I take between 450 and 600 mg of olive leaf extract (standardized) daily.

Since last Tuesday, I’ve had slight chest pain, sinus pain, bloody snot, mucus coming up in my throat, and slight shortness of breath, but no cough, no fever, just a bit of fatigue. The pain, mucus, and shortness of breath are worse at night.

Does it sound completely crazy to think that maybe I have an infection of some sort and olive leaf has kept me from getting full-blown sick?

Yeah, this shit definitely fucking burns. It’s honestly not as bad as I had been anticipating, given the reviews I read, but it’s far from comfy. (When you’re putting pepper spray up your nose, though, what can you expect?) I only used one spray per nostril (the bottle suggests 1-3 per nostril, as needed), but my nose is already pouring. The burning went away after maybe fifteen seconds, so it’s definitely not bad enough to turn me off of the product, especially with such quick results. I needed one tissue per nostril when I went to blow my nose hah.

If you suffer from sinus pain and congestion, I suggest giving Sinus Buster a try. It’s natural and non-habit forming, but it can cost up to $15 a bottle. (I don’t think you’d run the risk of overusing it, though, because it is kind of uncomfortable.)

Ingredients: capsicum annuum 4x/5x (capsaicin), ascorbic acid (crystallized Vitamin C), Eucalyptol, purified water, Rosemary extract, sea salt, vegetable glycerin.

I already use that cayenne nasal spray on occasion, and I drink all kinds of teas, including nettle, and I drink a remarkable amount of water every day, and I occasionally take Sinusalia (I can’t afford to take it as much as I need it because a box only lasts a couple of weeks), but nothing is ever enough to rid me of my pesky sinus headaches and congestion. I know migraines are frequently mistaken for sinus headaches, but these are definitely sinus-related because I mostly feel them in my cheeks, around the bridge of my nose, and behind my eyes and brow area. There has to be something that works, right? I currently feel like I’ve been punched in the face by someone who has no idea what they’re doing.

I swear to god I’ve had a sinus infection or something for the past several months. I want to break my face open and empty my head out. I’m sick of always feeling like I’ve been punched in the nose and eyes.

Whine, whine, whine, whine.

My head doubles as a non-stop fountain of sticky white mucus, occasionally tinged with yellow, green, or blood and always accompanied by sinus pain.

Today is not my day. For those who were keeping track, I believe this is day three of my unwavering sinus headache. To add insult to injury, I just started my period.

My sinus headaches/migraines are always more plaguesome on work nights. I currently feel as though the left side of my face could burst at any moment, but I know I shouldn’t call in; I’ve called in for sinus-related complaints too many times, I’m sure. During my last shift, I could hardly even speak because my words kept coming out mixed up and muffled, although I’m not sure if that was because of my headache or because of anxiety. My anxiety has been unusually bad lately, too, but what’s most vexing is the fact that it’s the kind of anxiety that lurks beneath the surface, giving me weird symptoms without any obvious worries. Last month, it was shortness of breath and a pounding heart; this month, it’s a gagging feeling that I really can’t stand given my phobia. Something tells me, though, that part of this feeling can be blamed on post-nasal drip. For all I know, there’s been an infection lingering in my face for months because I refuse to take antibiotics unless I absolutely have to.

I can’t really remember what it feels like to physically feel good.