Update and more questions on 6-month dental infection

My original post is here: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/608833?post_id=post_3325866

If you don't feel like reading the whole story there, the basic gist is I had a major dental/jaw infection that spread into the lymph system around my head, as well as into my parotid gland (which showed some issues in a cat scan). The whole thing made me very sick for 6 months, and I'm still fighting it.

Here's an update. Still sick, another cat scan by my oral surgeon showed some concerning spots under the 2nd root canalled tooth (which was still horribly painful as well). That tooth was pulled last week, and underneath it some of the bone was mushy and had to be removed. It was an osteomyelitis he said, and said he felt even better about removing that tooth.

Now that both sources of infection have been removed, all doctors involved think I have a real chance finally with the antibiotics. But finding the right antibiotics that 1, treat the infection and 2, I don't have a bad reaction to has been difficult.

I've tried Augmentin twice now and both times swelled up really bad all over, and my usually normal blood pressure (130) went up to 185. But the 2nd time on the Augmentin I noticed a huge difference in the infection, it really seemed to be working. But I had to stop it because of the swelling and blood pressure. (I've never had blood pressure that high in my life).

After the 2nd attempt at Augmentin, I was taken off of it after being examined by my primary care doctor, who saw the swelling I was talking about and took me off it immediately, and prescribed a diuretic. She conferred with my infectious disease doctor (who didn't really believe the swelling but was out of town and could not see me) but that doctor suggested a Levaquin 750 mg and Flagyl 1500mg daily combo. It started working against the infection, but the Levaquin started making me very panicky at night and caused unbearable sleeplessness. I had no reaction to the Flagyl, but it by itself doesn't cover all the bacteria.

My infectious disease doctor has today put me on Augmentin XR, hoping for a different result but I don't see how this could be any different. But I'm going to give it a try and pray I don't swell. My primary doctor was wary, but deferred to the infectious disease doctor.

My question is, does anyone know of a different antibiotic combo that could be successful against the bacteria that have been found in the infection? I can't be walking around with blood pressure that high. I don't think the infectious disease doctor understands how swollen I got, simply because he didn't see it with his own eyes. I totally understand that, but at the same time, I know what happened and it was also seen by my primary care doctor - I just don't want to wind up in the ER with horrible swelling.

I had no reaction to clindamycin, and felt better on it, but it alone does not cover all the bacteria and there are 2 that are definitely resistant to it - the viridans and something else, I don't recall.

Any input would be so much appreciated. Thank you so much.

[bee57]

Oops, in case you don't go back to the original post, the bacteria cultured are:
- Strepotcoccus viridans
- Haemophilus influenzae
- Haemophilus parainfluenzae
- Neisseria
- Bacteroides Gracilis

The 2nd extracted tooth is being cultured still and has already grown the haemophilus influenzae and parainfluenzae.