[MissLana]

Yesterday, I was pretty depressed. I hadn't seen a shift in my DP for a few weeks. Usually, before, my DP would clear up little by little over the course of the weeks. It actually had a set back and got a bit worse. My vision got more distorted, more flat looking, my DP and dissociation from my body got worse, etc etc. Usually, I mostly had visual disturbances, things looked blurry, felt like I was in a dream, and I had this terrible brain fog. Now, my body felt weightless, like it wasn't even there at all.

So, yesterday, I was in a pretty dark spot. I was very depressed.

Then, my DP and DR both virtually went away for a beautiful hour. Completely gone! Then, I went to bed, and I woke up to find that it got so much better overnight. I still have it, and, my vision isn't 100% clear and the DP is here, but, it became so much tolerable. Don't get me wrong, it's still here and annoying me, but, I did a happy dance because it's so much better than it was yesterday. It almost feels like this was a blessing. I was starting to feel I had stopped making progress and I became so depressed and mad at the world.

Then, I did something that somehow managed to help me so much. I cleaned out my ear wax very diligently, and, there was a lot of it. Then, I did a sinus rinse with a saline solution, and, I went up into my nose (gross, I know ) to find that there were so many dry boogers clogging up the very top part of my nose, so, I took the liberty of cleaning out my nose and even had a bit of wasabi to unclog whatever else might have been clogging it. Lets just say I spent some time cleaning out my ears / nose.

Then, after all that was done, the most miraculous thing happened. My DP literally went away for a blessed hour. Vision was like it was before DP, and, my body felt heavy again and real! Part of my problem with DP lately has been that my body doesn't feel solid enough, like it's full of air or something. But, my vision cleared up, my body regained the heaviness I missed, I could see SO clearly and I felt connected to my body and reality again and I was laying there thinking "Thank you God, thank you, thank you!"

And, by the way, no, I'm not confusing DP for severe sinus problems. Four months ago, when I got DP, my vision was completely 2D and a complete blur and I felt like a robot. I did nasal rinses every day and took natural allergy meds but it didn't phase my DP at all.

But, when I did all that last night, I literally felt a shift in consciousness right before my eyes. Usually, I go to sleep and wake up to find my DP gets slightly better / worse. This was like someone unfogged my brain, took pressure out of my eyes, realigned my vision and made everything look less 2D and more 3D, etc etc. I was even able to recall memories again! This was one of my problems, too -- it felt like I forgot the past because my brain had trouble recalling memories. Also, the blur in my eyes stopped being so bad, and, my body felt mine again! My anxiety also went away for that one hour, and, my anxiety hasn't come back today... yet. I don't feel anxious at all and anxiety was my #1 problem. I'd wake up with anxiety and spend the whole day with anxiety. I have a nervous system dysfunction and an illness that affects the autonomic nervous system, so, relaxing while DPed has not been easy for me. But my anxiety sort of took a hike for an hour last night before bed and it hasn't come back today and I've been awake for four hours now.

All because I cleaned my ears and nose?!

I am going to do everything I did last night every day now to see if it'll work. I think the vitamin water is also a good idea. I'm going to be making vitamin water every day and use coconut oil in my food. I used to just take fish oil capsules but now I'm going to start doing coconut oil on top of it to see if it helps.

Edited: I listed a bunch of steps that I thought could have contributed to my reality shift, and, I did another experiment and concluded it was the sinus rinse and none of the other healthy things I did that day.

 

[MissLana]

I believe it was the sinus cleanse. I mentioned everything I did yesterday because it all led up to my shift in reality. But I was still frustrated and angry before I did the sinus cleanse and I had eaten healthy, taken all my vitamins, and all that prior to that and was still frustrated. DP got so much better but is not completely gone.

I didn't take any medication last night, I just realized I had a stuffy nose. Oddly enough, my DP did get worse with this horrid weather change. Nose stuffed up and everything.

But for the first time in four months, I had one hour of having absolutely no DP or DR all from a very intense sinus cleanse. It wasn't even a gradual shift, it just hit me. My vision cleared and I felt instantly connected to my body and feeling like my old self. And, I was actually really frustrated and sad before I did all of this because I was starting to think I'd never have a mere moment of clarity ever again. Yet, I got a full hour.

The sinuses are closely connected to the eyes, and, DP/DR comes in the form of visual disturbances many times, so, something with cleaning out my sinuses definitely helped lessen the severity of every single DP symptom.

Just did some quick research. I think sinus pressure and DP can be related.

https://www.google.com/#q=sinus+depersonalization

There are a ton of people asking if sinuses are connected to DP. Just did a quick internet search. And, this is odd, because I had a sinus infection twice in three months.

Someone on this website in this thread also unclogged something and got rid of their DP but it came back like mine did:

http://www.dpselfhelp.com/forum/index.php?/topic/19093-is-dpdr-consistent-with-chronic-sinusitis/

Any of you guys have nose problems? I'd start irrigating ASAP. I probably do have chronic sinusitis. Just my luck. I stopped taking allergy meds, though, because they dry out my mouth way too much. Wonder if there's an easier cure because I can irrigate my nose all day long, but, within hours, it's going to stuff back up and I'll get pressure in my sinuses.

Edit: I'm going to make an appointment with my ENT. I had two sinus infections in three months and there's a good chance my antibiotics never cleared them up. My DP got so much better after I took my first round of antibiotics. It was like 10 - 15% away from being recovered. Then, I got worse, and found out I had another sinus infection. So I had more anti biotics but never did start feeling as normal as I did after the first round of antibiotics. I bet my sinus infection turned chronic or I didn't get enough meds to clear it all out. It would explain why clearing up sinus pressure last night gave me one hour of DP free time. But, my sinuses get clogged up and stuffy very fast, so, I can't keep digging around in my nose. I probably have an infection, still, because my head has been hurting a lot and that's always a sure sign I have an infection. Come to think of it, I've been ignoring my headache for two days now but it's been getting worse.

This does make me feel better. I got DP from a panic attack, but, while I had the panic attack, I apparently also had a nasty sinus infection that I let sit for a while. I took anti biotics and my DP got immensely better, but, my sinus infection came back and I got more anti biotics. Once again, DP got a lot better but now, it got worse again, and I'm having headaches and sinus pressure, so... my best logical guess is that since I'm likely dealing with a third sinus infection in a three month period, that these issues (along with anxiety after having my panic attack) are both prolonging my DP. I'm gonna go to a doctor and try to straighten this mess out. It won't be easy though because sinus problems is my middle name.

 

[MissLana]

For me, panic and anxiety were the root cause of DP as they are for many people. That whole defense mechanism thing we all keep hearing about.

But, after I took penicillin for ten days, and sprayed my nose with a nasal spray (I use nasacort), and I took Singulair for allergies, my DP got so much better that I was like 20% away from full recovery. And, since I took care of the sinus problem, the anxiety and stress and getting my brain back to a healthy brain function seemed to be all I had left to do. Also, one reason I took Singular is because it doesn't have a decongestant. Granted, I need a decongestant badly, but, even before my DP, they'd make me feel funny because usually they contain Sudafed and since I have nervous system problems, things like Sudafed, caffeine, and too much sugar are big no-nos for me.

Then, bam, another sinus infection, one month later. DP got worse so anxiety got worse. I was frustrated! I mean, to feel 20% away from being normal, or even closer than that on good days, and now to have a set back? This, of course, got me into the anxious and panicked state of mind where I kept thinking I was going crazy because it got worse and bla bla bla.

So, I took some meds again for a while but I doubt they cleared up the infection 100% because I didn't get the clarity I found after taking my first round of anti biotics. So, I sense it became chronic, especially with this cold weather. Going outside the house in freezing temperatures did a real number on my sinuses a while back and my DP did seem to get a lot worse.

If you do sinus cleanses, remember not to use tap water. I know everyone probably knows that but some people still don't, and, it's a great way to get brain infections.

I stopped taking my Singular and spraying my nose because I figured "Hey, nothing is blooming, what can I be allergic to?" but, maybe I need to go back on my Singular. I like Singular because it gives me no side effects that an allergy + D pill would give. I have been noticing that the more sinus pressure and congestion = the worse my DP is.

Sure, anxiety and panic is the root cause of it, but, I'm starting to think that since the sinuses are so close to the brain and eyes, they can really mess up your perception of the world. Even non DPed people often report that sinus problems give them blurred vision or even double vision and all sorts of other symptoms that are very common in DPed people.

I feel like maybe if I fix my stupid sinus problems, I will be able to work on fixing the anxiety and panic. Non DPed sinus infection / sinus pressure sufferers often say that their vision is out of whack and they feel spaced out and loopy. Actually, a lot of people who have sinus infections and problems actually feel like they have DP. A quick google search regarding the sinuses and feelings of DP apparently showed that even people who don't have chronic DP feel like they have temporary DP while dealing with severe sinus problems. I was up last night reading up on this for an hour or so. I bet this feeling is magnified while in DP because DPed people focus on themselves and every little problem or symptom they have gets magnified.

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. It's just to my GP, though. He'll do an X Ray and probably order a CT scan of the sinuses. If my anti biotics didn't clear out my 2nd sinus infections, it could explain why I felt so good and so much closer to being DP free when I got rid of my first one, than I do now. I'd probably have to be on meds for 2-3 weeks and I'd have to get back on an allergy regime to prevent this. Who knows what the treatment will be. I do know, though, that I do have a deviated septum, also. The left side of my nose doesn't get that much air flow and doesn't drain sinuses as well as the right side. But... the right side is always stuffy anyways even though it's not deviated just because I have sinus and nose problems, anyways. Sure, there's surgery, but I'll only do it if I can get it done locally even if I do feel pain. Been under anesthesia six times and each time leaves me feeling weak and in a fog which is not what I need right now.

I haven't done a sinus rinse since I made this thread, but, this is off topic but worth mentioning. When I did a good sinus rinse, my DP felt so much better that the only other aspect prolonging my DP was just anxiety. Well, yesterday, I did some really fun stuff. I was smiling all day, was hanging out with my fiancee at the mall, was shopping, and laughing, and had a blast all day, for a change. This actually dramatically shifted my DP, too, but I felt like the remainder of the DP that still lingered, was maybe due to my sinuses because I also had this great moment of clarity while having fun all day, I just still had that dreadful DP fog. I keep thinking that maybe if I distract myself all the time, keep my anxiety down and my nervous system calm, find more natural ways of releasing endorphins and dopamine, and got my sinus problems under control, I'd be a completely new woman.

I just wonder if other DPed people are feeling worse now that it got cold. Everyone is getting colds and has a stuffy and runny nose here. To a normal non DPed person, that is just an annoying symptom, but, like I said, I wonder if certain little things make our DP worse because we focus on ourselves too much.

I'm going to go do a nasal rinse again because I am really not digging the sinus headache and pressure I have right now.

 

[MissLana]

You just mentioned cortisol which struck something with me.

I produce too much cortisol when I get these infections (doctor checks)

Thing is, all you have to do is type in "Sinus + depersonalization" or "Sinus + anxiety" or "sinus + vision" and see how many people with infections or chronic sinus problems have anxiety, vision distortion, lightheadedness, dizziness, feeling 'out of it', and some people even feel depersonalization from sinus problems. I have searched sinus + depersonalization and got many hits on various search engines and read many posts from people who never experienced depersonalization until they got sinus issues.

Someone was describing sinus problems and depersonalization and this is what a professional responded with:

"What you describe sounds an awful lot like depersonalization, a uniquely unpleasant sensation that usually comes on first during a period of concentration or focus so intense that one "loses" one's self momentarily and the subsequent state is one of unreality with difficulty hearing, seeing, etc., almost as though a veil has dropped over the subject. Not blurred vision, just a kind of "wrongness" with the lighting or something, same with the hearing, as though one can hear perfectly yet be somehow baffled (physically) in that area. Usually this will begin also in situations involving artificial overhead lighting as in most classrooms. Sometimes it is a neurological problem, sometimes associated with sinus blockage or infection, and sometimes an almost seizure-like activity which can be precursor to panic attacks. It usually first occurs during some stressful event or activity. "

Here is what another article said: "If you are prone to anxiety, a sinus infection can intensify symptoms. If you have never experienced anxiety before, chronic sinusitis might trigger it for the first time. A sinus infection can make your head feel fuzzy, lethargic or disconnected, and cause your cognitive symptoms to worsen. Sinusitis can exaggerate a sense of depersonalization-not feeling real or connected."

My main #1 problem is derealization. My vision is messed up, I'm dizzy, head spins, I get pressure behind my eyes, in my forehead (around where the pituitary + pineal glands are), I get horrid headaches -- and, by the way, you know what is common with a headache or migraine? Something called an 'aura' -- An aura is a visual disturbance that comes with a headache. When I've had them before, they were just like how derealization has distorted my vision, except, I feel more down to Earth.

Fact of the matter is, that all of that is all up there in the brain / eye area and those trigger a vast array of symptoms.

No, sinus problems didn't trigger my derealization. I have anxiety and panic just like the rest of you do. But when I had my first sinus infection a few months ago, my derealization was at a 8/10 severity. Now it's maybe down to a 3 or 4/10 severity. When my doctor saw my x ray of the sinuses, he didn't even want to tell me how bad it was. He used the word "very significant" while describing my sinus infection. I asked him if it could worsen anxiety, distort vision, make me light headed, make my head spin, and make me feel 'out of it' -- he said yes.

I got SO much better after my first round of anti biotics, and, I'm not joking. My DR was horrid. I was the type to sit in a corner, pondering the universe 24/7, flipping out over every little thing. I took my meds, got on a very low dose anti-anxiety, and I had days where I felt like I was literally a week away from 100% recovery.

Then my sinus infection came back again, and, my anxiety got worse, too. I think part of the anxiety is also that I can't breathe as freely so I restrict air, causing my brain to sort of worry about the amount of air I'm getting. So, I got on anti biotics, felt a bit better, saw some improvements, and then BAM, went downhill. Despite me taking my low dose of Klonopin which gets rid of my anxiety and cuts my DR by half or so, despite eating healthy, having a positive attitude, and keeping my anxiety under control, my anxiety came back, and my DR got worse and this time around, I'm actually having DP with my DR which I didn't before.

Anxiety is a side effect of a sinus infection. So, anyways, I am going to the doctor today but I already know what he's going to say. How do I know? Because everytime I get up, I feel gravity pulling on my sinuses and my head pounds which is what always happens with an infection. So, here's basically what happened to me.

DR got tons worse --> I got a sinus infection --> took meds --> got VERY close to recovery --> felt a lot better --> then, got more anxious, DR got worse --> got another sinus infection --> Got meds --> felt a lot better --> weeks later, DR and anxiety got worse, DP got worse too --> 99% sure I have another sinus infection, will go get meds today

I don't see how I can feel so close to recovery that I feel 1 - 2 weeks away from it only to keep having major setbacks. Unless this was somehow involved.

So do I really think sinus infections and sinus problems can worsen DP and DR? No doubt in my mind. Just read up on sinuses + anxiety. You'll see lots of people complain of it. If anything, this could be a trigger that people aren't even aware of. I'm not saying everyone has sinus problems, but, I really don't see why it couldn't trigger it. We don't even know enough about DP or DR to make too many factual educated guesses. So far, everyone on this forum keeps saying "Just ignore it and it'll go away." as if that's the only advice out there.

Yeah, you can ignore it, but if there is by chance some medical problem that is triggering it, you can ignore it all day long, but, it may still be triggered. In fact, I don't think the general advice should be to just ignore it and hope it goes away. People shouldn't ignore it. They shouldn't just accept that this is their reality and hope it goes away. What if some people have underlying medical issues that may trigger it, or, if it's something in their environment or diet? It could be a number of many things. Yes, we know that anxiety and stress trigger DP, but who can say that certain things don't prolong it or increase it's severity? And those things shouldn't be ignored, they should be targeted and addressed.

I started taking Claritin because Singular isn't that powerful of an anti histimine.

 

[MissLana]

I have posted a reply here to those of you who want to check it out:

http://www.dpselfhelp.com/forum/index.php?/topic/30538-i-might-have-found-a-cure-for-all-those-looking-for-hope/page-4?hl=%20standard%20%20process