I'm in sinus heLL

[Kathy in Cambridge]

I have been on three rounds of antibiotics and finaLLy found one that worked. I just ended that round yesterday, and was feeLing great. I had my oLd energy back, and was going to the gym again. Today I woke up with stuffy sinuses and a headache. I am so sick of feeLing Like crap!

Does anyone eLse have chronic sinusitis? Short of surgery, did you find anything that gets rid of the infection?

Thanks. :-(

[Maine-ah]

1. my mother in-law goes to the museum when ever she has sinus

problems, really clears her up.

[SharonAnn]

17. Allergies will do that. My sinusitis is basically allergies and it's worse

when I get up in the morning. Dust mites are the primary trigger and I have to keep everything really clean.

After I get up, Nasacort is needed and then a hot/warm shower. That helps break things up.

Daily Claritin-D (Decongestant and anti-allergen) and allergy shots have helped a great deal. I have to take the 24 hour kind and do it in the morning so that the "D" doesn't keep me awake at night. Also, I often take a Benadryl when I go to bed.

Some mornings, my head hurts so badly that I think I can't move it, but I have to.

I was just out on the Olympic peninsula for a week and had almost no symptoms while I was there. Back to Tennessee and it's back to usual.

Before I started treating this with daily pills for allergies and decongestant, I was down with major sinus infections several times a year and they would always last a long time and be resistant to treatment. Now, just keeping things under control, I haven't had a sinus infection for almost two years. It's unbelievable! I don't think I ever got by for more than 2-3 months without a major sinus infection before.

[purr]

2. I'm on my 2nd round of antibiotics...

Hope your eating yogurt like mad! I was on amoxicillin - 250mg 3x/day, didnt knock out my bronchitis/chest cold, was put on Zithromax by my OB and the burning pain in my back chest wall is starting to go away already on the first day!!

Did you try using a humidifier? I LOVE using mine - it spews out HOT vapor which is very relaxing.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

4. I've basicaLLy tried everything

nothing seems to knock out the infection. I take vitamins, eat pretty weLL, so I don't know if maybe I have a viraL infection. I did have a CT scan and have Ethmoid Sinusitis.

[wtmusic]

3. stupid question

what is it with the capital Ls? sniffa does that too. Is there some significance? :shrug:

[Kathy in Cambridge]

6. What's stupid about my question?

and yeah, the capitaL L's are a tribute to sniffa.

I feeL Like shit. Thanks for your sound advice. :eyes:

[wtmusic]

9. mine was the stupid question

sorry for the misunderstanding. Hope you feel better. :)

[Kathy in Cambridge]

12. Sorry, wtmusic

I'm a little jumpy these days, with everything that's been happening. :-(

[Jamastiene]

5. I get sinus headaches, but cannot do antibiotics for my

sinuses. Antibiotics cause troubLe for me, bad troubLe. I take otc pain medicine, and generic on top of that.

[Taxloss]

7. I suffer from terrible sinusitis.

It's not as bad now as it was when I was a teen, but whenever I get ill the sinuses are the first thing to go. I feel your pain, believe me. I found antihistamines worked.

[Madrone]

8. I'm not sure if it would help you -

But my doctor prescribed me Nasonex for my never-ending sinus issues. At my first notice of sinus congestion I start using it - and it REALLY helps. It actually allowed me to get past a sinus infection without using antibiotics.

Weird, because it's supposed to simply be an allergy medication.



Here's some information about Nasonex and sinus infections:

http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=20762&name=NASONEX

[Kathy in Cambridge]

10. Thanks-I've been using Flonase and it worked for a while

I'll see if I can try Nasonex.

[stellanoir]

13. Al Franken is always singing the praises of

Nasonex too. Have no personal familiarity with that though. Kath check your PM's and feel better sweetie.

on edit- ooops maybe it's Flonase. . .not sure now

[Kathy in Cambridge]

15. Thanks!

I will get my butt to Chinatown.

[neweurope]

11. I had that once... It kept coming back. Until my doctor suggested

I have allergy tests made - and bingo! Multiallergic, in fact allergic against EVERYTHING I have ever been tested for except penicillin. Now I take cortison when it gets too bad and I can live with it.

-----------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[Kathy in Cambridge]

14. I had aLLergy tests Last week. I'm aLLergic to trees

I've had a sinus infection on and off since January. :-(

[neweurope]

16. Well, Kathy in Cambridge, I'm quite sure you should be

taking antihistamines then and not antibiotics. All the trees have pollen right now, it's a very bad time of the year for allergics. I'm having big problems right now, too. We were at an official dinner two days ago and I had to keep cleaning my nose like a trumpeting elefant - it was embarrassing. But then I hadn't taken my nosespray before :)

I hope you get better soon!

:hi:

--------------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[nuxvomica]

18. Oddly enough, the only thing that works for me is cardio

Last weekend, my sinuses were so bad I had headaches, burning gums and aching teeth, post-nasal drip with occasional bad cough and stuffed ears. I spent 30 minutes in my elliptical and all the symptoms disappeared. :shrug:

[BuddhaGirl]

19. have you ever tried a neti pot?

http://www.sinucleanse.com/netipotlanding.htm

Flushing out the sinuses regularly with salt water has worked wonders for my husband's allergies. Fewer attacks, and if he does get an attack, he don't suffer nearly as much as he used to.

It could take a little getting used to but it could help :-)

[ReadTomPaine]

26. A neti-pot or similar sinus flush is the answer.

They do take time to get used to, but once you use this you'll never go back. Works wonders for everyone I know who's ever tried one, without exception.

Here's one in use:


And here's a medical flush


RTP

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

29. I was going to suggest the neti pot. Walgreen's sells them apparently.

I bought mine online: http://www.sinucleanse.com/store.htm

[Debbi801]

20. 8 weeks on Augmentin (yuck!!) along with prescription strength...

decongestant and saline washes/flushes.

Debbi

[Cadfael]

21. Maybe it's time for the surgery

I had nasal antral (sp?) windows done, pretty much cured the chronic sinus infection for me, but then I had cysts blocking the drainage....


Afrin helps, but can get you in worse trouble in the long run with rebound congestion.


Hope you feel better soon :hug:

[Scout1071]

22. Some friendly advice.........

I've suffered the last few years with some pretty nasty sinus infections. A couple of things that I found to help: saline nasal spray and daily flonase. The saline spray will help everything loosen and drain. You should use it several times a day.

Flonase. I can't recommend the stuff enough. I cannot take claritin, allegra, etc because it makes me feel weird and I can't concentrate on it. But I use Flonase once in the morning before work and if allergies are really bad I give another squirt in the evening. The instructions say never to do more than one dose a day, but my doctor recommended otherwise if allergies are really bad.

If the air is still dry up there in the "ha-ba" then I would also recommend a humidifier. I've started sleeping with one throughout the entire winter and I haven't had nearly as many infections.

Lastly....rest. Sometimes your body has a way of slowing you down when you need it.

Now, I've gotta run because my maniac dog just ran in from the backyard and used my furniture as a giant obstacle course and tore back into the yard. Seems that someone needs to go for a run!

Take care of yourself and feel better soon.

[bettyellen]

23. yes, it's the attack of the tree pollen, it's been bad.

i used flonase last weekend because i had a splitting head ache i had to get rid of. i did a lttle too much and i felt seriously coked up, but not in a good way..LOL.
saline spray used on a regular basis help you sort of flush it all out. it's a little weird, but it can help lossen up the glob up there to get it out of you faster. Ayr is a good brand. i tried to do that ayurvedic netti pot thing pour water up your nose thing but i thought i might drown myself. the spray is enough for me.
feel better, sweetie. i keep forgetting to take claritin until it's too late.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

24. Flonase makes me a little skittish too

I just napped for two hours-freakin' pollen. :-(

[miss_kitty]

25. I did for years, all the time, until I had cancer

I didn't get sick until this year since my chemo and radiation treatment a few years ago. And my sinuses hardly ever bother me anymore. But I wouldn't recommend my particular road to recovery. Have you tried a neti pot?

[yellowdogintexas]

27. another thing: expectorant: a major helper in thinning the gunk down

so it will actually drain.

My daughter's first pediatrician always always put her on Robitussin ..just plain Robitussin, no other ingredients ..at first sign of anything sinusy or coldish or allergy like. Thin the mucus, he said and it does an end run around potential sinusitis, ear infections and other bad stuff.

I believe, I believe!!!!! I do this myself when my head starts to feel thick as a brick; and now you can buy prescription strength Guafinasen over the counter. Also, you can get a product called non drying decongestant which is a liquid gel pill w/guafinesen and sudafed combined. They really help.

And of course Flonase is great. And warm compresses, neti pot, claritin, sudafed, humid ocean climate, (I never have sinus problems when I am on the coast)

[tjdee]

28. Cut down on dairy....Try an air purifier,apple vinegar and a neti pot.

I had a horrible sinus infection that lasted forever. I used echinacea and goldenseal, which helped a lot.

I have allergies regularly, and I find that dairy affects my sinuses adversely (for me, not bad enough to stop eating them!). I bit the bullet last year and bought the Sharper Image air purifier, and that helped me *a lot*. When I clean it and see the stuff that would have gone up my nose...yuck!

Also, the neti pot everyone's talking about really helps. Put some *natural* salt in, it's good to go--not table salt, it will burn like hell because of the iodine in it.

I've not tried apple cider vinegar, but apparently it's a big help. The lady at the health food store raved and raved about it.

Good luck....allergies suck!