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You have all my sympathies. My family are always suffering from what I tend to term allergic rhinitis. This leads to many of the problems you experience. I often get "headaches" which are down to blocked passages (ear/nose/throat). Or dull pains at certain areas in the head or face. Or headaches, or aches behind an eye. Or ear-ache....etc etc.

Well, I expect you know what I mean; and, yes, it can make you feel very tired or even "dopey".

Interesting that you mention red wine as a trigger (my mother is allergic to it), because I often find myself being more "chesty" or "wheezier" when I drink red wine. It is quite possibly additives in the wine or beer that cause your problems. If tequila seems okay, then it is possibly because of how it is made and what is in it. I would suggest sticking with vodka or a proper single malt whisky (good for congested chests). Do not try blended whisky because that is not pure enough and will have additives despite the denials of the manufacturers. Do not drink to excess because alcohol dehydrates the body and that makes catarrh more sticky! So, drink plenty of water anyway (a litre a day is quite enough - it helps wash out everything).

Like you, my sinusitis and other related problems are NOT made worse by contact with cats, grass etc. However, I think this might mean that my body has adapted to those (or the symptoms are no longer as immediate - but still there!). So, do not rule those out.

I do not know anything about a neti pot for sinus rinsing. I'll be interested to know how you get on.

There is only one product I use (available in Europe in shops and not some "Internet con") and that is Olbas oil. A few drops on a tissue help clear my head a bit. One of my friends who has serious congestion all year uses it as a steam inhalant. It is a bit like menthol eucalyptus with a few more (legal) oils. Very good.

Second thing to do is at home. Make sure your bed (especially the mattress) is properly vacuum-cleaned whenever the bed clothes are changed. Like it or not, we live with dust mites and they don't help with a sinus-type condition. You also need to keep your room well "aired" with fresh air for a few hours (depending on weather, obviously) every day. Do not make the bed as soon as you get up. Leave the bed exposed so it can air. Fresh air will kill dust mites and dust mites cause asthma and sinus troubles.

Experiment with different detergents when it comes to washing bedding and your clothes. It is possible (and proven) to be very allergic to certain types of soap (my father was!). Go for non-deodorized soap in the shower, and (usually) non-bio for the clothes.

Ultimately, you really do need to go to an allergy consultant (your Doctor should, with a bit of pushing) find a good one for you. You need to narrow down what is contributing to your problem. Then you can cut this out of your diet or life-style.

Unfortunately, most allergy tests only test for a set number of things, so it is up to you do do a few tests on yourself and see if, for example, eating gluten-free bread or stopping milk helps. Or, in my case, I cannot eat fish! So, see if you can narrow down what might be affecting you in your daily diet (it is usually dairy products, btw).

Oh, and get yourself checked for asthma.

I wish you the very best of luck. This can be relieved with patience!!!