Tina, in the article I posted, it's a net that eventually dissolves not a balloon, maybe thats the new development. I didn't know about the balloons though, I wouldn't want that option either. Interesting.

I was in error earlier, it was the augmentin and amoxicillin that come from the same family, both were prescribed to my daughter and she was told she was allergic to them because they have some of the same properties. Sorry, Tina's post reminded me that it was the Augmentin that originally triggered the allergic episode in my daughter. Then she was prescribed Amoxicillan in error!

Hadn't heard that about the Z pack either, good info

Tina, in the article I posted, it's a net that eventually dissolves not a balloon, maybe thats the new development. I didn't know about the balloons though, I wouldn't want that option either. Interesting.

I was in error earlier, it was the augmentin and amoxicillin that come from the same family, both were prescribed to my daughter and she was told she was allergic to them because they have some of the same properties. Sorry, Tina's post reminded me that it was the Augmentin that originally triggered the allergic episode in my daughter. Then she was prescribed Amoxicillan in error!

Hadn't heard that about the Z pack either, good info

Tina, in the article I posted, it's a net that eventually dissolves not a balloon, maybe thats the new development. I didn't know about the balloons though, I wouldn't want that option either. Interesting.

I was in error earlier, it was the augmentin and amoxicillin that come from the same family, both were prescribed to my daughter and she was told she was allergic to them because they have some of the same properties. Sorry, Tina's post reminded me that it was the Augmentin that originally triggered the allergic episode in my daughter. Then she was prescribed Amoxicillan in error!

Hadn't heard that about the Z pack either, good info

Tina, in the article I posted, it's a net that eventually dissolves not a balloon, maybe thats the new development. I didn't know about the balloons though, I wouldn't want that option either. Interesting.

I was in error earlier, it was the augmentin and amoxicillin that come from the same family, both were prescribed to my daughter and she was told she was allergic to them because they have some of the same properties. Sorry, Tina's post reminded me that it was the Augmentin that originally triggered the allergic episode in my daughter. Then she was prescribed Amoxicillan in error!

Hadn't heard that about the Z pack either, good info

Tina, in the article I posted, it's a net that eventually dissolves not a balloon, maybe thats the new development. I didn't know about the balloons though, I wouldn't want that option either. Interesting.

I was in error earlier, it was the augmentin and amoxicillin that come from the same family, both were prescribed to my daughter and she was told she was allergic to them because they have some of the same properties. Sorry, Tina's post reminded me that it was the Augmentin that originally triggered the allergic episode in my daughter. Then she was prescribed Amoxicillan in error!

Hadn't heard that about the Z pack either, good info

This post was edited by lukkiirish on Sat, Mar 16, 13 at 13:10

Tina, in the article I posted, it's a net that eventually dissolves not a balloon, maybe thats the new development. I didn't know about the balloons though, I wouldn't want that option either. Interesting.

I was in error earlier, it was the augmentin and amoxicillin that come from the same family, both were prescribed to my daughter and she was told she was allergic to them because they have some of the same properties. Sorry, Tina's post reminded me that it was the Augmentin that originally triggered the allergic episode in my daughter. Then she was prescribed Amoxicillan in error!

Hadn't heard that about the Z pack either, good info

This post was edited by lukkiirish on Sat, Mar 16, 13 at 13:10

My daughter just experienced a horrible reaction to amoxicillin she was taking for a head cold and infection. She's taken it many times before without a hitch but this time her face and ears swelled and she broke out with some serious hives. She was then prescribed z pak. Amoxicillan and Zpak are from the same family of antibiotics, the first works best with upper respiratory infections and the Zpak is better for lower respiratory infections. When taking any antibiotic, they will kill the bad bacteria as well as the good so you should always take a Probotic to replace the good bacteria. This will help you avoid getting yeast infections. As far as the sinus infections go, we can develop allergies to things at any time, but i think it could be a symptom of something else. For example, it's possible that maybe you've developed sinus pallops or have scar tissue in the sinus cavity. You may want to tell the doctor you'd prefer to find out what the cause is as opposed to the multiple prescriptions, especially since we can build an intolerance to them.

Probiotics are sold over the counter, there are many to choose from so I'd ask the pharmacist which would be best.

Thanks Lukki. I should mentioned I just started taking probiotics again after the last bout of antibiotics.

What will they do to find out the cause? I can hear him now,"Well if you're noticing it this time of year it's from the outside blah, blah, blah" and giving me half a hard time before doing anything about it.

Slightly OT, not that long ago I went to have my thyroid checked due to postpartum hair shedding and he just went on how it's normal for up to a year. I already knew that but wanted to be sure before it became a noticeable, to everyone else, problem. He did agree to bloodwork then but I had to be persisent. My thyroid is fine thankfully.

"For example, it's possible that maybe you've developed sinus pallops or have scar tissue in the sinus cavity."

I looked up those two things.

I will say the first two infections were about a week in bad before I went to the Dr. Hmm... Gosh, I don't want any surgery on my face.

Have you had any kind of image of your sinuses done? What you're experiencing sounds very similar to what I went through many years ago. (I started to get recurring colds symptoms and bronchitis along with it but it was all from sinuses.) Initially the conservative approach (Flonase, Rx antihistamine, a round of antibiotics) helped some but after awhile wasn't even pinging it, toward the end I was taking antibiotics about 2 weeks on, 6 weeks off, and it would all start up again. Imaging (can't remember, maybe a CT?) showed my sinus cavities had mostly white (blockage) when that area should have been dark (open sinus cavity) on the images. Surgery had been mentioned but like you I wanted no part of it. However, between feeling crappy all the time and my immense dislike for taking antibiotics, I wanted off that merry-go-round and told him lets just do this, didn't care what it took. In the recovery room my doc said he removed a lot of nasal polyps.

It was uncomfortable post-op for a week or so as I recall but was finally able to breathe again. Didn't fully appreciate how stuffed up my nose had actually become. Nasal polyps can return but I've not experienced those severe problems since. All these years later I do get stuffy from certain things (spring time, end of summer ragweed) but nothing like before & haven't had a sinus problem like that since. Only once I had to take antibiotics again but a bad head cold triggered that sinus deal. Surgery was well worth it. I'd highly recommend when seeking your other opinion seeing a board certified otolaryngologist, that's what mine was.

This post was edited by moonshadow on Sat, Mar 16, 13 at 4:50

I'm really concerned about the tennis ball swelling you have on your face. A friend got the same thing and ended up in the hospital so they could drain it. The infection moved to her temple. Had she waited another day or two, the infection would have gone to her brain. Not to scare you, lol, but that scares ME. If the swelling hasn't gone down yet, go to the After Hours clinic asap.

Z-pack has been all over the national news this week for causing heart problems. I love z-packs but I won't take them again.

For now, take the Flonase religiously. My pharmacist said I could use it twice a day instead of once a day for a week or so. It got rid of a polyp for me. It comes back about once a year, then it goes away again when I use the Flonase.

Give it a few days and if that doesn't work, you need to go to an ENT as was suggested above. You could have several polyps and not know it. This time by-pass your family physician.

But your infection and swelling needs to be taken care of pronto.

I havent had a sinus infection in a long time but wanted to write to say I am sorry you're feeling so crappy-- AND frustrated on top of it. I will say that I am sitting here wheezing. It may not look very green yet but I've had a terrible time with allergies and congestion too. This wind must be kicking "stuff" up.

The other thing I was going to say is we MUST be comfortable with our doctors. We depend on them for our health and comfort. I am also not pleased with my dr I have now-- when I moved back here, very few drs were accepting new patients. It's time to change.

Hope you feel better. A non-medical treatment that I've had good luck with- especially when I have congestion in deep--is to do a steam facial with whatever aromatic and pungent spices I have. Peppercorns and sage are essential.. I add others as available.

ist time i ever had a sinus infection in my life i was pregnant with my 3rd... and after that, it seemed anytime i got a cold/allergy, it would go to my sinuses!! i tend to avoid medicine/antibiotics more than the average person, so i would usually go to the doctor for an antibiotic if i really ran a fever. for a few years, it seemed that my teeth would hurt 3-4/yr for maybe a week at a time at most- not always from obvious congestion, but just from sinus pressure. after that 1st sinus infection, i seemed very susceptible to sinus pressure/pain- don't know why. only took an antibiotic probably 3 times over the years because of it- most were probably viral anyway, so antibiotic would only act as a placebo... i did find that ibuprofen and some sinus meds tended to ease the pressure for the most part... the sinus meds work on the actual congestion. for the 5 yrs, i can see the # of times i have sinus pain/congestion has decreased in severity and frequency...maybe hanging at the schools less helped, or maybe my getting older helped???

when you have little kids, you tend to be around little kids more often and can be exposed to many more cold viruses than previously.... that's how i explained it to myself- that and i was obviously susceptible to sinus pressure probably based on my anatomy!
hope you feel better!

Like the others say, it's time to see a specialist. I work with a lot of doctors and medical records now with my second job and unfortunately a combination of insurance restrictions and complacency has to do with what you're experiencing with the doctor. You have to be your own advocate and reject the typical treat the symptom and not the cause mentality.

This is a recent article a local channel ran about a new sinus procedure, If available in your area, it may not be such a scary thing and if I recall, it's a procedure many insurance companies have already started to cover.

I hate to say this because change can be hard but it may be time to find a doctor who has an approach to care that better fits your expectations (which aren't unreasonable). The doctor who missed my husbands diagnosis was very complacent and just said weight loss would fix his SEVERE back pain, His weight is not severe enough to have the amount of pain he was experiencing and she ignored the symptoms. he changed to my doctor who was more engaged and took the steps necessary to find the cause which was serious and should have been detected sooner.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinus stent

Oakley mentioned the warnings about the Z-pack in an earlier post.

Our doctor/friend stopped prescribing them a couple years ago, for the exact reason the 'new' warnings were issued.

The link below may be of interest.

ML

Here is a link that might be useful: Z-pack warning

Shee - I had sinus surgery in November. I have had allergies for years and that kind of started my problems. The allergies kept my sinuses irritated. I never had sinus infections until maybe 5 (or less) years ago. Always in the fall - I have a horrible mold allergy - and fall is bad for mold. I've seen a ENT doc several times and I've had an allergist for years. I would recommend an ENT checking you out and he may suggest an allergist if he thinks you have problems with that. Most ENT's will have CT machines there is the office and can do a scan. I changed ENT docs within the same group and when the 2nd doc did a CNT, he started showing me things that needed to be done to help "the flow of things". I still have to keep on top of my allergies.

I have never had a Z Pack for anything. The heart problem thing I saw the other morning, but it is not a problem for everyone. IF YOU HAVE A DOCTOR WHO STAYS ON TOP OF THINGS and knows your history - he should know if he should prescribe it for you. That said, from what I've read, it is not a top choice med for sinus infections. Research top antibiotics for sinus infections. I always take Augmentin, for one reason, it works for me, second reason, I've taken very few antibiotics in my life, and they feel safe giving me this. I do have a coupld of drug allergies.

I use a steriod spray like you mentioned, and after my sinus surgery, my ENT doc and I were discussing how to proceed, etc. and he told me that is something i need to use 365 days a year. I also use singulair during my peak season as it works well for mold allergies.

I mainly went forward with the surgery because I hate to take meds, especially antibiotics and I was taking that and prednisone when I would have an infection. Last fall, before the surgery, I was on 4 weeks of antibiotics, then two after the surgery. That is hard on your body. I did not get a yeast infection like you mean - but I got thrush.

Sounds like you have a swollen gland now - hopefully the antibiotics will help it quickly. If it doesn't go down - I would get myself back to the doctor.

Email me if you want more info - I'm happy to share.

tina

Just went back and read through all the other replies. Moon - our situations are so similar (although I did not have polyps) and I am just like you on taking meds!!

I've not heard about the stint - but I did ask about the procedure where they use a balloon in the sinuses (unless that is the same procedure???). My doctor said that could/might work but it was not really fixing things. Also, because I could not get rid of all the infection in my sinuses, I needed that area scraped and flushed. With the balloon procedure there is no way to do that - they can only flush and they really doesn't do much. I'm not against the balloon - just saying it was the right option in my situation. Not that you even need any surgery - for now you just need a good ENT and have things checked out.

I will say though, that the sinus surgery was not as bad as I thought. I had excessive bleeding (had my bp go up during surgery) and that made things a big worse - but overall, it was okay. I did it to keep myself healthy. your sinuses play a big role in your overall health.

tina

I think you are taking too many antibiotics and stuff. Definitely go see an ENT doctor to see what they say. It is not healthy to take all that medicine or have recurring infections. I know someone who went into got anaphylactic shock from amoxicillin after having taken it before without any problems.

I would focus on preventatives. I've heard using a neti pot works well to keep passages clear and clean. I don't think you are supposed to use it if you already have an infection. I think I saw a commercial with Dr. Oz talking about them recently. Here's some info on Web MD.

Possibly taking some supplements like zinc and Vitamin C would help control them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Neti Pots

I second the ENT visit.

I recently had a sinus infection. Got a steroid shot to help dry up sinuses, an antibiotic shot and an RX for 10 days of Augmentin. Ended up getting a cold afterwards, then walking pneumonia. An RX of something else for 7 days. Finally feeling better. I have never been given a Z Pack for sinus infection.

I have a many DosePaks for poison ivy - it's the only thing that gets rid of it. Not sure I want to take ever again, but when I get poison ivy, it is BAD. The plus side is you have lots of energy and the house gets deep cleaned. lol

DD2 also got a sinus infection recently and the Dr told her to use the Neti Pot daily (even when not sick) since she had been having more sinus/cold issues lately. Trouble = having a preschooler that goes to Mother's Day Out and has been bringing colds home since November 1st. DD1 also got a cold, so all three of us had already purchased Neti Pots before the Dr suggested. It is not too unpleasant, just be sure to use distilled water since tap water can cause bacteria infections/kill you.

While we're talking about sinuses, colds and doctors, DD2's son (18months old) has had 3 ear infections the last few months (see colds above) and the Dr said tube talk would be coming up if he gets another one. We found out he is allergic to Penicillin the hard way - but at least it was just an all over body rash and not throat constriction. Anyway, DD2 is very "granola" and found a recipe for garlic and olive oil for ear infections. Used it a couple of days, then bought garlic/etc drops at Whole Foods. Also took him off dairy products, and his ear infection cleared up. Needless to say, she is now a believer in natural/organic products.

I also second the Probiotics.

This post was edited by allison0704 on Sat, Mar 16, 13 at 16:04

Shee you should probably see and ENT and/or an allergist. It sounds like your allergies are seasonal (spring). I and my DD have a lot of allergies; her's is seasonal; mine is seasonal for pollens, etc and year-round for mold. Have you had the testing done? Once you know what and when, you can attack before they become full blown infections.

If you will address your allergies from a preventive standpoint, you may not develop the true infections as frequently, thus eliminating the need for antibiotics.

My allergist is adament about using the nasal spray (I have used Flonase and Nasonex) DAILY - YEAR AROUND for prevention and control of the inflammation. Also, you probably should go on Zyrtec daily during your allergy season before the symptoms to show up - again prevention. Example: If you know your allergies flare up in April when the mapels start budding, get on an antihistamine before it gets out of hand. I would try the Zyrtec without the D as a preventive treatment and only take the D if you start becoming congested.

Decongestants do a number on me - my heart races and I can't sleep.

Also, for those prone to yeast infection following antibiotic treatment, ask you doctor to go ahead and give you a prescription for Diflucan to have if you need it.
My DD ALWAY has to take two (2) Diflucans following a 7-10 day antibiotic treatment.

Allison - Z pak is an antibiotic. I think you are talking about the steriod pak - I can't think of the name of those - but I know people who have taken them. I don't do well with the steriod shots - I think it is too much for me at once. My cheeks get bright red - I have hot flashes, etc. I do better with oral prednisone, but I always remind my doctor of the doseage - I know my limit!

Netti pots are good. I use one - and you can use one with an infection. Afte my surgery my doctor had me using one twice a day for a while. You might even start with a saline spray also.

Lukki - I think the balloon is a good thing for some people - it's just not for everyone. Depending on why your nasal passages might be constricted. It simply opens things up. At least that is what my doctor explained to me. I had a bone spur pushing into one sinus area and I also had an extra sinus cavity! They closed that up. My septum was the slightest bit off at the tip end of my nose so whle he was in there, he straightened that. You can't even tell, but I like to say I had a nose job. LOL

Doctors rarely pack you anymore following sinus surgery - I don't think I could have stood that. I had to sleep propped up the first 24-48 hours because of swelling and the more/longer you stayed upright - the quicker that went away. The anethesia is what gets me - it can really take something out of you!

Allison - re the dairy products - I read to eat very little dairy products with a sinus infection, cold, etc. as it makes mucus thicker. I wonder if that somehow affects the ears too? I would prefer to go the natural/homeopathic route myself - it's just not always possible. I wish I knew more about it.

tina

As a kid I'll never forget visiting my dad in the hospital and his nostrils were fully packed. He looked miserable!

I have sinusitis but have never had a sinus infection. But I read that z-packs are regularly used for them.

Allison, is your daughter making sure her son gets a lot of calcium? I knew a little boy who hated any type of dairy products and he was constantly breaking a bone from playing.

My GS had severe ear infections and at 3, they took his adenoids out. Hasn't had one since, and not only that, his speech changed for the better! lol. But they did that as a last resort. Thankfully it took care of the painful problem.

Come to think of it, I'm a huge milk drinker and I bet that's why I always have a runny nose. :)

You're right, Tina. I meant Dosepak and corrected. Thanks.

Oakleyoak, she switched him to almond milk and coconut yogurt. She is making sure. He eats EVERYTHING. Loves kale, spinach, collard greens, broccoli... everything!

LOL Allison! I was just getting ready to apologize to you because I got to wondering if I had read your response correctly. I came back and saw dosepak and thought - Oh no!!

Your daughter sounds like a wonderful mother. I'm sure she researches and thinks things out regarding his diet, medications, etc. She's a smart cookie to realize there are other sources of calcium than dairy products.

How's your little granddaughter doing?

tina

;D I like the edit feature.

She is a fantastic mom, and considering she does it alone, I give her big kudos. She was a nanny for two years in her late teens. She is very patient, soft spoken, but firm. The internet is such a great tool to read to your heart's content.

Baby E is just adorable. Pulling up now, but not walking. 9 months old yesterday. I'm going to Chicago in June to babysit for a few days while they go to NYC. J is spending the night and we did Face Time. He kept telling her "hi" and waving. I love being a Gigi. She was sick for the 1st time a week ago. :(

Thanks for asking!

I want to add a word of warning about the steroid nasal sprays like Flonase. I have 3 friends (all in early fifties) as well as DH (who is 51) who have developed cataracts recently. DH is having his first eye done next week, second one a few weeks later.

There is a direct link between these meds and cataracts and glaucoma. DH's surgeon questioned him about any use of these meds, we later pulled out the medication leaflet from the Flonase, and there it was. I then quizzed my friends, and EVERY one of them is also on those meds. I am thankful now that I couldn't use them-I tried and they caused nosebleeds.

Anyway, just wanted people to be informed.

You can buy a salt water mist nose spray in a can. By arm and hammer. At the drugstore in the cold medicine aisle. Drug free. Very convenient. I think you might consider using this morning and night every day. Just spray into the nose. Both sides. Sniff up. Then blow the nose.

And yes to seeing a ent or allergist.

Moon - No, I never had any images done of my sinuses. I'm glad to hear the surgery worked pretty well. I read the other night how polyps can grow back sometimes within a year.

Trance - No, I was complaining I had to take antibiotics 5 times in a year. This will be the 3rd sinus infection. The other times were from a UTI during pregnancy and metal shards stuck deep in my finger. 3 or 5, neither is a good thing.

Oakley - When I mentioned tennis ball I meant the diameter. My face wasn't puffed out like a tennis ball, thankfully! It felt like the other times I had a s.i. and figured it wasn't good to mess around with something so close to your brain. I am feeling better already though.
Glad to know the flonase worked for you. I still haven't taken it yet.
I didn't know that about the Zpak. Thanks for the info!

Funky - Boy, it's sure not looking green out now, huh?
I'm really hoping to find a new Dr. I like. Growing up, I used the same one Dr. until he passed away during my late teen years. I haven't found one like him since. Everyone at my gyn/obgyn office is awesome that I have no problem driving over an hour away for appointments. I love to find a family doctor's office like that.

Busy - Your situation sounds similar to mine.
The first time I had the s.i. when I was pregnant I tried to kick it and didn’t go until I was running a fever. The second time the pain was pretty bad to the point that I actually considered taking percocet the dentist prescribed. (they weren't going to be due to the holiday.) I never did take it but came close a few times. I really hate taking anything.

I thought a Dr. could (always?) tell if something was viral or bacterial, and if viral you pretty much wait it out. When I asked if I needed antibiotics for this, after he looked in my ears and nose, he said there was swelling.

Lukki - I agree change can be hard but I’m ok with in this situation. My grandparents were going to the same Dr. for a while and I wasn’t impressed with a few things that went down. They aren’t either and are switching. In the past I felt he did a good job with treating common things but started to question if I was older, would I want to see the same Dr. The situation with my grandparents helped answer that.

I’m glad your husband changed doctors. Sometimes feel like everyone with x symptoms is stuffed in the same category without ever thinking outside the box. I suspect insurance companies may play a role in why that is.

Thanks for the articles. I’ll keep that in mind.

Maddie - Thanks for the article! I’m surprised they’re still prescribed.

Tina - Wow, I remember you saying you had a mold allergy.

I was incorrect, my antibiotics is Augmentin. After I was shot down about the Zpack I double checked if amoxicillin was what he was still giving me and he said yes. Prior to this year, it was rare I had to take antibiotics.

I'll shoot you an email here probably later today or tomorrow.

Snookums - I agree about taking too much stuff!
I really should try a neti pot, thanks! I’ve been meaning to get some zinc and C.

Allison - Oh geez. I’m glad you’re feeling better!
I’ve read about the garlic and olive oil for ear infections. I’m glad it worked for your grandson! My parents know someone that their son was having a bunch of ear infections when he was young and they tried, I think, Swedish Bitters, they still took him to the Dr. that time too and they Dr. said whatever they were using to keep doing it. It cleared up.

Tuesday - I never had any testing done since the symptoms were never really a problem.
“Also, you probably should go on Zyrtec daily during your allergy season before the symptoms to show up - again prevention”

That will actually prevent sinus pressure and infection even if my symptoms never match what the box says? I’m not trying to be smart here it’s just not making sense to me. I should probably read how they actually work.

Texanjana - Thanks for the info!

Julie - I didn't know they made that, thanks!

I’m wondering if I need a referral from my Dr. to see an ENT person. I’ll make some calls.

Thanks everyone!

I think, Swedish Bitters, they still took him to the Dr. that time too and they Dr. said whatever they were using to keep doing it. It cleared up.

Haven't heard of that, will have to Google.

Yes, she took to the Pediatrician who gave her an RX if he was running a fever in 2 days or seemed worse (he fever was very, very low). He said it was FDA approved, but he knew of others that use it with success. She also took him for a recheck.

This post was edited by allison0704 on Sun, Mar 17, 13 at 14:45

shee-- the vast majority of sinus infections are viral- viral and bacterial infections will cause redness and swelling of your mm- the only way they can tell for sure if any infection is viral or bacterial is if they take a culture to grow, which they never do for sinus infections... drs often used to prescribe antibiotics if the pt described the nasal discharge as dk yellow or green, but color doesn't indicate a virus or bacteria either... many used to prescribe antibiotics 'just in case' it was bacterial, but with all the antibiotic resistent bacterias developing now, savvy mds will hold off on the prescriptions they write and ask the pt to wait for a week to 14 days and have the pt treat their symptoms with ibuprofen, etc...

Shee, the antihistamine type drugs (Zyrtec, Claritin, Clarinex, to name a few) do a lot to prevent the side effects of an allergy. A full-blown sinus infection is usually the result of allergy symptoms, URI as a result of a cold, etc.

When you keep the inflammation, swelling, congestion, runny nose etc under control by taking the antihistamine type drugs, more than likely you will not get the full-blown sinus infection.

My DD would get a severe sinus infection every May and August due to her allergies until she started taking Zyrtec. In fact, she was pregnent in the fall of 2011 and refused to take anything even after the go-ahead from her doctor at 12 weeks and she suffered terribly from her allergies. She did use a Neti Pot faithfully.

Here is a link that might be useful: How antihistamines work

Busy - I feel like an idiot for bothering to go so soon. That won't happen again.

Tuesday - Hmm, the link won't work for me. I'm digging around now for sinus info and will look it up. Thanks!

Well I ordered a neti pot. I'm looking forward to giving it a try. I was hesitant before because the need to be careful, but that's silly since I know to use distilled water and know how to properly clean something. Can you use boiled water? I'll look that up too.

I also need to start drinking more water and getting more sleep since they're both pretty darn important to health.

I have to correct whoever said they do not do cultures for sinus infections. A good doctor will do this - maybe not on a first infection, but if they persist. If they are bad enough, they will actually do a sinus puncture to get a speciman (if need be). Thankfully I never had to have one of those!!! Also, when I had my surgery they did testing to make sure I did not have some strain of infection that was resistant to antibiotics or some type fungal infection - which I understand it becoming somewhat more common.

Shee - you can used boiled water. That's what I do. One thing is to make sure you use you fill the pot and use the whole pack of saline. The correct PH is important. I was using less saline when I had burning and that was actually not helping me at all.

Water is important to help keep your sinuses moisturized - I guess every part of us benefits from water!

tina

Let's try this - just a basic summary of why we use anithistamines for allergies. There are also numerous in-depth discussion on medical webites also.

Here is a link that might be useful: How antihistamines work

tina--- i certainly wasn't refering to a specialist who might do a sinus puncture... and, that certainly isn't done by the internist or fam prac md who usually is doing the antibiotic presciption writing!
in the unusual instance where someone has an infection that just does not clear, a specialist can do an invasive puncture (since they don't do swab cxs) so they can grow out what's in their sinus and to help know exactly what class of drug to prescribe... but, egads, i didn't think that's what we were really talking about here!

Sorry busy - I probably know more than I want to because of my recent experiences. I was looking at it from the ENT standpoint. On the other hand, I doubt my internist would give me a second round of antibiotics without digging further. One of the things I like about him.

tina

For sinus sufferers, there was a bit on NPR about lactobacillus sakei and sinus infections...seems to be a strong connection to the good bacteria fighting off the sinus infections. Only thing is, it hasn't been studied yet in humans, but thought I'd mention that there has been some early signs of success with it.

Also GF suffers with allergies and she has found that taking OTC antihistamine before or as her allergies begin really helps to control the situation as it keeps it from getting worse and setting up vicious cycles of misery.

Though I have no first hand experience, I hope this helps....

what causes sinus infections

Acutally this whole human biome business is just beginning to get hot and scientists are just beginning to understand that we shouldn't think of the body as a pristene place with viral and bacterial invaders that need to be wiped out....rather we need to think of the body as a garden where we want to grow the good bacteria so it can keep the bad stuff in check....fascinating stuff.

Here is a link that might be useful: What works for chronic sinusitis

Thanks for the links Annie.

I'm also having a hard time with my sinuses. I had a z-pack for a sinus infection in February, then another 6 days of a stronger dose of azithromicin (?) when that didn't work. It's been about a week since I stopped that antibiotic, and I can tell I've still got something brewing.

The bad part is I can taste/smell the infection, it is so gross. I'm going to try irrigating at least twice a day and keep on the Flonase for a few days to see if that helps. I'd like to avoid more antibiotics if I can. I've had sinus surgery in the past and the last time I saw the ENT he said I have "bad plumbing" and need to be proactive to keep the sinuses clear.

Has anyone used a WaterPik with an attachment to irrigate? I'm thinking of going to look for the attachment since we have a little used WaterPik around here somewhere.

Beth P

That's very interesting Annie - thanks for sharing! I absolutely HATE taking antibiotics. In my case, it was necessary, but they were not totally doing the trick. It's awful when a doctor reads your CT and says bluntly "your head is full of pus".

I feel for you Beth. Hopefully my "bad plumbing" has been resolved and the sinus infections have been kicked to the curb!!