ANA Discussion Forum
General Category => AN Issues => Topic started by: Melissa778 on January 26, 2009, 11:56:26 am
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So I had my GK in Oct. '08 following my translab I had in May of '08....about two months ago I had a nasty bout with my trigeminal nerve causing me severe pain and doc diagnosed me with a nasty sinus infection also. After two rounds of antibiotics to kill off this sinus infection I am back at square one.....
I know this is gross but when I blow my nose it smells so nasty I can't even describe it! I've got the yucky green goop and it has not been touched by antibiotics.....Keep in mind that i have NEVER had sinus issues until my surgery/GK......are these sinus issues common after surgery/GK??? My docs are pretty unconcerned.....but it's driving me nuts that my nose and such smell like death....it's HORRIBLE, no exaggeration here......I assume the lovely smell is to be associated with "infection", but could anything else cause this?
Sorry to air my yucky story out there.... :)
Melissa
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Needs to be investiged. Could be an abscess w/ a resistant bacteria. Are you having a lot of facial pain.?? Don't want to give a lot of medical advice, but don't let the Dr's give you the brush off. Ask about a CT of sinuses.
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Thanks Sam,
LOTS of facial, trigeminal, and tooth pain all on the AN side. My head has been killing me for days. Just tired of taking the antibitotics if they aren't helping. And it would be nice to know why it just doesnt' seem to clear up. My AN doc seems to think it's no issue, but I may see my PCP just to see what she thinks.....it actually HURTS deep inside my sinuses/nasal passages when I blow my nose.....I know it's so gross. And it's just a sinus issue, but the smell (and taste in my mouth) is horrid! I jsut can't see a thrid round of antibiotics doign much more than the first two did.....
Melissa
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Green goop does sound like a sinus infection...usually accompanied by that ol' rusty taste in the mouth. I agree go for a follow up with the doc and keep on this.
GM
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Hi Melissa,
That does sound like one heck of a sinus infection. If two rounds of antibiotics haven't touched it, it's obviously time for something stronger/more drastic. I agre with Sam, don't let your doctors put you off.
Best wishes and let us know how things are going.
Wendy
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After my surgery I had some things in my head that scared me when I blew my nose. I told my neurosurgeon when I had my Dr visits and he seemed to not understand what I was saying as well as not too concerned. I finally came to my own conclusion that all of that "stuff" came from the surgery. It lasted several months and eventually got better. However, now that it has been several years I have a new problem, since I have facial paralysis I don't have moisture on my left side and have dry eye issues as well as a very dry sinus cavity on my left side. That brings its own problems. I think I really need to invest in a humidifier.
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Melissa -
I'm no doctor, but Sam is - so I say go with his advice.
This green goop just doesn't sound right.
Good luck; let us know the end result.
Jan
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Melissa, my two cents:
A smell like you're describing is not normal and might be a worsening infection or tissue dying for some other reason. Please get this taken care of ASAP. If your current doctor and prescription aren't working, see someone else. Don't be passive on this one. Take the wheel!
Best wishes,
Tumbleweed
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I'd be sure to push it with the doc's.....nasty infection it sounds like it to me and one thing that comes to mind that hasn't been mentioned.....gause left in???? (you had surgery right????) I'd want something done to determine the cause of all of this
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Thanks all for all of your advice. Does anyone know if this is a common occurance after GK? I've never had a sinus infection until I had the GK in October, and I've now had one ever since.
I have an appt. this morning with a PCP, unfort. it's not my regular doc as she is on vaca.... :( :( So I'll be seeing a doc I've never seen before.....it'll be a long appt I'm sure as I'll have to go over EVERYTHING. I just hope not to be "dismissed" again because he is unfamiliar with my case and is just going to give me more antibiotics.
When the initial onset of this began I was prescribed Tegretol to help my facial pain/trigeminal nerve pain. I had stopped taking it because the pain had mostly subsided and it's been about a month since I've taken it, I had to break down and pull out the script last night because the pain in my face is back full force. I just hope it's something that can be cleared up soon, tired of dealing with "stinky" snot :)
Thanks all for your advice :)
Melissa
Also, I have noticed over the last week that my tinnitus has gotten noticeably worse.....could be just coincidence....???
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Melissa-
I'm very interested to hear what the PCP says - your symptoms defintiely don't sound good. I've always understood that "green goop" from the nose is the sign of some sort of infection, so good that you are taking a pro-active approach.
Debbi
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If you don't find the answer with your primary care doctor, try to see an allergist. I work for one, and he's also a good friend. The allergist should be able to find the cause of this, and could order a CT of the sinuses if warranted (Of course, so could any other doctor).
Best wishes,
Tamara
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Melissa:
One other thing you might try is a neti pot. Basically, you irrigate your nasal passages with salt water, cleaning them out and disinfecting and soothing the mucous membranes. I always do this when I catch a cold, and it always makes me feel instantly better and shortens the length of the cold. You should be able to find a neti pot at a well-stocked natural-foods store.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasal_irrigation#Jala_neti
Best wishes,
Tumbleweed
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Melissa -
just checking in. What did the doc say?
Jan
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Well, they think I have a bacterial infection and have put me on some pretty powerful antibiotics. I have about 3 days left on them and if they dont' kill it off they'll do a CT to check further on what may be going on. Not so sure the antibiotics are working....thigns still seem the same. And my trigeminal nerve pain is back with a vengance, and it tends to flare up with each sinus infection. So I'm back on Tegretol for that and we'll see how it goes in a few days. Thanks for checking in on me :) And I hope to have good news that it's gone soon!
Melissa
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I'm hoping your news is good too.
Thanks for the update.
Jan
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Ok, so the stinky nose saga continues......After 2 rounds of general antibiotics, 1 powerful round....a two week reprieve.....the stinky snot syndrome is back. Doc now has me on steroids, zithromax, and has FIANLLY ordered a CT of my sinuses because they are concerned about nasal polypsand I've had the sinus infection off and on since the end of Oct.?
Anyone ever had this? My question is, I have never had sinus issues until I had my surgery and GK.....is it common after surgery's like this and radiation to have probelms with sinuses due to how close the sinuses are in relation to the AN? And any info anyone can provide me on nasal polys is appreciated.
Melissa
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Melissa,
I'm going through the same thing. Last year I was put on prednisone and I went cuckoo on the 60mg a day. I see the Specialist next Wed for battle number 2. This has been go on since Christmas and getting progressively worse. I just came off of a round of really strong antibiotics my GP gave me, no relief. My breath stinks, I make horrible noises when I recline or lay down. Last night the noises were so loud I was awake all night. These noises are almost, I'm saying almost as bad as my husband's snoring, with one exception Louie can sleep through his snoring!!!! Thank goodness we sleep with the bedroom door closed ;)
Anne Marie
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I too have trigeminal pain (alliviated somewhat with heat) sinus pressure....headaches.....numbness....dry eye etc. on left side. This all seems to affect balance. No green goop though.....sounds like profound infection somewhere in there. Never had allergies etc. before Ck. This has been ongoing for 4 years. I use a humidifier in bedroom....steam pot on stove with spices ( cloves, cinnamin, eucalyptus etc.) it seems to help along with nasal spray. Truly a mystery....but a doctor's evaluation is best I think. You must just be miserable. Hope you get it solved soon.
Judy
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Ok, well the stinky nose saga continues......STILL have a sinus infection (going since Oct/Nov).....round 5 of antibiotics and steroids.....doc says CT scan of sinus' is some of the worst he's ever seen. Right side (AN side) 100% blockage, left side 50% blockage. Doc wants to do sinus surgery if this round (3 weeks) of meds doesn't work......Not sure I want to take on ANOTHER surgery....will this ever end?? And now I'm concerned it will delay my BAHA surgery in June.....
Has anyone had sinus surgery.....?
Is this related to all that I had done (translab & GK)? Doc seems to think no direct correlation, but I have never had sinus issues before the AN....so he seems to think it could have all had some sort of effect in soem way. Just frustrated that I have to go through more.....
Melissa
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Melissa -
I'm so sorry to see you are still battling this problem. I was going to ask you if it was considered AN surgery related, but it looks like that's what you're asking others. I wish I knew the answer.
As for the BAHA surgery, if it were me, I'd take care of this issue before getting the implant. In fact I'd imagine your doc wouldn't want to go ahead until the sinus infection is cleared up.
Good luck with this round of meds; please keep us updated.
Hoping for good things,
Jan
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I've never had sinus surgery, but I had a friend years ago who had it. He always had bad sinus problems and had his sinuses "scraped" for lack of a better word. I know, it sounds awful, but it worked like a charm for him and as far as I know, he never had any issues after that. He did have some nice black eyes for a little while afterwards, but I'm sure it was worth it.
I think you should definitely get the sinus thing under control first before the BAHA implant. If you wind up with the infection spreading to the newly implanted post, sometimes they have no option but to remove the post to let the infection clear up - something to do with the post not having any immune system to fight off the infection.
Maybe you can ask the sinus doc to get you in quickly so you might not have to worry about postponing the BAHA surgery.
Lori
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Hi Melissa,
Sorry to hear about your stinky nose but I have to second Lori in that I have known two people who have had sinus surgery after years of sinus infections and both have said its the best thing they ever did. No problems since. I hope they don't have to resort to that with you and that it clears up before then!
Best of luck!
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Melissa,
Sorry to hear you are STILL dealing with your sinus issues. I've had sinus infections but never for this long. I have to agree with Lori, taking care of this now is a good idea. Hopefully your sinus surgery won't interfere with you BAHA surgeyr.
Good luck,
Wendy
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Since my AN surgery I've had sinus issues. I think in my case it is related to the fact I have no fluids (tears, nose or saliva) on my AN side due to facial paralysis. When I am in dry areas of the country it is alot worse. I live in sunny, humid Florida so it does help some....
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Hi Melissa,
I'm not sure exactly what kind of sinus surgery you'd be having, but I did have surgery when I was a freshman in high school to remove polyps from my sinuses. I had many sinus infections growing up, and I think the point of removing the polyps was to stop the infections from recurring. Anyway, all they did was go up through my nose and clear out the sinus cavities below my eyes; they went up the ones to the forehead as far as they could reach as well. In the 12 or 13 years since the "clean out," I've had only one sinus infection, so I think it worked.
From what I can remember, I was in the hospital overnight but I didn't really feel that bad. The worst part was when they pulled out the packing from my nose and blood started gushing out (sorry, that was kind of graphic). I would say that the sinus surgery was much "bloodier" than the AN surgery. But I think you should definitely get it taken care of. Oh yeah, I couldn't drink out of a straw or play my clarinet in band for two weeks after because they didn't want the pressure to disturb any of the healing going on inside. I would imagine that if you did this soon, it wouldn't interfere with BAHA surgery in June.
Hope that helps!
Kim
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Currently I seem to have some minor headache and also the site of the surgery (translab back in Oct 07) seems to be sore to the touch. My head is feeling kind of sensitive to the touch and my tinitus is louder. I went to the doctor yesterday and he diagnosed me with ear infection, the same side of my AN. I'm taking antibiotics at this point for 2 days now and hope that it goes away otherwise, I will have to go back to the specialist at EAR Institute to find out what else is there... This so far seems to affect my nerve a little bit and if it does not get worse over time, it might be OK. Good luck!
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ive had sinus surgery twice over the years before they found my AN, i am now feeling really blocked up again, so i have a apt with my ent on the 15th too see if my polys have grown back as this can happen.
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Melissa -
how are the meds working? Is the sinus infection clearing up?
Inquiring minds want to know ;)
Hoping for good news,
Jan
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I've had some difficulties with the meds, so they've scaled them back a bit. I go for a CT on Friday (the 17th) and follow up with the ENT on the 29th to see where things are at. Crossing my fingers for a snot free scan :) Although I am not that hopeful......still having the same issues when blowing my nose and I can still feel it all in my face, I also have what feels like alot of pressure in my head and evern around my surgical site???. Just the thought of another surgery bums me out. Ever since I found out I had an AN it just seems like my health has gone downhill drastically. Every time I rebound from one thing there's another beginning......it's frustrating. My tinnitus has increased horribly.....maybe from the infection or meds??? Not sure, but it's driving me insane!!! And the meds I am on are making me a monster......I dont' think the increase in tinnitus has helped that either. But I am hopeful and keep plugging though......The kids schedules are hectic with T-ball and soccer so I've been busy, which helps me tremendously!! :)
sniffling ans sneezing.....
Melissa
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oh Melissa!
I hope that this situation can get resolved soon WITHOUT surgery! Let us know what you find out! I will send up some prayers for you!
K :D
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hi melissa, did you get my PM, i go on wed to see about my sinus, i have had polys removed twice in the past, i used to get a nasel spray to shrink them in the past , did they offer this too you?
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Ah, Melissa - I wish things were better.
But remember there is a light at the end of the tunnel and you'll get there in time.
Good luck with the CT and the ENT. I'll be thinking of you and hoping for the best possible outcome.
Jan
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Melissa!!!!! I just realized that the "this is gross" thread is still around and that you are still dealing with issues. I am so sorry to hear that. I chuckled at your first post -- I'm not anymore. I hope this soon improves. I'm praying for you. I think you're coming up on your first year anniversary. May the second year be the best.
David
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Melissa ~
I'm so sorry to learn that you're still struggling with the same issues as well as others - and getting discouraged from all of it. Who wouldn't? Many people are thinking of and praying for you to have these issues resolved. Your spirit is resilient and will get you through these days. May there be better ones ahead. :)
Jim
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Ok, so I had my CT scan today......of course no results yet and I don't see the doc untilt he 29th.....but I found this alarming.....
The CT tech after my scan said "are you taking medication for your infection" I of course explained my many rounds of antibiotics and that yes, I was still taking meds....and her response was"you'd never know you were taking medication".....So I guess my assumption is that my scan does not look good. :( I suppose I shouldn't think the worst yet......I just really do not want another surgery. And from what I hear sinus surgery really isn't pleasant.....not that any surgery is pleasant, but you get what I mean :) Maybe that's not what the tech meant at all.....but I wish she had never said anything I guess.... :)
Still blowing my stinky nose.....
Melissa
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Melissa, I hate to say it, but I don't think the news is going to be good either based on the technician's comments.
I thought all medical technicians were taught not to give away the results of tests like ultrasounds, MRIs, CT scans, etc. since that is the doctor's job.
But on the bright side, maybe the technician was totally incorrect - so maybe the doc will have good news on the 29th.
Whatever the news turns out to be you'll get through it. Heck, you've had AN surgery - and GK - you're definitely strong.
Jan
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Melissa,
Hi! I am so sorry you are feeling poorly with this continuing sinus issue... :(
Hope you get your CT results soon. Me, i would be on the phone tomorrow, asking for the results asap.
I had a similar experience with a technician - i realized in my case that the pictures were shocking and the technician was probably as upset as we were.
So please - stay strong, you can fight this, just like Jan said!
My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Sincerely,
Sue
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Melissa~
Sorry that you are having to deal with all this and now a wait on top of it all...keep us posted....& we will keep you in our thoughts and prayers!
K
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Melissa,First, I've had the CT guided endoscopic sinus surgery and was absolutely astounded at the ease of recovery. Mine was totally enclosed in all but the rear ethmoid and sphenoid sinuses and so dense in the maxillary sinus there was the possibilityaof a tumor. They had to break a bone under my eye to "chunk it out." No tumor in the sinus. I had no bruising -- none, zero, zip. Very little pain -- eensy, teensy -- barely a blip. The grossest part for me was doing the nasal lavage to keep the gunk cleared for a few weeks (?) but it wasn't any big deal after the first few times, other than the gross factor. Oh, bless the heart of my sinus surgeon, I was freaked some (we had to clear the sinus problem before the facial tumor surgery which they scheduled for about six weeks later) so even though it an outpatient procedure, I stayed overnight at the hospital on one of those 23 hour deals and was one of the first to enjoy (truly!) the hospital food as they had just recently changed providers.So sorry you are going through this. I am stunned at the amount of time you've dealt with it. My facial nerve tumor was actually discovered after trying to clear a chronic sinus infection. Because any surgery carries risks (as we all know), they tend to keep trying to clear it before even suggesting surgery.I'm not sure if it a blessing or a curse for you because I was absolutely clueless. I'd gone for an MRI due to my psychologist referring me to a neurologist after my first visit. I'd gone to see him to discuss strengths and weaknesses for a career change. He put together my 10 year hearing loss, 50 year facial paralysis and about 3 years of stumbling like a drunken ballerina.The radiologist, as seems to be his customary practice, checked to see if I had any other radiographs in the system to compare. He pulled up a 3 year old CT scan (from when my PC wanted to rule out stroke after yet another bout of "Bell's Palsy") and noted that all of the sinuses that were blocked on the old CT were still blocked.After trying to clear up the sinus infection, we did another CT scan specific for the sinuses, and that's when the facial nerve tumor showed up as a mass in my middle ear.My sinuses have remained clear the past 20 months. They also took care of my deviated septum.I was so freaked out by the sinuses, and on its heels, the facial nerve tumor, that I did pretty extensive research and also asked the surgeon to see if there is a connection between the cranial nerves. To the best of my knowledge and his information, there is no connection.The only "gooey" problem I've had (was/is) the "nervous dog, drippy nose" that occurs in copious quantities whenever I am active or the weather is warm. This happened AFTER the facial nerve resection NOT the sinuses. I dug out the information on this one after a hint of info from an ER doctor regarding how microscopically small and twined together so many of these cranial nerves are. So while I don't have sinus problems, I do have "Pseudo-Cerebral Spinal Fluid Rhinorrhea."And for such a big fancy name, and the oopy-goopiness to it, it is easily managed with a prescription for Atrovent nasal spray -- it's available as a generic (yay!).Sorry to have prattled so, but I'm new to this list and guess I'm having a case of newby-itis.Melissa, truly, after I told a good friend of mine in another state about how great the sinus surgery was, she went ahead and had hers done (she'd been fighting with problems for years) and she told me her general health is better since she had them rotor rootered. <g>Anyway, I'll head back to lurk. Best.Claudia
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Melissa,
As far as the CT tech is concerned, they should blow it out the...mselves!!!
When I had the CT done to see if my sinuses had cleared, I asked the CT tech and of course she couldn't tell me anything. But having seen the actual scan (I have all of my CTs and MRIs on CD) I can tell you for a fact that if you look at the side of your head where you know it is clear -- and look at the side your infection is on, all you would be able to see is the light/dark difference.
Until the radiologist actually compares your old CT with the new one, even they wouldn't be able to say if the infection is clearing or had remained unchanged.
I used to be a very laid back person until this head crud/tumor stuff. I started going to the radiology records a few days after the scans and picking up a copy of the report as the stress of waiting for the information was worse (for me) than getting information I might not clearly understand. But, by skippy, burning up the internet for information Until that next appointment was (again, for me) a much preferred distraction that sitting and going out of my mind with anxiety bordering on panic attacks waiting for news.
Again, my experience (and that of my friend in another state) found the surgery to be a (relative) piece of cake. And that's not even factoring in the facial nerve resection (neurofibroma, brain stem to parotid).
Dr. Han at Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) did the computer aided endoscopic (up your nose) sinus surgery.
Fix yourself a nice cup of tea, settle into the couch with some soothing music, and imagine yourself kicking that inconsiderate, unprofessional tech from here to the hereafter -- that should bring a smile back to your face!
Hugs,
Claudia