Never fear, I have just the ticket for you! For the last eight years, I have been on first methotrexate, then Enbrel and now and Humira, and as you've discovered, immunosuppressants and the Biologics in particular are hell on your sinuses. I used to have a sinus infection, and need antibiotics every other month, but found a way of keeping it down to a dull roar.

Drink lots of water, lots of pineapple juice (100%, not from concentrate - Dole is good) and eat lots of garlic. The water will dilute the fluid in your sinuses, the pineapple juice has not just vitamin C, but also an anti-inflammatory enzyme which reduces the inflammation in the sinuses so the now diluted mucus can drain and the garlic has antibacterial properties, which helps keep gunk in your sinuses from festering into an infection. I haven't had to take antibiotics for a sinus infection in about three years. If I do feel one coming on, I increase the quantity of all of water, garlic and pineapple juice, get a nasal saline spray (or make my own with some warm water and salt and drip it into my nostrils with a Q-tip, which helps clean the festering gunk) and have been able to beat it back without the help of antibiotics every time. Check out my post on managing side effects for more information on this and how to keep other side effects at bay.

As for your rapid heartbeat - are you taking any other medications that might be causing this? How is your caffeine intake? One of the things I've noticed with Humira is that it has made me react much more strongly to other things, the caffeine, sugar, painkillers, etc., so that could be part of the problem. Also, people react differently, so although your anemia might not below enough to make the average person's heartbeat increase, maybe it does with you. I recommend you go back to your doctor and the like me, yet firmly put your foot down and asked them to look into it some more. Keep us posted on the progress, please?

Never fear, I have just the ticket for you! For the last eight years, I have been on first methotrexate, then Enbrel and now and Humira, and as you've discovered, immunosuppressants and the Biologics in particular are hell on your sinuses. I used to have a sinus infection, and need antibiotics every other month, but found a way of keeping it down to a dull roar.

Drink lots of water, lots of pineapple juice (100%, not from concentrate - Dole is good) and eat lots of garlic. The water will dilute the fluid in your sinuses, the pineapple juice has not just vitamin C, but also an anti-inflammatory enzyme which reduces the inflammation in the sinuses so the now diluted mucus can drain and the garlic has antibacterial properties, which helps keep gunk in your sinuses from festering into an infection. I haven't had to take antibiotics for a sinus infection in about three years. If I do feel one coming on, I increase the quantity of all of water, garlic and pineapple juice, get a nasal saline spray (or make my own with some warm water and salt and drip it into my nostrils with a Q-tip, which helps clean the festering gunk) and have been able to beat it back without the help of antibiotics every time. Check out my post on managing side effects for more information on this and how to keep other side effects at bay.

As for your rapid heartbeat - are you taking any other medications that might be causing this? How is your caffeine intake? One of the things I've noticed with Humira is that it has made me react much more strongly to other things, the caffeine, sugar, painkillers, etc., so that could be part of the problem. I don't mean anything caffeinated anymore, instead I drink hot water with a small slice of lemon - it's refreshing, helps me increase my water intake and it also settles this. Also, people react differently, so although your anemia might not be low enough to make the average person's heartbeat increase, maybe it does with you. I recommend you go back to your doctor and the like me, yet firmly put your foot down and asked them to look into it some more.

Keep us posted on your progress, please?

Jeanne

1/30/11 11:13pm

Yes I definitely will.  I'm still trying to figure everything out.  I'm going to try a few different things.  That's what I was thinking about the rapid heartbeat thing...Some doctors can be so dumb!  I really believe the anemia is whats causing the rapid heartbeat for me.  Just like you said, what might affect one person one way could completely affect another person another way.

Jeanne

1/31/11 1:09am

Yes I definitely will.  I'm still trying to figure everything out.  I'm going to try a few different things.  That's what I was thinking about the rapid heartbeat thing...Some doctors can be so dumb!  I really believe the anemia is whats causing the rapid heartbeat for me.  Just like you said, what might affect one person one way could completely affect another person another way.