sinus problems
Question:
<snip? Why do you have to be "careful" of garlic and echinacea if I may ask? Echinacea seems to really help my sinus problems (terrific!) and I have so far encountered no adverse side effects. So far, the only herb recommended by "Sinus Survival," that I seem to have any trouble with, is ginkgo biloba–it seems to make my skin itch or tingle or something.
I know a lot of people take echinacea as a preventive during cold/flu season but it gives me bad headaches unless I’m actually sick or coming down with a cold or flu or sinus infection. Same with garlic oil. It gives me headaches unless my immune system is low & I’m actually fighting something. Also Vitamin C gives me acid stomach EXCEPT when I’m fighting a cold. MEB
Response:
Help! I have sinus problems, year round, and went thru one round of allergy tests (none found, altho I had only been off Seldane for 3 weeks, and the allergist suggested another 2-3 weeks off it AND no other antihistamine for at least a week to rule out a false negative). I <snip drops. What I want to know is: are there any homeopathic remedies, herbs, etc., that I can try instead of constant prescription strength medications? Garlic oil seems to help, but are there other remedies I can try? Thanks for your help. Suzanne
Suzanne, At least 15% of allergic patients (like me) don’t react to the standard skin scratch tests at all. For us, a blood test for eosinophils is an alternative test. Second, there is "non-allergic (vasomotor) rhinitis" which can produce much the same symptoms as allergy, but without an allergen present and without the telltale histamine reaction. This is not easy to treat. By the way, be careful of certain non-sedating antihistamines if you get upper respiratory infections. Using Seldane or Hismanal in conjunction with certain antibiotics (e.g., erythromycin, Biaxin) can cause potentially fatal heart arrhythmia. Suzanne, I also started studying herbs. Try Zand Brand Echinacea and Goldenseal Tincture. (If garlic helps you, this might be the right combination of herbs; I have to be careful of both garlic and echinacea.) Also, there’s a book called "Sinus Survival" by Dr. Robert S. Ivker, an osteopath who explores both standard and alternative treatment. He pointed out that the body tolerates much larger amounts of Vitamin C when ill than when well & I have found this to be the case with echinacea as well (I can’t take it as a preventive but can tolerate it when I have a cold).
The book "Sinus Survival" also recommends other therapies for sinus problems, especially moist heat (steam, sauna, nasal irrigation, etc.). I find that this is the most effective treatment of all for chronic sinus problems. The book also recommends various ways to change your environment to minimize exposure to allergens and irritants. This can be relatively cheap (buy an air purifier) or expensive (leave town). Why do you have to be "careful" of garlic and echinacea if I may ask? Echinacea seems to really help my sinus problems (terrific!) and I have so far encountered no adverse side effects. So far, the only herb recommended by "Sinus Survival," that I seem to have any trouble with, is ginkgo biloba–it seems to make my skin itch or tingle or something. — Steven D. Litvintchouk "There seems to be no mainframe Phone: (617)271-7753 explanation for the PC world — President Bill Clinton Disclaimer: As far as I am aware, the opinions expressed herein are not those of my employer.
Response:
Help! I have sinus problems, year round, and went thru one round of allergy tests (none found, altho I had only been off Seldane for 3 weeks, and the allergist suggested another 2-3 weeks off it AND no other antihistamine for at least a week to rule out a false negative). I <snip drops. What I want to know is: are there any homeopathic remedies, herbs, etc., that I can try instead of constant prescription strength medications? Garlic oil seems to help, but are there other remedies I can try? Thanks for your help. Suzanne
Suzanne, If the allergy test was negative, it probably IS time to try alternative medicine. I had a series of sinusitis attacks a few years ago, and gave up on the ear-nose-throat specialist when he remarked casually that he had some patients on antibiotics year-round. (Allergy shots helped my allergies but they don’t usually take efffect for months after beginning them.) I started seeing an acupuncturist whom I still visit for occasional tune-ups or more frequently if I’ve been sick. I also started studying herbs. Try Zand Brand Echinacea and Goldenseal Tincture. (If garlic helps you, this might be the right combination of herbs; I have to be careful of both garlic and echinacea.) Also, there’s a book called "Sinus Survival" by Dr. Robert S. Ivker, an osteopath who explores both standard and alternative treatment. He pointed out that the body tolerates much larger amounts of Vitamin C when ill than when well & I have found this to be the case with echinacea as well (I can’t take it as a preventive but can tolerate it when I have a cold). Good Luck, Mary Elizabeth
Response:
Help! I have sinus problems, year round, and went thru one round of allergy tests (none found, altho I had only been off Seldane for 3 weeks, and the allergist suggested another 2-3 weeks off it AND no other antihistamine for at least a week to rule out a false negative). I
Hi, I had similar problems, but never used the heavy meds. recently I bought a Ozone generator. My sinus problems are diminished greatly. I am NOT a distributor but I have set up a web page with questions and answers on indoor pollution for the person I bought mine from(He’s off-line) http://www.valleynet.net/~telecard/air1.htm
Response:
Help! I have sinus problems, year round, and went thru one round of allergy tests (none found, altho I had only been off Seldane for 3 weeks, and the allergist suggested another 2-3 weeks off it AND no other antihistamine for at least a week to rule out a false negative). I cannot go more than 1 dose off an antihistamine without major problems like stubborn sinus infections, and I think it is not healthy to take decongestants every day for the rest of my life. I am currently taking Entex LA twice daily along with Beconase AQ nasal spray and Naphcon eye drops. What I want to know is: are there any homeopathic remedies, herbs, etc., that I can try instead of constant prescription strength medications? Garlic oil seems to help, but are there other remedies I can try? Thanks for your help. Suzanne
Response:
Filed under: Sinusitis Treatment
Leave a Comment
XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>
TrackBack URL | RSS feed for comments on this post.