Do i have Allergy or Sinus infection? - Sinus Problems Message Board

efeng · 03-16-2005, 08:49 AM

I started running nose 8 days ago and right now thick and yellow mucus are full of my nose. I have finished 5 days' dose of antibiotic " Zithromax" but it seemed not work for me. Yesterday my ENT doctor let me start using another antibiotic " Amoxicillin". I like to know if thick & yellow mucus means that I have sinus infection. If it does, why did Zithromax not work for me this time ( before this medicine worked for me)?
Does anyone have Allergy rhinits with thick & yellow mucus? I know the medical book say " Allergy rhinits should with clear mucus and sinus infection with thick and yellow mucus" Is there any test that can determine my symptom is caused by infection or allergy ? I just want to make sure I am not abusing Antibiotix because I don't want if someday when I really need it to save my life but it will not work for me at all. thanks!

susieq0726 · 03-16-2005, 08:55 AM

Sounds like a sinus infection to me. Anything that comes out green or yellow usually means infection. I had one last year and took Augmentin (antibiotic). It cleared it up.

froggy123 · 03-17-2005, 10:45 AM

I agree..it definately sounds like a sinus infection. Do you have any other symptoms? Sneezing, congestion, etc? If you sit down and lean forward like with your head between your knees, does your face/sinuses feel full? Docs always have me do that when I go in for a sinus infection.

Also, five days worth of antibiotics for a sinus infection is NOT enough, the usual prescription for a sinus infection is 14 days worth of antibiotics! Although, my doctor recently told me that some think even 14 days isn't enough. Uhmm, that could possibly be why the Zithromax didn't work, or maybe your body is tolerant to it. I usually get a sinus infection once or twice a year, and usually Augmentin is the antibiotic of choice from the different docs I've seen. Last month I had a sinus infection and the Augmentin didn't really work as well as usual so I was placed on 21 days worth and a decongestant. The sinus infection did get better for a few weeks and yesterday I was diagnosed with another sinus infection. Two so far this year!!! This time my doc put me on Ciprofloxacin. Not sure how it works yet as I've only taken two doses.

But yea, I definately think it's a sinus infection.

efeng · 03-17-2005, 11:57 AM

I just think useally if I use a Antibiotic, it will show the effect pretty soon ( not more than 1-2-days) , but this time sounds like Zithromax ( i used 5 day one box) and Amoxicillin both of them doesn't work for me even I used Amoxicillin 2 days only, I will keep to use Amox until 14 days and see what happen.
Some one told me " light yellow mucus maybe is Allergy and yellow/ green
mucus is sinus infection" I think my mucus is middle yellow but has no green.
I put my head between my knees, I feel a little bit full and headache.but I am thinking about if this time my problem is sinus infection, why i have no fever which symptom infection useally has? I have no sinus infection history. thanks!

froggy123 · 03-17-2005, 12:52 PM

I don't know. I don't always have a fever with a sinus infection. The main sign for me that I have a sinus infection is my ears being clogged, like they pop when I talk or chew or just move my jaw, and the fact that my jaw hurts. Along with a congested talk, like when you plug your nose and talk. My body also aches lots. Then there's the typical runny nose, sometimes post nasal drip (not always), sneezing, sore throat.

Although, if you do think it is allergies, I have heard that allergies can cause sinus infections. But so can colds, which doesn't make total sense in my mind since colds are viral and infections are bacterial...so I dunno.