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Nothing ever helped me (flonase which by the way you have to use every day), netipot, robitussin, mucinex, etc except the RIGHT ANTIBIOTIC. And I have to take them for 2 weeks, otherwise the infection comes back.
The only antibiotic that works for my sinus infections (average 3 a yr) is Bactrim..and it sucks because it causes a nasty taste in your mouth and upsets my stomach.. But, it's the one that works. And yes, Flonase is for daily use and it takes time to work.
I really hope someone can help me with this infection I've had for the past month as I'm getting really worried and feeling hopeless. First it started off like a normal sinus infection (post nasal drip, sinus headaches, coughs) then after a few weeks I started to get an occasional low grade fever (99.5-100.5) with body aches (like the flu). These fevers lasted for about a day then went away the next day only to come back in a few days then go away again. Now I've had this fever with body aches for 2 days straight and I'm just feeling hopeless. I've been to the doctor 3 times already, tried Mucinex-D, Flonase, Neti pot, Robitusin, all to no avail. Now I'm taking Advil just to reduce my fever and ease my pain. The doctor took a bunch of blood test (except a high count of immature granulocytes), urine, chest X-ray, nasal culture, all normal. Now I have a sinus headache everyday, although my post-nasal drip has gotten better. The biggest problem right now is fever, body aches, and sinus congestion.
I've had sinus infections before but they usually went away after a couple weeks and I've never had a fever with them. Anyone had a sinus infection before that lasted for over a month? I'm missing so much work and feeling really frustrated. Does anyone know what's going on? Is it a really bad sinus infection or something worse? Anyone know anything else I should do to help myself get better faster? Any help is appreciated.
After all of this I would think your Doctor would give you either Bactrim (sp) or Steroids, both are aggressive antibiotics and should help within a day or so, sometimes less than 12 hours you will start to feel a wee bit better.
I read all the posts and looks like those that are advocating allergy shots may have allergies much more severe than mine. The thing is, I get sinus infections about once a year, but this is by far the worse one that I've ever had. I have intermittent fevers and flu-like symptoms that come and go, constant sinus headaches and a general feeling of being run down. My couch has improved greatly over a month and I hardly have post-nasal drip like I used to. I'm wondering if I should still get allergy shots even though I'm usually fine most of the year and get these sinus infections about once a year. Allergy shots for the rest of my life seems a little extreme for my situation. Anyways I'm continuing to talk to my doctor about seeing an ENT and maybe an allergist.
To those saying the right antibiotic will help me. My doc took another nasal culture on Thursday and it was normal (no bacteria), so I'm assuming what I have is caused by a virus and antibiotics will do no good. My blood test and urine test are also normal. Anyways thanks for all the suggestions I'll keep everyone posted on my progress.
I read all the posts and looks like those that are advocating allergy shots may have allergies much more severe than mine.
Not at all. My allergies don't bother me much. I have very limited symptoms. No watery itchy eyes. No sneezing. No symptoms really. There's just a regular constant sinus congestion or inflammation that is very tolerable for the most part. The thing is that the allergies CAUSE my sinus infections. It wasn't a big deal. I'd get one infection a year, two tops. But my last sinus infection was extremely painful and lasted a few months. As a result, I will get allergy shots even though my allergies aren't very severe. I am never going through what I went through again. I don't know why you are trying to avoid allergy shots. They are very effective.
The thing is, I get sinus infections about once a year, but this is by far the worse one that I've ever had. I have intermittent fevers and flu-like symptoms that come and go, constant sinus headaches and a general feeling of being run down. My couch has improved greatly over a month and I hardly have post-nasal drip like I used to. I'm wondering if I should still get allergy shots even though I'm usually fine most of the year and get these sinus infections about once a year. Allergy shots for the rest of my life seems a little extreme for my situation. Anyways I'm continuing to talk to my doctor about seeing an ENT and maybe an allergist.
Quote:
Originally Posted by WannabeCPA
To those saying the right antibiotic will help me. My doc took another nasal culture on Thursday and it was normal (no bacteria), so I'm assuming what I have is caused by a virus and antibiotics will do no good. My blood test and urine test are also normal. Anyways thanks for all the suggestions I'll keep everyone posted on my progress.
If you don't have an infection, it's very likely what you have is congestion from allergies. Your allergies are getting worse. A virus doesn't last forever. An a virus can turn into a bacteria infection. If it doesn't go away, you may eventually need an antibiotic. Or a steroid to give your immune system a boost.
One other thing I read about when my infection lasted months. It's possible to get a mold infection in the sinuses. A regular doctor can't culture that. Only an ENT can get to the bottom of it because a mold ball is usually at the bottom of a sinus that can't be seen or reached by normal methods.
The only antibiotic that works for me with a sinus infection is doxycycline. No sinus infection should last as long as yours. If it turns in to a bacterial infection, it is not pleasant. I used to get them all the time and my nerve endings were so sensitive that I could not even brush my hair. Maybe it is time for a new doctor and a trip to the emergency room. You definitely need a second opinion.
Interestingly, doxycycline and Bactrim never work for me. I always need ciprofloxacin or Zithromax. There are a few uncommon ones that work for me too, but their names escape me. They're super expensive.
If a conservative doctor starts me out on doxycycline, I'm in for a sinus infection that lasts a few months because they won't give me the stronger antibiotics until they've started at the bottom and worked their way up. It's a big PITA and one of the reasons I try to stay with a doctor once he/she learns how to treat me. Every person's body is different. What works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another person.
And in my case, I need cefzil to cure my sinus. The doc said" Oh that's so old. There are better ones" but the "better" ones don't work for me. Cefzil does.
@ Hopes
Okay I'll look into my allergies to see if they're causing my sinus infections. How do they determine what you're allergic to? I remember going to an allergist as a kid and they used needles to prick my skin and waited to see if it turned red. What's the process they use to determine your allergies? I'm hesitant to get allergy shots because I've heard they were a lifetime commitment and I'm also a little afraid of needles. I don't want to have to get a shot every week or month for the rest of my life.
I was using a Netipot for a few weeks but I've since stopped since it didn't seem to be helping and I've also though of the possibility that it could actually be making my sinuses worse because maybe some of the water could be causing more problems (ex. mold) than it solves. Anyways I've been feeling slightly better for two days now, although I still have a headache. I hope to be able to go to work tomorrow. My doctor is supposed to call me back on Monday to talk about going to an ENT. Thanks for your advice.
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