Does it sound like a sinus infection?

I have had similar symptoms. I so far have not shaken the problem. The doctors said mine was allergies and anxiety. I'm going in to see the doctor again on Thursday. Do you also have occasional pressure/headache? How's it going for you?

I have had constant struggles with sinus infections for years, when I was very young, they passed it off as just allergies. I was always given Dimatapp (sp?) and benadryl, which made me sleepy and no doubt hindered my ability to learn in school. No wonder they told my parents I was always daydreaming, I was drugged up most of grade school years. So I've had that fog you're asking about on and off since I was very young, but even after I was given other medicines that didn't necessarily cause drowsiness, I was still having it. I had allergy testing and shots for about a year when I was in grade school. My parents quit taking me because they weren't doing any good. Turns out they weren't really giving me shots for everything I was allergic to. At one point in college I had to retake a music class, I had a very difficult time hearing because of chronic sinus infections, went from a D to an A. While in college, I actually went to the ER one night after thinking I was having a nervous breakdown. I was in school full time, just had my son, was still suffering from chronic sinus infections, and working up to 30 hours a week. At the time, I passed it off as being just overworked and stressed. I was trying to do all these things, while already sick. The doctor told me I was a type B personality trying to live a type A life. My mouth just dropped open. He hadn't listened to a word I said, hadn't heard any of the physical symptoms I was telling him. I was experiencing chronic fatigue, it was all I could do to get out of bed in the morning, but I had to, I had classes, was almost done with my bachelor's degree, and I had an infant son. I just ran myself into the ground, and all the time kept telling myself I just needed to get more sleep and take better care of myself, all the while constantly fighting of sinus infections from time to time. I have gone to an ENT for the last few years, they now have me on an immunotherapy treatment (allergy shots, only this time I'm getting treated for everything, molds, spores, everything indoor and outdoor, some food allergies). The allergy shot treatments I'm going through now may take 3-5 years, but looking at the big picture if they help it's totally worth it than suffering for the rest of my life. I'm 40, and if it helps and I can avoid going through another 40 years or more of this, I'm all for it. I also had surgery last year, was not followed up with properly by my first Dr. He was nice, but I'm finding out now he didn't take care of me like I should have been. I went to another Dr. in the same group of doctors and he was not happy with the treatment I had previously received. The right side of my nose is perfect now, but because of the poor follow up, the left side of my sinuses have closed up tight, I have polyps and are completely non functioning. They're worse than they were before my first surgery. I'm having a revision surgery in Sept, and hope that this takes care of it. If it weren't for the fact that the right side works great, and it's like my head is split down the middle now when I get a sinus infection, I wouldn't have had the revision surgery. I literally feel the difference between the good and bad sides, headaches and pressures, sometimes so bad I get nauseaus, I'd probably have been miserable for the rest of my life.

My suggestion is to go to a good ENT, make them understand that this is a chronic problem for you, tell them that it started with the onset of what thought was originally lyme disease and that you just know it's something more. Ask all previous doctors for all your files, they will need to see those. Without a cat scan or other type of imaging, they can't see clear into the deepest parts of your sinuses. Not even like they can with an endoscope. Tell them ALL your symptoms, not just the ones that you think are coming from your sinuses, but also the ones you aren't sure might be coming from the sinus infections. It can make you feel terrible all over, and one week worth of antibiotic may not be enough, especially if it's not a strong one. My doctor usually prescribes me a course of steroids with my antibiotic. If you feel your doctor isn't listening to you, and is guessing at your symptoms, like the one that told you you have lyme disease, then go to another one. Please whatever you do though, don't let it go so long that you start feeling like it's normal to live with the fog and the sinus problems. I had been living with it for so long, and hadn't been given the right treatments for so long, that it seemed like it was normal and something I would just have to learn to live with a treat as it occurred. I didn't realize how bad I felt until I had a few weeks where I felt great. When I had treatments that finally worked, I felt incredible,but when then infections kept coming back after a while, I was told to consider surgery I put that off for about 5 years, wish I hadn't. Don't wait, get a specialist to treat you as soon as possible. You'll be very thankful you did. Good luck!!! - Amy

I have suffered with sinus problems for many, many years.  I have had different tests, and have been prescribed a boatload of medicines, none of which have made the drainage or the out of it feelings go away.  I have been to a number of allergists, etc. & am going to try to seek help at the Az. State University Hospital, which is a teaching hospital & recommended to me by my bf's former neighbor, who is in hemotology, oncology & pharmaceutical medicines.  I'm hoping someone there will have an answer for me & if so, I will let you know what they recommend for me & if it works!  The only thing that recently have me a tiny bit of relief has been QNasl.

Sounds exactly like what I've been going through for 2 years now it all started around the time of smoking weed a couple times while I had a sinus infection not knowing it at the time. I've had an stay of symptoms of sleeping problems to breathing problems to late night ambulance calls for extreme pressures in my head to the point I thought I was dying. Everyone was saying anxiety but I knew better. I went from top of my class football player with a girlfriend to not even being able to sleep for 2 years. I was in and out of doctors and ended up getn tonsil surgery to try to open my airways. This helped open my throat to breath and then I started realizing it was my sinuses I got a cat scan of my head sure enough my deep sinuses were clogged and infected. I am currently taking antibiotics but the brain fog and exhaustion is still here I'm hoping for it to go away soon i am currently on a second dose of augmenton and it seems to be helping.

I was completley out of it all the time and I had to go to school feeling high all the time and I didn't understand what was going on my breathing was extreme and causing alot of stress even in non stressful situations everyone including my parents were saying anxiety but you don't feel like that for no reason it turned out my sinus infection is so bad and infected the walls of my sinuses were swollen almost completely i am still not sleeping good my body won't let me fall asleep do to the worry of not breathing

Dear Amy,
I am having the same problem since April, and Thank you for sharing your experience. I would definitely follow that advice as I think things aren't working well for me.

Hi i was just wondering, if a sinus infection can make you irritable, and like your here but not? Ive been to my gp he said i haven't got red eyes so no infection, even though ive suffered with them before, it almost feels like my right ear has wax or water in it sometimes and my right side of my face feels like a constant migraine. When i drink water it feels a bit better, has anyone else had the same symptoms? Plus every morning i have white sticky or sometimes crusty discharge from my eyes. Help!