Posted by Rick on August 21, 2002, at 13:04:47
In reply to Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems, posted by missliz on August 21, 2002, at 1:34:21
Very interesting thoughts. I'll have to do some remembering and observing re whether this seems worse on stressed days. I do know that when I'm put on the spot on a business phone call, I tend to get hoarse and embarassingly unable to get rid of the "frog in my throat". (Even though my SP teatment alleviates most of the voice tremor that would have crept up in such a situation in the past.) Even on days when I'm generaly relaxed, I notice that one or two short arguments in which I raise my voice tend to worsen the postnasal gunk and coughing. This could support both the stress AND the voice abuse theories.
What's disappointing is that about *all* of the possible contributing factors mentioned by any docs and anyone on this board do in fact seem to worsen the problem.
So to get rid of it, will I have to:
--Talk quietly all the time
--Take voice therapy
--Cut out all cafeine and chocolate and anything
acidic like like carbonated beverages,
tomatoes, citrus fruit, milk products, and
hot peppers
--Drink 2 gallons of water a day and take
Guaufenisen (I have the latter and I'm not
sure it helps -- and I THINK I have the long-
acting kind -- will have to check)
--Quit all drying psychotropics but keep my
anxiety at bay nonetheless (!)
--Take an antihistamine for allergies, but avois
drying drugs like antihistamines
--Figure out what to do about possible "invisible"
GERD that a high dose of Prilosec isn't keeping
at bay
--Eat early, get a humidifier, get a nasal
irrigator (THAT I'm doing), raise my headboard,
clean the heating system of allergens
--Don't allow myself to cough or clear my thraot
--More that I forget.Obviously I can't do all this! I'll have to find the things that really seem most beneficial, although it seems as if just honing in on that could take years!
I DO hold lots of hope for the nasal irrigator, though (even though none of the docs suggested that), and I'm glad to hear it works well for you.
Do you make your own saline solution? If so, what's the formula? If not, what do you buy?
Do you think it matters what model Water-Pik I get?Thanks,
Rick
> I've been the sinusitis queen, and my ENT is a big beleiver in stress as a factor in this illness. Psych people are more stressed, and tend to be more sensitive to everything, including allergens.She sees it all day. Even the "normal" people with chronic sinusitis are usually leaning hard into needing a psych refferal. I'd say the illness itself probably predisposes one to sinusitis more than the drugs.
> The drugs will mess with your body chemistry and make it worse, though. The whole thrush/yeast infection thing sounds like a body out of kilter from meds.
> I personally love the irrigator thing- I have a Dr. Grossman's on a Waterpic and wash out my sinuses all the time. It helps enormously.The trick is to get the saline recipe right. You can also ask your ENT for some time release guaufenisen. Take it with a big ole glass of water and it will thin out the snot and your head will drain instead of clogging up and festering.Guaufenisen is great, it doesn't interact with other drugs, and it's much better for us than decongestents which will flip us into mania, or at least cranky depersonalisations.
> Good luck
>
> Miss Liz
poster:Rick
thread:117132
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020821/msgs/117249.html