Anyone have experience with chronic sinus infections??

MrsT0514 · April 2014

So if anyone has dealt with chronic sinus infections, or works in the medical field and has worked with this, I would love to hear your experience!

Honestly, this all started when DS started daycare PT in January. Since then, both him and I have been sick pretty much on and off (give or take maybe a week without issue). Mostly just run of the mill colds, coughs, and bugs, but my problem is that I seem to get back to back sinus infections every time, despite treating them with antibiotics. I've never had this issue before now.

**TMI snot warning**

The first time, I took a z-pak. Upon completion of that, I felt great. Then, within 2 weeks, boom. Back to the cough, sore throat, dark yellow/green snot mess. The dr even did a rapid strep test to confirm it wasnt strep. Nope. So she put me on 2 week course of augmentin.

After finishing the augmentin, I again felt good again, but within a week got yet another head cold. Since then, I've been back to copious amounts of dark yellow/green snot (sometimes with streaks of a little blood in it). Also dealing with an intermittent sore throat (post nasal drip) like I had the first time around. Ive been doing the steroid nasal spray that was prescribed to me the first time, along with saline nasal spray, lots of nose blowing, and now trying (as of yesterday) an otc allergy med like the dr suggested.

I just had my yearly physical with my primary doc and my bloodwork all came back perfect (cBC, metabolic panel, full thyroid panel, the whole 9 yards basically). But she told me its silly to chase this with antibiotics again (I agree) so she wants me to see an ENT.

So I guess I'll have to schedule an appt, but in the meantime I was wondering if anyone here has any knowledge of this that may be helpful. At this point I'm fucking sick ofconstantly being sick.

MrsT0514 · April 2014

Wow, sorry that got so long!

MrsT0514 · April 2014

mbenit4 said:
Do you do the one nostril thing?

Are you a sniffer or do you blow?

Oh yes, I blow one nostril at a time to make sure I get all the gunk out, moisten my nose with saline and blow again.

I'm a blower not a sniffer. (Haha that sounds kinda dirty).

MrsT0514 · April 2014

RVASC811 said:
Have you been tested for allergies?

I was tested as a kid years ago, but havent been to an actual allergist on probably 20 years.

kellyrn9956 · April 2014

Yes, chronic sinusitis here for years. I eventually saw an ENT and had sinus surgery - some icky rotorootering and they rebuilt my septum. It sucked and didn't work. That is my personal opinion and experience. But I let them push me into surgery when I shouldn't have.

So, neti pot twice per day. It's the only thing that gives me regular relief. Don't use allergy or decongestant sprays - they cause rebound swelling and stuffiness. Same with saline sprays being used on a regular basis - over time they dry out your nasal tissues.

IMO, yellow and green snot in copious amounts requires another antibiotic round. Viral sinus stuff causes maybe some yellowish - never green. And allergy snot is usually clear of maybe light yellow. Zpacks don't do very well for sinus infections in a lot of people, so I would count that round basically as not even taking an antibiotic. Augmentin does a little better. If you can tolerate a fluroquinolone like Levaquin, they're the best for sinus.

MrsT0514 · April 2014

So do you think I should do the allergist first? Or the ENT and then the allergist?

Ugh all the fucking doctors! Its so annoying!

kellyrn9956 · April 2014

Oh, and this is our household's first cold/flu season with a LO in day care. We have all 3 been sick off and on all season. I've had two rounds of amoxicillin this year. I think it comes with the day care territory. Chronic cough too for both me and the hubs.

MrsT0514 · April 2014

@kellyrn9956 at this point, the snot os mostly dark yellow/gold color with some streaks of blood in it (im assuming bc my nasal passages are inflamed). No green lately. My dr didnt want to do antibiotics again, so I guess ill have to see the ENT?

MrsT0514 · April 2014

Well I guess I will have to go get a neti pot then. Is it hard to get the hang of it? You know the whole in one nostril and out the other thing?

MrsT0514 · April 2014

RVASC811 said:
And yes, daycare = ALL the germs!

Yep! We are finding this out the hard way! $

littlestjerry · April 2014

I have allergic chronic sinusitis and have had 4 sinus surgeries. My ENT has always pushed the neti pot hard. My last surgery in 2008 was with new laser technology or something that let the ENT get even closer to my brain and eyes safely and really "clean me out." My sinuses have been 100 times better since that.

I definitely suggest an ENT and an allergist, maybe see the ENT first.

kellyrn9956 · April 2014

If you don't have any ear problems, I highly suggest NeilMed's irrigator. It's more of a squeeze bottle, so you can use some pressure to really clear things out.

https://www.walgreens.com/store/c/neilmed-sinus-rinse-original-sinus-kit/ID=prod2598807-product

Don't use it with ear infections or if you have ear tubes - it can cause vertigo and fluid in the ears because of using pressure. But I love it!

MrsT0514 · April 2014

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. This is especially frustrating bc this is a fairly newfound issue.

I have an appt with an ENT specialist next week, so hopefully its nothing serious and they can offer some relief.

Karbird5 · April 2014

No suggestions, just commiseration- every cold that has gone through the house this winter has left me with a sinus infection. They have treated me with Augmentin and Flonase but it just keeps coming back. I have been putting off seeing the ENT but trips to QuickCare for another round of antibiotics is not cutting it. Might be time to bite the bullet and call.

MrsT0514 · April 2014

@chickie79 that what I have too...Flonase. except I have the generic. It seems to help loosen up a lot of the gunk so it comes lut when I blow my nose, but it just seems to keep building back up. So frustrating. Hopefully the ENT will have something up his sleeve to give me some relief. Bc this is just ridiculous. I have never been sick so much in my life!

marchbaby · April 2014

I have tried everything, allergy meds, steriods, antibiotics, nasal sprays, neti pot etc. I have had sinus surgery twice. The first time it worked for about a year (awful recovery). The second time I had no relief whatsoever, it didn't work at all. My new otolaryngologist (not sure how to spell that) has said she doesn't think another surgery would even help me. We have determined that there is a fungal component. When i'm on intraconazole my sinuses clear up pretty well, not 100 percent, but livable. When I stop the intraconazole i'm majorly infected within two week, as in clutching my head crying from the sinus pressure, ears totally blocked up and unable to hear etc. Sadly that means I need to stay on intraconazole which is really bad for your liver, but I can't function without it

Still hoping for a sinus miracle...

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