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So for just about 3 weeks now I've been feeling run down and have had daily headaches. I've had clogged left nostril and tingling/fullmess in my left maxillary sinus. The headaches always go away when I sleep and get worse as the day moves on. I waited about 14 days before going to the doctor. They think it's a sinus infection and gave me Augmentin. I took it for like 3 full days but didn't see any improvement at all so I went back and they gave me Prednisone and extended the antibiotics. I'm starting to worry the infection isn't going away, and am worried it's spreading which is why the headaches are so bad and constant. Any advice? Should I go back to the doctor or is this just typical for sinus Infection? Am I just overly worried and need to give it time?
(This is my first sinus infection.)
So for just about 3 weeks now I've been feeling run down and have had daily headaches. I've had clogged left nostril and tingling/fullmess in my left maxillary sinus. The headaches always go away when I sleep and get worse as the day moves on. I waited about 14 days before going to the doctor. They think it's a sinus infection and gave me Augmentin. I took it for like 3 full days but didn't see any improvement at all so I went back and they gave me Prednisone and extended the antibiotics. I'm starting to worry the infection isn't going away, and am worried it's spreading which is why the headaches are so bad and constant. Any advice? Should I go back to the doctor or is this just typical for sinus Infection? Am I just overly worried and need to give it time?
(This is my first sinus infection.)
Any help would be appreciated.
George
Be patient. Sinus infections are not easy to treat and they take time.
Its not unusual to require a second and in some cases even a third course of antibiotics. For someone who has not had one before they can be very frightening because your experience is with colds that rapidly go away.
You might consider getting a Neil Rinse Kit at a pharmacy. Its OTC. You can rinse out your sinuses daily and it well help relieve the blockage.
If your head hurts badly enough, you need to talk to your doctor about some pain relief. However, my experience was that once I was on the antibiotics, I began to improve enough that I didn't need a pill for headaches.
Go back to the doctor. You don't want to mess around with these. As noted, it may take 2 or 3 rounds of antibiotics to clear up. You may need different antibiotics. I've had them take 3 weeks on a couple of occasions to clear the infection up but I have other sinus problems. Be sure and eat yogurt with live cultures or take probiotics because Augmentin can affect the good bacteria in your gut.
What you don't want to do is ignore it. Get a humidifier and sleep with it on. Also use saline spray (you can get it over the counter) multiple times a day to rinse out your sinuses and drink plenty of water. You can use musinex to help thin the mucus and have it drain. These are all things my doctor told me to do.
If you haven't been tested for allergies and get these infections regularly, I would get that done asap once you're well. Bad allergies can turn into a sinus infection.
You need to stay on top of it, you don't want the infection to spread.
Be patient. Sinus infections are not easy to treat and they take time.
Its not unusual to require a second and in some cases even a third course of antibiotics. For someone who has not had one before they can be very frightening because your experience is with colds that rapidly go away.
Here is my story about sinus infections and antibiotics:
I had a lingering sinus infection and yes, it took three courses of antibiotics to cure it.
Unfortunately, the antibiotics also killed the gut organisms that keep c. Diff (Clostridium difficile) in check. Left to run rampant, it’s a nasty little bugger that causes diarrhea, vomiting, and other unpleasantness. After 12 hours of that I had to be taken to the ER as I was severely dehydrated.
It’s knocked back fairly easily by vancomycin.
This is not to say that it’ll happen to you on multiple courses of antibiotics but you should be aware.
Quote:
You might consider getting a Neil Rinse Kit at a pharmacy. Its OTC. You can rinse out your sinuses daily and it well help relieve the blockage.
You can do that, or you can buy the sterile saline sprays, which saves you the trouble of mixing the salt with water that has been boiled and cooled. You can use the saline spray as much as you want.
As for GSE, wouldn’t it be nice to have one substance that cures everything? It would also be nice to have $100 bill-farting unicorns. And just as likely.
Keep following up with your doctor, and I second the nasal rinse (my doctor is adamant about it), and hot compresses for your face to relieve pain. I wet a wash cloth and put it in the microwave. I also do a pot of steaming water, put my face over it with a towel and inhale the steam. If you have add essential oils like mint, camphor, rosemary, thyme or tea tree.
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When we moved to southeast Washington, I started to suffer from allergies, and during the winter, with sinus infections including the headaches. I got tested for allergies and underwent shot therapy for 18 months or so. It was a great help. The sinus infections tapered off too, but at their worst, I remember getting a couple of rounds of antibiotics with the strongest being Cipro I think.
We later moved from the area and I have not had any sinus infections since, though I do get mild allergy reactions once in a while.
I have a family member who had chronic sinus issues and took many meds over time. In the end, she got an infection so bad that she made three ER visits, had the three rounds of antibiotics and steroids and compresses both hot and cold, steam, new furnace filter, and while it finally cleared up (a horror story in itself of pustules opening), the three ER visits put up a red flag. They sent her records, including x-rays, to the county for review and she got a phone call from them saying that based on the x-rays she never had a sinus problem to begin with; it was an abcessed tooth. She went to the dentist and had it taken care of and hasn't had a "sinus" problem since.
As someone that has chronic sinus problems, I can offer some low cost, natural remedies that may help. They have helped to reduce and cure sinus infections for me in the past.
Heat a couple ounces of Cider Vinegar along with a dash of water, some Tumeric, Salt (about a half tsp of each) and Cayenne Pepper (just a few sprinkles) and gargle with it. In the past when I followed this routine for three times a day up to a week I eliminated a bad sinus infection. Also, I would eat fresh garlic cloves along with this routine and also take some Oil of Oregano as well. This is probably the best way to reduce or eliminate sinus problems other than colds. And one beneficial side effect from the garlic is that it will keep vampires away. :-). Seriously, it will also help lower blood pressure and ward away mosquitoes.
Ooh ... I cannot take Augmentin; turns any bug I have into a super-bug! Are you allergic to Cephalexin (Keflex)? It works best for me, maybe ask your doctor?
At least you have a doctor who will prescribe antibiotics; I have a 30 year history of developing these occult sinus infections that land me in the ER with temps of 104, on a tilt table with IV running wide open ... And I had this dummy tell me she couldn’t prescribe any antibiotics because I hadn’t tried enough OTC treatments.
I’m like; OTCs relieve symptoms, they do not treat the infection. I have a 30 year history of occult sinus infections; meaning “hidden”. As in asymptomatic. Why would I try symptom relievers ... in the absence of symptoms?
I know when I have them due to a specific headache; otherwise; nothing. That was in September. I had been circling the drain for 4 months until finally, I remembered I had some liquid Keflex from when my son was put on it & then discontinued. So; I’m self medicating with leftover meds & finally I’m feeling better.
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