Please Help

[mataskew]

Hi,

I was basically wondering if this sounds normal.

I started getting a throbbing in my head when I was exercising but it stopped quite suddenly and I went onto harder exercises and felt nothing. This then happened again the next night and then three days later. I had been feeling a little under the weather during this time. I went to the doctors about this the next day and he sent me to the hospital to get checked out wothout looking at me himself. The doctor at the hospital did some tests but did not scan me as he thought my doctor was pannicking and my neurological responses were all normal. Since then I had a pressure building up in my head across the bridge of my nose and around the cheek area and temples. I went back to the doctors about a week after and she told me I had a sinus infection. She gave me antibiotics and a steroid nasal spray. Since then my headaches have been getting better but whenever I get stressed I get a little light headed. I have not finished taking the antibiotics or spray and I was just wondering if this is totally normal.

Can anyone give me some advise as I have been worrying ever since the first doctor said it might my a brain bleed. Am I worrying over nothing, I assume I would be a lot worse if I had a bleed.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[chigs489]

I can almost guarantee that it is not a "brain bleed" (hematoma).

Symtpoms of a sinus infection include everything you have listed here. I've had 3 in 9 months, so I've been there. Headaches, facial pressure, lightheadedness, even dizziness. Discolored nasal discharge (not always), congestion, etc.

Now for the important part...

Antibiotics do a very poor job in clearing a sinus infection. The reason behind this, is that there is virtually no blood flow in the sinus cavities. What you are feeling right now, is the anti-inflamatory effect of the antibiotic -you feel better, but not because the infection is being destroyed.

I'm very much against nasal steroids, UNLESS you have nasal polyps. While they reduce inflammation, they leave you open to future infections, and can cause cataracts and other nasty side-effects. They do nothing for me -total waste of time.

Which antibiotic did they put you on? If it is a quinolone (Levaquin) or floroquinolone (Avelox, Cipro), beware. These drugs are very dangerous, and can cause tendinopathy (rutpured Achilles tendon), chronic tendonitis that goes on for years, peripheral neuropathy (nerve inflammation and pain), allergic vasculitis, and other debilitating side-effects. There is a grass roots effort to have some of these drugs pulled off the market, or at least educate doctors about how dangerous they are.

Other antibiotics are fine (Augmentin, Amoxicillan, etc.) Just make sure you eat lots of Yogurt while you take them -you don't want them to kill off the good bacteria in your digestive tract.

Start irrigating your sinuses using a machine or neti pot. Start taking Chlor-Tremeton for the dizziness, and also take some Mucinex (a mucus thinner) at night.