# Sinus and crohns is there a connection



## minnie winnie

*sinus and crohns is there a connection*

Hi all,

Just wondering if any of ye have had sinus problems. I have crohns since 1993, in the last few weeks i've started to get very bad headaches and sinus pain. My doctor said i have sinus problems and neuralgia. Just wondering if there is a connection between sinus problems and crohns, also have noticed that i've been going the the toilet alot in the mornings, something i haven't done in a while. I 'm on deltacortril 5 mg, currently weaning myself off, going down to 2.5mg on saturday.  Hoping i'll be ok on 2.5 mg, last time i got a kick back from the steroids and i had to go back to 7.5 mg and try to wean myself off again.


:ycool:


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## Kev

Well, I could make a joke.. say that everytime I go the to bathroom, my nose revolts..  however,  my lame joke aside, I noticed (and still do) that my sinuses do act up EVERY day before my first BM.  Why? I dunno.  Runny nose, watery eyes, its like a cold or allergy.. and it's a definite sign that Mother Nature is going to call. It has been with me as long as I can remember, so long that I thought it was just normal.  I dunno if anyone, anywhere, ever experienced it or anything like it...  Maybe I'm just one in 6 billion or so who goes thru this..


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## Creepy Lurker

I have some allergies, but no sinus problems.  It's unlikely that there is any connection really.


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## vickyoddsocks

I often get really bad headaches with a temperature and fever - seemingly for no apparent reason. Got it today actually.
I get REALLY REALLY cold and shivery (like im in the arctic) but when i take my temp its usually really high - last time it was 40.1!! 
But if i take paracetamol, 1/2 an hour later it seems my body catches up and i get REALLY hot and sweaty, and feel absolutely fine after a cople of hours! - Weird. 
The only correlation i can find is it sometimes happens when im really exhausted, like after a day of riding at uni!
Anyone else get this?

Sometimes i get runny nose, but i think thats to do with the azathioprine ()imuran) andhaving a lower immune system.


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## Guest

hi minnie 

in answer to your question, yes and no, lol. yes in that i've suffered headaches for years, which have FELT like sinus pain, and have invariably told i have sinusitis. also they sometimes went hand in hand with earache in one ear - again told i have blocked sinuses. the weird thing is.. also the pains would go, nothing ever drained out of me. occasionally the gp said i had neuralgia too, and last year was told i had a bone infection behind my ear.. which turned out to be nonsense.

now that i have a confirmed diagnosis of recurred crohns disease, and unfortunately worse headaches and migraines than i used to have, i am beginning to think i never had sinus episodes - i think the pains were crohns headaches.

recently someone recommended an over the counter drug - syndol - for joint pains. its absolutely wonderful for these sinus type headaches as well, in fact they are promoted as headache painkillers.


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## saidinstouch

There was a study published early last year I believe that people with IBD often have respiratory symptoms as well.  I don't remember the specifics, but I get a semi-nasty cough for a month or two at a time 2-3 times a year for the last 2 years or so and finally the doctor at my campus clinic (I thought it wasn't crohns related at the time) said she found a study from Stanford I think with this information and that it would be the likely cause.  When I think back on it, the cough often would appear in times of added stress and go hand in hand with a minor flair, though this most recent cough lasted just over two months and didn't go away till they put me on prednisone because my colon was really inflammed.  I know it wasn't asthma or allergies because I had already tried albuterol and benadryl to get rid of the coughing, so most likely it was in fact another symptom of my flair up.


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## Mazen

Are you on Imuran? The only time I got a very serious sinus infection (I was having bloody mucous from my nose and headache....) was after about a month of starting Imuran.... An antibiotic took care of it though and i never had it again.

I guess it's all related to immunity. when you have Crohn's and you are on immunosuppressive meds, you are surely more prone to infections.


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## Kev

Perhaps, in just my case, a loop of my bowel extends into my cranium. It certainly would explain a lot... and justify everyone who ever called my a 'sh_  _- head!!!'


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## Droopy Drawers

Kev said:


> Well, I could make a joke.. say that everytime I go the to bathroom, my nose revolts..  however,  my lame joke aside, I noticed (and still do) that my sinuses do act up EVERY day before my first BM.  Why? I dunno.  Runny nose, watery eyes, its like a cold or allergy.. and it's a definite sign that Mother Nature is going to call. It has been with me as long as I can remember, so long that I thought it was just normal.  I dunno if anyone, anywhere, ever experienced it or anything like it...  Maybe I'm just one in 6 billion or so who goes thru this..


I get the same thing, but I thought for sure the Doc would think I was crazy if I mentioned it

I still don't have a diagnosis, but I see the Rheumy this week so maybe he can shine a light on it


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## slj75

I just had an MRI for severe headaches and frontal pressure and it showed euthmoid thickening and inflammation of the sinus cavity...stating that I have a chronic inflammatory disease in my sinuses


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## lindbergh

you most likely have allergy problems
I have that. 
Try Sudafed 12 hr it opens up your sinuses it is a decongestant (it's over the counter)
I live on it in the Summer months
Or the drug name is Pseudoephedrine. Comes in many generic forms


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## Ya noy

lindbergh said:


> you most likely have allergy problems
> I have that.
> Try Sudafed 12 hr it opens up your sinuses it is a decongestant (it's over the counter)
> I live on it in the Summer months
> Or the drug name is Pseudoephedrine. Comes in many generic forms


Careful about buying any over-the-counter meds contains pseudoephedrine, which is now heavily regulated, because it can be used to synthesize meth., and in a number of states now, meth addiction is so widespread, it is considered an epedemic.  

As a result, purchasing products containing pseudoephdrine requires ID, which is input into a centralized database to track sales and limit quantities sold.  Generally speaking, you can only buy somewhere around 2-3 boxes of Sudaphed per month.


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## Lisa

I have sinus issues - in fact I have some cysts in both sinus cavities (found on MRI done to check brain after first migrane)...ENT didn't seem concerned about htem. Right now I'm battling a sinus infection of some sort.....happy joy...if it isn't markedly better by Wednesday I will be calling the doctor for some drugs.....


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## slj75

Pasobuff
Good luck....I get severe migraines and the doc feels its coming from my sinuses.  They have discussed putting me on a nasal steroid - will find out soon


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## juljul

minnie winnie said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Just wondering if any of ye have had sinus problems. I have crohns since 1993, in the last few weeks i've started to get very bad headaches and sinus pain. My doctor said i have sinus problems and neuralgia. Just wondering if there is a connection between sinus problems and crohns, also have noticed that i've been going the the toilet alot in the mornings, something i haven't done in a while. I 'm on deltacortril 5 mg, currently weaning myself off, going down to 2.5mg on saturday.  Hoping i'll be ok on 2.5 mg, last time i got a kick back from the steroids and i had to go back to 7.5 mg and try to wean myself off again.
> 
> 
> :ycool:


 Hi Minnie Winnie, 
I have had sinus issues for years, with some sort of "neuralgia" symptoms to boot. I was recommended by two GPs to try steam inhalation, to help with sinusitis and ear infections/catarrh too. So I started that with one of those steam inhalation cups. And I add a few drops of essential oils - eucalyptus (3 drops), and 1 or 2 drops of peppermint (usually 2 but started on 1 as it is strong), and sometimes a couple of drops of clary sage if I have nervous tension. I feel this has helped actually. If you want to try that, make sure you close your eyes when you inhale the steam, and don't use more than 1-2 drops of peppermint because it feels like it is burning - though it doesn't actually burn. These oils all have  antibacterial volatile components that go directly to the sinuses where they are needed. They are also anti-inflammatory so can help in two ways. Other than that you could try those sinus sachets (saline) with the squeezy bottle - many people seem to get relief from those. 

Hope that helps 

oops ..... I just realised this is a really old thread - so not sure if anyone is following this or not.


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