Chronic sinus congestion after quitting smoking

[Rohai]

I am a 28 yr old male with no history of allergies or ear infections. I had been smoking cigarettes liberally for about 10 years and quit smoking completely as of January, 2009.

About 6-7 months ago I developed (as if overnight) extreme sinus congestion. Usually my nose is completely blocked up around the clock, especially in the morning. Blowing my nose tends to do nothing, except for the rare occasion that while standing in a hot shower I can get a bit of gunk out now and then. I also have had extremely red chapped lips ALL the time. My family physician did blood tests to test for vitamin deficiencies and found nothing out the ordinary.

I saw an allergist about 4 months ago, they did all the standard allergy tests and didn't find anything. The doctors suggested that perhaps it was seasonal allergies and placed me on Clarinex, Nasonex and Astepro - none of which have had any sort of effect. I purchased a Neilmed Netipot, but my sinuses are so blocked that I can't use the product, as the nasal rinse wont travel through my nasal passages.

The ONLY medication that I have taken that helps is Neo synephrine nasal spray. Within minutes of using that stuff I get instant relief and can actually breathe through my nose (still can't blow anything out). However, it says on the label that you're not supposed to use it for more than 3 days.

I'm not sure of where to look for answers next. I've always read about people have quit smoking and felt so much healthier, and I feel like since I've quit smoking I've simply opened another door of health concerns. Has anyone else experienced something like this? I've never had any sort of health issues that have onset so quickly and persisted for so long!

[Cash1233]

I am a farm boy I started smoking at 15 smoked a pack a day .  I am now 39 quite smoking around the age of 29. I play music in bars , semi - professional . Breathed a lot of second hand smoke before the law was passed that smoking in  bars was illegal . When my second daughter was born she had asthma so I cut my smoking back to about a pack a week and still to this day only smoke about a pack every two to three weeks , more so when I play and drink in bars but having to smoke outside. I also am a ford mechanic , working in a shop around diseal smoke. I usually don't smoke until the weekend when I drink beer or have fun .  I recently got a head cold as my family did to . When I got the cold I did not smoke . I had bad nasal congestion and couldn't breathe at night . I couldn't sleep and would have a dry mouth. I have tried nasal sprays  and would get up two to three times to blow my nose and take nasal spary again , noted that left mask cavity had been blowing out blood and I had a tingling feeling in my nose .  I have tried NyQuil , it have me temporary relief for about six hours then the same thing happened over again I couldn't breathe. Recently the cold came back and I was feeling the urge to smoke a cigratte . I smoked two cigarettes and then I could breathe just fine. Why is that?!

[Cash1233]

I am a farm boy I started smoking at 15 smoked a pack a day .  I am now 39 quite smoking around the age of 29. I play music in bars , semi - professional . Breathed a lot of second hand smoke before the law was passed that smoking in  bars was illegal . When my second daughter was born she had asthma so I cut my smoking back to about a pack a week and still to this day only smoke about a pack every two to three weeks , more so when I play and drink in bars but having to smoke outside. I also am a ford mechanic , working in a shop around diseal smoke. I usually don't smoke until the weekend when I drink beer or have fun .  I recently got a head cold as my family did to . When I got the cold I did not smoke . I had bad nasal congestion and couldn't breathe at night . I couldn't sleep and would have a dry mouth. I have tried nasal sprays  and would get up two to three times to blow my nose and take nasal spary again , noted that left mask cavity had been blowing out blood and I had a tingling feeling in my nose .  I have tried NyQuil , it have me temporary relief for about six hours then the same thing happened over again I couldn't breathe. Recently the cold came back and I was feeling the urge to smoke a cigratte . I smoked two cigarettes and then I could breathe just fine. Why is that?!

[GI_me]

Same here, we almost have the same story. I was a cigarette smoker. I worked in an engineering company and got the opportunity to work in an oil refinery in the Middle East. I stopped smoking, but my sinusitis became my frequent problem. But when I tried to smoke cigarette again it went away. Now I'm a casual smoker, about a pack in 1 or 2 weeks and never had sinusitis eversince.

[Paxiled]

That's not a casual smoker.  I'd take sinusitis over cancer and heart disease any day.  It's possible this was a withdrawal symptom of quitting the nicotine, but dealing with a stuffed nose is a whole lot easier than what smoking will eventually do to you.  

[Jerry_NJ]

At the price of smokes these days (I don't even know, thank God) it must be as expensive to smoke as get allergy shots.

My mother and sister smoked into their 80s and they never got lung cancer, or heart disease...but, it was a lot easier to smoke in the "good old days"... it must be distressing to be prevented from smoking in almost all social environments.

If smoking helps, you got one benefit, hope you don't get anything worse than allergy symptoms as the downside.

[Delilah521]

I had very bad allergies as a child started smoking at age 16 and my allergies subsided to the point I didn't need any more shots or meds. At the time I thought nothing of it until I quit smoking at age 35. 30 days after detox I was suffering horribly from the allergies I thought were gone. I would get monthly upper respitory infections but I hung in there hoping it would pass. I had to resume with allergy shots and meds which we're costing me a fortune just in co-payments alone. I talked to my allergist and asked if there was a connection and I was told I was looking for excuses to go back to smoking which I really wasn't . We'll I hung in there 4 years no changes even with shots so I resumed smoking and I've been fine since. It's crazy but I wish they wouldn't dismiss people like us and do something to find out what it is about smoking and allergy control. No one believes me when I tell my story they write e off as a crazy person. I'm glad I found this to know I'm not alone.

[Jerry_NJ]

Very interesting, so much so I think benefit to the "community" of sufferers could be realized by taking your experience and putting it under its own subject, perhaps something like Subject: Use of meditation to clear nasal congestion

Sorry if I created a dumb title, but it is just a suggestion -  I will consider your approach but think I, and others, would benefit from more details on how to meditate - seems your method is to focus on breathing, and "gently" forcing the mind to "Stay on Subject".  This sounds a similar to another mind control I'm working on to be able to manage dreaming problems.  The method is called "lucid dreaming".  Not trying to side-track, just related to taking control of the mind to one's personal benefit.

In my case, I smoked for about 30 years, to age 45, then quit cold turkey.  I immediately started an exercise program that resulted in being a exercise runner.  I never had any sinus or nasal problems - and I smoked cigarettes at about 1 pack a day (more on weekends) and pipes and a few cigars.

However, after not smoking for about 25 years (ya, I'm an old guy) I developed nasal congestion problems, but mostly when trying to sleep, not so much when up and about.  I had to give up running because of heart problems... I wonder it that is what triggered my congestion. Afrin works great, by the way, but can't be used for long periods, even though I do have long runs of using it just at night.

In any case, I'm all for a new thread that expands on your idea/method.  It shouldn't require a lot more work on your part if you are willing.  I will be a reader/contributor.

[privatefrey]

Howdy everyone.... so... I, like all of you people, have quit smoking and noticed F-ed up sinuses...  I tried a bunch of methods, just like you all too.  Nothing has brought any relief.  Then I started to apply some deductive reasoning.  It went like this:  If I smoked for many years, habitually, and suddenly quit, then my sinuses become considerably negatively affected.  Next... If no form of physical treatment brings lasting relief, then the root of the problem is not physical.  But how is it possible to remedy a nonphysical problem when the only means available with which to use are physical?
Alright, people, now try to stay open-minded here.
This whole experience has lead me to the unconventional conclusion that the cause of my chronically aggravated sinuses is a spiritual lack.  Through smoking for many years my mind had developed habitual patters of thought and... existences, i guess.... (I don't know quite how to put it into words)  My physical self, my body, became conditioned to the smoking... addicted, but different from the nicotine sense.  So when that necessary substance, routine,  process, etc.,  was suddenly removed, it compromised some of the foundation of my conditioned mind so that a void was made manifest.
So I started meditating.  Yes, Meditation, folks.  I have been doing it just over one month. The first week I spent 10 minutes per day, just after I woke up, sitting in a chair, but not leaning back so my spine was straight.  Attentively I placed my attention the the air flowing in and out of my body.  Thoughts would come into my mind and I would GENTLY (to be gentle and noncritical is KEY here) return my attention to my breathing, but without actually changing my breathing.  The second week I sat for 11 minutes.  The third, for 12 minutes, and so on...  Now I am sitting on the chair with a straight back for 15 minutes just after I wake up, just before dawn.  
This process has been underway for just over a month and I see considerable improvement with my sinuses (and nearly ever other area of my life).  Often times, toward the beginning of the endeavor I would have to break the meditation to blow my nose or wipe that annoying, creeping snot away.  But a faithful, gentle return to the breath has helped me.  So just like, yall, nothing worked for me.  And that's the case in point.  NOTHING, i.e., No-THING, actually DID help me.
Cast my story into the wind or take heed of it.  It is working for me, and all I want to do is help.  It seems we are all in the same boat.  Nothing works for any of us, but I seemed to have found a way.   Take it or leave it, and good luck to you all.  And good job for quitting smoking, yall are inspirational.   Bye for now.