If Left Untreated...

[rush_rulz]

Well, I went to a Dr though he isn't an ENT--he gave me 3 meds---an antibiotic and a decongestant, and I'm surprised it's actually working--but I just hope this kills it--he confused me b/c he said I'm contagious that my husband will catch it--so we refilled the Rx's so he can take 2 out of the 3--he doesn't have the cough--like I do-_I am still coughing up green stuff now, going on 3 weeks!!!

[chigs489]

Rush,

you need to go to an ENT and get a CT Scan of your sinuses scheduled. Don't worry, the procedure takes 10 minutes, and is painless.

It sounds like you may have a structural defect within the nose or sinuses that is causing improper drainage, and subsiquent infection. Structural problems are things like a deviated septum, broken nose when your were a kid, or maybe a polyp. The only way to correct this is through sinus surgery.

Antibiotics do a very poor job in treating sinus infections. I would estimate that they have about a 60% failure rate. This is because the sinus cavities have very little blood flow. They are basically air pockets of bone. One method that might work better, is to use an antibiotic mist delivered using a nebulizer or spray bottle from a company like Sinucare.

Sinus infections become chronic in people with structural problems (like myself). If you suffer from repeat, severe infections, that don't respond to antibiotics, you may need to do the following...

1. Consult an ENT and see if surgery is warrented. This may consist of something called a "FESS" or frontal endoscopic sinus surgery, which is a procedure to directly clear out the bacteria, and a "NAR" or nasal airway reconstruction, in which the septum is straightened, passages are enlarged, etc. The surgeon may also do a turbinate reduction. This surgery has a quick recovery, and very little pain -it is NOTHING to worry about. You might stay a night in the hospital. Once it has been done, your sinus problems should decrease by 90-100% for the rest of your life.

2. But surgery is not the last step. You will have to engage in a "irrigation routine", in which you use a machine or spray bottle to irrigate your sinuses twice a day for 6 months, and then once every couple days thereafter. I use something called a Grossan Hydropulse machine, and it works great. Another poster named "Beerzoids" has a method using a spray bottle, which works fine. Both of us advocate the use of hydrogen peroxide in very low doses to combat bacteria and allergens in the sinus cavities. I also swear by Zyletol, a OTC product that works better than saline. My "magic formula" is...
a) 480ml of COOL distilled water, NOT warm.
b) 3ml of hydrogen peroxide, IF my nasal discharge is yellow or green.
c) a tablespoon of Zyletol or Kosher salt.
d) 10ml of Alkalol, a mucus solvent you can buy from Walgreens, etc.

This irrigation method will both prevent infection, and combat infection. I had a sinus infection 5 months after surgery, and I irrigated using the mixture above for a couple days, and it was 100% gone after that. No antibiotics, not even an OTC med. Just irrigation.

3. Figure out where the inflammation is coming from. You might have nasty allergies to things like dust mites. See an allergist and get into some immunotherapy -it's very important, and it works.

4. Avoid caffeine -it swells the sinuses. Also cut down on alchohol until the sinus problems are resolved, since it does the same thing.

One word on antibiotics: some are very dangerous. They are called Floroquinolones, and the brand names are Avelox, Cipro, Levaquin, and Tequin. Please do NOT take these medications. They have severe, even permanent, debilitating side-effects, like tendon ruptures, vasculitis, peripheral neuropathy, etc. I took Avelox for my sinuses and ended up with nerve damage in my feet and elbows, vasculitis in my hands, and chronic tendonitis. 2 months later, a friend of mine (a nurse) took Levaquin for a UTI and ended up int the ER with her skin burning off her chest and face -something called Stevens Johnson Syndrome. She was in intensive care for 4 months and almost died. She, too, has nerve damage.

There are safe antibiotics out there, like Augmentin, Amoxicillan, and Penicillan -just stick with those.

[rush_rulz]

Well, I'm glad I'm not on one of those antibiotics you listed, chiggins! And thanks for the preventative info, I will definately refer back here , after I have figured out what to do to prevent recurrent infection--the thing about it is, I have no health insurance what so ever- and an ENT I saw some time ago, back in 2002 told me I would just need the surgery, but that he wouldn't even take X Rays or do anything then and there (my mom was prepared to pay cash) because I did not have coverage, his answer to me being miserable about 8 months out of the year was to come back when I had health care...which I may not have for another 2-3 years to come. My husband is about to graduate law school and we are both in debt just to get our degrees--he has had no job offers, so nothing is "lined Up" for when he graduates--in fact, he is a nontraditional student because he doesn't know someone who can give him a job, and he doesn't come from a family of lawyers. They told him this at school. I won't be out of my Masters program until Dec of 2005.

Oh, the antibiotic I am on is one i've never taken so I guess i'll have to watch it--It's EES, I dont have the longer version of the name in front of me.,

Oh and in response to:

"1. Consult an ENT and see if surgery is warrented. This may consist of something called a "FESS" or frontal endoscopic sinus surgery, which is a procedure to directly clear out the bacteria, and a "NAR" or nasal airway reconstruction, in which the septum is straightened, passages are enlarged, etc. The surgeon may also do a turbinate reduction. This surgery has a quick recovery, and very little pain -it is NOTHING to worry about. You might stay a night in the hospital. Once it has been done, your sinus problems should decrease by 90-100% for the rest of your life."

According to that ENT I saw, which is the only one so far, surgery is warranted although he didn't say why. Mainly something in my environment i'm allergic to that we don't know what it is, so until we find it and eliminate it, I will keep having these infections, he told me the pills he gave me, which were free (a 3 month supply of Augmentin) would eventaully wear off and I'd be sick again. He was right although I felt better for a whole 3 months until the next big weather change came and I was sick again. But he said I needed surgery but didn't say why or what kind and did not check for polyps or blockages at all which is why I wanted to see him in the first place. I know I need to get tested for both skin and food allergies b/c I could be eating many things that I am allergic to--however again money does not allow for this. My husband and I do not even make 2,000 a month....I priced in town, back when I still lived with my parents and it costed about 600 to get tests done but I believe that's only for the skin. So, I didn't do it-- a couple of reasons--one being my mom wouldn't pay for it--she just thought I could move out of my house and that that was all that I was allergic to--but I got worse even after moving AWAY from the house with mold in it. And, I wanted a full test, skin food, the whole 9 yards. Plus, to take allergy shots, should I need them for the rest of my life, I couldn't afford them---

One thing that did help me a lot was Zyrtec--I was on it for four months and I didnt hardly sneeze at all, although I still did at times, even then....but I am concerned about getting back on something like that long term, because when I got off it, just being on for 3 months, I got a very bad middle ear infection which caused my ear drum to rupture; slightly and since then I don't feel my ear has ever been the same.

I just want to be normal again--I mean I always got colds and catchable stuff easily my whole life, but never a sinus infection for every 3 or 4 months like I have now....I hate being on antibiotics so many times in a year but what else can I do? Sometimes they do work for me, so I have to try something when I've been doing all of the "preventative" stuff I am told....like irrigating with Saline--doesn't help me. Inhaling steam/hot water fumes really helps open me up though and I don't have to strain to get any of it out.

A question I have, chiggins, is where would you find a mister antibiotic spray like that? I saw that on the news when it came out and i've never seen it anywhere in a store...

[chigs489]

Can you get insurance through the college? I'm going back to do my PhD in the fall, and I intend on getin insurance through the university. Can your husband get insurance through the Law School? I would certainly look into this.

You don't want to be on antibiotics for an extended period of time. It can cause other health problems such as c-dff, which is chronic diahrea, which can be serious. After taking all the anitibotics and struggling with my sinuses, I developed some gasto-intestinal problems that required surgery, and I think all the drugs are partially to blame.

Do a web search for "Sinucare", and you will get a lot of great info about sinusitis, and some nebulizers, spray antibiotics, etc.

But what you CAN do, is start irrigating right away. A machine costs about $140, but you can also use a spray bottle. One word of advice though, don't use the saline nasal sprays they sell at the store. These contain a preservative which can actually irritate sinus tissue, and a lot of people have allergic reactions to it! Do a search for "Zyletol" and use that for a nasal rinse instead.

I used Zyrtec for a while, but what worked even better for me, was Chlor-Tremiton 12hour tablets. This stuff is the most powerful antihistamine on the market. It will make you really tired at first, but your body will adjust after a few days. It made a HUGE difference for me. Now that I have had surgery, and I get allergy shots, I no longer need it. I sometimes take Allegra.

Once you get insurance, it will cover the cost of allergy shots. They are generally $24 a shot.

[hoffta]

If you cannot get insurance through your school, you might want to check with the insurance commissioner for the state you live in. In this day and age it is almost dangerous not to have health insurance. Not only do you have to pay out of pocket, but you pay more than those of us with insurance.

Some states offer special health care policies to those who cannot afford insurance at a reduced premium. You might also want to check out companies like Etna that offer insurance at reasonable rates. You can also sometimes join a group or associations and get health insurance at a group rate. Since you say your husband is an attorney or will be, he might want to try to determine if the lawyers in the area have some kind of association that he might join to be able to purchase health insurance.

My husband is self-employed so we belong to a Chamber of Commerce and purchase our insurance there at a group rate. We get a better rate and better policy than we would if we insured as individuals. Check it out hon... You really need to have health insurance. My recent sinus surgery cost about $25,000.00 with the hospital, without insurance it probably would have been almost double that amount.