Resolved question:
Hello, I am speaking on behalf of my boyfriend, who is very ill and unable to deal with an illness that he's been fighting for almost two years. It all started one day when he drank a bottle of fish oil which he later believed to be rancid. It resulted in a splitting headache which was so severe he almost had to call the paramedics.
Now he's had a severe 'clog' in his head which consists of extremely sticky, almost adhesive-like 'mucus' (although we are not sure what this stuff is made of, we've tried to get it tested in medical labs but have not received any support) which we believe is stuck in his sinuses/head cavities. He has spent the last year and a half trying to get this stuff out. It comes out very slowly, although he has found that 1) catching a cold and 2) drinking alcohol in reasonable amounts - no binge drinking or anything excessive - has helped speed up the process. Other methods, such as neti pots, steam baths, etc. have not helped.
He has also been experiencing side effects from this 'clog,' such as severe brain fog, memory loss, concentration loss, pressure behind the eyes, nausea, etc. He rarely gets a good night's sleep. He struggles with holding a job, and had to drop out of school as a result. His symptoms feel the worst in the mornings/after he wakes up, and eases up at night. It's caused a lot of despair, and has made him contemplate (and once attempt) suicide. We believe this may have stemmed from the fish oil incident.
He has visited many doctors, mostly general practitioners, who are unable to diagnose him. The most he's been given is allergy medicines but those haven't helped. He's also seen a social worker AND a psychiatrist for his suicide attempt, but no diagnosis for depression was given due to him having a physical condition. He has requested for CT scans and MRIs, but for some reason did not qualify for any of these.
I should also mention that his older brother also previously had this same mysterious illness, although it was not as severe, and he is okay now. The cause of his illness is not quite known, although we suspect it might've been toxic mold from living in an old apartment (which he no longer lives in).
Please help. He's been fighting for almost two years but this is wearing him out. I am at a loss on where to turn to, and he needs help. I know this situation sounds far-fetched but somehow it's happening and we are running out of ideas. Thanks for reading this long message.
Submitted:
4 Days
Category:
ENT Specialist
Hello and thankyou for approaching DoctorSpring with your query. I have gone through your boyfriends case and I understand your concern.
Let me first reassure you that the drinking of the rancid is not the cause of his present symptoms.
The 'clog' or sticky fluid that you describe is mucus that is released by the mucosal glands in the nose, sinus and other parts of the body. This mucus is normally released in all individuals to trap the foreign dust or other particles and clear them from our body. However in case of an allergy there is excess mucus production resulting in a sticky fluid coming out of the nose or a sticky substance that flows from the nose to the back of your mouth (post nasal drip). In case of sinusitis due to the inflammation of the lining of the sinus due to an allergy, the patient will have headaches or an uneasy feeling and postnasal drips.
But his symptoms of concentration loss, memory loss, brain fog, or unable to hold a job will not be related to sinusitis.
Hence you boyfriends problem is 2 fold. 1) the symptoms of sinusitis like the sticky substance you have described.
2) his symptoms of loss of concentration , loss of memory, unable to hold a job, attempted suicide seem to be related.
Disturbed sleep could be related to both the above situations.
1) You can diagnose if he has sinusitis or no, by doing a CT scan of the paranasal sinuses. This will give a clear picture of the sinuses and will help diagnose sinusitis.
Even if his sinuses are clear, he could be having a mild allergy which leads to the over production of mucus. And this is very common in many individuals. Like you have said mold can cause an allergy in addition to many other substances that cause allergy like dust, pollen, fresh paint smell, animal fur etc etc. He should try to notice what causes his allergy and avoid the substance if possible. This can be controlled with anti allergic tablets. He should drink lot o fluids so that the mucus thins and flows out. In addition steam inhalation does help.
Alcohol use is not significant as at different doses it will have a different effect on the nasal sinuses. Hence better avoided.
2) I would advise you to take him to a well known psychiatrist as his symptoms of loss of concentration, loss of memory brain fog, drop out from school , unable to hold a job is most probably due to any underlying depression. He does need psychiatric help. With medications or therapy you will notice a big difference in him.
So for now my advise to you would be to take him to an ENT specialist to get his sinusitis/ allergy diagnosed and treated, and take him to the psychiatry to get him evaluated and treated appropriately. His condition is nothing to worry about and can be treated.
I hope this has helped. Feel free to follow up with any further query.
Thankyou.
Hi, thanks for the information. He has previously seen a psychiatrist who concluded that he does not have depression because the cause of distress is a physical condition. The same thing happened to his brother and once his physical symptoms went away, so did his distress. Prior to all of this his life was pretty okay. He does do steam inhalation but has concluded that doesn't help. He feels like this stuff is really lodged in his head cavities and it's not just in his nasal sinuses.
His resources are also limited because he is living in low income housing and does not have a job. He has visited free clinics and requested CT scans but he doesn't qualify for these. Do you have any suggestions on where we can go/what can we do? Thanks
Hello and thankyou for the follow up.
Since it is difficult for him to get a CT Scan, you can get an X-Ray done of his paranasal sinuses. X-Ray will also help in diagnosis and is a more accessible option. It should be available at the medical center.
His paranasal cavities/sinuses are 4 paired air filled spaces in the skull. They are the nasal cavity (maxillary sinuses), above the eyes (frontal sinuses) between the eyes (ethmoidal sinuses) and behind the ethmoids (sphenoidal sinuses). So when you say it is 'lodged in his head cavities', it is the same thing as paranasal sinuses.
I would suggest he take the OTC drug Allegra 180mg once a day at night on an empty stomach for 10days. Notice if he feels an improvement in his symptoms. Let him drink a lot of warm fluids.
Since he feels the steam inhalation is not helping, he can try using a humidifier in his room. Use a mask in case he is cleaning the house or in case of any exposure to dust. Avoiding opening the windows when there is a lot of pollen around. Try avoiding whatever could probably be causing an allergy in him.
Notice how he feels for 2 -3 weeks after he has finished taking Allegra. If you feel his symptoms of the mucus secretion have improved. If his physical symptoms have improved and he still seems low on concentration, memory , and generally dull, I would suggest you take him to a psychiatrist. He may just need a counselling session or psychotherapy which will cause a positive change in his life.
I hope this has helped.
Thankyou.
Thanks, would you have any other suggestions? He is not sure whether allergy meds have helped in the past. I know a friend of mine took some sort of steroids when she had some sort of bronchitis/sinus infection, do you think that would help? Would sinus surgery be a possibility?
Do you also think it is possible that he has some sort of, I don't know, cyst or nasal polyp in his sinuses?
Thanks!
Hello and thankyou for your query.
I would not suggest steroids without a physical examination and investigation. Steroids are effective in case of sinusitis, but you will need to visit an ENT, get him diagnosed first and if indicated the doctor will start him on appropriate medication.
SInus surgery is a very last resort and is not indicated. There are good medical treatments for sinusitis which will be prescribed by an ENT after examination which will take care of his condition.
An X-Ray and physical examination will help rule out if he has nasal polyps, but it is less likely that he has polyps.
Hence my advise to you is to take him to an ENT specialist, and get him examined. An get an X-Ray done of his paranasal sinuses.
He can also use Nasal saline sprays which will help clear the mucus discharge.
I hope this has helped.
Thankyou
Thank you. We are looking into getting a humidifier for him, although we are also considering a steam inhaler. Which do you think would be more effective with moistening/loosening up his mucus? Are there any other options for loosening his mucus? Thanks
Hello. The steam inhaler will be more effective, and I would suggest you buy that of the 2 options.
Like I mentioned earlier , he can use Nasal Saline sprays. They are very effective in loosening the mucus thus aiding the normal cleaning system of the nasal passages. Nasal saline sprays have no side effects and can be used safely and are found to be effective.
I hope this helps relieve his symptoms.
Take care.
Thankyou