Chronic Bacterial Sinusitus but my CT scan came back normal

[BellaCooper]

Since October last year I have been chronically ill. It took the doctors 5 months to diagnose me with bacterial sinusitis and instead told me I was just getting the flu over aver again and not to worry I would be better soon. After finally getting the diagnosis I was sent to an ENT who looked up my nose gave me a spray steroid and decongestant and oral steroids and that I would be fine in a few days. My symptoms of fever, major fatigue, nausea, headache, sinus pain and pressure would just magically go away. They did not. I was then given sulpha drugs for a 10 day course and started feeling better but by day 8 started to get worse again. I was then given azithromycin for 5 days which negligibly helped. I was leaving for a Caribbean vacation and told again that I would be fine and the weather was what I really needed, hot and humid, and to just relax. After the flight one of my ears was totally clogged and progressed to clog the next ear the next day and then they started to hurt, badly. Luckily there was a nurse who I had sit next to on the plane and she gave me Cipro for a seven day course. I had called the ENT and he told me to drink lots of water, take a lot of Aleve, and triple my use of the steroid/decongestant spray. The nurse was distraught he would suggest that to clear an ear infection and by day 4 of the course of the Cipro the ear infection was gone and the sinus as well. I felt great! Then 2 days after I had finished the antibiotics I felt worse until I was as sick as I was before. I got back home and saw the ENT again and he sent me for a CT scan and XRAYS both came back normal. I know have been sick for seven months and write this from my bed. I have no life and cannot even do the basic things I need to do like go to the grocery store. I have been taking steroid spray and decongestant spray for 2 months and I worry this is not good especially the decongestant I read that you should not take that for very long at all. I have done numerous homeopathic remedies oregano oil; oral and nasal spray, raw garlic, colloidal silver, oil pulling. Any advice?

[BellaCooper]

Yes Canada's healthcare system is in trouble and behind in a lot of advances. I see at some clinics in the US they use nebulized antibiotics for chronic bacterial sinusitis which I am thinking of travelling to have done but it will be very costly as I will have to pay for all of it. But I am diagnosed with no real treatment plan and just lie in bed for weeks to no avail. Getting the same BS treatment that does nothing. I am going to see my GP tomorrow to see if she can do something because I don't see the ENT for another 2 weeks and there is no hope here. Jerry I really hope that the US doesn't turn into Canada's healthcare system it used to be good here but over the last 15 years it has really gone downhill

[Jerry_NJ]

Your story doesn't give me much hope for improvements in the USA medical system as our government takes over - like in Canada.

I don't know if I suffer from a similar fate, with more tolerable symptoms or not, but I think my chronic nasal congestion is call something else.  I have used and have on had a steroid nasal spray (Fluticasone generic for Flonaise I think, sp?) and an non steroid, prescription and expensive again, spray Astepro.  Neither do much to clear my sinuses at bed time.  Unlike you I don't have any problem when up and about, in fact just standing up from a sleeping position gives me some relief in a few minutes. To your point my doctors (different for different prescriptions) have not expressed any concern about my long term use of either of these prescriptions - but both (all) advise against using the over the counter 12 hour stuff, such as Afrin in the USA, which are very effective.  I use the Afrin once or twice a week to get a better night rest. In fact I've used it the last two nights, so it back to sleeping with congestion.

I have not consulted an ENT yet.