Really could be Sinus? Or something else..

[cinny]

Sorry to be so negative in my title. I was doing pretty good, but I am starting to slip... As in some of my other posts, I have been fighting left temple pain, eye pain, and pain above my left eye and cheek. My temple area is tender, and above eye, toward the nose is tender. I was given antibiotics, one week run in April, waited two weeks with no improvement.

She started me again on antibiotics, the last week of April, one week worth. Waited two weeks again, no improvement. Temple and eye got really sore/red/bloodshot and started to get a little blood in my nose. Went back to the Dr. last week, and I was a little worried. Different Dr. this time , regular doc was on vacation. He looked at me, and said sinus infection. Started a 30 day run of Cipro, Flonase, Mucus pills, and Nelly bottle. He said we are going to make sure that it is a infection, and get it if it is. If it isn't gone in 30 days we need to have a CT scan to find out what it going on in there..

Well, that was it for me.. Now, I have started that downward trend, of thinking that it is something terminal... His statement was to see if it was Viral, Fungal or what... Me, I think that it is something terminal now... My legs always tingle, burn a little, fuzzy right eye, and I have neck problems and it is always so tight, and I clench my teeth. I am confused as to the cause and effect.. which one causes the other. I am diagnosed general anxiety disorder, and take wellbutrin. I think that alone dries my eyes out so much.

I am 42, and I don't think that I have ever really had a sinus infection... Do my symptoms actually add up to that? Both Docs seem to think so, but they can't really see up in there too far. I have been on the antibiotics now since last Friday, and the Flonase type stuff. I don't really see any improvement.. How long does it take to work? I don't have any discharge really.. In fact, really dry and sore, not runny.

Does this sound like anyone else sinus infections? Or something more sinister... I wish I could get a grip on worrying about it.. It has been going on since beginning of March. But I waited to see the Dr. for a month. Now I have been fighting it for two months. How long do sinus infections hang on??

[lindzanne]

Oh God you could be me! Last summer I went into a horrible spiral of HA over a sinus infection because it just hurt so much, mine actually went to the back of my head (didnt know your sinuses reach back there, but they do!) I saw 5 doctors who all said it was sinuses, I DID NOT believe them, definitely thought it was a brain tumor and basically just checked out of life into panic time! AFter getting a little mental help, I started to believe that possibly 5 doctors could be right, and they were, but my infection took about 2 months to heal. Flonase really helps but works slowly. I also later took an allergy med called Allegra, it dries you up in about an instant.
I also had a horrible infection over Christmas, same as you with the absolutely horrible face pain that lasted quite a while.
Anyway, sorry to go on and on, but I absolutely think you have a sinus infection. I learned as much as you can possibly learn without being a doctor during my experience. Part of the reason I didn't believe them was because like you my nose was dry, no runny nose at all. Just a horrible fuzzy headache. Sinuses are very wierd and tricky, and dont be discouraged if it takes a while to heal. I think for me its genetic, my dad just had the same thing and it took two kinds of anti bs to get rid of it and we always seem to be having the same sinus issues.
The blood could be from all the dryness, I find when I get stuffed sinuses I get that too, and put a little neosporin or vaseline in my nose with a q tip and it helps heal your dried out nose, where blood vessels can break easily. Also, stick with that Flonase, it takes a while to work but can really be a lifesaver once it finishes clearing out all that gunk, you can take it daily once you are better and it can prevent this from happening again. If you have allergies at all they can build up in there and cause a sinus infection, Flonase and Allegra prevent this. The issues in the other part of your body really just sound like anxiety to me.
Ok, I will stop now, I just had to share since I wasted three months of last summer thinking I had a brain tumor when really I just needed to address my HA issues!
Hope you are getting better!
Lindsay

[cinny]

wow.. Thank you for the detailed answer.. :) I don't think that I have ever had a true sinus infection before. It is the eye pain that bothers me the most, and red and bloodshot. I know that I need to listen to the experts, including some in here. Thanks for helping to put my mind at ease.

I guess I just wasn't prepared for how long they can last.



thanks again!

:D

[lindzanne]

Me either! I was totally surprised by my own experience. The infection I had over the winter, eye pain was the main symptom. If it really gets horrible, sometimes they will CT scan you just so they can see how bad it is and possibly drain it manually. (Dont be scared, its quite routine!) As we speak, I wake up every morning with packed sinuses from summer allergies and nose bleeds. At least now I know what it is!
Glad I could help!
Lindsay

[cinny]

sometimes they will CT scan you just so they can see how bad it is and possibly drain it manually.
Glad I could help!
Lindsay

Thanks.. that is when my heart just kinda sank.. when the CT scan was mentioned. I hope not, money is too tight for that, and I am keeping my fingers crossed that it starts to clear up before that.

:)

[lindzanne]

Sorry, hope I didn't scare you, I understand about money, I am uninsured, I think being kind of poor just makes my HA worse. I will tell you though, my dad had his sinuses drained and it was no big deal, he said he felt like a new man afterwards (and he also has anxiety issues!)

[Rachvale]

I have shocking sinuses and I would say yes, it is sinus pain :)

[cinny]

Thanks again all.. It is reassuring! I have that damn pain over my eyebrow this morning again.. :mad: It seems to get better a little, if I massage that area a little. Ibuprofen does help. Tomorrow will be one week on the new meds. Except for the pain in the left eye area, I don't really have any other symptoms, except for the dry red eyeballs. I will keep massaging lightly, and reading these posts as a reminder that I am not dying.. :winks:

[cinny]

Well, still here, and still fighting this. My nose sinus seem to burn a bit, dry maybe. I am on week three of the cipro, and have developed another issue.

The area above my left canine tooth, at the bottom of the cheek bone has become pretty sore. That tooth seems to collide with a bottom tooth. I think that I am clenching my teeth still, especially in my sleep, and driving that tooth up and out. So the gums to that upper tooth are slightly swollen, compared to the other side. That hurts up in the cheek bone area. Would they be related? I think maybe the sinus infection seems to be under control? and that my jaw clenching is what is making my temples, above the eye and my upper left canine tooth hurt. Of course, my mind wanders, and I have another terminal problem. Now I am all stressed out again!

I slept last night with a night guard type mouth peice, to help with the clentching, and I think I am actually worse this morning.

Has anyone else had this pattern of issues? :shrug:

Now I keep poking my tooth root/cheek bone, and I wonder why it is getting more sore. But I feel it constantly, and I am afraid that there is something sinister in there.

[cinny]

Well, called my dentist office about it. Now she cleared her schedule for an appointment this afternoon for me, because this sound "suspicious" to her.

Now I feel better... :( Actually, now I am a little freaked out!!

[Stressed32]

If I may ask...how does your neck feel? I ask because I went to the chiropractor last week and he adjusted me. When he did he asked me if I had sinus and allergy trouble and I could not beleive he knew that! He told me that when ur vertibrae in your neck is off, it will pinch neveres and cause problems with sinus and allergy. He adjusted me and for the 1st time in weeks....I COULD BREATHE!!

[cinny]

really? I have some neck issues.. spondylosis, how ever that is spelled. Makes my neck sore, stiff. I get tingly legs and arms, ect. Really get ultra-tight, with my shoulders up around my ears.. :weep: I get alot of temple, forehead, sides of my head aches. Now I think that my clenching has irritated my upper jaw, mixed with a sinus infection that will not leave. SO when the DDS said I want you to come in today, I freaked out a little..

I am all worried now about sinus or bone "C", and I am pacing around my office in little circles, waiting for my appointment..

[cinny]

Thanks to all for all your support through all of this! Bless you all...

Got to the dentist.. after the x-rays, nothing sinister... We always blow things out of proportion don't we! Well, I grind my teeth at night.. And not just a little.. She showed my how my teeth fit together like a puzzle, both sides, WAY over. I must move my jaw like a horse at night. Causing lots of temple pain, jaw pain, neck pain, cheek pain, tooth pain, etc. HMmm.. maybe I should have seen the dentist a littler earlier. She is building me a custom night guard, which is so nice of her! My insurance doesn't cover it, but she said I was probably one person that she has seen that needs one.

So I am so looking forward to the day soon that my skull feels normal again!

Mix that with my sinus infections seeming to be getting under control, and I am focusing on having a great summer! :yesyes: