Sinusitis and fibromyalgia

[KellyM46]

Does anyone else have chronic sinusitis alongside their fibro?

[Hazel_Angelstar Administrator FMA UK Staff]

I don't have sinusitis but I do have chronic non allergic rhinitis

[Polzovatel]

I also have chronic sinusitis , also noticed that lots of fibro medications (amitriptyline etc ) dry out sinuses and cause sinus headaches

[rosewine]

I have chronic rhinitis and if I have a cold it always turns to sinusitis, I am suffering from it at the moment.

[Gina16G]

I also have sinus problems and noises. I was also wondering if anyone else was thinking long Covid symptoms seem to be very similar to fibromyalgia as an illness can cause it too. Maybe we might get more help to understand and treat ourselves with research into this ‘long Covid’

[Char1-2]

Yes, I’ve struggled with fibro and sinus issues for 10 years most irritating thing is if it’s not fibro that keeps me awake it will be my blocked sinus’ then this makes my fibro 10 times worse., it’s an awful cycle I’m struggling to get out of, I’ve been to ENT got sprays ect but nothing is sorting it fully.

[Boo2008 in reply to Char1-2]

Hi im new to the group. After my flush with ENT 3 years ago alcohol has effected my sinuses and i no longer drink and the way to clear my sinus infections is Cefalexin antibiotics. Omg they are amazing. Ive tried to drink just to make sure its a trigger and now cannot even take a sip. But the antibiotics bring me back to a clear nose with smells the sprays work plus im also using steremar allergy spray

[KellyM46]

I totally feel for you I’ve been exactly the same. I had a sinus operation endoscopic surgery 6 years ago and it totally cleared my sinuses for 4 years..no allergies no hay fever nothing but the last 2 years it’s been back with avengence. I have been referred to ENT and go next month. I would suggest you go back to your doctor and get them to refer you again. Ask them for the operation that I had it’s amazing and definitely worked for me. Your right no sprays work.

[luckylou52 in reply to KellyM46]

I had my sinuses washed out at 21 and it was great for 2 years but since then it’s got worse. No way will I ever have that op again. They messed up my sense of smell and when I went to a specialist it turns out my nasal passages are so narrow it will only be cured by basically changing my nose!! I absolutely refuse to do that so I use the nasal spray the specialist recommended and I’ll put up with it.

[Elizahl]

Yes but I never linked the 2. For over a year I keep having issues with sinuses and nasal drip and that keeps causing chest infections when it is breaking away and upset stomach. I am at my wits end with ot. The doctor changed my antihistamine last week and I ended up worse my eyes were raw red and swollen and itchy and stinging and weeping I switched back to the old one yesterday as I couldnt sleep not 5 minutes on the new one which doesn't help the eyes. I slept like a log afterwards but still exhausted and have to catch up on lost sleep. Do you think the 2 things could be linked?

[Dab247]

I have chronic sinusitis and also post nasal drip ,which means I'm constantly gagging,its worse in winter.

[Judithdalston]

I have a constant nasal drip, largely minimised with prescription Mometasone but at least one nasal passage regularly partially blocked. Can loose my sense of smell for months at a time, and get sinusitis with colds. I have been trying to investigate what makes my fibromyalgia worse...slow going as I have other diagnoses that seemed more likely culprits ( insulin dependent diabetes and what had been years of undermedicated hypothyroidism), and very recently looking at oxygen levels and sleep apnea. I don’t sleep on my back, and my neck measurements are well below ‘ causal’. I bought a oximeter and used it last night when I woke up(normally 4 plus times, feeling a need to pee). Generally oxygen levels 96% plus, but final waking seemed to be struggling to read a level in the 70s ( the meter only reads from 70, so could have been lower). I have had post covid injection ‘flu’ with temperature over last 48 hours of 102F, and will try again for a few days/ nights, then consider getting a a sleep apnea test. But , as I asked on this forum last week, could sleep apnea be playing a greater part in some of us fibros than we think?

[Beckster22]

Hi, yes I had acute sinusitis for about 15 years. The headaches were horrendous and very debilitating. However, I’ve found that has all gone thank goodness. I don’t know for certain but I put it down to the anti inflammatories I’m on for fibro.

[Alanna012]

At the beginning of my fibro nightmare I had chronic sinusitis, all day everyday, no sprays or the neti pot worked, it was sheer misery.

I found my dustmite allergy had also suddenly become much worse with my physical response being much more aggressive - swollen throat, difficulty breathing etc. I couldn't go anywhere that was even slightly dusty; clothes shops, carpeted areas, book shops, libraries, charity shops and had to take down my curtains, couldn't use my bed, couldn't open my wardrobe.

So it was interesting that fibro emerged along with a change in my immune system becoming more active overall. In fact I would feel instant physical pain especially in my legs the second I was triggered (so the second I walked in a library etc) which was very weird and absolutely no one understood or had heard of such a phenomenon before and as I didn't know I had fibro I was calling Allergy UK who were just 🤨🧐🐓

I found the only thing that gave any relief from the sinusitis at all, was antihistamines and it got to the point that I was having strong prescription only antihistamines along with over the counter ones everyday and in the end I was referred to allergy clinic and got allergy therapy for dustmite and after 2 years of therapy the sinusitis improved for the most part.

If you have dust mite allergy at a level where it becomes problematic, it is 24/7 and there is no relief from the trigger. So if you find this may be an issue at all for you, it might be worth seeing if you can get pinprick test to see how bad it is, as this may be fueling the sinus inflammation. I was told large numbers of people have DMA but most people only get treatment when they get issues.

Some say there is a gut connection as well. If you have gastric reflux the regurgitated acid inflames the sinuses as you lie down, and also there's another school of thought that says sinusitis is connected to low stomach acid and sluggish metabolism and drinking concentrated lemon juice or apple cider vinegar mixed in water everyday starting in the morning can help. ACV has to include the mother if drinking. I tried this and it does get the mucus moving but you really have to keep it up several times a day. Also steaming with acid vinegar or lemon juice in hot water then breathing it in or taking ACV tablets. I never tried either of those but I imagine the acid steam would help.

popsugar.co.uk/fitness/Appl...

Some hard core people add ACV to the neti pot to sinus rinse but I don't recommend that.

If you have any thyroid problem this is another cause as your internal body temperature can be lower than normal, resulting in post natal drip and any inflammation in the neck (thyroiditis) can trigger inflammation in the sinuses.

You need to be a detective and find out what might be triggering or causing the constant inflammation.

Of course Fibro is a sort of body wide inflammation at times so it makes sense that one (fibro) leads to the other (sinus) regardless of any specific trigger xx

[KellyM46]

Thanks for all your comments everyone...it’s so interesting hearing what you all have to say.