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Does anyone else suffer from this dreadful condition? I do, and I regularly endure extreme bouts of hay fever whenever the barometric pressure in the atmosphere changes. My allergic reaction is so debilitating that it puts me out for the entire day whenever it triggers. My eyes swell up, nose turns into a faucet, and the roof of my mouth itches unbelievably. I have tried a number of treatments, with varying success -- steroid injections, allergy medications, diet changes. Still, nothing has entirely worked. My only course of action to tame the flare ups is to take copious amounts of benadryl (like 200 mg).
Does anyone else suffer from this dreadful condition? I do, and I regularly endure extreme bouts of hay fever whenever the barometric pressure in the atmosphere changes. My allergic reaction is so debilitating that it puts me out for the entire day whenever it triggers. My eyes swell up, nose turns into a faucet, and the roof of my mouth itches unbelievably. I have tried a number of treatments, with varying success -- steroid injections, allergy medications, diet changes. Still, nothing has entirely worked. My only course of action to tame the flare ups is to take copious amounts of benadryl (like 200 mg).
I have the dry kind,meaning I don't have a runny nose, I just have the swelling. The constant swelling blocks normal drainage and as a result I get inflammation and infections (sinusitis)
I have been diagnosed with allergic rhinitis. In my opinion I also have non-allergic rhinopathy (the au courant term for vasomotor rhinitis), but it's difficult to get medical doctors, or even some non-traditional therapists, to take it seriously, maybe because becasue they don't actually have much to offer.
Specifically, I am very sensitive barometric pressure changes. Just about every day, at some point in the afternoon (or sometimes very late morning) I will be hit by the daily drop in barometric pressure, which is generally accompanied by sinus pressure and sometimes pain, as well as fatigue. The intensity varies. I also respond, generally much more strongly, to barometric pressure changes related to storm systems.
I moved to New Mexico to avoid a grass mold I was allergic to, for which allergy treatments were not working. Unfortunately, from what I've read, living at a higher altitude tends to cause more problems for those who are sensitive to drops in barometric pressure (because there is less pressure to begin with, at higher altitudes). I never had a really significant sensitivity to daily barometric pressure fluctuation before moving to NM. So whatever you do, don't move to a higher elevation.
I take the following daily: guaifenesin, Nasacort (triamcinolone), fexofenadine, and Excedrin migraine (or equivalent generic formula). I also irrigate my sinuses with salt water (using a SinuPulse Elite) at least twice a day. I also take sudafed and ibuprofen, as needed. In practice, I use ibuprofen almost every day.
I do not drink coffee every day (since I'm very sensitive to it and it tends to make me lose sleep) so I find it helpful when my sinuses are at their worst.
I also find that eating chile pepper helps, along with dark chocolate to a lesser degree.
I was trying acupuncture earlier this year but the results weren't convincing enough to justify the cost, at least for the moment. One herbal formula my acupuncturist gave me did initially have a significant effect, though it didn't last long. But I may get it a further chance if I can get my finances caught up. It is called Coptis Purge Fire and the brand is Health Concerns. I do recommend giving that a try, since it gave me at least a glimpse of what it would be like to get this problem under control. That only lasted for about a week, at most, for me, but maybe you'd have a better experience. It's definitely an interesting herbal formula, and I'd be surprised if you wouldn't at least notice some kind of response.
Despite all of these treatments (I also get desensitization injections for my allergies), even my allergies are still not under control. I don't have the more visible symptoms--runny nose; sneezing; red, watery eyes. What I experience is an itch-like discomfort in my nasal passages, congestion, sinus pressure (sometimes turning into full blown headaches), lots of fatigue, and occasionally irritability or anxiety which in my opinion is actually part of an allergic reaction and not simply an emotional reaction to the intractable health problem itself (although I experience that as well). It's a bit frustrating in that I think most people look at me and think my allergies are no big deal, but they actually leave me feeling miserable most of the time (especially in conjunction with the other sinus issues). There were times in the past, many years back, when I had much more of a runny nose and at least more sneezing than I experience now, but my allergies were actually much better controlled then. They are more debilitating now.
Just a comment on Astepro (which someone else mentioned): I think most doctors would be aware of it. I tried Astelin for a year, when I was still living in Philadelphia. It did help my symptoms to some degree but it also made me very tired, partly defeating the purpose, since fatigue was and is one of my main complaints. I also noticed that my recall for words and names deteriorated somewhat while I was taking it. Additionally, it seemed to increase my blood pressure and cause heart palpitations, though I don't think I made that connection until later. Anyone considering using Astepro/Astelin should go read the very extensive anecodtal accounts of side effects. I had many doctors and nurses insist it was a "good drug" but I don't buy it. Actually, I did have one ENT tell me recently that he didn't think it actually helped much, but he was refreshingly candid in his skepticism about standard treatments of various sorts (including most sinus surgery).
(Astepro is very very close to Astelin. One thing Astepro has that Astelin does not is aspartame. No thanks!)
I have been diagnosed with allergic rhinitis. In my opinion I also have non-allergic rhinopathy (the au courant term for vasomotor rhinitis), but it's difficult to get medical doctors, or even some non-traditional therapists, to take it seriously, maybe because becasue they don't actually have much to offer.
Specifically, I am very sensitive barometric pressure changes. Just about every day, at some point in the afternoon (or sometimes very late morning) I will be hit by the daily drop in barometric pressure, which is generally accompanied by sinus pressure and sometimes pain, as well as fatigue. The intensity varies. I also respond, generally much more strongly, to barometric pressure changes related to storm systems.
I moved to New Mexico to avoid a grass mold I was allergic to, for which allergy treatments were not working. Unfortunately, from what I've read, living at a higher altitude tends to cause more problems for those who are sensitive to drops in barometric pressure (because there is less pressure to begin with, at higher altitudes). I never had a really significant sensitivity to daily barometric pressure fluctuation before moving to NM. So whatever you do, don't move to a higher elevation.
I take the following daily: guaifenesin, Nasacort (triamcinolone), fexofenadine, and Excedrin migraine (or equivalent generic formula). I also irrigate my sinuses with salt water (using a SinuPulse Elite) at least twice a day. I also take sudafed and ibuprofen, as needed. In practice, I use ibuprofen almost every day.
I do not drink coffee every day (since I'm very sensitive to it and it tends to make me lose sleep) so I find it helpful when my sinuses are at their worst.
I also find that eating chile pepper helps, along with dark chocolate to a lesser degree.
I was trying acupuncture earlier this year but the results weren't convincing enough to justify the cost, at least for the moment. One herbal formula my acupuncturist gave me did initially have a significant effect, though it didn't last long. But I may get it a further chance if I can get my finances caught up. It is called Coptis Purge Fire and the brand is Health Concerns. I do recommend giving that a try, since it gave me at least a glimpse of what it would be like to get this problem under control. That only lasted for about a week, at most, for me, but maybe you'd have a better experience. It's definitely an interesting herbal formula, and I'd be surprised if you wouldn't at least notice some kind of response.
Despite all of these treatments (I also get desensitization injections for my allergies), even my allergies are still not under control. I don't have the more visible symptoms--runny nose; sneezing; red, watery eyes. What I experience is an itch-like discomfort in my nasal passages, congestion, sinus pressure (sometimes turning into full blown headaches), lots of fatigue, and occasionally irritability or anxiety which in my opinion is actually part of an allergic reaction and not simply an emotional reaction to the intractable health problem itself (although I experience that as well). It's a bit frustrating in that I think most people look at me and think my allergies are no big deal, but they actually leave me feeling miserable most of the time (especially in conjunction with the other sinus issues). There were times in the past, many years back, when I had much more of a runny nose and at least more sneezing than I experience now, but my allergies were actually much better controlled then. They are more debilitating now.
Just a comment on Astepro (which someone else mentioned): I think most doctors would be aware of it. I tried Astelin for a year, when I was still living in Philadelphia. It did help my symptoms to some degree but it also made me very tired, partly defeating the purpose, since fatigue was and is one of my main complaints. I also noticed that my recall for words and names deteriorated somewhat while I was taking it. Additionally, it seemed to increase my blood pressure and cause heart palpitations, though I don't think I made that connection until later. Anyone considering using Astepro/Astelin should go read the very extensive anecodtal accounts of side effects. I had many doctors and nurses insist it was a "good drug" but I don't buy it. Actually, I did have one ENT tell me recently that he didn't think it actually helped much, but he was refreshingly candid in his skepticism about standard treatments of various sorts (including most sinus surgery).
(Astepro is very very close to Astelin. One thing Astepro has that Astelin does not is aspartame. No thanks!)
I have the same issue with barometric pressure, however temperature changes is what aggravates me. I get a sudden and intense pressure around my nose. I've been to numerous doctors. There's no cure or treatment for our condition. Although they say that takiNg a nasal and oral steroid helps. I took them for awhile and it did help but the side effects became a problem. Now I just learn to live with it
This is the fourth day in a row that I have not had my normal, daily pressure in my head as a result of falling barometric pressure. That is unheard of for me, at least for the past two or three years. My overall energy levels aren't where I'd like them to be, but I have at least not been getting that peculiar daily barometric pressure dip in energy.
I think it's probably due to the acupuncture treatment I've been receiving (from a different acupuncturist than the one I mentioned earlier), or an herbal formula my acupuncturist gave me (for a different health problem), or some combination of both. The herbal formula is Liu Wei Di Huang Wan, which I only started taking last Friday. Lately my acupuncture sessions have involved regular use of electrical stimulation. I have had about six or seven sessions focused on my allergy and sinus problems. This time around, I've been noticing immediate, but temporary, results after the sessions, something that was almost completely lacking when I was going to a different acupuncturist.
I've also been taking, on my own, Long Dan Xie Gan Wan, which is the base formula Coptis Purge Fire is built around, and buttberbur (which is recommended for both allergies and migraines, although it is part of the ragweed family so people with ragweed allergy--like me!--might want to think twice before using it). The first I've been taking for about two months, I guess. The second I've been taking for just over a month. The downside of experimenting with multiple approaches at one time is that it's harder to figure out what's causing what.
One more thing: I stopped taking Excedrin migraine daily, as a preventive measure, a use for which its obviously not intended. And I've become a lot stingier about giving myself ibuprofen as soon as pressure appears. I made these changes after reading about rebound headaches. Maybe I was making my head pressure problems worse by overusing these things. I don't know. I know it's healthier in other ways, to avoid them.
So people with the problem discussed in this thread might consider trying TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine). Based on my recent experience, I'd suggest finding a Chinese practitioner, or at least someone with a great deal of experience. But it's hard for for a new American acupuncturist to compete with someone who not only studied in both China and the U.S. but also benefited from having a parent who was an acupuncturist (as is the case with my current doctor). I'm not sure there's a fool-proof way to pick an acupuncturist. It seems like there is an interpersonal variable that's hard to account for. The acupuncturist I was going to previously had been recommended to me by someone at work who had had good results, as had her daughter.
Last edited by ApartmentNomad; 06-18-2014 at 02:04 PM..
Since I was very enthusiastic about acupuncture and herbs last week, I think I need to report that this week has been awful (despite an acupuncture session last Friday and an emergency one this past Tuesday). Maybe I haven't been getting barometric pressure drop related discomfort, but it's hard to tell because I've just had constant sinus trouble this week. And while I can usually find a decent explanation when things suddenly take a turn for the worse, in this case I'm having trouble find potential causes.
In a way, last week is the real enigma. What set of factors made my sinus condition so much better overall?
One thing to note: my acupuncturist did not use electrical stimulation during the last two sessions. He had used it in the preceding ones. I suspect that is what is missing. I think that in the last couple sessions he was more focused on balancing other issues. (During the second from the last, especially, I was exhausted and had been having a lot of digestive problems--possibly due in part to post-nasal drip as a result of my sinuses really getting clear that one week.) But I am going to request that he resume electrical stim.
(I don't assume everyone is interested in my situation, but I am a guinea pig for this particular problem, so what I discover might be useful to others.)
Interest in research into the quality of life has been increasing over the last 20 yr but this field is still disregarded by some (1, 2). However, it is now widely acknowledged that the personal burden of illness, as perceived by the patient, cannot be fully assessed by objective measures of disease severity, because for diseases such as asthma and allergic rhinitis, traditional clinical indices only moderately correlate with how patients feel and are able to function on a daily basis (3-5).
From another article (sorry, didn't save a cite for this so I don't know if it's freely available on the internet or not, though you could always try plugging a chunk of it into a search engine).
The exact pathophysiology of NAR remains uncertain as multiple, perhaps overlapping, mechanisms have been proposed (1). These include the possibilities of localized nasal allergy reactions without systemic evidence for allergy (entopy), nociceptive nerve dysfunction, autonomic dysregulation whether rooted in the nonadrenergic, noncholinergic system or the sympathetic/parasympathetic system, or via other yet-to-be-determined mechanisms.
Me: i.e., they don’t know WTF is going on.
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