Hi doctor, My mother, 72 years old, is having intermittent frontal, occipital and parietal upper sinus pain and pressure with dizziness. I took her to the ER last week because she was having dizziness with blurred vision and the pain. They did a CT scan and it came back negative of any lesions. What can I do to help her? We tried several OTC medications- nothing. The ER doctor prescribed Meclizine 12.5 mg for her dizziness, however the medication makes her feel like she is "out of her body' and real drowsy and fatigued. She has a follow up appointment with her primary doctor tomorrow.
Hello. I am giving you some suggestions in the wake of the conversation we had. The symptoms are not classical of ENT sinus headache. It appears more towards neurological. Meclizine is a strong antihistaminic with anti-vertigo properties based on its central nervous system depressant actions. Some people develop hallucinations with the drug. Perhaps your mother also developed the same. Stop the drug. For vertigo administer her Betahistine tablets. 16 mg tablet thrice a day and start tapering after four days. I suggest you give her a course of antibiotics after discussing with your physician to remove any focus of infection that could be present in the sinuses causing pressure and headache. Also try steam inhalation as frontal sinus headaches tend to get relieved by steam. Kindly consult with an ENT surgeon and a neurologist as further consultations. An ENT specialist can help rule out sinus headaches, ENT infections or ascertain ENT cause for vertigo. If no such cause found a neurologist can help find out the cause. Show the neuro your CT report.