weird symptoms, ear pain, dizzy.. sore sinus

[LynnSB]

I've been sick now for 8 weeks.First I had a sore tongue,on each side.then my ears started hurting also had some awful dizzy episodes when seated just moving head slightly, up and down.not frank vertigo felt weird, as though on a boat.Went to doc, she said my eardrums were retracted but no fluid.had a low white blood count and high lymphs so thought viral infection. but still sick..my head will feel burning, like my brain is "hot", yet have little or no fever. my ears still hurt,slight soreness to touch eyebrows and under right eye. when i use a saline spray, often get gnawing, burning pain under right eye. right side of nose is intermittently stuffy, sometimes a tiny bit of white or yellowish post nasal stuff but very very little.very tired, weak, feel slightly short of breath, my jaw aches. across the bridge of my nose aches. NEW symptom-- my palate, roof of my mouth is sore to the touch( no sores).Called my doc,she blew me off.. said i could see an ent doc in a month if not better. I am really, really, really sick.is it reasonable to try a round of antibiotics despite lack of fever to see if there's an occult infection somewhere?

[National Jewish]

It is possible that you are experiencing an infection, either viral or bacterial. One type of infection that can produce much of what you are describing is a sinus infection. The best way to make the diagnosis is with a CT scan of the sinus, although x-rays are a decent alternative. I would not recommend using antibiotics "blindly". This will not help you to decide which ones to use, what the problem really is, or how long to treat.  Since you are continuing to have symptoms, I would recommend seeing an ENT specialist to try to determine the actual cause of these symptoms.

[LynnSB]

PS.  One of the other weird things is i have awful chills... just feel so cold.. my temp is never over 99 but my normal body temp is usually very low ( 97.2 or so.. so low my thyroid was checked but it's normal)

[needabreak]

Have you had all of these symptoms every day for 8 weeks or do they come and go?  Where do you live...by the Great Lakes by any chance?  I'm just looking at your symptoms and I have had many of these (just recently experiencing some of them, Chills, eye soreness, tiredness, dizziness, feeling feverish but I'm not).  I also have sinus drainage, post nasal drip and so on....finally because of the eye irritation and plain not feeling well, I tried  taking over-the-counter allergy/sinus medication and did feel somewhat better.  The reason I mention the Great Lakes is, that is where I am and many people in this part of the country suffer these types of sinus related or allergy related symptoms.  I also get the feeling of difficulty breathing but maybe it's partly anxiety, maybe not.  Have you been tested for allergies?  I was, but only for airborne allergies and was not allergic, but still have similar symptoms.  I was told I may have vasomotor rhinitis.  Let me know if you find anything out.  I'd be interested in whether or not you find anything out.  I'm seeing the allergist again next week and will see if he wants to do food allergy testing...the saga continues.

[LynnSB]

update: I started spiking a fever last Thurs. night( 2 days ago), horrible chills.. and my head felt on fire. I tried to call my doc on Frid, she never returned my calls. A friend who is a doc saw me on Thurs at a social event and said she thought I needed antibiotics asap and brought me some yesterday(fri). I took 2 zithromax and didn't expect they would do anything for days.. about 6 hrs. later i realized my ear pain was much better. Then my left nostril started running. THEN i tasted blood and a bunch of bloody gunk came out, post nasally. THEN yellow discharge started coming out - something i'd had little to none of before.. and i felt so GOOD. woke up yesterday feeling like, oh, boy!I'm going to be well! and overdid it.. ran around did  a bunch of things.. after 4 hours of running errands, shopping, etc. came home -- fever spiked to 100 felt horrible, dizzy... weak...still taking the zithromax, one a day for a couple of more days... left ear back to hurting a lot.. just don't know what's up. no more burning feeling INSIDE my head.

I'm starting to get scared. I really, really have a feeling of being very sick and unwell..  no fever this a.m. though

[needabreak]

Keep taking the zithromax and hang in there.  I've felt this way before too and also was very scared.  You will get well!!  It could take some time as I recall.  If the antibiotic you're taking doesn't do the job, see the doctor.  He/she can try something else.

[Addie]

My daughter experienced the very same.  Zithromax was not her answer. She was sick for weeks and missed many days of teaching. She left the GP and called an ENT and he said she had one of the worst sinus infections he had seen in a long time. He put her on 10 days of 825mg. Augmentin. This did the trick for her. Augmentin is in the penicillan family so those allergic to penicillan cannot take this, I am told. My hubby had the same thing she did and his doctor had to give him 10 days worth of levaquin (antibiotic) and cortisone.  His sinus infection went into pneumonia. We do not live in the Great Lakes Area.
It is sooo sad when Docs are too busy to listen and the patient sufferes needlessly.

[LynnSB]

Update: I'm still sick. I finally talked to my doctor yesterday on the phone and a nurse looked in my ears yesterday - my ears were fine , no more retracted eardrums. But i am so SICK. Another white blood count was done. it was low before, now it is up ,normal but my doc things , for me, might indicate bacterial infection. I feel dizzy, weak, slightly stopped up on one side of my nose, comes and goes.. and it hurts , now, to touch right between my eyes on the bridge of my nose. My ear,jaw, cheek on the left side stll ache.. no signs of any dental problem. I am missing work and depressed about feeling so horrible. I just want to believe this is a sinus thing and it will go away!!! I 'm runing a slight fever.. never more than a degree and usually this is in the afternoon/night. Does this sound like a sinus infection ? I'm jus so weak and tired and miserable..

[Concerned lady]

If I were you, I would politely insist on being seen by a good ENT doc NOW!

Ask if you might have an ear infection, a sinus infection, etc.

Have you had any dental problems &/or dental work done recently, where an infection could have spread upward to your sinuses & ears? (For example, some root canals "fail", and infection can spread from the root canaled areas).

You can email me at ***@**** and I would be happy to email you some SINUS TIPS that are based on a great book called "Sinus Survival", written by Dr. Robert Ivker, D.O.

These sinus tips have really helped my husband and me, a lot. We use them daily.

Sincerely, Concerned lady

[scottd]

This has been a while since you posted, so if these symptoms have continued, I would recommend getting some mold testing done.  You would be suprised how much mold can play havoc on your body.  It will give you sinusitis, make your teeth hurt, cause pain in your mouth and throat.  If you have itching, headache, burning eyes, etc.  This may be mold induced.  Two things you may want to do is see an allergist and get some dust tests done for mold in your house.  Especially if there has been any water intrusion or have noticed dampness.  Try www.moldlab.com to see about their tape test that you can do inexpensively.  If it is mold, you will get worse and worse as your body becomes more allergic.  I speak from personal experience.  I hope that you have gotten better over these few months, but if these symptoms are persisting, you might want to think about mold.  Another thing that made me think about mold in your case is that other members of your household became sick with the same symptoms at the same time.  So first instinct is to suspect the house.

[scottd]

This has been a while since you posted, so if these symptoms have continued, I would recommend getting some mold testing done.  You would be suprised how much mold can play havoc on your body.  It will give you sinusitis, make your teeth hurt, cause pain in your mouth and throat.  If you have itching, headache, burning eyes, etc.  This may be mold induced.  Two things you may want to do is see an allergist and get some dust tests done for mold in your house.  Especially if there has been any water intrusion or have noticed dampness.  Try www.moldlab.com to see about their tape test that you can do inexpensively.  If it is mold, you will get worse and worse as your body becomes more allergic.  I speak from personal experience.  I hope that you have gotten better over these few months, but if these symptoms are persisting, you might want to think about mold.  Another thing that made me think about mold in your case is that other members of your household became sick with the same symptoms at the same time.  So first instinct is to suspect the house.

[janice524]

A related discussion, fluid in ear was started.

[rosie98]

A related discussion, Sinus Infection? was started.