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Sinus Infection Since 12/7/09

I have been treated with 4 different antibiotics for an infection in my sinuses. I began having yellow mucous out of just my right nostril and went to see a doctor on 12/7/09 where I was given a prescription for Omnicef. It caused me not to be able to sleep, so the doctor gave me Zpak. I took that and no changes in the mucous or sinus/ear pain. So, I went back to the same outpatient clinic and the doctor I saw gave me a steroid shot and predinsone pills to calm sinus inflammation along with a prescription for Augmentum antibiotic. The steroid landed me in the hospital, my blood glucose was over 521! I called to make an appointment with my new internist and was able to get in 2 days after I was hospitalized for the high blood glucose level for 2 days.(I am diabetic type II insulin dependent along with non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver due to fatty liver, chronic pancreatitis (even after having an ERCP), bipolar, hypothyroid disease, and insomnia)

My internist gave me a prescription for Levaquin 500mg 1x/day for 10 days. It has been 1 week since I started this round of antibiotics and I still have mucous coming from my right nostril, pain etc. My internist told me that I might have to see an ENT specialist and it may turn out to be surgery that I will need.

Now, having explained everything, I would like to ask your educated opinion on what might the cause of this type of sinus infection and why I cannot be cured with the medicine I have been given? My personal hypothesis is that since my sugar levels are usually in the 180-200 mg/dl and I have an extremely big hepatic health problem, I am unable to heal. My other guesses are: 1) I may be immune to many antibiotics or I may have a virus and not an bacterial infection.

I eagerly await your opinion and thank you,
KF  
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Avatar universal
You're welcome. Please go to the ENT first, though.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Dear Friggy,

I would like to thank you also for your advice as well. I will be looking at the link that you provided and try the reverse flush. I'd say that I would be willing to try new things since on top of these symptoms, I have felt weak and just plain sick since early December.

Sincerely,
KF
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Dear Doctor,

Thank you for your insight on my symptoms. I have an appointment to see an ENT doctor next Tuesday (I hope I can wait until then). Now, the "infection" has spread into the upper respiratory area and I am coughing up mucous as well as it coming from my nose.

I did mean to say resistant to antibiotics - thank you for pointing this out.

Respectfully,
KT
Helpful - 0
1061534 tn?1276702061
The diagnosis itself needs to be better established.  So far, what you have listed as your symptoms do not, in and of themselves, meet standard criteria for acute bacterial sinusitis.  This may explain why you haven't responded to the several different antibiotics you were treated with (some of these I would consider useless for sinusitis, others should be highly effective).  You cannot be "immune" to antibiotics.  Some bacteria are resistent to some antibiotics, but that's different.  I suspect that that is what you meant.  Your comment about viruses may be right on.  The overwhelming majority of conditions that people (and, unfortunately, many primary care providers) call bacterial sinusitis are actually viral infections (for which antibiotics are useless).  You should definitely see an ENT specialist if your symptoms persist.
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Avatar universal
I had the same problem for years, despite otherwise good health, and I took, on different occasions, Levaquin, a Z-pack, and Augmentin.  Awesome antiobiotics indeed, they killed every pathogen in my body except several in my sinuses, which grew back immediately.

According to Mayo Clinic research, sinus infections don't follow the regular model of tissue infection.  I've born out that research with a sinus flush that washes out the infected mucus, and I am on my 5th year of clear sinuses.  If you have tried a regular saline irrigation, it won't work, because gravity prevents the saline from reaching the upper sinuses, where long-term infections often reside.

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.

In your case, due to your other problems, I'd recommend the Reverse Flush (Chapter 13).  I'd also recommend going to the ENT, to see if there are any physical obstructions in your sinuses.
Helpful - 0
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