Need advice/suggestions!

desertrat · Post by **desertrat** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 7:36 pm

I have been doing well with the MC, normans daily for the past five months. However, I have noticed in the past month or so a waxing and waning of some symptoms that I wonder if they are associated with MC, or could it be a separate problem? Here they are:

I've noticed that my balance is slightly off, especially rising in the morning from bed. It takes about 30 seconds to orient myself, and then I am good to go. Also rising from a chair, after sitting for a while, I will slightly lose my balance.

Sinus pressure at bridge of nose, back of head, and top of head/scalp. This comes and goes in varying degrees at any moment or time.

My jaw hurts, especially around the top and bottom molars. My gums seem to throb occasionally, then stops.

My ears, either both or just one, are usually stuffy, like I am underwater.

Now remember, these symptoms come and go and may last for ten minutes to two hours. I usually experience them all at once.

So, is it allergies? My eyes do not water, nor itch. No sneezing. I can breathe clearly through my nose and when I take a Claritan, I don't notice much or any improvement.

Do I need a decongestant? If so, which one would I use for MC users?

TMJ? Possibly, but I don't know. Should have a dentist check that one out?

Hypothyroidism? My PA seems to think I need to take Naturethyroid due to my blood levels, but them seem to be in normal range and I have none of the symptoms of hypothyroidism that I can tell. I've check my temps and while they are low in the morning 97.4 to 97.6, they stay around 98.6 to 99.0 in the afternoon and early evening. I will say I do feel better from about 5 pm to midnight than in the morning/early afternoon.

I am rather fanatic about vitamins and I think I take the right amount or more, so I am not sure if that is the problem.

So, what really bugs me is trying to discover if this is MC related or not.

Any thoughts, any similar experiences you can relate to, dear readers?

Mucho thanks!

Mandy

Zizzle · Post by **Zizzle** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 8:01 pm

To me it sounds like a combo of head/sinus congestion and possibly low blood pressure. Is your BP normal? I can't take decongestants like Sudafed (the real stuff). It gives me heart palpitations. When I get congested I do sinus irrigation (i.e. Netipot with saline, etc). None of it sounds MC related to me, but who knows?

desertrat · Post by **desertrat** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 9:14 pm

My BP is normal. I'm thinking maybe it's my neck? Maybe a chiro adjustment? I think what throws me is that I have never experienced this before, especially the imbalance. Question: If I can breathe clearly through my nose, no swelling or stuffiness, can I still have sinus pressure?

Mandy

Zizzle · Post by **Zizzle** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 9:21 pm

I think you can have gunk deep in your sinus cavities and in your inner ears and still have a relatively clear, unstuffed nose. I wonder if a good workout to get the blood and lymphatics moving might help. Otherwise massage or acupuncture? I love a good chiro adjustment too...

Gloria · Post by **Gloria** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 9:23 pm

I'm not sure how old you are, but both DH and I have had dizziness. In my case, I believe it was due to osteoporosis in my neck. When I first had it, the doctor checked my reflexes for a stroke.

In DH's case, he gets regular carotid artery scans to check the buildup of plaque in his neck veins. His mother had to have them cleaned out, and he will probably also need to someday.

I'm sorry, I don't have any explanation to your other symptoms. I hope you can get some answers.

Gloria

Zizzle · Post by **Zizzle** » Tue Apr 24, 2012 9:23 pm

It sure does sound like tree pollen allergies (minus the lack of nose drainage). Many people report that Claritin does nothing for them. Maybe try the more potent Allegra or Zyrtec?

Post by **tex** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 7:39 am

I have two different types of allergic response to inhaled antigens, but I have no idea why I have one instead of the other, at varying times.

1. runny nose, watery eyes, etc., (without throat congestion, or with minimal congestion)

2. throat congestion, (without runny nose, watery eyes, or with very minor nasal discharge, or watery eyes )

My guess is that the first reaction is in response to the release of histamines, and the second type of reaction occurs when other inflammatory modulators, such as leukotrienes, eosinophils, basophils, macrophages, etc., are predominant.

Tex

desertrat · Post by **desertrat** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 10:17 am

Zizzle, I think I will try Allegra or Zyrtec. Thanks!

Gloria, I am 57. Never thought about osteoporosis in my neck. When I do rotate my neck/head I can hear small crackling noises but there is no pain. How did you find out you had osteoporosis in your neck? An xray?

Tex, I have never, ever had allergies in my life. You could have stuffed ragweed up my nose and it wouldn't have bothered me. lol But I guess you can acquire allergies later in life, am I correct? The palo verde trees are in full blossom here (gorgeous!) and everything else seems to be blooming late here. Usually, in Arizona, things start blooming in early March. It is suppose to rain here tomorrow. Does that mean the pollen index is lower or higher? Also, what do you take for your allergic responses?

I guess it is trial and error to find out what is going on. Does anyone here have constant allergies, or are they seasonal for you?

Thanks!

Mandy

Post by **tex** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 10:50 am

Mandy wrote:It is suppose to rain here tomorrow. Does that mean the pollen index is lower or higher? Also, what do you take for your allergic responses?

Rain will temporarily lower the pollen count drastically, and then in a day or so, it may rebound, in response to the added moisture for growing conditions.

When/if my symptoms become severe, I used to take Chlor-trimeton, (chlorpheniramine), the 12 hour formula, (it lasted 24 hours for me). After it was changed to prescription-only in the US, I bought it in Canada, (Chlor-trypolon). Last year, though, it was withdrawn from the market, because it was claimed that some lots had too much potency, so I've used Allegra, (24 hour), occasionally since then. I find it to be vastly inferior to the chlorpheniramine effectiveness, for me, anyway. I tried Claritin before I tried the Allegra, and if it helped, I couldn't tell.

I usually don't take an antihistamine unless my eyes are watering and itching so badly that I can't see what I'm doing. I try to ignore the runny nose and sneezing, but not being able to see what I'm doing is sometimes not a practical option. When that happens, I will usually take something for 2 or 3 days, and then stop to see if the symptoms return. If they do, I'll take it for a few more days.

Tex

Gloria · Post by **Gloria** » Wed Apr 25, 2012 6:33 pm

Mandy wrote:Gloria, I am 57. Never thought about osteoporosis in my neck. When I do rotate my neck/head I can hear small crackling noises but there is no pain. How did you find out you had osteoporosis in your neck? An xray?

I was in my 50s when I began having the dizziness. I've never had pain from osteoporosis and my neck has never had a bone density scan. I have had scans of my hip and spine, though, and I definitely have osteoporosis. I know I have it in my neck because I can see it - I have a small hump where it attaches to my back. I don't know how long it's been visible; DH used to rub my back and neck when I was still teaching over 15 years ago. He probably didn't want to tell me that he could see that my neck was starting to lean forward.

Gloria