Constant Flu/Sinus Issues

Infections
1

I'm a 22 year old, male, 186cm/80kg, healthy, fit, active, student.

Ever since I was 19, I've had serious problems which seem to be like reccurent Flu / Sinus infections.It's like I always have the flu, it never really goes away but just abates gradually before it flares back up. I've been tested for everything, Glandular Fever, STDs, Vitamin and Mineral levels, you name it, I've been tested for it. The only things which occasionally come up are 'Chest Abnormalities' which get scanned and then seem fine, and occasionally a 'Low White Blood Cell Count' which is dismissed as being due to being ill. I always feel better in the Summer, and worse in the Winter. I've taken anti-histamines and anti-allergies long term, which never does anything, and always just get diagonsed with sinusitis and am given antibiotics, which usually take three courses to work. I've tried saline sprays, steriod sprays, nothing ever works, my doctors latest diagnosis is that im 'Down and Depressed', welyeah, after having the flu for 3 years, is it any surprise?! I've had allergy tests for Gluten, Dairy and Peanuts and all came back negative.

This year, since about October, it's been the worst it has ever been, especially these past 3 weeks.

Here are my symptoms:

Constant headache, it comes and goes, sometimes throbbing on forehead, othertimes the temples, usually a general feeling of pain on the top of my head, almost feels as if my skull is too small and its like the pressure of my brain pushing out. I get dizzy when I stand up too quick, and occasionally have to sit down/hold the surface so that I don't fall over. My nose is always blocked, but really high up, and it drops back down into my throat, meaning I always have a sore throat and tongue. I frequently get conjunctivitis/wake up with gooey eyes, and my ears always ring/are sore/pop as if I'm on an aeroplane. When I'm not feeling good, I'm often disoriented, slur some of my words, struggle to concentrate, and have this desire to just curl up in a ball, the light makes them worse, so some days after waking up and getting dressed I just have to go back to bed for the day.

I seem to always feel unrefreshed when I wake up, and 8 hours sleep just doesn't feel like enough, I need 12 to feel even vaguely human - and 90% of the time I'm just absolutely exhausted.

I also get awful acid-reflux/heartburn whenever I'm feeling really bad,

I recently went for a CT scan of my sinuses; and they said that my sinuses weren't blocked at all - infact they were normal. And this is consistant with me never actually having any pressure pain to the touch like one normall does with Sinus Infections.

I'm basically at my wits end. My Doctor seems to be out of suggestions, and meanwhile I'm in FInal Year of University and I'm falling behind on work, have no social life and am really feeling quite depressed and never being able to do anything - but I'm 100% sure that this is caused BY the physical symptoms; not versa! Because days when I wake up feeling better, that alone puts me in the best mood.

Please, if anyone has any suggestions or has had a similar experience - help me.

2

i AM ALSO AN ENGINEERING STUDENT AND HAVE SAME PROBLEM WITH  WHITE HAIRS (I AM A PAKISTANI).... WELL MY FRIEND I THINK THIS IS BECAUSE OF ZINC DEFICIENCY TAKE SOMETHING LIKE

surbeX Z TO OVERCOME !!! IT MAY HELP YOU.....

3

Same thing here, years of this, been on same route as u, U could have a number of things, i went to alternative, MD, I have auto immume? problems, can cause, headach, muscle ,joint aches ,irritabillity, depression, flu like symtoms did a TOXINS detox, got on a good mulit vitamin. Eating good foods, also Took muti acidopolis, HERBS, gave me some energy back,, Ebstein Barr virus, tested by blood test, causes, fatigue, head ache, fever, sore throut and swoolen lymph nodes, i have hummifier on and vitamins, shot of whiskey with honey nightly, works. OR have u had ur Tyroid checked, it has a lot to do with ur throat! Checked by blood draw too. Docters are just guessing, and me to.

4

Gerd can cause sore throat, caused from acid reflex. take a pepcid everyday. i use nasacort allergy, now ever day, Dr. says its running down my throat, causing sore throat.

5

I too have nearly all the symptoms you have but mine only started after the flu jab in October since then I have had a dry throat, cough, sinus problems headches a sore throat and tongue. I have bought a bed wedge in case acid reflux was causing the problems.  I have had blood tests, a chest xray and I am waiting for the results of a nasal scan.I wish I could be of more help but I cant suggest anything.Good Luck 

6

I had flu like symptoms, every week, for 9 weeks, never found out what was wrong. Had my throat scooped, this yr, he said chronic laryngitis, gerd, all wrong cause now they changed my thyroid pill, my throat has cleared up, I'm on vitimins, feeling a lot better . smile

7

I'm female, 18. I lived in indonesia it has tropical climate and i've been had similiar experience about the constant flu for about my whole life, and my father has this symptoms too.

I started to feel disturbed when i was in junior high, i always think i am alergic to low temperature (under 20'C) but then i realize i'm fine if its cold and dry so i think its about the humidity

I can't stop sneezing and get all the flu things every morning and stopped when the weather temperature is getting warmer and dry

And when its rainy season i am as dying as you in winter, but i always try to stop the flu getting worse by washing my face with only water and wipe it with clean towel as dry as i can. And yep, its getting better, at least the sneeze stopped.

And i'm kind of alergic to cat's fur and everything which shaped similiar with that, like MY OWN HAIR, the flu triggered when my nose interacted with those things

Maybe you have same alergic problem like me

When your head get dizzy after you stand up too quick, don't worry(many people had this situation), its not related to the flu, you may get anemia, check your blood pressure

About your sleep time, you may have a wrong position when you sleep, it makes you feel tired when you wake up. Google its not a really serious problem

*when i get flu, i cant stop sneeze, swollen and itchy eyes, and spend a lot of tissue

Thats all i want to share with you, sorry for my 'bad english'

8

im suffering from flu since like 5 years ago it comes and it goes in the same day and it feels better in the summer as well .. it feels less when i move and make an effort but it still comes back rolleyes i feel it depends on how i'm feelin sometimes or if i hated what i do it really becomes worst and also if i stay at home it kills i should be out and its weird that i feel well at night but in the morning and the afternoon im all pale and sick and sometimes the opposite .......... God cure us ..

9

Hi

I'm a 42 year old man who's having similar conditions. Putting it in perspective I've always had slight issues like brain fog, slight oversensitivity to heat and cold, lack of energy. But 4 years ago they came on with a vengeance. Most of the symptoms you describe were there, very tired - like just got up and needed to go to sleep, terrible muscle soreness and pain, aching and crackling joints, very disoriented, and terrible anxiety - like everything was out to get me all the time. Totally understand what you mean about skull being too small - feels like brain trying to pop out.

I've had blood tests - including liver, white cell count, HIV, hepatitis, chlamydia - the only thing they reveal is borderline hypothyroid. I'm awaiting an allergy test.

What I can say, is that I completely cut out gluten and feel round 70% better for it.

The constant exhaustion has diminished to just being quite low in energy and grumpy and anxiety has lessened considerably. The muscle and joint pains are vastly improved - I can get about much better. I was going feverish whenever I drank alcohol, thought this was a guten thing, but have now cut it out completely.

I'm doing some yoga and meditation, deep breathing and regular reasonable exercise followed by meditation and relaxation help immensely.

However, haven't worked for last 2 years, so don't know how I'll fair hen back in it. If anyone else has any breakthroughs do tell us, cos I'm not out of the woods yet, but as I say am greatly improved. With shared insights we all might help each other.

10

Hi, was just reading your post and felt I could have written it myself. Your symptoms and mine are so similiar. I realize you wrote this some time ago and am curious as to if you have found any helpful answers? I have been living in this ongoing flu like state for so long that I think ! am living in the movie 'Groundhog Day'. I do believe this is somehow all connected to a Thyroid condition and fatigued Adrenal glands, but aquiring the proper tests for this is an expensive challenge where I live. Typical Thyroid tests only give part of the information necessary and because there is such a large range considered normal, many people are not correctly diagnosed. I do hope you have found some relief, and I am still searching.

11

Infection is quite a specific diagnosis.. it denotes that you are being troubled by a bacteria or other foreign entity. Unless there is pus or a discharge (thick thick green or dark mucus perhaps) coming from your nose then it may not be an infection. A flu (being caused by a virus) wouldent necessarily be a direct cause of sinus infection but could only be a pre-cursor. I would normally ask questions but your replys to this forum are over a year old so a response probably isnt forthcoming. I will write out a few thoughts in case someone reads this anyways. When your nose/sinus feels congested it is usually one or both of two things..a build up of mucus or an inflammation of the tissues. Now, imagine your patio covered in wet mud as being your affected sinus.. of course everyone takes a cold or allergy medication to dry it up, yes? But then what do you have, a patio covered in dry mud but still filled with mud...and after the pill wears off you have dry mud being covered by more wet mud. When kids sniffle they are pulling mucus back into their noses which causes it too back up which then causes an infection, thats why kids get sick like that more often then adults because adults blow their nose properly (ever try to get a child to blow their nose correctly? like pulling teeth) The answer must then be that we need to clean out the mud, clear the sinus instead of adding more. When my son would have sinus issues I tried using whats called a neti-pot which you use to actually flush out your nose and sinus, I personally still use mine occasionally to this day. It uses a saline mixture using distilled water to flush out your nose but what it also does is reduce the swelling of the tissues. Because our skin is a semi-permeable membrane it uses osmosis to pull water molecules from our nose tissue because of the higher salt concentration (salute) as you are flushing out the mucus. So not only will it flush out the mucus and other particles it will also dry and reduce the swelling from the irritated tissue. Coincidentally its the same process that causes your hands to become pruney and wrinkled when your swimming in the salty ocean, its literally pulling water straight from your skin. I realize that this will not be the answer for everyones problem but it could help with some.. if you have any questions ill check back. Good luck to everyone

12

I am also a 22 year male... have almost the same issues 

all i can ADD is to first get your eyesight checked and secondly make routine and stick to that routine and thirdly cut out anything which is Sour fizzy or citrus this does includes citrus fruits as well ... try it for a month i hope this will contribute positively  

13

When flu like symptoms do not clear up, the possibility of allergy should be considered.