Scared to take steroids :( Help!

[weakling]

I was diagnosed with chronic sinusitis. I had a scan that showed significant swelling and infection in most of my sinuses. This has been going on for months but I did not really realize it, only symptoms I had were post nasal drip and tons of fatigue. Months earlier, during a flair up in sinus symptoms, I was put on Amoxicillin for a short course but it was not long enough to completely wipe out the infection.  My ENT wants to bring in the big guns now and is using Amoxicillin and Augmentin as antibiotics for 3 weeks and is making me take 9 days of Prednisone oral steroid to stop the swelling in the sinuses, starting with 30mg/day initially and slowly dropping to 10mg/day. I know its a short term thing but the side effect list for this drug scares the crap out of me and I've heard many nightmarish things about it from other people. Will it have any long term damage to my body? Am I overreacting or will it be ok?

I know at this point I don't have much choice and my ENT is highly experienced but still scared to take steroids.

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

Chronic sinusitis can cause symptoms of fatigue and malaise. Continue with your medications and surgery is recommended to patients that fail maximal medical treatment.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.

[friggy]

As you have discovered, antibiotics are no longer considered the best treatment for chronic infections of the upper sinuses.  Regular sinus rinses do not reach the upper sinuses, because of gravity, the Flip-Turn Sinus Flush defeats gravity.

http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/2322

The Flip-Turn Sinus Flush is mildly risky, because you have to bend over to do it, preferably in a shower, but you can also do it outside on soft ground, or you can kneel down and lean over a bathtub with the shower running.

It might take a few flushes to shrink swollen passages to the upper sinuses.

[weakling]

Thanks doctor. I have finished 21 days of antibiotics and 9 days of prednisone.
Sinus and systemic symptoms have improved but not resolved. My doctor has added another 21 days of antibiotics and the same dose of prednisone (starting with 30 mg/day and tapering to 10mg/day). I hope a total of 18 days of prednisone (with 10 days gap) is not too damaging. I will be going for surgery if this does not fix the problem.
Is it normal for chronic sinusitis to cause so much tiredness/fatigue and feelings of malaise?

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

If you do have a chronic sinus infection, typical antibiotic treatment is for 4-6 weeks.  A nasal steroid spray is also beneficial as well as oral steroids.  A short course of steroids are given if the inflammation is severe and is unlikely to cause any untoward effects, more so as it is given in tapering dose. Nasal saline irrigations over the counter like NeilMed or Neti pot are very effective, but worsen Eustachian tube dysfunction (water in the ears or feeling of fullness in the ears).  The best diagnosis for this problem is a CT of the sinuses. Surgery is recommended to patients that fail maximal medical treatment.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.