Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 117132

Shown: posts 1 to 24 of 24. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems?

Posted by Rick on August 20, 2002, at 14:53:35

Over the last six months, I've developed a huge worsening of my postnasal drip and a related cough that have become a BIG chronic problem. Sorry to get into "icky" detail here, but I often feel like I'm going to choke on mucus, am often hoarse, and I drive people crazy with my throat-clearing (even though that supposedly makes it worse) and constant hacking.

I also have benign nodules on my vocal cords, which the ENT guys say is due to voice abuse, and that I need voice therapy to get rid of them. (My own theory is that it's a circular thing -- the more I clear my throat and cough, the more I traumatize the vocal cords.) My GP thought it was sinusitus, but two runs of Augmentin (an antibiotic) did nothing. Also, when it gets really bad, I get crevices and white hard bumps on my tongue, but not one of four doctors (2 ENT, 1 GP, 1 GI) thought this was of any significance.

I could go on and on about other possible factors (e.g., "invisible" reflux), but my main purpose for writing is because I wonder the extent to which any meds -- including psychotropics -- could cause/add to the problem. Does anyone have experiences they could relate on this? E.g., they had similar problems but when they stopped such and such med, the problems went away? Or suggestions on treatments or how well one treatment worked vs. another? BTW, Has anyone ever used a nasal irrigator for similar symptoms?

I currently take 1 mg Klonopin and 50 mg Provigil (down from 100 mg -- I thought this would help, but it didn't). For years, I've also been taking Prilosec for Gerd and Allegra for allergies. I thought the problem would get better after I stopped the med that gave me big-time dry mouth -- Serzone -- but twas not to be.

Thanks in advance for any ideas!

Rick

 

Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems? » Rick

Posted by judy1 on August 20, 2002, at 15:34:09

In reply to Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems?, posted by Rick on August 20, 2002, at 14:53:35

You mentioned taking klonopin, is this for panic disorder? If so, sinus problems and panic disorder go hand-in-hand, see http://www.algy.com/pdi/FAQ//ENT.html. Dr Shipko recommends carafate for this problem. Let me know how you do. take care, judy

 

Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems? » Rick

Posted by IsoM on August 20, 2002, at 15:42:36

In reply to Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems?, posted by Rick on August 20, 2002, at 14:53:35

Rick, I read your comment saying I was one of your favourites. Thanks, I was ready to quit PB entirely - Bob's policies I feel are very wrong & set my teeth on edge, but will look in on the med board from time to time as I care about the people here.

I've got post-nasal problems & plugged passages (especially in the evening) too, but I have absolutely no allergies. But I've noticed that when air quality gets bad in summer, it's a little worse. Sensitivities, rather than allergies. Do you live in the city? What's the air like? Some people are more sensitive to pollution than others.

Do you yawn lots? Yawning causes my eyes to water lots, & nose to run, plugging me up & adding to the problem. I'd like to try an extended stay for a couple of weeks in pure, clean mountain air & see if things improved.

My mucus secretions are clear & watery initially, (from all the yawning) but through the night, it thickens, but still isn't coloured. Clear or whitish secretions mean there's no bacterial infection. You can tell because it'll start getting yellowish, or even worse, greenish.

If you try a saline only nasal spray frequently though the day, it will serve to thin out the secretions, allowing you to blow your nose better, clearing out any thickening mucus. Any AD that has some anti-cholinergic effects will tend to dry out your mucus membranes, sometimes making congestion seem worse by thickening the secretions. Nasal irrigators didn't help me & I think only irritated my membranes more.

Chewing xylitol gum helps to keep my mouth wetter, giving me more salvia to swallow. Thus my throat doesn't feel sore or dried out. I agree with your theory about your sore throat & polyps. (Xylitol is a caries-fighting type of sugar used in some gums like Trident as a decay preventitive.)

The crevices & bumps on your tongue I'm not sure of. I'm sensitive to sodium lauryl sulfate that's found in almost every toothpaste. Since switching to a toothpaste that doesn't have it, I haven't had any canker sores or cracks in my tongue. Sodium lauryl sulfate can break down the top layer of cellular membrane on your tongue, gums & inside lining of your mouth. It causes that horrible, bitter taste you get drinking orange juice after brushing your teeth. Even toothpaste in health food stores generally have it. It's can be difficult to find one without.

The bumps & crevices might also be from a mild vitamin B complex deficiency, or even perhaps a fungal (thrush) infection?

 

Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems?

Posted by oracle on August 20, 2002, at 17:49:20

In reply to Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems?, posted by Rick on August 20, 2002, at 14:53:35

I would get checked for a cronic sinus infection
with an x-ray study. Sometimes they are hard to kill. Another very common cause for nodes is reflux. A speech coach can tell if your vocal habits are contributing to the nodes. Micro surgury for nodes is tricky, not something you want to go through, so do pay attention to them and treat them.

I have taken psyco meds for 20 years and am a classical singer. I do not see a relationship here.

 

Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems? » judy1

Posted by Rick on August 20, 2002, at 18:21:04

In reply to Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems? » Rick, posted by judy1 on August 20, 2002, at 15:34:09

I take Klonopin for social phobia (helps immensely), but the Shipko article had some great info nonetheless. Thanks.

Rick

> You mentioned taking klonopin, is this for panic disorder? If so, sinus problems and panic disorder go hand-in-hand, see http://www.algy.com/pdi/FAQ//ENT.html. Dr Shipko recommends carafate for this problem. Let me know how you do. take care, judy

 

Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems? » IsoM

Posted by Rick on August 20, 2002, at 18:54:42

In reply to Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems? » Rick, posted by IsoM on August 20, 2002, at 15:42:36

> I've got post-nasal problems & plugged passages (especially in the evening) too, but I have absolutely no allergies.

I do. Definitely in late summer/early fall w/ragweed, etc. And probably indoor-allergen sensitivity year-round. One concern is that some of the prescription antihistamines I've triedmay have a drying effect that worsens the larynx irritation, etc.

>But I've noticed that when air quality gets bad in summer, it's a little worse. Sensitivities, rather than allergies. Do you live in the city? What's the air like? Some people are more sensitive to pollution than others.

I live in a suburb just north of a very large city -- and near a big airport. While this problem has been brewing for many months, it *has* gotten particularly bad in the summer. We've had a lot of hot, stagnant air. But I'm not sure I notice a strong correlation there.
>
> Do you yawn lots? Yawning causes my eyes to water lots, & nose to run, plugging me up & adding to the problem. I'd like to try an extended stay for a couple of weeks in pure, clean mountain air & see if things improved.

I go through periods of heavy yawning, but I don't think that's been the case lately. (I sure yawned a lot when I was on Celexa!)

>
> My mucus secretions are clear & watery initially, (from all the yawning) but through the night, it thickens, but still isn't coloured. Clear or whitish secretions mean there's no bacterial infection. You can tell because it'll start getting yellowish, or even worse, greenish.

It does get yellowish, even greenish, but no-one except the GP thought it was due to sinusitus, and as I said I had two failed runs of Augmentin.
>
> If you try a saline only nasal spray frequently though the day, it will serve to thin out the secretions, allowing you to blow your nose better, clearing out any thickening mucus. Any AD that has some anti-cholinergic effects will tend to dry out your mucus membranes, sometimes making congestion seem worse by thickening the secretions. Nasal irrigators didn't help me & I think only irritated my membranes more.

I've been trying saline, and it hasn't helped much. It's hard to tell what's working and what's not since the problem comes and goes (not much "going" lately, though). I'm experimenting with different irrigation techniques, and today thought maybe I was hitting on something...until I sat down to start responding to this and the "gunking" and coughing returned with a vengeance.

>
> Chewing xylitol gum helps to keep my mouth wetter, giving me more salvia to swallow. Thus my throat doesn't feel sore or dried out. I agree with your theory about your sore throat & polyps. (Xylitol is a caries-fighting type of sugar used in some gums like Trident as a decay preventitive.)

I'll try that. Good thing Klonopin and/or weight-loss unexpectedly tok care of my chronic jaw pain, otherwise gum-chewing probably wouldn't be a good idea.
>
> The crevices & bumps on your tongue I'm not sure of. I'm sensitive to sodium lauryl sulfate that's found in almost every toothpaste. Since switching to a toothpaste that doesn't have it, I haven't had any canker sores or cracks in my tongue. Sodium lauryl sulfate can break down the top layer of cellular membrane on your tongue, gums & inside lining of your mouth. It causes that horrible, bitter taste you get drinking orange juice after brushing your teeth. Even toothpaste in health food stores generally have it. It's can be difficult to find one without.

Awhile ago my pdoc said that Biotene toothpaste and mouthwash might help the dry mouth caused by my meds. It does seem to help some, although that obviously hasn't helped the postnasal drip, etc. Looking at the ingredients, I don't see sodium lauryl sulfate listed.
>
> The bumps & crevices might also be from a mild vitamin B complex deficiency, or even perhaps a fungal (thrush) infection?

I wondered (and still do) about that, but none of the 4 docs thought that was a possibility (although they never saw my tongue at its worst). And what I have doesn't look as severe as the pictures of Thrush I've seen on the net...although many sites tend to show severe examples of whatever malady they're picturing.

One ENT said the bumps were just dried mucus. I later called his office and left a message asking why, if it's just mucus, I can't scrape it off. With no explanation, his assistant left me a message to pick up a prescription for a liquid called nystatin. I had to lok it up, and saw that it's an oral anti-fungal used for, among other things, Thrush (aka oral candidasis - sp??) Interestingly, both my tongue and the sinus symptoms cleared up for awhile after I took that. But again, it's hard rto say whether or not I was just ready to enter one of those "temporary remission" periods anyway.

I take B's as part of a high-potency multivitamin, although I used to take B-50's. (I really liked your comment awhile back about how silly it is to call a supplement that has 50 mg of each of the B's "balanced." I may be imagining it, but I think the B-Complex made me a little more nervous, especially when I took a version that included choline, inositol and PABA.

I sometimes wonder if there's something in the multi that I'm having a bad reaction to.

Also, I notice that the problem always gets worse as the day wears on (i.e., when I'm getting *further* from the point where I take meds and supplements). This would support theories like food irritation and vocal strain (although re the latter, the problem worsens later in the day even if I've barely spoken that day).

Rick

(P.S. Sorry for any possible typos -- I'm kinda rushed at the moment.)

 

Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems? » oracle

Posted by Rick on August 20, 2002, at 19:12:22

In reply to Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems?, posted by oracle on August 20, 2002, at 17:49:20

Thanks for the suggestions. Re the psych meds, one of the ENT's looked at my med regimen and said, "Jeez, Klonopin...Serzone...no wonder you're having problems!" He also took me off Allegra and put me on Astelin, an antihistamine spray...and told me "be sure to be taking your Prilosec" (40 mg/day). Replacing the Allegra with Astelin hasn't helped. Incidentally, one reason I picked this guy is because he wrote a big book on sinusitus treatment...and he apparently thought the main problem was instead voice abuse/improper voice usage.

My main somatic social phobia symptom is vocal tremor, but none of the docs seemed to pick up on this as supportive of the voice abuse theory.

The GI pooh-pooh's the thought that GERD is causing the problem -- which is odd, because most specialists claim that the problem IS in their area of specialty. He wants me to wear some sort of gizmo in my esophagus for 24 hours and activate something-or-other every time I feel symptoms. This will apparently test whether there is acid present when I'm having problems (if it's a day like yesterday I guess I'll just tape the button down), thus allowing GERD to be ruled out (or in) as the culprit. I will say that when I first went to a GP complaining of a "perpetual cold" ten years ago (long before I took any psychotropics), he said "I'm sure it's GERD," and sure enough Prilosec (plus the now-discontinued-as-unsafe Propulsid) handily got rid of the problem. I wish it were that simple now.

Rick

> I would get checked for a cronic sinus infection
> with an x-ray study. Sometimes they are hard to kill. Another very common cause for nodes is reflux. A speech coach can tell if your vocal habits are contributing to the nodes. Micro surgury for nodes is tricky, not something you want to go through, so do pay attention to them and treat them.
>
> I have taken psyco meds for 20 years and am a classical singer. I do not see a relationship here.
>

 

Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems?

Posted by oracle on August 20, 2002, at 22:43:10

In reply to Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems? » oracle, posted by Rick on August 20, 2002, at 19:12:22

The GI pooh-pooh's the thought that GERD is causing the problem -- which is odd, because most specialists claim that the problem IS in their area of specialty. He wants me to wear some sort of gizmo in my esophagus for 24 hours and activate something-or-other every time I feel symptoms. This will apparently test whether there is acid present when I'm having problems (if it's a day like yesterday I guess I'll just tape the button down), thus allowing GERD to be ruled out (or in) as the culprit. I will say that when I first went to a GP complaining of a "perpetual cold" ten years ago (long before I took any psychotropics), he said "I'm sure it's GERD," and sure enough Prilosec (plus the now-discontinued-as-unsafe Propulsid) handily got rid of the problem. I wish it were that simple now.


I urge you to follow thru on this. GERD means ones vocal tract is being bathed in hydrocloric acid. The end result can be cancer, but much damage is done before one gets to this point.
Many do not notice it till there are major problems, singers tend to notice it quicker as they use their voice to its extreams more than most. It often presents with no other problems, no heart burn, ect.

A very common presentation is that a person w/o
vocal problems suffers from reflux for some time.
This causes the vocal folds (cords) to swell.
The folds should never touch each other when one phonates (sings or speaks) but with swelling they do. This is how nodes form, on the edges where the folds touch. The swelling and nodes cause the person to alter their vocal production to compensate for the loss of volume and range.
More force is used to speak; this is vocal abuse.

The cords will heal quite quickly if the reflux is treated but the speaker has now learned bad vocal habits. One needs to work with a speech
thearipist to relearn the correct way to speak.
Most people can fix these bad habits quite quickly.

Seems like you are being offered some tests that will for sure rule out reflux. I urge you to follow through with this. There is nothing more personal than ones voice.

 

Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems?

Posted by kayjay on August 20, 2002, at 22:43:44

In reply to Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems?, posted by Rick on August 20, 2002, at 14:53:35

I had a stuffy nose and lots of mucous, etc. on the SSRI's and Serzone. I had an MRI done of my head, for other reasons, and the report said that I had multiple cyts in my sinuses. I went off all meds for about 6 months, and my sinuses got much better. A second MRI showed no cysts in the sinuses.

kayjay

 

Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems?

Posted by oracle on August 20, 2002, at 23:36:26

In reply to Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems?, posted by kayjay on August 20, 2002, at 22:43:44

> I had a stuffy nose and lots of mucous, etc. on the SSRI's and Serzone. I had an MRI done of my head, for other reasons, and the report said that I had multiple cyts in my sinuses. I went off all meds for about 6 months, and my sinuses got much better. A second MRI showed no cysts in the sinuses.
>
> kayjay


But does this prove one caused the other ? It is not uncommon for sinus infections to resolve by themselves; bodies should be able to localize infections and stamp them out. Given how common sinus infections are I don't see cause and effect.

 

Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus Oracle

Posted by kayjay on August 21, 2002, at 0:44:25

In reply to Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems?, posted by oracle on August 20, 2002, at 23:36:26

Oracle,
No, this doesn't "prove" anything. Rick asked for experiences with psyche meds and sinus problems, and my comment above was my experience.
I have been on Paxil, Prozac, Celexa, Serzone, and Zoloft(at difference times of course)for nine years. The higher the doses, the worse the nasal problems. I also had times without meds, and then started again, and immediately my nose became stuffy. Most recently I was prescribed Desyrel for insomnia while on Parnate. I could not take it because the nasal stuffiness made it more difficult to fall asleep. Anyway, this may all be coincidence, and I'm not saying that this is Rick's problem. I'm only just sharing what happened with me.
kayjay

 

Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus Oracle » kayjay

Posted by Rick on August 21, 2002, at 1:05:05

In reply to Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus Oracle, posted by kayjay on August 21, 2002, at 0:44:25

> Oracle,
> No, this doesn't "prove" anything. Rick asked for experiences with psyche meds and sinus problems, and my comment above was my experience.
> I have been on Paxil, Prozac, Celexa, Serzone, and Zoloft(at difference times of course)for nine years. The higher the doses, the worse the nasal problems. I also had times without meds, and then started again, and immediately my nose became stuffy. Most recently I was prescribed Desyrel for insomnia while on Parnate. I could not take it because the nasal stuffiness made it more difficult to fall asleep. Anyway, this may all be coincidence, and I'm not saying that this is Rick's problem. I'm only just sharing what happened with me.
> kayjay

Yes, I was definitely looking for this kind of anecdotal evidence. Thanks.

Rick

 

Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems? » oracle

Posted by Rick on August 21, 2002, at 1:20:44

In reply to Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems?, posted by oracle on August 20, 2002, at 22:43:10

Thanks much for the detailed response and your concern. You're right, it would be wise to follow through on the test, and I will. I'm just procrastinating a bit.

Fyi, the GI, who seems to be a really good one, is the same guy who gave me an endoscopy about four years ago. That was back before I lost a lot of weight and thus was also dealing with the classic GERD symptoms, i.e. all the burning sensations, and even a stricture that made swallowing difficult. The endoscopy back then showed no sign of Barrett's esophogus, which is the main cancer risk from GERD. Even though he's going to do another endoscopy, he says that if there was no signs of Barrett's back then, it's highly unlikely that I've developed it since -- even with all the laryngeal and esophageal irritation.

But I believe I have seen that GERD (or was it any kind of esophageal irritation?) can increase cancer risk somewhat even without Barrett's. THAT is one risk I can do without!

Rick

> The GI pooh-pooh's the thought that GERD is causing the problem -- which is odd, because most specialists claim that the problem IS in their area of specialty. He wants me to wear some sort of gizmo in my esophagus for 24 hours and activate something-or-other every time I feel symptoms. This will apparently test whether there is acid present when I'm having problems (if it's a day like yesterday I guess I'll just tape the button down), thus allowing GERD to be ruled out (or in) as the culprit. I will say that when I first went to a GP complaining of a "perpetual cold" ten years ago (long before I took any psychotropics), he said "I'm sure it's GERD," and sure enough Prilosec (plus the now-discontinued-as-unsafe Propulsid) handily got rid of the problem. I wish it were that simple now.
>
>
> I urge you to follow thru on this. GERD means ones vocal tract is being bathed in hydrocloric acid. The end result can be cancer, but much damage is done before one gets to this point.
> Many do not notice it till there are major problems, singers tend to notice it quicker as they use their voice to its extreams more than most. It often presents with no other problems, no heart burn, ect.
>
> A very common presentation is that a person w/o
> vocal problems suffers from reflux for some time.
> This causes the vocal folds (cords) to swell.
> The folds should never touch each other when one phonates (sings or speaks) but with swelling they do. This is how nodes form, on the edges where the folds touch. The swelling and nodes cause the person to alter their vocal production to compensate for the loss of volume and range.
> More force is used to speak; this is vocal abuse.
>
> The cords will heal quite quickly if the reflux is treated but the speaker has now learned bad vocal habits. One needs to work with a speech
> thearipist to relearn the correct way to speak.
> Most people can fix these bad habits quite quickly.
>
> Seems like you are being offered some tests that will for sure rule out reflux. I urge you to follow through with this. There is nothing more personal than ones voice.
>
>
>
>

 

Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems

Posted by missliz on August 21, 2002, at 1:34:21

In reply to Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems?, posted by Rick on August 20, 2002, at 14:53:35

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

 

Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems » missliz

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

 

Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems

Posted by oracle on August 21, 2002, at 13:39:28

In reply to Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems » missliz, posted by Rick on August 21, 2002, at 13:04:47

> So to get rid of it, will I have to:
>
> --Talk quietly all the time

This is bad for your voice, actually.
The best thing for the voice is speaking
normally, this should not tire the voice at all.
Speaking softly generally uses inproper phonation

> --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)

good ideas

> --Quit all drying psychotropics but keep my
> anxiety at bay nonetheless (!)

I think this is not a good idea and has nothing
to do with your voice problems

> --Take an antihistamine for allergies, but avois
> drying drugs like antihistamines

Do you really have allergies ? Antihistamines
don't have to be drying.

> --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

Sounds good

It sounds to me like you have a choice.
Make changes and have a voice, make no changes and don't have a voice.

 

Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems

Posted by missliz on August 22, 2002, at 0:48:23

In reply to Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems » missliz, posted by Rick on August 21, 2002, at 13:04:47

Hey- I just keep the house and dogs reasonably clean and take Valium. And wash out my head when it gets icky. The GERD theory seems sound, but there are other things that can drive chronic sinusitis. Plain old air pollution is a big irritant to sinuses. We weren't built for dirty smoggy air.
I haven't been near an antihistamine in years- all but benedryl are contraindicated with so many psych drugs. It's easier to go a low tech route. I find anti inflammatory drugs like NSAIDs really help more than antihistamines or decongestants. I'm on them anyway for arthritis, and found my sinus trouble really dropped off. Apparently they get inflamed, swell, and quit draining. Then you get infected.
Anyway, you put warm, not hot!, water in the water pic, just use the stuff out of the tap, and toss in some salt, maybe a pinch of baking soda to fix the ph (optional). You can tell if there isn't enough salt, it will sting. Too much salt makes you gag. The Grossmans Irrigator comes with instructions, and a nice teaspoon oriented recipe. When you're infected and twitchy, I'm told that adding some Karo syrup has a nice soothing and moisturizing effect, though I haven't tried it.
You need to bend over a towel on the floor after and make sure all the water is out, move your head around while it's upside down. Water suddenly pouring out of your head at Starbucks or in a sales meeting is pretty distressing.
The biggest thing to do though, is try to be serene. Stressedness sends your immune system haywire and really does aggravate sinus trouble (and GERD).

Miss Liz

When you finish here, go to www.wwoz.org and merge with the Eternal Cool. I'm listening to some of the weirdest and best community radio ever as I type this.

 

Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems

Posted by BLPBart on August 23, 2002, at 2:01:43

In reply to Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems?, posted by Rick on August 20, 2002, at 14:53:35

I just saw your post and had to respond because I've been having similar problems but could find no one who had any idea what I was talking about.

I was started on a combination of wellbutrin and dexedrine (I was already on the wb, we just added the dex) in January of this year. Everything was going well and then in June I was on vacation and suddenly noticed this unbelievable post nasal drip. I felt like I was drowning and it was making me really sick to my stomach. Basically, almost ruined my vacation. I also then developed an intensely painful tongue which would make it hard to eat or talk. I noticed the tastebuds towards the back of my mouth were all inflamed and I had spots all over the sides and underneath that felt like open sores, yet when I looked at it, there was nothing to see. I was also experiencing extremly dry mouth which would then make my throat feel sore and sometimes almost feel kind of restricted. I also found that sometimes I had to work hard at swallowing-not something you normally having to think about.

I tried experimenting with my meds to see what was causing it. I found that when I went off the wellbutrin that it got better. I am now on dexedrine alone and although it never goes completely away, it has cleared up to the point that I can even forget about it for a while.

This has been very frustrating because this all started when I was just starting a new job. I found that I was thinking all day about what I could do to make this go away, was constantly worrying about it and had trouble even conversing with colleagues because my mouth was so dry I could hardly talk.

Well, that's my story. I don't know if it is of much use to you other than to let you know (and me too) that we aren't alone and it helps when you go see your doc and he looks at you like you're a fruitcake to know that there are others out there.

 

Re: ...Sinus problems-thanks for the laugh! (nm) » missliz

Posted by may-b on August 23, 2002, at 10:34:17

In reply to Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems, posted by missliz on August 22, 2002, at 0:48:23

 

Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems » BLPBart

Posted by Rick on August 24, 2002, at 1:16:51

In reply to Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems, posted by BLPBart on August 23, 2002, at 2:01:43


> Well, that's my story. I don't know if it is of much use to you other than to let you know (and me too) that we aren't alone and it helps when you go see your doc and he looks at you like you're a fruitcake to know that there are others out there.

Yes, it does help to know there are others, even though I don't wish this upon anyone! Sounds like there are a lot of similarities in our situations, and also some differences. It's helpful to have more evidence that meds can aggravate the situation, as I try to work through this. It's too bad you had to deal with awful timing to compound a bad situation.

Thanks,
Rick

 

Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems

Posted by BLPBart on August 26, 2002, at 1:27:42

In reply to Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems » BLPBart, posted by Rick on August 24, 2002, at 1:16:51

>
> > Well, that's my story. I don't know if it is of much use to you other than to let you know (and me too) that we aren't alone and it helps when you go see your doc and he looks at you like you're a fruitcake to know that there are others out there.
>
> Yes, it does help to know there are others, even though I don't wish this upon anyone! Sounds like there are a lot of similarities in our situations, and also some differences. It's helpful to have more evidence that meds can aggravate the situation, as I try to work through this. It's too bad you had to deal with awful timing to compound a bad situation.
>
> Thanks,
> Rick
>
>


I don't wish this on anyone either, but it's definitely improved since I dropped the wellbutrin. I have found that sugarless candy and sugarless gum (I particularly like one called Orbitz) really helps alot. It's amazing that drinking water doesn't seem to help at all.

 

Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems » BLPBart

Posted by Rick on August 26, 2002, at 19:46:13

In reply to Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems, posted by BLPBart on August 26, 2002, at 1:27:42

> I have found that sugarless candy and sugarless gum (I particularly like one called Orbitz) really helps alot. It's amazing that drinking water doesn't seem to help at all.


I'll have to try the gum.

Interesting to hear you say that water doesn't help. Some (including one of the doctors and a poster here) have suggested drinking lots of water. When I do, it seems to help marginally, at best. In fact, when I drink cold water, it actually seems to *aggravate* the situation at first, e.g. makes the "gunk" in my throat feel thicker and adds to the tickle that makes me cough.

 

Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems » missliz

Posted by Rick on August 26, 2002, at 19:58:45

In reply to Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems, posted by missliz on August 22, 2002, at 0:48:23

Just tried my shiny new Grossan Irrigator a few minutes ago. Felt like something was really happening while I was using it, but now ten minutes later I feel exactly as I did beforehand...so much crap in my throat I feel like I'm going to choke. Of course, I'd imagine this is something that starts to work gradually after several uses, especially for postnasal drip (but lord, I hope it doesn't take as long to kick in as an AD).

Hey, and I wasn't even that stressed today.
Maybe I suffer from Atypical Irrigation.

Is there a version for people with Allergies called an Alle-gator?

(Truly sorry, I think I swallowed too much saline.)

> Hey- I just keep the house and dogs reasonably clean and take Valium. And wash out my head when it gets icky. The GERD theory seems sound, but there are other things that can drive chronic sinusitis. Plain old air pollution is a big irritant to sinuses. We weren't built for dirty smoggy air.
> I haven't been near an antihistamine in years- all but benedryl are contraindicated with so many psych drugs. It's easier to go a low tech route. I find anti inflammatory drugs like NSAIDs really help more than antihistamines or decongestants. I'm on them anyway for arthritis, and found my sinus trouble really dropped off. Apparently they get inflamed, swell, and quit draining. Then you get infected.
> Anyway, you put warm, not hot!, water in the water pic, just use the stuff out of the tap, and toss in some salt, maybe a pinch of baking soda to fix the ph (optional). You can tell if there isn't enough salt, it will sting. Too much salt makes you gag. The Grossmans Irrigator comes with instructions, and a nice teaspoon oriented recipe. When you're infected and twitchy, I'm told that adding some Karo syrup has a nice soothing and moisturizing effect, though I haven't tried it.
> You need to bend over a towel on the floor after and make sure all the water is out, move your head around while it's upside down. Water suddenly pouring out of your head at Starbucks or in a sales meeting is pretty distressing.
> The biggest thing to do though, is try to be serene. Stressedness sends your immune system haywire and really does aggravate sinus trouble (and GERD).
>
> Miss Liz
>
> When you finish here, go to www.wwoz.org and merge with the Eternal Cool. I'm listening to some of the weirdest and best community radio ever as I type this.

 

Re: Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems?

Posted by gloryb on August 27, 2002, at 11:09:37

In reply to Experiences with Psych Meds and Sinus problems?, posted by Rick on August 20, 2002, at 14:53:35

Interesting topic. I was just complaining about
this to my hubby this morning, saying I don't
know when I'm having allergies or dryness.

I was tested by a rheumatologist for dryness
in my eyes and mouth and it was really bad.
I'd had iritis and they were suspecting
Sjogren's Syndrome. Alas, just Fibromyalgia.
Hence Prozac (nausea) then Celexa (not for
those with temporal lobe epilepsy for sure!).
I'm off the drugs that are strictly psychiatric
right now.

But my rheum says Neurontin (taking for seizures
and RSD Syndrome), which a lot of
folks here take, causes terrible dryness. And
my sinuses have felt like I'd like to inhale
some water (if it could be done!).

I also have GERD. Interesting that so many
of us taking these meds have the same problems.
These must be side effects of some type. And
I also take tranxene, but I don't think that
one is guilty of causing dryness.

When I've asked my rheum what can help he
keeps talking about drinking water and putting
drops in my eyes. Doesn't solve the sinuses.
I've heard some interesting ideas here. Anything
that is simple and easily done? Other than the
sitting in a steamy tub or putting a moist rag
over the sinuses?

(Oh, I also found decreasing Neurontin doesn't
help. I tried it. And now I've had to increase
it for the seizures and my sinuses feel like
Brillo pads!)


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