Sinus problems linked to MDS?

[Bossywife]

Just wondering if anyone has had sinus issues prior to their diagnosis, or after.

My husband's WBC is on the low side of normal, but he keeps getting these sinus infections that hit him really hard.

[Faye R]

I have had sinus's for years, real bad during pollen season. I could always control it, however as I got older some how it seem to get out of control. I'm sure that when you have low WBC your body defences can't handle any allergy's. What I have to be careful of is making sure my sinus don't get an affection, taking my temperature can give me all the signs of an affection then I take Roxithromycin when I think it is necessary, my secrete is to take a shower breath in the steam and spit out all the mucus, it not very nice having to put up with that dull pain between the eyes. Try every google have very good sites to look at on how to control your sinus's.
DX RCMD Now DX RAEB-2

[Cheryl C]

Hi BossyWife - I am vulnerable to sinus infections too, though I haven't had one for a while. I believe sinus infections are common in people like us with low white cells and MDS.

I've found Nyal Sinus Relief tablets (see http://nyal.com.au/product/nyal-sinu...t-tablets-24s/), which are herbal, to be very helpful. Hopefully you can get them in Canada. I start taking these as soon as I get symptoms such as a post-nasal drip or blocked nose. Another hint - avoid dairy products, especially those which contain sugar. This combination can produce lots of mucous and congestion in some people and thus provide the perfect environment for bacteria to flourish.

Finally, as Faye has posted, if you can get rid of the mucous it helps a real lot. A Neti pot and salt water mixture can really help with this - see http://www.wikihow.com/Use-a-Neti-Pot

[David M]

First of all, I have not been diagnosed with MDS... rather, I have some sort of unexplained slow-moving pancytopenia. Sort of like Aplastic Anemia but in super-slow-motion. But the doctors always say that what I have could be some sort of "smoldering-MDS"...

Yes, I have had a lifetime history of sinus trouble. This trouble reached its peak at some point in the late 1990s. It got to the point that I had sinus infections that basically never went away. CAT scans showed that all the sinus cavities in my head were fully clogged and would never have drained on their own... and as a result, I was in a continuous cycle of sinus infections.

Finally, after going to ENTs and getting a couple of opinions, I went in for some pretty extensive sinus surgery in the Spring of 2000. After recovering from this surgery, I went in for allergy testing (to try and further remedy my sinus issues), and my allergy doctor noticed several of my blood counts were low after sending me in for a CBC.

Later, in 2004, I was once again having frequent sinus infections. Once again, my sinuses were not draining properly. And once again, I had to go in for more sinus surgery -- this time at University of Alabama-Birmingham! Had to repair some scar tissue from the first surgery, and also to remove some polyps... and maybe they did a few other things. Anyway, since 2004 (after the 2nd round of sinus surgery), my sinuses have functioned properly, and sinus infections have not been nearly as frequent... even though my blood counts have steadily dropped since 2000.

Not sure my story helps that much, other than to say that sometimes there can be "structural" problems in the nose / sinus cavities (e.g. deviated septum, polyps, etc.) that can mightily contribute to frequent sinus infections... especially when coupled with a lowered immune system from MDS or AA.

Surgery might not always be the answer, but it might be useful to help the sinuses drain properly and reduce the likelihood you will have to battle chronic sinus infections.

Something else I have found that is very easy to do and super helpful with sinus issues is to drink lots of water!

[RoseH]

Just to let you know sinus infection is very common with low wbc just sit in the shower it does help