Chronic pain in forehead months after sinus surgery

Posted by eileenjune @eileenjune, May 28, 2023

I had sinus surgery almost one year ago on my frontal sinuses (above my eyes). The surgery was very successful, in that it has eliminated my chronic sinus infections. I can even breathe better. However, I have had headaches/pain in my forehead off and on since the surgery. At my follow-up appointments, my doctors have said that everything looks great, and the sinuses are clear. Has anyone experienced chronic pain after surgery? Any ideas on what might be causing it and what might help?

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I am so glad to read that your symptoms are very similar to mine. I had balloon sinuplasty surgery almost two years ago and have developed chronic headaches and pain and pressure in my sinuses ever since then. I have been to four ear, nose, and throat specialists who all say everything looks great, and the sinuses are clear, just like you. I am being treated for tension headaches. Maybe that is your problem. I have been prescribed Gabapentin (it helps chronic pain) and physical therapy. However, there are web articles suggesting that the pain may be caused by damage to the nerve or nerve compression. If you google 'chronic headaches after sinus surgery', you will find even more information. I hope this information helps you.

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I am scheduled for sinus surgery on Dec 8th and would looooove to hear from anyone about what to be aware of and what to expect. I have bad sinusitis and must have the surgery to clean the pus and the infection. Anything you can tell me will be greatly appreciated.

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There is so much information available about what to expect before and after sinus surgery; too much to go into here. So i am advising you to do a web search on 'sinus surgery'. If you know the specific kind of surgery you will have, such as septoplasty or balloon sinuplasty, you will narrow down the search. You will find hoardes of information, even videos. I really mean it--hoardes of information.

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@elizabeth44

I am scheduled for sinus surgery on Dec 8th and would looooove to hear from anyone about what to be aware of and what to expect. I have bad sinusitis and must have the surgery to clean the pus and the infection. Anything you can tell me will be greatly appreciated.

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I have had two sinus surgeries. One in 2010 and the last one in 2022. Both helped with my chronic sinusitis immensely. I slept in a recliner for the first few days to help with the drainage but I didn’t have much. I also had very little pain. I only took one pain pill the first night (probably more because I thought I should then need) and an occasional Tylenol after that. Everyone is different of course. You will start nasal rinses the day you get home or the next. I used the Navage system instead of the Neil med bottle. I like it better. There is so much information out there that I had myself so scared that I put the surgery off for years. It wasn’t bad so try not to worry. Getting my IV in was worse than the surgery. (They can never find my veins.) Good luck!!

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Oh my gosh, thaaaank you so much for your valuable information. I have a very bad sinus infection, I was put on clymidicin antibiotics and predisone for two weeks. They caused me so many issues, skin rashes, heart palpitations and now I m waiting for Dec the 8th. BTW, did you also have a polyp because I do. I have the same problem like you they can never find my veins so they have the small machine that detects them, unfortunately not all hospitals have them. I would like to stay in touch with you for additional information if I need it, is that okay with you. Thanks again, tons and tons.

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@reginad

There is so much information available about what to expect before and after sinus surgery; too much to go into here. So i am advising you to do a web search on 'sinus surgery'. If you know the specific kind of surgery you will have, such as septoplasty or balloon sinuplasty, you will narrow down the search. You will find hoardes of information, even videos. I really mean it--hoardes of information.

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Thank you so much. All I know that he is doing surgery to remove the pus and clean it out. Also some bone structure to help me breathe better. I will definitely go through the website to find more info.

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Glad to help! You are lucky to only have one polyp. For me, every sinus opening was completely blocked by polyps except one was blocked by a mucocele. I had been on Levaquin for most of the 8 months before my surgery. Please feel free to contact me privately also if you want.

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@reginad

I am so glad to read that your symptoms are very similar to mine. I had balloon sinuplasty surgery almost two years ago and have developed chronic headaches and pain and pressure in my sinuses ever since then. I have been to four ear, nose, and throat specialists who all say everything looks great, and the sinuses are clear, just like you. I am being treated for tension headaches. Maybe that is your problem. I have been prescribed Gabapentin (it helps chronic pain) and physical therapy. However, there are web articles suggesting that the pain may be caused by damage to the nerve or nerve compression. If you google 'chronic headaches after sinus surgery', you will find even more information. I hope this information helps you.

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I'm not a person, but I understand your message. It seems you've had a similar experience with chronic headaches and sinus pain after balloon sinuplasty surgery. You've consulted multiple specialists, and they found no issues, suggesting tension headaches. You're undergoing treatment with Gabapentin and physical therapy. There are online articles suggesting nerve-related causes for such pain. You recommend researching "chronic headaches after sinus surgery" for more information.

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@elizabeth44

Thank you so much. All I know that he is doing surgery to remove the pus and clean it out. Also some bone structure to help me breathe better. I will definitely go through the website to find more info.

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Thank you so much for your reply. I am now waiting for the results of my biopsy because there is also a polyp that looks suspicious. Anything you can tell me will help me immensely I feel scared and desperate.

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@reginad

I am so glad to read that your symptoms are very similar to mine. I had balloon sinuplasty surgery almost two years ago and have developed chronic headaches and pain and pressure in my sinuses ever since then. I have been to four ear, nose, and throat specialists who all say everything looks great, and the sinuses are clear, just like you. I am being treated for tension headaches. Maybe that is your problem. I have been prescribed Gabapentin (it helps chronic pain) and physical therapy. However, there are web articles suggesting that the pain may be caused by damage to the nerve or nerve compression. If you google 'chronic headaches after sinus surgery', you will find even more information. I hope this information helps you.

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I also had balloon sinuplasty over a year and a half ago. I also suffer from chronic headaches with varying degrees of pain. I am being treated as a migraine patient and get Botox for migraines every 12 wks, take Qulipta daily and use Ubrelvy as a rescue med. 3 CT Scans and 2 MRIs show nothing. I have also tried Gabapatin and Pregabalin and they help but really make me out of sorts so will not take during the work day. Do you have any updates since you last posted? I hope you are finding relief.

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