This is the 17th day that I've had this virus. The virus itself isn't so bad. It's all the secondary infections that are killing me. I hate that all I can do is let the virus run its course while I try to manage the symptoms. Unfortunately, the symptoms are unmanageable. It took two visits to the student health clinic here on campus for them to even figure out it was viral. It took two more visits to my family practitioner to get something for my ears. For the past 9 days, I have been unable to hear because of all the fluid behind my ears. I've already had one round of antibiotics for a bad sinus infection. Yesterday, I was prescribed 3 WEEKS of antibiotics for two ear infections and another sinus infection...

...which brings me to my main problem. I have tried EVERYTHING to decongest my sinuses and ears. I have been eating decongestants (religiously and responsibly) like candy. I've exhausted my supply of Zyrtec-D and Duramax. I was on Zyrtec-D for a month straight before I got sick. It doesn't really work anymore. I'm running out of Mucinex-D, but it wasn't really working to begin with. Claritin-D, Clarinex, Allegra... You name it, I've probably had to take it so much in the past that it just doesn't work anymore. My last resort was plain old Sudafed. I haven't seen much change while using it. Unable to find a solution through medicine, I went to other extremes...

****y stuff has ALWAYS worked in the past, so I started there. I ate the hot salsa straight out of the jar. I drank the hot green salsa, then had seconds. I ate wasabi straight and regretted it. I chewed on those peppers in the Chinese food, you know, the ones that make you want to die because they are so hot? Well, they didn't work either.

Someone suggested the old home remedy of blowing cigarette smoke in your ears. (Something about nicotine does something to the inner ear.) Didn't work. Heat didn't work, cold didn't work. Forcing myself to yawn for an hour didn't make my ears pop at all. There was also this thing where you fill a bottle with a saline solution and spray it up one side of your nose until it pours out the other side, cleaning your sinuses out in the process. That was a VERY strange feeling, and sort of worked for my sinuses, but I still can't do a thing for my ears.

Is there anything else I can do to decongest my ears and my sinuses? At this point, I am open to anything.

 

There is nasal saline you can buy to shoot up your nose. It sounds wierd, but hang your head upside down when you spray it becuase it will cause all the blockage to settle in one place if its runny...it'll feel like your head is swelling when you do it. Sit back up really fast and the sudden change in pressure should make it all either come out of your nose or soften it up so you can just hock up a huge loogey and spit all that nasty ish out. Thats what my pharmacist told me to do when I had a sinus infection. I've never had and problems with my ears, so I dont relly know what to tell you about that

 

ouch i feel sorry for u bro. Wish i could help out.

 

You can try these tea medicines that they have that have helped for me. My fiance has two swelled gushing eyes and lost her voice but didnt go to the doctor. So could just try to let it pass. 17 days...thats harsh. Thats like me waiting for gay Megan racing to ship my crap, 10 more days and it will be a month! yay! *******...

 

i dont take many antibiotics/medicine of any sort...i rarely take anything even when im sick...
well, i rarely get sick in the first place. but maybe (and i mean, MAYBE im in no way shape or form a doctor) your body is becoming immune to the medicine that you are taking since youre taking so much.

ive heard about the saline solution that kokasian was talking about... and i heard it works.

 

100% correct. I have chronic allergies to all kinds of seasonal stuff, so I have to take something daily or else I get sick. My body just laughs at anything I throw at it these days. It's kinda funny. I haven't really been sick since I had my tonsils removed 2 years ago. This is like... payback or something.

I used something similar. That stuff is gold. I recommend it to everyone. I used it yesterday and today, my sinuses are clear. The ears are another story, though.

More information, please? Do you mean herbal teas? Vanilla Chai, of all things, seemed to help the throat. It's better today.

I have an appointment Tuesday with an ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat) doctor. Lucky for me, I have problems with all 3 of his specialties. Maybe he'll be able to do something. Unfortunately, the research I have done so far points to surgery as the next step to relieve the fluid behind my ears. Seeing as though I have had the same fluid stuck behind my right ear for 10 days now, and things are just too swollen to drain no matter what, I might end up with tubes. It's either that, or they drain it through the eardrum. Neither looks good. But, seeing as though the spring semester just started and I can't hear the lectures... I'll take either at this point.

 

im glad to hear your sinuses are better.

as for the ent doctor...yeah, theyre pretty good, ive been to a few.