cant get rid of sinus infection

[Kineks]

My doctor diagnosed me with a sinus infection about two months ago and has put me on many different medicatons, but it still hasnt gone away. I am prone to sinus infections because of my year round alergies and asthma, but I have never had one last so long or be so painful. My doc wants me to go through a CT scan but I dont have the money to do so, is he just prolonging this so I keep giving him money? Do I really have a sinus infection or is it something worse? It feels like a sinus infection except my sinus pressure and pain is tripled. I cant afford to constantly try all these other meds and keep seeing him, what should I do?

[gwtx2]

Xrays can usually confirm a sinus infection. And if you want to get rid of it, you must reduce the swelling of the sinus openings. If you don't then the bacteria will always overcome the antibiotic. Same goes for using saline washes. If the wash can't reach the cavities, then nothing will be washed out. What one uses to reduce the swelling is a matter of choice. I used Flonase, which takes a few days to work real well.

[dedens]

You might have your DR. to do an ANA blood work. I keep constant sinus infections. I just recently found out that I had a positive ANA for Autoimmune disease. With an autoimmune disease it is hard to fight off infections until you get on the right meds for it.

[scallyali]

you still having issues?? i have for about 14 months now! not sure whether you will get this but email me and we can discuss symptoms ***@****. im going crazy sat here on about 8th lot of antibiotics for this!

[scotty92]

hi there, I came across your post and wondered if you had found out what you had. I have the same sort of syptoms! pls get back to me

[cdc1957]

I had a sinus infection.  On my third antibiotic. Went to an ENT on Friday and he did a CT Scan as well as ran a light through my sinuses. Said it's MRSA sinus infection and that's why it hasn't responded to the other antibiotics. Now he has me on Prednisone too. Good luck...I am miserable too. I have had them all my life but this is the worse.  I haven't been able to taste or smell for a week.  It's driving me nuts.  He said if the prednisone and new antibiotic doesn't work he will have to do surgery.

[Kineks]

I am going to see a specialist because it might have something to do with my nose which looks like it was broken and healed wrong. I have always had trouble breathing out of my nose and this might be the cause of my repeated sinus infection. Thank you for your help!

[daggybee]

I just was diagnosed with fugal sinus infection,  It was is so much worse than the bacterial sinus infection.  So much thicker and can't breath, feels very stuffy behind nose, but only had clear sticky fluid in nose and horrible post nasal drip, gross odor in nostrils, feeling chills and achy and have prickly,painful asthma every time I breath through nose and to a lesser degree when I breathe thru mouth.  I have been on antibiotics for several months, but didn't take any probiotics, and now have horrible fungal sinus infection.  Took 6 ENT's to diagnos.  I have been going crazy for 2 months trying to tell them that this clear sticky post nasal discharge, which gradually became thick clear, then thisck whitish/lt. yellow, was something .  I now found a great ENT and hopefully will not have to suffer anymore.  Please take probiotics, such as CULTURELLE which you can get a pharmacies, or also I have candidastat, available at health food stores.  While you are on antibiotics you should be taking probiotics, otherwise fungus/mold will infect your sinuses and it is very much worse than bacterial sinus infection.

[Kineks]

Um, I recently found out that I have been working with a MRSA patient unprotected for some time now, so do you think that my problem is that I have MRSA now and thats why my sinus infection hasen't been responding to the meds? And if it turnes out to be MRSA, and if I have spread it through my family, should I make my job pay for the tests and treatments of the whole family? I'm beginning to think that I seriously need a different job; first it was scabies, then the flu, then a cold, then pneumonia, and now this (if I have it that is)!!! What a joke! All in less than a year! Universal precautions don't protect from any of these!

[daggybee]

Please ask him to get another culture.  One culture doesnt always  accurately detect what the bacteria is.  And also, you may have gotten another bacteria since he last cultured your sinus.  Follow his advice and get a cat scan.  Nothing is more important that your health.  I have battled a sinus infection since April.  Had 2 surgeries, been on all types of antibiotics, and now, they have found MRSA and I am on IV Vancomycin, and I felt so very ill for several months.  Please do whatever you can to get well.  Go to work for any company who has group helath coverage.  While waiting to qualify, please do what you can to get help

[Kineks]

(TO JORDY) Thanks for responding. Here is the deal, the ecact same thing is happening to my step mom, he put her on the same medications as I, nothing happened, and he told her that he wanted her to do a CT scan too. it seems very unlikely that both of us would have cysts. And he did put us both on oral steroids (not sprays) and it didnt work for either of us.


(To ikindawonder) Thank you also for responding, here are my symptoms. My head is plugged up, I have consistant headaches, it feels like my head will explode every time i bend over, I have sinus pressure in all the right places, my eye sensitivity to light, wind and liquids has gotten worse, I have a more difficult time seeing in the dark, I have been using my inhaler (albuterol) one to four times a day on stormy/windy days, slight earache, diziness, constantly tired, cant sleep well some nights, stiff muscles from having frequent asthma attacks, blood in the mucus when I blow my nose, draining or plugged ears (it varies), CANNOT BREATH THROUGH MY NOSE AND HAVE NOT FOR SUCH A LONG TIME!!!! And again, the headaches are driving me to insanity!

[canada110]

i'd say if your in that much discomfort get he ct scan done for you own peace of mind...

[ikindawonder]

Can you post more symptoms you are experiencing?

[Jordy]

First of all, I think it's highly unlikely that your doctor is deliberately trying to soak money out of you.  Based on your continued symptoms, most doctors, both regular and ENTs, would order a CT scan by now.  I had one a few months after a non-responding sinus infection as well.  He's likely looking for cysts in your sinuses or polyps, both of which can be created by an infection or excasterbate one if they are already there to begin with.

Chronic sinus infections can indeed be very resistant to treatment.  I was on three different antiobiotics and three different nasal sprays over the course of six months before mind started to fully clear up.  Have you been prescribed any steroid sprays?  They are usually good for both infections and allergies.