appy doo year from my blocked up nose

ChooksAway! · Post by **ChooksAway!** » 02 Jan 2009, 21:49

I've had a cold/sinusitis since the day before Christmas Eve and I am so fed up with not being able to sleep, talk, or just have any energy at all. My teeth hurt now too. If it carries on into next week then I will go to the doc but at the mo I am living off decongestants and paracetamol. OH has actually been getting up to let out the chooks the last few days - that is serious! (Made the mistake of watching Jonathan Creek last night so my long painful sleepless night was made still more tortured by delirious flashbacks to the horrific bath bit but that's beside the point!)

Thing is, every year in Jan/Feb I have throaty sinussy things that go on for weeks, I cannot remember the last time I was actually well at New Year. Last year I was on antibiotics on my birthday (mid-Jan) and couldn't have a nice celebration drinky, it's starting to look like this year will be the same.

So I've been thinking maybe I should try dosing up on vitamins in the winter to try to ward things off a bit? Does anyone on here do this? What would you recommend if so? I was thinking maybe echinacea (spelling?), has anyone found it works? Or can anyone suggest anything else (can't quite afford to emigrate to Australia more's the pity).

My father always suggests goose-fat on the chest and eating a panful of fried onions, but something's stopping me doing that!!

Thanks

CA!

Post by **wendy** » 02 Jan 2009, 22:34

What an awful way to start the New Year, even though you are in fashion. As the World and his brother seems to have it.
Keep warm, plenty of paracetemol and lemon and honey. Let the others do the work or starve.
Take Care
Wendy

hfbinnie · Post by **hfbinnie** » 02 Jan 2009, 23:16

Has your GP told you to do steam inhalations? Just like you see on the TV a bowl of hot water, preferably with some stinky stuff in it (can't remember the name the pharmacist will) towel over your head and breath in through your nose. It does help.

Post by **p.penn** » 02 Jan 2009, 23:23

Echinacea is a very good immune system booster. Perhaps if you started taking it in late November.....

ChooksAway! · Post by **ChooksAway!** » 03 Jan 2009, 10:41

Yes, thanks, I've been inhaling steam and doing all kinds of nasal irrigation tricks (OH had a sinus operation a few years back so what he doesn't know about noses isn't worth knowing!). It all works well for a relatively short period of time, I think part of the problem is it's very difficult to rest with three manic Christmas-fuelled kiddies in the house, they're back to school and nursery next week so things will be easier.

I think I will try the echinacea next autumn, it can't hurt can it. I'm going to try a hot curry today to get the nasal juices flowing!

Jen, fantastic wasn't the word, our shower is out of action at the moment so baths are the only option, but I'd really rather not!
yike*

CA!

stace · Post by **stace** » 03 Jan 2009, 10:47

Sinus is a terrible thing to suffer with!

I seem to have it all the time, worst of all it upsets my balance and makes me very dizzy, then i feel sick :oops:

I use the inhale thing, but like you said its all short term things!

It gets you down after a while, mine always effects my inner ear, and makes my teeth ache

Stace

ChooksAway! · Post by **ChooksAway!** » 03 Jan 2009, 12:36

Yes, the top teeth thing - I've been fantasising about drilling a hole in one of my top molars to stop my head exploding!

Going to do some ironing now as an opportunity to inhale more steam. Kids have gone out with daddy (to buy my birthday present yippeeee) so it's a little more peaceful here now.

CA!

juicylucy · Post by **juicylucy** » 03 Jan 2009, 12:48

sinus probs are so uncomfortable. I had a real bad bout of it a few years ago and it made me go deaf for about 4-5 weeks. Inhaling really is the best way forward and the more you can do it the better. Hourly is best but it can be so tedious and a right pain in the a!%e.
I have a friend who has made a bottle of rosehip syrup. I had a shot of it just b4 xmas for my cold and it really helped. Apparently it has 30x more vit c than oranges. I will have to ask him for the recipe as think i will be making some later on in the year...too late now!
Hope you start to improve..i feel for you.

kate egg · Post by **kate egg** » 03 Jan 2009, 13:28

The only pain I can liken to sinus pain is childbirth :shock:

it is truly excrutiating. I started with a cold about 10 days before Christmas that moved onto my sinuses, i could feel them getting worse and in an effort to prevent the pain I'd had before I went to see my GP. After prodding my face he decided I had a bacterial infection so gave me some antibiotics. Within a few days I was feeling so much better, then I started feeling sick which was a side effect to the pills. I stopped taking them even though you shouldn't and luckily the pain didn't come back.

Dad-in-law went to the docs with similar problem but couldn't get antibiotics as he had a virus (apparantly if it hurts when they prod you face its a virus if it doesn't its bacteria - or it could be the other way around I cannot remember now).

So I was ill up to Friday 19th, well till 22nd, sick on 23rd and 24th, but well again for Christmas Day

Happy New year though and I hope you feel better soon )t'

Gwenoakes · Post by **Gwenoakes** » 03 Jan 2009, 19:38

I feel for you Chooksaway, I really do.
I have been sneezing since a week before Xmas, had a nose full and I mean full of cold sores which went away and lo and behold they have come back with a vengance, also just under my nose as well. Add this to sinus probs, not very nice.
Have tried every remedy going for cold sores, but just resort to vaseline now, at least they dont get chance to dry out and crack/hurt if they are soft.
Happy new year everyone.

kate egg · Post by **kate egg** » 03 Jan 2009, 21:12

Photos?????

Seriously hope you get better soon!

chickenchaser · Post by **chickenchaser** » 03 Jan 2009, 22:01

I do feel for you CA.

I had infected sinuses every year until I started taking Sudafed as a preventative when I wised up. Our office is really stuffy and the pills keep me awake at night if I have any after dinner time but I take 1 every morning when I start feeling the symptoms.

I think the toothache really is worse than the real thing, if that's possible but it is what really confirms it is your sinuses if you haven't been to the Dr. It sounds like they're infected to me(sorry).

Let us know how the natural remedies work, it would be nice to take something natural as an alternative but, I'm afraid, after years of suffering, I stick to the chemical version as I can't stand the pain.

Hope you're better soon and Happy Birthday in advance (f+

kate egg · Post by **kate egg** » 04 Jan 2009, 12:52

I used to take Sinutab and found they worked really well )t'

ChooksAway! · Post by **ChooksAway!** » 05 Jan 2009, 13:15

Ooh, it's looking like it might be over. Had a false dawn on Saturday and got quite active, then it all came back. But today I'm actually feeling quite lively, still got a bit of a cough but I think I might get through it after all! Teeth are back to normal hurrah!!

Wonder if cleaning out the chooks in very light snow would be foolish at this stage?

Thanks for all your messages of sympathy, it's always nice to know you're not the only one.

CA!