Sinus Infection Question

[granolagirl]

Just a couple quick questions regarding a sinus infection (not mine). Has anyone had one that doesn't respond to antibiotics within a few days? Also, can doing yardwork further aggravate the sinus infection or can allergies aggravate it?

I know giant, broad questions, aorry! Thanks for your help, my friend is miserable and already went back to the doctor. :(

[vbak]

Yes, to your first question. Don't know to the others. In April I was on 2 different antibiotics, nose sprays and then finally ear drops. I had severe pain in my right ear, and I couldn't hear. Everything was muffled. It finally cleared up 3 weeks later. I know your friend is miserable.

Vicky

[MaryH]

As a member of the sinus infection/allergy frequent flier club my answer is: usually infections will respond to antibiotics after a few days. However, if your friend has been prescribed the same antibiotics for this condition before he may have have developed a tolerance and might need a different prescription.

Secondly, IMHO the sinus infection can many times be the secondary reaction to underlying allergies. If there is a serious allergic reaction to something, and it is not controlled, then the sinus pressure builds and builds and a sinus infection may be the result. If your friend is allergic to things like grass, weeds, pollen, etc. and was working outside, then even though the antibiotics may be working on the infection part, his symptoms may "come back" (i.e. the sneezing, stuffed head, sinus headache/pressure etc.)

In my case, after a season of three or four "sinus infections" I got a refferal to an allergist who told me basically I am allergic to EVERYTHING. I am now on allergy medication (clarinex, as the OTC stuff doesn't seem to work) and do not have the intense headaches I used to get. The allergist keeps suggesting shots but I'm not ready to go that route yet.

Hope this helps. :cool:

[jmarie]

Well said MaryH. Very well said.:D

I, too, suffer and sometimes it is difficult to tell the difference between allergy and sinus, at first. Thing is like MaryH said, a severe allergy can bring on the sinus infection, as it kind of sets the wheel in motion.

My Doctor told me, once, that the antibiotics continue to work after you have finished your course of therapy, and that one can still have symptoms for awhile. However, if I were your friend, I would call the Doctor and ask.
Having said that, I think MaryH said it all!:D
Joyce
PS Hope your friend fells better soon.

[sneezles]

I agree with everything that MaryH wrote! I have 3 sons who grew up with sinus infections, ear infections, yada yada yada... Clarinex, Allegra and even the OTC Claritin were a godsend!
That said my question is...how long is a few days?

And when DS#2 mows, shreds or bales the rye grass it does make his allergies worse but then rye grass is way up on his list of allergens.

[granolagirl]

Thanks everyone. He had a horrible headache, so he went back to the doctor. After they did a CT, I think they gave him more meds. The allergy/sinus connection makes sense, and he had been outside working, so I can't imagine it would make it better!

Ack, seems like lots and lots of people have been through some serious pain with sinus problems!

[Gilgamesh37]

just chiming in to say that DBF has allergies & takes Allegra but it is of limited use in controlling the allergies--and as a result, he basically has a low grade sinus infection all the time. Mowing the lawn (or drinking wine, unfortunately--he's apparently allergic to either the sulfites or the grape molds) really kicks it into the painful realm.

[stefania4]

Yes - I had two sinus operations in 13 months. I was never able to heal because nothing could drain properly. We tried steroids to shrink the polyps, but no luck.

Alas, I need #3!

[SueK]

Ditto to everything Mary said! I have bad allergies and take Allegra and Flonase every day. If I forget, sure enough, they flare up and then it develops quickly into a sinus infection.

Also - regarding the drugs, yes, as Mary mentioned, he might have developed a resistance to it. The strongest one I've been on is Augmentin, but unfortunately I can't take it any longer because I throw it right back up again.

If he gets sinus infections pretty regularly, I would suggest he talk to his doctor about starting a preventative type medicine on a daily basis.

[cniles]

ditto ditto ditto what everyone said!!!! OTC Claritin does not work for me either!! (and of course my insurance won't pay for anthing else without a PA and my docs are being nudges!!) AND Vicky I had the same problem with my ear in February only my ear drum blew!! Worse pain of my life! My ear is still not the same - and as I'm writing now I'm fighting more sinus crap - trying not to let it build up in my ear again!!! Feels like someone is taking an ice pick and sticking up my nostril into my brain.:rolleyes: Sorry for the rant - just a very timely thread today!!;) :D

[granolagirl]

I hope all of you suffering feel better very soon! I'll pass the suggestions on to him.

[Beth]

Another one here -- both boys, DH and me all belong to the sinus infection club.

The last couple, I was given the Z pack (zythromax?) you stop taking it after a few (4-5) days, and it's only as you hit the end that you begin to feel better. The medicine continues to work for days after you stop taking it. Weird, but it seems to work and is one of the preferred meds for sinus infections -- at least for my doctor and my friend's.

My boys have had Amoxicillan and Augmentin for the most part. It seems to take a few days for them to start feeling better.

Allergies could definintely cause mroe congestion -- creating more gunk to harbor the infenction and more inflamation, making it harder for gunk to drain -- also causing more pressure.

There are other things you can do for relief and to promote drainage and healing:

Warm or cold compresses
Steamy showers of breathing in other steam to loosen the gunk
Saline nasal sprays for the same reason
Blow your nose to clear all the congestion possible
Take an OTC anti-inflamatory (Aleve, Motrin, etc)
Take a OTC or RX decongestant/expectorant

Basically, you want to clear the breeding ground as much as possible - that will also releive pressure and help the headaches. You can also do these things to try to prevent a sinus infection when allergies flare or you have a cold.

[emily]

Originally posted by Beth
Basically, you want to clear the breeding ground as much as possible - that will also releive pressure and help the headaches. You can also do these things to try to prevent a sinus infection when allergies flare or you have a cold.

And to this end, I do a nasal flush with a saline solution almost daily. This has helped immensley! I highly recommend it to alergy sufferers. I use a netty pot which I picked up at WF. It's essentially a little tea pot that forces water out in a stream that allows it to flow through one nostril out the other. Gross sounding, I know, but it doesn't hurt at all and really does help to flush out the allergins.

[BarbaraL]

Just to clarify what someone said. . . the person doesn't develop a tolerance to an antibacterial drug, the infecting bacteria can become less susceptible or resistant. The growing problem of antibacterial resistance is why doctors are reluctant to prescribe these medications without clear evidence of a bacterial infection. Viral infections aren't affected by the medicine, but any bacteria hanging around in a person (and there are always some)can become resistant from this exposure -- then, when conditions are right and the bacteria overgrow and cause a symptomatic infection, they're not susceptible to the antibacterial agent.