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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Diabetes / April 2008Yet More Catch Up For Me - Allergies, Sinus Infections & Steroids
Increasingly I have had problems with allergies throughout adulthood, getting worse every year, and now including very serious MCS (Multiple Chemical Syndrome). I am prone to serious sinus infections that tend to be very hard to get rid of. In January, as some of you might recall, I had to take a short cycle oral steroid (pill). It wreaked havoc on my hunger, cravings, thirst, BGs and sleep. These effects have lasted a long time for me. However, it did completely clear up my deeply resistant congestion & sinus infection. Since then, however, I have begun to see a new allergist, one who listened & believe me, etc. & didn't make me feel like some kind of a disappointment that they couldn't get traditional allergies to show on skin scratch tests ... And, I had a CT scan of my sinuses & I was changed from what I was taking to Singulair, Veramyst & Astelin. It's made a great difference.  SignatureDonnaB shallotpeel : ^> USA <*> new WIN Vista user 06-07-06 Diagnosis T2 HbA1c 8.1, D&E & Metformin 500mg Current ................... HbA1c 6.3 Tree Pollen: 04/08-2655; 04/09-2787; 04/10-2805; 04/11-3238; 04/14-3327; 04/15-117; 04/16-149; 04/17-348; 04/18-694; 04/21-419 > Increasingly I have had problems with allergies throughout adulthood, getting > worse every year, and now including very serious MCS (Multiple Chemical [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > I had a CT scan of my sinuses & I was changed from what I was taking to > Singulair, Veramyst & Astelin. It's made a great difference. Donna, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but IIWY, I'd ditch both the Veramyst and Astelin. One is a steroid and will screw with your HPA axis and the other, which I used and loved for many years is a wonderfully effective antihistamine. Unfortunately, as a chronic sinus infection sufferer, I can tell you that both contain a preservative that kills your nasal cilia and that they never recover, so your sinuses and passages have no way of clearing out the gunk that builds up in them and your sinusitis becomes even more intractable. Singulair, if you can tolerate it, can be a big help. It made me hypertensive and very agitated and tense, and has recently been implicated in suicidal ideations, I believe. Still, for many, it's a very good drug. Have you tried saline irrigations with kosher salt a few times per day, along with major doses of effective antibiotics for at least 30 days to 12 weeks (Mayo Clinic recommendation for chronic infection)? Something else that I've learned from Cushing's literature is how many times sinus infections just drain and clear from even a single mega dose of vitamin D3. 10,000 iu made my infection suddenly drain an hour later and I no longer needed antibiotics til a recent misadventure with a chemo drug that brought it back. Same thing worked for my sister and many Cushing's patients I know. Worth a shot, it's a powerful anti microbial and immune stimulant. you could take that dose once per week for a long time, or a few times a week for a month, perhaps. Just some advice from the chronic sinusitis trenches. You should check out alt.support.sinusitis. Susan > x-no-archive: YES > [quoted text clipped - 45 lines] > Just some advice from the chronic sinusitis trenches. You should check > out alt.support.sinusitis. Angela and I both tried the Astelin. Gave use severe nosebleeds and didn't help a thing. I used to do the nasal douche of saline and it helped, but I've rarely had to do it since eliminating the dairy. Even my seasonal allergies are bearable all but maybe two weeks in the early spring. >Angela and I both tried the Astelin. Gave use severe nosebleeds and didn't >help a thing. She told me upfront that Singulair was the kind of drug that people tended to either love or hate. I was prepared, with plenty of sample, for anything. Me, I love it. I've been prone to nosebleeds my whole life & I haven't had one now in a long while. SignatureDonnaB shallotpeel : ^> USA <*> new WIN Vista user 06-07-06 Diagnosis T2 HbA1c 8.1, D&E & Metformin 500mg Current ................... HbA1c 6.3 "Morality for the novelist is expressed not so much in the choice of subject matter as in the plot of the narrative, which is perhaps why in our morally bewildered time novelists have often been timid about plot." - Jane Rule [born 03-28-31, died 11-27-07] Outlander, Part 2, Essay 1 (1981). >>Angela and I both tried the Astelin. Gave use severe nosebleeds and >>didn't [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > long > while. Well, that's good then. >Donna, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but IIWY, I'd ditch both the >Veramyst and Astelin. One is a steroid and will screw with your HPA axis [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >passages have no way of clearing out the gunk that builds up in them and >your sinusitis becomes even more intractable. I went into the appointment letting her know that I wanted to have as little, if any, steroid use as possible, and why. I don't really think just Singulair alone would help me deal my allergies. >Have you tried saline irrigations with kosher salt a few times per day, >along with major doses of effective antibiotics for at least 30 days to >12 weeks (Mayo Clinic recommendation for chronic infection)? No, I have never done saline irrigations that often. Yes, I have to take antibiotics a month or a month and a half for them to be effective. >Something >else that I've learned from Cushing's literature is how many times sinus [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >and immune stimulant. you could take that dose once per week for a long >time, or a few times a week for a month, perhaps. I might have to look into this, but still it would only address one of the wheels of this problem - sinus infections, when one is present. SignatureDonnaB shallotpeel : ^> USA <*> new WIN Vista user 06-07-06 Diagnosis T2 HbA1c 8.1, D&E & Metformin 500mg Current ................... HbA1c 6.3 "Bother," said Pooh, as he called in an air strike. > I might have to look into this, but still it would only address one of the > wheels of this problem - sinus infections, when one is present. Donna, something you mentioned in another post caught my eye, ER visit for severe hypertension. IIRC, I posted some months ago that a large % of ER visits for HT are due to indiagnosed and ignored primary hyperaldosteronism, an adrenal disorder. Susan > Increasingly I have had problems with allergies throughout adulthood, > getting [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > I had a CT scan of my sinuses & I was changed from what I was taking to > Singulair, Veramyst & Astelin. It's made a great difference. Just curious, but have you been checked for food allergies? I saw an allergist who did not test me for those. Turns out my dairy allergy was the cause of my sinus infections. >Just curious, but have you been checked for food allergies? I saw an >allergist who did not test me for those. Turns out my dairy allergy was the >cause of my sinus infections. No, I have never been tested for food allergies, but nothing points to that & everything points elsewhere. My body loves dairy. Me & my body, actually. Me & my body love most foods, although some few of them do trigger my MCS type symptoms. SignatureDonnaB shallotpeel : ^> USA <*> new WIN Vista user 06-07-06 Diagnosis T2 HbA1c 8.1, D&E & Metformin 500mg Current ................... HbA1c 6.3 "Morality is a test of our conformity rather than our integrity." - Jane Rule [born 03-28-31, died 11-27-07] >Increasingly I have had problems with allergies throughout adulthood, getting >worse every year, and now including very serious MCS (Multiple Chemical [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >I had a CT scan of my sinuses & I was changed from what I was taking to >Singulair, Veramyst & Astelin. It's made a great difference. G'day G'day Donna, It makes such a difference doesn't it when one finds a medical person whose specialty and interest is relevant to you. They care about their patient's welbeing in a way that others can't. Well done. While it may be completely irrelevant to you, have you tried Zyrtec. It's a non-sedating antihistamine. In New Zealand we have it in the generic form sold as Razine. Same product about half the price. Best wishes, SignatureQuentin Grady ^ ^ / New Zealand, >#,#< [ / \ /\ "... and the blind dog was leading." http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/quentin >>Increasingly I have had problems with allergies throughout adulthood, >>getting [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > It's a non-sedating antihistamine. In New Zealand we have it in the > generic form sold as Razine. Same product about half the price. Zyrtec is purported to be non-sedating, but if you look at the side effects, drowsiness is the first one! I took my daughter and myself off of the stuff and we are feeling MUCH better. The Zyrtec itself caused so many allergy like symptoms and left us exhausted. Daughter didn't seem to have any problems getting off of it but I went through about 2 weeks of withdrawal which included major hives and very itchy eyes. The withdrawal symptoms are what led me to believe the stuff was working. Each time I tried to do without it, the hives began. I just figured my allergies were getting worse if I were getting hives. Luckily I read about this withdrawal problem at a "rate your meds": site and a little bell went off in my head! After realizing how much better I felt off of the stuff, I pulled Angela off too. I used to go through allergy eye drops like mad on the Zyrtec. Now a bottle expires before I can use it up. I should add, we have both had problems with every allergy med we have tried. They either did nothing at all or gave us terrible side effects. Like sinus infections or ear infections. Better for me to suffer slightly for two weeks when the stuff first starts to bloom than to feel sick all the time. >Better for me to suffer slightly >for two weeks when the stuff first starts to bloom than to feel sick all the >time. Oh, definitely! If that's the only kind of allergy you have, and you only have the bad part of it for 2 weeks, absolutely. That's one way you can consider yourself lucky! SignatureDonnaB shallotpeel : ^> USA <*> new WIN Vista user 06-07-06 Diagnosis T2 HbA1c 8.1, D&E & Metformin 500mg Current ................... HbA1c 6.3 "All's well that ends well." - Shakespeare "Bother." - Pooh > It makes such a difference doesn't it when one finds a medical >person whose specialty and interest is relevant to you. They care >about their patient's welbeing in a way that others can't. Well done. It so does! I had previously had such a bad experience with an allergist in NYC. My PCP guaranteed me that she knew an allergist who would not be like that & who I would like. She was right. It was good to go through all of that & to have my breathing levels checked, etc. >While it may be completely irrelevant to you, have you tried Zyrtec. >It's a non-sedating antihistamine. In New Zealand we have it in the >generic form sold as Razine. Same product about half the price. Oh, yes, I tried it long ago. I tried it & Claritin. The only one of those drugs that had even some effectiveness for me was Allegra-D which I had been using until the recent change. I had been taking it with either Flonase or Nasonex. And, it wasn't doing anything at all for the MCS. And, it wasn't even keeping up with particulate matter in the air. People don't call Atlanta Georgia USA the pollen capitol of the world for no reason. We also have regular air quality problems. And, I've had some asthma ever since 09-11-01, when I lived in Prospect Heights in Brooklyn, NY, where we breathed in particulate matter like crazy for months. SignatureDonnaB shallotpeel : ^> USA <*> new WIN Vista user 06-07-06 Diagnosis T2 HbA1c 8.1, D&E & Metformin 500mg Current ................... HbA1c 6.3 "Morality, like language, is an invented structure for conserving and communicating order. And morality is learned, like language, by mimicking and remembering." - Jane Rule [born 03-28-31, died 11-27-07] >> It makes such a difference doesn't it when one finds a medical >>person whose specialty and interest is relevant to you. They care [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >that & who I would like. She was right. It was good to go through all of that >& to have my breathing levels checked, etc. Glad the first experience didn't put you off and your PCP was well connected. That makes a big difference. We so often rely on our GP having a good reputation amongst the specialists to ensure we get the appointments we need. In NZ I get to read copies of the correspondence from the specialists to my own GP and the strength of his reputation is something I've come to greatly appreciate. Call it secondary gain if you like. What I'm sensing from a zillion miles away is that you have a PCP who does know the right people and know how right they'll be for you. That's great. >>While it may be completely irrelevant to you, have you tried Zyrtec. >>It's a non-sedating antihistamine. In New Zealand we have it in the [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >Georgia USA the pollen capitol of the world for no reason. We also have >regular air quality problems. We have a few tiny settlements where almost everyone has asthma or similar ailments. They are situated beside large rivers where the pollen blows down from the hill country. Sadly the only cure is to move. Oh, I did mean to mention when you said you'd had your breathing levels measured that it pays to have more than peak flow measured. Sometimes, especially if you are tall, the peak flow can be fine but the flow rate drops off more rapidly than it should. Flixatide inhalers work well for those who only need to bring their peak flow up but sometimes fail for those whose flow rate drops off suddenly. They need a long acting for of ventalin to supplement it. Here's me being puzzled again. Steroid inhalers mean almost no steroids go into the blood. It is something like 16 puffs would be equivalent to 1 mg of steroid by tablet form and no one takes 16 puffs. This would seem to be of first rate importance for T2 diabetics. Now I know nothing of your medical condition and my experience is likely to be quite unlike yours but I'm left wondering if you've explored that option with your specialist. >And, I've had some asthma ever since 09-11-01, when I lived in Prospect >Heights in Brooklyn, NY, where we breathed in particulate matter like crazy >for months. Best wishes on finding a workable solution, SignatureQuentin Grady ^ ^ / New Zealand, >#,#< [ / \ /\ "... and the blind dog was leading." http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/quentin >>> It makes such a difference doesn't it when one finds a medical >>>person whose specialty and interest is relevant to you. They care [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >Glad the first experience didn't put you off and your PCP was well >connected. That makes a big difference. Oh, well, the frustrating futile allergies in NY really did put me off. Exactly the right way to put it. >We so often rely on our GP >having a good reputation amongst the specialists to ensure we get the [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >away is that you have a PCP who does know the right people and know >how right they'll be for you. That's great. Well, to be fair, Atlanta has great healthcare. >>Oh, yes, I tried it long ago. I tried it & Claritin. The only one of those >>drugs that had even some effectiveness for me was Allegra-D which I had been [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >pollen blows down from the hill country. Sadly the only cure is to >move. That is interesting. >Oh, I did mean to mention when you said you'd had your breathing >levels measured that it pays to have more than peak flow measured. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >but sometimes fail for those whose flow rate drops off suddenly. >They need a long acting for of ventalin to supplement it. The first visit they tested my breathing levels, then gave me a treatment via nebulizer and then tested them again. >Here's me being puzzled again. Steroid inhalers mean almost no >steroids go into the blood. It is something like 16 puffs would be [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >experience is likely to be quite unlike yours but I'm left wondering >if you've explored that option with your specialist. Is that anything like an albuterol inhaler, a rescue inhaler? SignatureDonnaB shallotpeel : ^> USA <*> new WIN Vista user 06-07-06 Diagnosis T2 HbA1c 8.1, D&E & Metformin 500mg Current ................... HbA1c 6.3 "Bother," said Pooh, as he cheated on his wife. I had a cat scan and mine showed clear at the time of the test but it was winter and dry...im thinkin my biggest problem is the fall and spring when its cool and the stucco on my house gets wet and is wet a while...that and cotton wood kills me. my wife has a skin test done..the spots got red and gross lookin yet the doctor dismissed it..ticked me off..she get attack where her eyes turn blood red and glaze over etc but never found a doc that will do more then write a scipt for zyrtec...sigh. glad ya found a good doc! KROM > Increasingly I have had problems with allergies throughout adulthood, > getting [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > I had a CT scan of my sinuses & I was changed from what I was taking to > Singulair, Veramyst & Astelin. It's made a great difference. >my wife has a skin test done..the spots got red and gross lookin yet the >doctor dismissed it..ticked me off..she get attack where her eyes turn blood >red and glaze over etc but never found a doc that will do more then write a >scipt for zyrtec...sigh. That infuriates me. SignatureDonnaB shallotpeel : ^> USA <*> new WIN Vista user 06-07-06 Diagnosis T2 HbA1c 8.1, D&E & Metformin 500mg Current ................... HbA1c 6.3 "Bother," said Pooh, as he coached Saddam Hussein on military strategy. she will goto the er in crazy pain eues s o glazed u can barely see her pupils and all the do it push her face a bit which hurts and send her home with antibiotics and zyrtec...her allergies are seasonal..happens same time of yer every year. She also react severy to saw dust yet thier test said no..she breaks in hives! all they do is give her eladell cream..never treating the tru allergies... sigh KROM > On Sun, 27 Apr 2008 13:49:38 -0500, "krom" > <thekromremoveremove@hotmail.com> [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > That infuriates me. >she will goto the er in crazy pain eues s o glazed u can barely see her >pupils and all the do it push her face a bit which hurts and send her home [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > >sigh I read an article where a woman went from doc to doc till she ended up at the Mayo Clinic, where she was told that her body, her skin specifically impeded the usual reaction to the scratch tests & that a certain number of people simply reacted differently to the scratch test. Told her not to worry about the scratch test & treated her allergies, since she clearly had allergies, going by symptomology. The men in my family can't wear metal jewelry, which means they are always hunting for just the right wristwatch. I have to wear special hypoallergenic earrings or my skin eats them & they eat me. LOL Signature: ^> DonnaB Yahoo Msgr: shallotpeel <*> http://tinyurl.co.uk/h193 http://tinyurl.co.uk/wdp8 http://tinyurl.co.uk/byv9 "Bother," said Pooh, as he called in an air strike. |
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