sinus treatments

[1potato]

For some reason all, or most, sinus discussions are only to be found under "allergy" forums. I guess 35 million people isn't enough to have its own board.

Anyway, let's get back on track. Some top doctors are advocating irrigation of the sinuses with antibiotics and/or antifungals. This sounds very logical to me, like spraying a roach with raid directly, as opposed to spraying it up it the air and hoping some hits the roach. Some also advocate IV antiobotics on an outpatient basis. Apparently you have a iv "line" in your arm so you can work and do whatever and get your medicine twice a day at home. A nurse may be necessary for that part.

Some doctors claim the IV antibiotics work better because the higher concentrations get into the bone, where the root of the infection is sort of hiding, waiting to come back. oral antiobotics, they say, don't get that deep into the bony tissue and thus don't fix the problem as well. Again, it sounds logical and there are studies to back it up (just pointing that out).

I am going to see an ENT to explore these options as soon as I can. I am taking allergy shots, meds, etc. but just can't kick the infection.

So, has anyone else tried these treatments? If people are really serious about a cure, why not? It just seems like a weird, glaring ommission. Can anyone explain it? Do people not know about the treatments? Is that why no one talks about them? Or do they know but do not believe the claims?
Are the too expensive? Are they such good treatments that no one comes back to the forum?

If anyone has irrigated with an antibiotic let me know, i am curious how it went.

Thank you,
Joe

[Machaon]

I had sinus infections for DECADES. Three years ago I started flooding my sinuses with a mixture of peroxide, baking soda and kosher salt. That was the end of my sinus infection misery.

There are three active discussion threads on Healthboards, about sinus flooding with peroxide. The Peroxide, baking soda combo is thought to be powerful against bacterial, viral or fungal infections. The discussions are at:

[url]http://www.healthboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=129210[/url] "Discussion"

[url]http://www.healthboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=139765[/url] "Documentation and discussion"

[url]http://www.healthboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=124803[/url] "Discussion"

[chigs489]

I'm not entirely convinced that antibiotics do anything!

I recently had a sinus infection (about 5-6 weeks ago). I had classic symptoms; dizziness, yellow discharge, headaches, pressure. I immediately started irrigating with cool water, alkalol, kosher salt, and 3ml of hydrogen peroxide. I did this for 3 days, and then dropped the peroxide and alkalol (can irritate the tissue if used too often). In addition to this, I made some dietary changes -no diary or sugar. I also used Sinofresh twice a day, and started taking Chlor-Tremeton to get the allergies under control.

I then went to 2 ENTs and had 2 endoscopies done. No evidence of infection anywhere. Symptoms have subsided 80%.

I've been on antibiotics, and they dmaged my health in a big way (nerve damage, yeast overgrowth, etc.) Unless I am on death's door, I have no intention on taking another one.

But in certain situations, they are warrented. If there is bloody discharge, or thick green mucus, you might have to resort to them. The SinuNeb antibiotic irrigation system works well. IV antibiotics work as well. Just remember that they can impact your health, especially if they are a dangerous one like Avelox or Levaquin. Best to stick with Augmentin or a cephlosporin.

Sinusitis can be the result of structural problems in the nose. That's how my whole nightmare started -deviated septum and bone spur. If this is the case, neither antibiotics nor home-remedies will work. You have to have surgery.

So talk to your ENT and get a CT Scan. If there are no structural problems, try an intense irrigation routine and see what happens.

[1potato]

I have seen the posts for upside down sinus flooding. I tried it and it had no lasting effect. You see, I already use a sinus irrigating machine with warm salt water and peroxide, and that has helped alot over the years. It used to knock it out completely (much like your upside down flooding) but now the infection has set in pretty deep and I it seems I need something more.

I appreciate the responses but they are not responsive to what I asked. I asked specifically about antibiotics put into the nasal irrigator (grossan or water-pic or whatever), not sinuneb which is a mist and not the same thing I am talking about. Sinucare, not Sinuneb, is the company I am referring to. From what I see on the internet, sinuneb is much less effective that irrigating with the antibiotic. Also, sinuneb is mainly for use after an operation.

Also, I would like first hand knowledge, not stuff I can read off the internet. Did you personally IV antibiotics? Did they work? How well?

To me, the most promising treatments outside of surgery seem to be irrigation with an antibiotic, irrigation with an anti-fungal, and IV anti-biotics. I don't think the upside down flooding does any more than irrigation (I wiggle that thing all over and kind of shove it up there to wash it out real good.) At least not in my case.

Please, some one look up the material on Sinucare and see what you think. Many top doctors are on the board (they also have antibiotic/antifungal nose sprays, but, like the sinuneb, I don't think a mist will do the trick.)

Lastly, if no one is trying these methods (approved by the Mayo Clinic, top hospital in the nation), WHY? I always get linked to Sinucare when I do searches, do other people not see that site? Do they not read it? Do they not believe it if they read it?
There has been studies that show the sinus infection can get into the bone, so that is why IV antibiotics may help, as they are much higher in concentration and can penatrate the bony tissue more. Dr. Grossan, Tichner, and others prescribe irrigation wtih antibiotics. Is there I reason why no one here seems to have tried these treatments?

Joe

[reader1]

HI,

My understanding is that Mayo clinic has developed a sinus rinse that is antibiotic and antifungal but that they do not have a patent for it yet and therefore it is not yet available to anyone who's not a Mayo patient.

Now that I am on Xolair, I have hardly any sinus problems. (I am terribly allergic). However, I have been very interested in the possibility of inhaled antibiotics to treat sinus infections rather than oral ones. THe only time I have ever had an IV antibiotic was when an oral antibiotic didn't work and my sinus infection spread to my lungs and it just about killed me b/c of triggering my asthma.

I am in frequent disagreement with the previous poster about the efficacy of Avelox and Levaquin. These are the only oral antibiotics that work for me anymore. I have had chronic sinus infections triggered by allergic rhinits several times a year for years. I don't have any problems with side effects from Avelox or Levaquin. That said, they are currently the strongest oral antibiotics available and people who still get benefit from Augmentin or Zithromax should try those.

Anyway, good luck. Glad you are going to see a specialist.