Sinusitis Misery!

[Sparkle44]

I am suffering with left nostril sinus issues.

My symptoms include:

-Daily left nostril nosebleed

-Daily left nostril obstruction

-left side facial numbness and tingling

-left side jaw / teeth discomfort

-left ear whooshing / sucking-in sensation

-Pain in upper left cheek / sometimes burning sensation

-Centre of forehead stabbing pain / not often

-Mucus dripping down throat onto chest

-Coughing up & blowing out thick dark green mucus.

-Heat and discomfort around left eye

-Shallow breathing

-clear fluid nasal drip

The list could go on! Since January I have been ill on the 14-01-2020; 14-04-2020; 06-08-2020 & 17-08-2020.

I was in A&E on the 06-08-2020 and they diagnosed Acute Sinusitis!

I was prescribed Co-Amoxclav. I had also developed a stiff neck for 4 days.

I had some relief after taking 5 days of antibiotics. The stiff neck disappeared, but on the 17-08-2020 symptoms came back with avengence!

I was prescribed Cefalexin for 7 days on the 17-08-2020 but the mucus is coming off my chest and out of my nose! It’s the 25-08-2020 and I still have these symptoms!

Two lots of antibiotics haven’t worked and my consultant in ENT is wondering if it as a headache??? Is he mad or have I missed something?? Surely thick dark green mucus is a sign of an infection?

I had sinus surgery in May 2019 for mucosal thickening and to reduce the turbinates (lumps in nostrils). It has not worked!!

Does anyone else suffer from this? Any tips and advice would be greatly appreciated as I am feeling so down and exhausted with this constant heat and pain in the middle of my face and a constant feeling of having a heavy cold. It’s affected my job and now they are replacing me

[Chleo11]

Hello Sparkle. I'm sorry that you need to go through this. If you are coughing dark green mucus, as far as I can guess, that means that you have an infection. A lot of germs are resistant to antibiotics nowadays and the fact that the medic didn't work, doesn't mean you don't have any infection. Have you had an MRI recently? I'm not a doctor but from what you're saying I wonder if the surgery didn't reduce the air flow between your nose/ear and throat and that now germs are proliferating instead of being flushed away. Sinuses filter 2 litres of body fluid each 24 hours, so if they don't work properly, you can image the issues it can cause. The inflammation could trigger some headaches/neuralgia as well. However, it is too easy for doctors to dismiss any symptoms and throw people into the 'too hard basket' of chronic headaches/migraines.

Can you afford a private specialist?

Just to say: I've had nose surgery as well and whatever happens after a surgery, the whole of the medical body will never admit that the surgery may causes some long term issues. I'm not saying that it is the case for you or for me, but I came to understand this because of the way I am fobbed off everytime I mention anything about the surgery.

Good luck and let us know how you're getting on.

[Sparkle44 in reply to Chleo11]

Hi Chleo, thanks so much for your response. Some interesting facts that I did not know about the 2 litres of fluid. My GP called me this morning to say that the CT scan has identified mucosal thickening on the left side in several areas! I bet you if I hadn’t been told that the consultant would say the scan appears normal! Am am so exacerbated by the whole thing. I am now starting a 3rd set of antibiotics today. Doxycycline I think? I need to go and pick them up!! The saga continues