Interesting to read that others suffered the exactly same symptoms as myself. I had these pains for about three months a year ago, and nothing seemed to help.
In my case it seems to be somewhat related to hay feaver and food allergy, a combination of them plus a slight cold or alcohol which can worsen the condition steeply (by releasing histamine).
I managed to finally escape this hell by coming aware of my food allergies (yes, plural), limit alcohol intake to a minimal amount and finally taking a pill of Cetirizine about 8-12 hours before flight.
Especially the latter seemed quite effective to me as it blocks the effects of histamine in the body, which is a major cause for the swellings.
Good luck to everyone who's affected. I became fine some weeks later and the trouble never returned even with a mild cold.