The General Chat Thread (2016-2022)

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Yorky said:
The longest-lived and longest-reigning monarch in British history, Elizabeth II is 96 years old today. She is the constitutional head of 16 sovereign states and head of the Commonwealth of Nations. In her capacity as British monarch she also ceremonially heads the Church of England as its Supreme Governor.

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She doesn't look a day over 80.
 
caseydog said:
They say having elderly parents is like have children, and they're right.
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Sometimes being married/in a domestic partnership is the same way.

Edited to add that I just read through some of the other posts. My husband doesn't have dementia but still can be very childish at times, I hate to say.
 
I have been plagued with allergies my entire life. I am probably allergic to everything: animal dander, pollen (for sure), mold, dust, some people...just kidding about people. I'd say that nearly every day of my life as far back as I can remember (and I turn 60 soon) I have had a stuffy, congested nose and puffy eyes (especially over the past decade). I have been alternately taking loratadine and cetrizine over the past several years and I switch them up when one becomes ineffective (neither of them have ever really worked well). I also half-heartedly tried Flonase once but I hated it and quit probably too soon before it could start helping.

So in the early spring of 2021, I walked outside and said to my husband, "Wow, the crickets are really loud tonight." He said, "I don't hear anything." Yeah, I thought, crickets in early spring would be highly unusual. I walked back inside and could still hear the crickets in my head. I realized I was developing a mild case of tinnitus. I started reading about it and how it was associated with hearing loss, but for some reason I figured mine was something to do with my sinuses (I hoped). As time went on, there were moments I didn't even notice it, but when it was very quiet in the house, outside, or when I am lying in bed, I could hear the crickets.

Turns out that some people who have tinnitus end up getting hearing aids. I don't want to have to do that just yet.

I don't know why it took me until December to bring to the attention of my GP, but I did so at my regular checkup and she referred me to an ENT specialist in their healthgroup network. Then there were the holidays, then in January I got Covid, then in February I had emergency gall bladder surgery (removal), and finally I got around to making an appointment and I went this past Frday. They did some hearing tests on me, and I have a very slight age-related hearing loss for high pitch noises, but not enough to cause tinnitus, and I also have something weird with my ear drums and eustachian tubes where I have positive pressure instead of negative pressure. That's not a bad thing, turns out.

The doctor determined that it very well could be sinus related but couldn't say for sure. He prescribed me Axelastine HCI Nasal Solution (2 sprays in each nostril 2x a day) and Flonase (1 spray in each nostril 1x per day) and told me I had to use them as prescribed. He said if that doesn't work they can do a CT scan of my sinuses to see if there are other issues. The Axelastine is an antihistimine that works better than pills since it's topical and addresses the affected area instantly. The Flonase is a steroid (that's the one I tried before) and takes time to take effect.

I didn't get around to starting my nose sprays until last night, but I woke up clear this morning for the first time I can remember in a very long time. It was fabulous. The noise in my head seems to have subsided slightly, but it's hard to say for sure because there are other noises going on (we have the windows and doors open and my computer is humming). Fingers crossed! If nothing else my sinuses are clearer than they have ever been, which in itself is a wonderful thing, so if the tinnitus doesn't go away I will have to learn to live with it.
 
JAS_OH1 said:
Axelastine HCI Nasal Solution
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I had to look that one up because I was sure I knew it, but it's spelt with a z here not an x.

It's called Dymista. I've been on it for about 2 or 3 years now (pre-Covid anyway) and also find it has been very useful. I was taking the beclomethasone nasal spray (beclosone) previously along with Zyrtek (has to be the branded version because of my allergy to dairy protein). I've had to be on 20mg a day of Zyrtek (2 tablets daily) for a few years (GP prescribed) but have found that in the last 6 months I've been able to come off the Zyrtek completely and start using the Dymista once a day with the occasional 2nd dose if pollen is bad or I'm badly congested.

Glad you've found it and that it is helping.
 
SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
I had to look that one up because I was sure I knew it, but it's spelt with a z here not an x.

It's called Dymista. I've been on it for about 2 or 3 years now (pre-Covid anyway) and also find it has been very useful. I was taking the beclomethasone nasal spray (beclosone) previously along with Zyrtek (has to be the branded version because of my allergy to dairy protein). I've had to be on 20mg a day of Zyrtek (2 tablets daily) for a few years (GP prescribed) but have found that in the last 6 months I've been able to come off the Zyrtek completely and start using the Dymista once a day with the occasional 2nd dose if pollen is bad or I'm badly congested.

Glad you've found it and that it is helping.
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Our zyrtec doesn't have a k, lol. Different countries, same drugs, who knows why it can't be spelled the same.

Thanks, I'm much happier already.

Edited to add that your spelling of azelastine is correct for US too, typo on my part. But our zyretc doesn't have a k.
 
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caseydog said:
I've been missing in action today, either in bed or in the toilet. I must have caught some gastro-intestinal bug.

My sister is having to do all the parental duties, today.

CD
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Sure hope you get better before your return flight, they may not let you board :(
 
JAS_OH1 said:
I have been plagued with allergies my entire life. I am probably allergic to everything: animal dander, pollen (for sure), mold, dust, some people...just kidding about people. I'd say that nearly every day of my life as far back as I can remember (and I turn 60 soon) I have had a stuffy, congested nose and puffy eyes (especially over the past decade). I have been alternately taking loratadine and cetrizine over the past several years and I switch them up when one becomes ineffective (neither of them have ever really worked well). I also half-heartedly tried Flonase once but I hated it and quit probably too soon before it could start helping.

So in the early spring of 2021, I walked outside and said to my husband, "Wow, the crickets are really loud tonight." He said, "I don't hear anything." Yeah, I thought, crickets in early spring would be highly unusual. I walked back inside and could still hear the crickets in my head. I realized I was developing a mild case of tinnitus. I started reading about it and how it was associated with hearing loss, but for some reason I figured mine was something to do with my sinuses (I hoped). As time went on, there were moments I didn't even notice it, but when it was very quiet in the house, outside, or when I am lying in bed, I could hear the crickets.

Turns out that some people who have tinnitus end up getting hearing aids. I don't want to have to do that just yet.

I don't know why it took me until December to bring to the attention of my GP, but I did so at my regular checkup and she referred me to an ENT specialist in their healthgroup network. Then there were the holidays, then in January I got Covid, then in February I had emergency gall bladder surgery (removal), and finally I got around to making an appointment and I went this past Frday. They did some hearing tests on me, and I have a very slight age-related hearing loss for high pitch noises, but not enough to cause tinnitus, and I also have something weird with my ear drums and eustachian tubes where I have positive pressure instead of negative pressure. That's not a bad thing, turns out.

The doctor determined that it very well could be sinus related but couldn't say for sure. He prescribed me Axelastine HCI Nasal Solution (2 sprays in each nostril 2x a day) and Flonase (1 spray in each nostril 1x per day) and told me I had to use them as prescribed. He said if that doesn't work they can do a CT scan of my sinuses to see if there are other issues. The Axelastine is an antihistimine that works better than pills since it's topical and addresses the affected area instantly. The Flonase is a steroid (that's the one I tried before) and takes time to take effect.

I didn't get around to starting my nose sprays until last night, but I woke up clear this morning for the first time I can remember in a very long time. It was fabulous. The noise in my head seems to have subsided slightly, but it's hard to say for sure because there are other noises going on (we have the windows and doors open and my computer is humming). Fingers crossed! If nothing else my sinuses are clearer than they have ever been, which in itself is a wonderful thing, so if the tinnitus doesn't go away I will have to learn to live with it.
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I'll let you know what my friend uses as I gave it to him for sinuses. I had issues years ago and had a spare here. It works straight away.
Get back to you.
Btw you have good company with noises in the head lol.

Russ
 
rascal said:
I'll let you know what my friend uses as I gave it to him for sinuses. I had issues years ago and had a spare here. It works straight away.
Get back to you.
Btw you have good company with noises in the head lol.

Russ
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Yeah, but mine are due to physical causes, not mental :D:laugh: Just teasing you, Russ!

Well maybe mine are mental, IDK!!!!
 
JAS_OH1 said:
Yeah, but mine are due to physical causes, not mental :D:laugh: Just teasing you, Russ!

Well maybe mine are mental, IDK!!!!
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I had a nasal scrape when I was about 19 that went wrong. I now have a collapsed middle bit of my nose. Looks normal outside but a mess inside. I also was awake the whole operation. Couldn't say or do anything. End result I need huge stuff to knock me out.

Russ
 
rascal said:
I had a nasal scrape when I was about 19 that went wrong. I now have a collapsed middle bit of my nose. Looks normal outside but a mess inside. I also was awake the whole operation. Couldn't say or do anything. End result I need huge stuff to knock me out.

Russ
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That's awful, I am so sorry! I have a crooked septum, but not so bad that it's going to require surgery. One of my older sisters had a deviated septum and had to have surgery it got so bad. I hope I don't ever have to do that.

It must be a bit tough for you, you used to be quite the athelete, right? Wasn't it hard to breathe when exerting yourself?
 
JAS_OH1 said:
That's awful, I am so sorry! I have a crooked septum, but not so bad that it's going to require surgery. One of my older sisters had a deviated septum and had to have surgery it got so bad. I hope I don't ever have to do that.

It must be a bit tough for you, you used to be quite the athelete, right? Wasn't it hard to breathe when exerting yourself?
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Got got used to only left side breathing. Athletics stopped when girls came along. Septum was the word I was looking for. Yeah its collapsed but after 45 years I'm used to it. No drama.

Russ
 
A tad warm here today.

84216

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