent.