quote:

Originally posted by downtownv:
Are you a CPAP user?

My dad had some similar issues. Turns out there was gunk in the cpap machine getting in to his sinuses. A good thorough disinfection of the cpap machine cleared it up.

Try to get an ENT appointment. Specialists are still seeing patients either via telehealth or in person.

I had a similar situation about 13 years ago. It got so bad that I passed out coughing while working in the middle of the night (I used to pull all nighters often drawing plans). I started hacking and the next thing I knew I woke up on the floor in a puddle of my own blood. When I passed out I fell forward off the chair and smacked my forehead into the wood floor.

Mrs. Parallel made me go get checked to make sure I didn't scramble my brain, and hey told me that I had a MASSIVE sinus infection. I had been fighting sinus infections for about a year and a half, so when I went to my Dr. he gave me three prescriptions for allergies, one of which was Flonase (before you could get it over the counter). I took all three for the duration of the prescription and that was that. From then on I was told to use double the Flonase as needed.

Fast forward a few years, I discovered that one of my crowns had been rotting the tooth from the inside. I had it pulled and an implant installed and I haven't had a sinus infection since. It seems the infection in my mouth that I didn't even know I had was making its way into my sinuses while laying down. Now I just use the regular dose of Flonase when I start to get stuffy and it's all good.

thumperfbc, about mid-January I has a similar bug. First time I had every had a bad sinus infection. The snot was running like an open tap. Woke self and wife up multiple times a night hacking my brains out. Wife had bronchitis and went to Doc, got meds. I hung in ‘til I thought it had gotten into my lungs, then went to local med-stop (no current primary care doc since last went concierge and he wasn’t near good enough to pay extra for). I asked for Phenegran with codeine because it works and I wanted to sleep and Z-pack ‘cause I thought I had bronchitis and Z-pack has always worked on that for me. Nope, he’s worried about folks ODing and won’t prescribe. Listens to my lungs, asks several questions, then we agree that the reason my lungs are loaded up in the AM is all the post nasal drainage. Says Z-pack is awesome for lung issues, but doesn’t do much for sinuses, but Augmentin is great for sinuses and okay for lungs. Gives scripts for Augmentin for ten days, Tessalon Perles 100mg, and Albuterol, and said I’d feel better in five days. The tessalon perles were completely useless, and so was the augmentin.

Five days later I was feeling worse and went back. Got a lady doc who said “Yeah, some folks won’t prescribe codeine. They’ve done studies where some poor bugger had to sit there, watch and count coughs and the codeine doesn’t affect the coughing at all, it just lets you sleep through it.” Like an idiot, I didn’t get a script from her as a Vick’s VapoInhaler had actually helped me sleep the night before. I had stopped Benadryl because I was wide awake when I woke up coughing and I knew that one normally was fine, but two would spin me up so I couldn’t sleep. I was taking 12 hour Mucinex twice a day (BID) and 12 hour Sudafed BID and the addition of Benadryl at night was too much apparently. Per her advice, I continued the 12 hour Mucinex BID, switched to 12 hour Sudafed morning only, and added Benadryl every four hours. It still sucked, but at least I could sleep. At the end of ten days (end of Augmentin) I hadn’t really gotten any better, but was at least managing symptoms okay with the OTC stuff. I went back and ended up seeing the lady docs husband. I said, “I’ve finished the antibiotics and it hasn’t done anything. If I just need to suck it up, fine, but I didn’t want not follow up if I should be doing something else.” He didn’t come out and say the first guy was an idiot for prescribing antibiotics, but he said that most cases of sinusitis were viral and the guidance of the American College of ENTs (Ear Nose and Throat specialists) was not to prescribe antibiotics until the patient had been running a fever for two weeks. Given that I had never had a fever (at least never felt warm or chilled), I was a candidate to just suck it up.

I tried stopping the Sudafed once after three or so weeks and quickly restarted. I stopped it maybe a week and a half ago and the rest of it maybe a week ago. Whatever the firetruck this was, it was a ring tailed witch. I’d like to get an antibody test at some point to see if I’ve had the beer flu, but for now I’m just happy to be done with that nonsense, whatever it was. I hope that you get past whatever is bothering you soon.

Tried and true:
A)Netipot
B)Fix yourself a hot tottie with about 3 fingers of 90 proof or more, 1 finger water, 1 tablespoon of honey, heat in microwave for 30 seconds until hot.........then chug that bad boy with your nostrils open.......the combination of the tottie while inhaling the fumes will cure ya.

I would get sinus infections every year in the spring and again in the fall. The fall ones were particularly bad and lasted usually through December. What finally fixed it for me was a combination of things but the main point (and something I don't see happening with you treatment so far) is to open up the sinuses and let everything drain out. Then treat the infection or allow your body to heal itself.

So for me what worked well (been infection free for 3 years) is the following:

1) Oral steroid blister pack, starting with the full dose then stepping down over 5-7 days.
2) Dymista spray 2x per day (It's Flonase plus a topical steroid and is prescription only)
3) netti pot during the day

Since then, I keep a Dymista spray on hand and need to use it for a week or two in the spring or fall when I feel allergies coming on and my nose getting stuff up, then it passes and I discontinue.

I had my first post-op with the surgeon who performed my sinus polyp removal surgery two weeks ago. Turns out he found 3 separate Staph infections, which I'm pretty sure I had for at least three years when my lungs first started going bad. When I meet him again in two weeks, if the infection returns, he said that means the infection is originating in the bone. I asked him if THAT was treatable, and he said yes, as the lab report from the specimens he sent to the lab showed the two antibiotics that my body WON'T respond to, to guide him in which one to use depending on what is there, or isn't, in two weeks. I am really impressed with all this, after searching for two years for doctors with enough expertise and DESIRE to cure me. It's been a LONG fucking road. I went through FOUR doctors before I found these TWO who are actually addressing and treating root causes. Makes you wonder sometimes. Like anything else.

Well, THAT'S Good News! Amazing what the Medical/Healthcare Industry can't and/or won't do...Definitely NOT confidence inspiring.

Good to hear you've found someone willing and capable to provide the needed care you were seeking!

What's your tobacco use history?

I started reading this thread without realizing I was the original poster as it is quite old. As I kept reading I was think “wow, this sounds like what happened to me!” Ha!

quote:

Originally posted by jimmy123x:
Also how are your teeth and when was the last time you've been to the dentist? If you have decay or a root dieing in a tooth, that can also really effect your sinuses.

This was ultimately the cause. One of my wisdom teeth on the upper jaw had an issue. It has been a little chipped for years and never caused an issue, until it did, which manifested in sinus infection like symptoms.

Had all 4 extracted (doing one, might as well do all before more problems arise) and haven’t had an issue since.

i am not recommending for your situation. but you might look at a product called X clear.

I was taking Costco generic allergy pills for years. Two pills every morning.

I bought Heppa air filters for the house and have stopped taking the pills.

Whatever was setting off the infections and stuffiness is being filtered out and gone.

While you are trying to get rid of it, flushing out the sinuses helps a lot

I had a sinus infection that 2 courses of antibiotics didn't kill.
A friend told to try raw Garlic. Grab a clove and just swallow it. Then another the next day. It was gone .

I am diabetic and suffer badly from allergies. I have had 5 sinus surgeries and enough work has been done in my sinus surgeries that they can't do any more work up there. I have sinus infections that last forever as well. The normal Antibiotics aren't kind to my intestines and never stop the infection completely. Antibiotics start to help and then the infection comes right back. Now I go see my ENT and he prescribes antibiotics made by a compounding pharmacy that I flush in the sinus passages. They are expensive($300-400) but they have really helped me in the past.

I used to get sinus infections a couple times a year. Right before the pandemic I had one and blew my nose so hard something the size of a grape came out. It had veins and looked like an organ. I seriously thought I blew my brains or something important out and went to the urgent care. None of them knew what it wA but had it biopsied and it was ruled to be a nasal polyp. Haven't had sinus issues since. Blowing that thing out was one of the most satisfying and scary experiences of my life.

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
What's your tobacco use history?

Zero. Never smoked.

quote:

Originally posted by Scuba Steve Sig:
I used to get sinus infections a couple times a year. Right before the pandemic I had one and blew my nose so hard something the size of a grape came out. It had veins and looked like an organ. I seriously thought I blew my brains or something important out and went to the urgent care. None of them knew what it wA but had it biopsied and it was ruled to be a nasal polyp. Haven't had sinus issues since. Blowing that thing out was one of the most satisfying and scary experiences of my life.

Good lord. That's sci fi horror movie material right there friend. Glad it worked though. Geez o petes !

quote:

Originally posted by gw3971:
I am diabetic and suffer badly from allergies. I have had 5 sinus surgeries and enough work has been done in my sinus surgeries that they can't do any more work up there. I have sinus infections that last forever as well. The normal Antibiotics aren't kind to my intestines and never stop the infection completely. Antibiotics start to help and then the infection comes right back. Now I go see my ENT and he prescribes antibiotics made by a compounding pharmacy that I flush in the sinus passages. They are expensive($300-400) but they have really helped me in the past.

Diabetic T1 or T2, and how long ? Just curious. I'm T1 for 47 years, it doesn't help anyone w/sinus disease. Interesting you mentioned special flushing type antibiotics, I think that's what my surgeon said he'd use if he finds the infection comes back in two weeks when I see him next, since he said in that case the infection is in the bone (whatever base skull bones are next to the polyps he removed). My guess is that was your case specifically.

quote:

Originally posted by Zecpull:
I had a sinus infection that 2 courses of antibiotics didn't kill.
A friend told to try raw Garlic. Grab a clove and just swallow it. Then another the next day. It was gone .

I've heard that a lot, that raw garlic has all kinds of health benefits, and that germs in general don't like it. I should look into that.

quote:

Originally posted by wrightd:

quote:

Originally posted by gw3971:
I am diabetic and suffer badly from allergies. I have had 5 sinus surgeries and enough work has been done in my sinus surgeries that they can't do any more work up there. I have sinus infections that last forever as well. The normal Antibiotics aren't kind to my intestines and never stop the infection completely. Antibiotics start to help and then the infection comes right back. Now I go see my ENT and he prescribes antibiotics made by a compounding pharmacy that I flush in the sinus passages. They are expensive($300-400) but they have really helped me in the past.

Diabetic T1 or T2, and how long ? Just curious. I'm T1 for 47 years, it doesn't help anyone w/sinus disease. Interesting you mentioned special flushing type antibiotics, I think that's what my surgeon said he'd use if he finds the infection comes back in two weeks when I see him next, since he said in that case the infection is in the bone (whatever base skull bones are next to the polyps he removed). My guess is that was your case specifically.

I'm type 1 as well for nearly 30 years. My immune system is pretty weak so beating sinus infections with regular antibiotics doesn't do much for me. My ENT uses the flushing antibiotics because my lower sinus cavities don't drain well. I have had the polyp's removed five times and there are only so many surgeries one can have. Since surgery is no longer an option I am stuck with the saline sinus rinses and compounded antibiotics.