Q: I am 32 years old. I have been suffering from allergic rhinitis since my childhood and gone through a septoplasty two years back. There was a bit of improvement in the nasal blockage after this surgery, but the core symptoms of rhinitis continued. I approached another ENT specialist for advice. As per this doctor, the surgery was not performed correctly and so the problem persisted. He put me on mild antibiotics and antihistamines for an year, and after seeing no improvement currently advised me to take Pentadin 400 twice a day and after a 15 days, he will be putting me on regular Penicillin injections every 21 days. Pentidin has been quite effective in reducing the symptoms, but I am worried about the possible side effects of its prolonged use. Also, I want to know if Penicillin is used for nasal problems. Kindly advise me on the use of Penicillin and what kind of treatment should I be seeking further.

A:As per your details, you are probably suffering from allergic rhinitis. You have written that you are taking Pentadin 400 tablets daily and that it would probably be followed a particular injection once in three weeks. I think that you got the name of the tablet wrongly - it could be Pentids 400. Anyway, an antibiotic like Pentids may not be the answer. You will have to take anti-allergy medicines, e.g. antihistamines. Several anti-allergy medicines are available. They give very good relief when they are taken. However, you have not mentioned whether you have any wheezing. As you are young, it may be advisable to repeat the blood tests to confirm that you have indeed an allergic disease. I will suggest that you to go to an ENT specialist, in whom you have faith and undergo a detailed personal examination and then decide the course of further treatment.