These comments are made for the purpose of discussion and should NOT be used as recommendations for or against therapies or other treatments. An individual patient is always advised to consult their own physician.
Chronic Sinuitis
Question: I experience daily/year round stuffiness and have about a 50%-75% sense of smell. My sense of smell which significantly decreases and when I attempt to pinpoint the origin of any strong smells, or in the case of being around cigarette smoke, my nasal airway seems to close up and become very stuffy, I get a headache and totally lose my sense of smell due to this stuffiness. I have been on drugs like rhinocort, becanese, seldane, seldane-d, claritin-d, saline spray and a few other decongestants and antihistamines without getting any relief at all. I had sinus surgery in 1992 to correct a deviated septum and remove some of the old infected tissue buildup in the ethmoid sinus area. I have been tested negitive to allergies. During the winter months I tend to get a sinus infection about once every 3 weeks and not as frequently during the summer. I have a high tolerence to medications and it tends to take a strong medication before I see any relief. The only drug I have ever gotten releif from was a greem nasal spray which was sprayed into my nose before an endoscope exam. This drug immediately dialated the nasal membranes and my nasal cavity was releived of its stuffiness. Unfortunately the drug only lasted 90 minutes and you cannot get it via a prescription because it has a small amount of cocaine and could possibly lead to an addiction.
Answer: Your comments about chronic sinusitis sound all too familiar. This is a very common problem and unfortunately has limited options. Use of nasal sprays involving steroids and nasal saline is the first line of defense. After this fails, surgery is usually tried with varying success. Some other options that I don’t see listed on your medications include the use of nasal cromolyn sulfate which is a drug used in asthma and allergies. Also, some medications can cause chronic symptoms which mimic sinus stuffiness-I would discuss these with your doctor-but, some blood pressure medicines have been known to cause stuffy noses.
