Any advice for a bad sinus infection?

[Shawn On the Border]

My dad is very sick. It seems like every year he gets a flu-like illness, and then a sinus infection which lasts for weeks. Last year he had sinus surgery, but here he is sick again.

 

Any ideas for supplements? Would a humidifier help? Any other ideas? I feel so bad for the guy. We live 2000 miles away, so I can't even bring him chicken soup.

 

[Shawn On the Border]

Also, he drinks a LOT of milk. Do you think that could contribute to his infections?

[speedmom4]

Has he tried a Netti Pot?

 

Elise in NC

[Momof3littles]

Can he clear the use of a xylitol nasal wash or spray with his doc?

http://xlear.com/ppc-post-nasal-drip.aspx

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21994147

 

Does he have environmental allergies?

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Netti Pot, local to him raw honey, Bragg's Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, Raw Garlic- those will all help to keep the sinuses healthy.

[EKS]

I'm assuming that he has been to the doctor and is taking whatever medication is recommended?

 

Otherwise, drinking lots of water and Vitamin D supplementation.

[DianeW88]

Antibiotics. Sinus infections can kill you if they spread beyond your sinuses. I've seen it happen twice in my career. Both with young, otherwise healthy, people.

[Shawn On the Border]

I'm not sure what he has used for medications (lots of antibiotics, for sure). I will have to ask him. I think he may have a netti pot, but I don't know if he uses it. Do you think one of those personal steamers would help?

 

I don't think he takes any vitamins. Maybe I could get him to take a multivitamin with vitamin D. I asked him about drinking orange juice for vitamin c, and he said he just drinks water.

 

I was wondering if all the milk he drinks could be contributing to excess mucous.

[Shawn On the Border]

Antibiotics. Sinus infections can kill you if they spread beyond your sinuses. I've seen it happen twice in my career. Both with young, otherwise healthy, people.

 

He does take antibiotics, but it concerns me that they don't seem to be working.

[Shawn On the Border]

Can he clear the use of a xylitol nasal wash or spray with his doc?

http://xlear.com/ppc-post-nasal-drip.aspx

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21994147

 

Does he have environmental allergies?

 

I don't think he has allergies. He is still working full time (as a cab driver), so he is exposed to a lot of germs. I think he also gets run down working long, crazy hours. He needs to work to support the teenage daughter he still has at home (my half-sister).

[Shawn On the Border]

Netti Pot, local to him raw honey, Bragg's Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, Raw Garlic- those will all help to keep the sinuses healthy.

 

How do you take the apple cider vinegar? Do you put it in something else?

[Lara in Colo]

I really like to use the heatable rice bags. I put them over my nose any eyes and it will help to move things along.

My husband uses a neti pot and will put a little bit of hydrogen peroxide in it (with the salt water--about a teaspoon) and that seems to really help him

[Shawn On the Border]

I really like to use the heatable rice bags. I put them over my nose any eyes and it will help to move things along.

My husband uses a neti pot and will put a little bit of hydrogen peroxide in it (with the salt water--about a teaspoon) and that seems to really help him

 

Where do you get the rice bags?

[gardenmom5]

I used to be prone to sinus infections. One year, I had one every. single. month.

 

the last time I had a bad one, I tried a homeopathic remediy called boiron. it worked! as fast as antibiotics would, and didn't kill off all the good gut bacteria.

 

to prevent infections in future, your father should stop drinking milk - or at least cut down. drink more water according weight. cut down on sugars.

 

does he take any vitamin d3? bolstering his immune system should also help. enough sleep is important.

[Lara in Colo]

Where do you get the rice bags?

 

 

Walgreens sells them--- I believe it is called a buddy something

[happypamama]

Definitely a NetiPot, especially if he feels one starting to come on. When I feel sinus stuffiness that hasn't progressed to a full-blown infection yet, I do sinus rinses with salt water and a bit of grapefruit seed extract. It really helps!

[Carrie12345]

How current is he on dental care?

 

(Asks someone whose dentist lectured her yesterday.)

[Splash]

Nasal rinses, stop drinking milk, drink lots and lots of water, antibiotics for at least two weeks sometimes four, nasanex nasal spray and musinex the strong stuff. I used to get them all the time and one year seemed to have one from October until May. Doctor took me off dairy for winter and off drinking milk for a long time. I haven't had one in years. Also I have to keep my allergies under control so take my meds consistently.

 

I hope he feels better soon. I know how awful they make you feel.

[Shawn On the Border]

 

 

 

Walgreens sells them--- I believe it is called a buddy something

 

 

Great! I'll see about getting him one.

 

 

[Shawn On the Border]

How current is he on dental care?

 

(Asks someone whose dentist lectured her yesterday.)

 

 

He is in the process of getting dentures. He does have some teeth and some implants. I don't think there's any infection at the moment.

[DianeW88]

 

 

He does take antibiotics, but it concerns me that they don't seem to be working.

 

 

He may need something different if one kind isn't working, or it could be fungal in nature. Has he had his sinus "goop" cultured to determine what the infectious agent actually is?

[jeninok]

Also, he drinks a LOT of milk. Do you think that could contribute to his infections?

 

 

Cutting out milk has made a huge difference in my sinus and adult acne issues.

 

I use almond milk for almost everything now, with good results in everything but instant pudding that wouldn't thicken.

[Shawn On the Border]

Nasal rinses, stop drinking milk, drink lots and lots of water, antibiotics for at least two weeks sometimes four, nasanex nasal spray and musinex the strong stuff. I used to get them all the time and one year seemed to have one from October until May. Doctor took me off dairy for winter and off drinking milk for a long time. I haven't had one in years. Also I have to keep my allergies under control so take my meds consistently.

 

I hope he feels better soon. I know how awful they make you feel.

 

 

Splash,

 

I mentioned dairy to him this morning. His friend told him to stop eating cheese, and he responded that he had just eaten a pound of it! He will drink a gallon of milk in a couple of days. He says he needs to eat yogurt because he is on the antibiotics. He is very stuck in his ways!

 

Shawn

[catz]

Oh my, yes, absolutely get rid of the milk. And when I'm in the throes of a cold or sinus infection, slowly drinking very warm tea is helpful. A neti pot can be good, but I would use distilled and boiled water only. I do use a little milk in my coffee, but am not a huge milk person. And I cut it out completely with a cold, sinus, or ear problems (my ears tend to get plugged a bunch too).

 

Hope he feels better soon!

[happypamama]

He can buy probiotic capsules to take instead of the yogurt; he's right that he needs to fill his body with healthy bacteria, since the antibiotics will destry both good and bad bacteria.

[Momof3littles]

Yeah, there's new research saying for 90-98% of sinus infections, antibiotics don't help because they are viral in nature. They do have guidelines for when to use antibiotics and talk about classes of antibiotics. You might need a login to read.

 

http://www.medpageto...URItheFlu/31754

 

Although most cases are viral, the guidelines suggest suspecting a bacterial cause when:

• Symptoms or signs are persistent, lasting at least 10 days without any evidence of clinical improvement.
  
• The disease onset is characterized by severe symptoms or signs of high fever (of at least 39° C or 102° F) and purulent nasal discharge or facial pain lasting for at least three or four days.
  
• The disease gets worse with a new onset of fever, headache, or increase in nasal discharge following a typical viral upper respiratory infection that lasted five or six days and had appeared to be improving
  

 

They also mention:

Many previous guidelines had suggested empiric therapy with the beta-lactam antibiotic amoxicillin, but an increasing proportion of respiratory pathogens now produce beta-lactamase, which breaks down the drug.

So, the new guidelines say, initial therapy should add clavulanate, a beta-lactamase inhibitor, to the amoxicillin.

 

It goes on to say that many of the common antibiotics don't work well due to drug resistance. They name Zithromax, Septra, and Biaxin as drugs that don't work well anymore due to resistance.

 

I would find out what drugs his doc is RXing and if they are consistent with the new guidelines. I also wonder if his doctor is following the guidelines on when to suspect viral vs. bacterial.

[Shawn On the Border]

 

 

He may need something different if one kind isn't working, or it could be fungal in nature. Has he had his sinus "goop" cultured to determine what the infectious agent actually is?

 

 

I don't know if he's had a culture done. He hasn't for this infection. He had to go to 2 different emergency rooms to get a prescription for antibiotics. He goes to the ear nose and throat doctor this week.

[Shawn On the Border]

Yeah, there's new research saying for 90-98% of sinus infections, antibiotics don't help because they are viral in nature. They do have guidelines for when to use antibiotics and talk about classes of antibiotics. You might need a login to read.

 

http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/URItheFlu/31754

 

Although most cases are viral, the guidelines suggest suspecting a bacterial cause when:

• Symptoms or signs are persistent, lasting at least 10 days without any evidence of clinical improvement.

• The disease onset is characterized by severe symptoms or signs of high fever (of at least 39° C or 102° F) and purulent nasal discharge or facial pain lasting for at least three or four days.

• The disease gets worse with a new onset of fever, headache, or increase in nasal discharge following a typical viral upper respiratory infection that lasted five or six days and had appeared to be improving

 

They also mention:

Many previous guidelines had suggested empiric therapy with the beta-lactam antibiotic amoxicillin, but an increasing proportion of respiratory pathogens now produce beta-lactamase, which breaks down the drug.

So, the new guidelines say, initial therapy should add clavulanate, a beta-lactamase inhibitor, to the amoxicillin.

 

It goes on to say that many of the common antibiotics don't work well due to drug resistance. They name Zithromax, Septra, and Biaxin.

 

I would find out what drugs his doc is RXing and if they are consistent with the new guidelines. I also wonder if his doctor is following the guidelines on when to suspect viral vs. bacterial.

 

 

He is on amoxicillin, and it doesn't seem to be working. I will mention the new guidelines.

 

Thanks!

Shawn

[jeninok]

Amoxicillin doesn't touch a bad infection for me anymore. This last fall I did a round of that, two rounds of Doxycycline, and then finally ended up needing 3 weeks on Biaxin, which was miserable.

 

I also ended up treating mine using Zymox drops which is an enzyme and probiotic ear drop for animals. I had stopped getting the nasty snot and swelling and blood clots, but I was still getting sores inside my nose that weren't healing. The zymox cleared those up really quickly. I think that it had become a combination of bacteria and yeast from the antibiotics.

 

Im not saying he should put dog meds in his nose, but I would want to see if there was a fungal aspect to the infection.

[DianeW88]

Amoxicillin won't cut it. Try Cephalexin or Levaquin. He needs the big guns. And he probably needs to take it for more than 10 days. Especially if his sinus infections are chronic. My dd takes a scrip for sinus meds for anywhere from 14-21 days.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

How do you take the apple cider vinegar? Do you put it in something else?

 

 

 

You can put it in some water and mix in some honey. I just take it straight, but I'm crazy like that! I also add it to my salads with some flax oil instead of salad dressing.

 

There's a recipe for Health Drink on the side of the Bragg's bottle. That would work, too.

[caroljenn]

I get chronic sinus infections, at least I did until I started drinking some green smoothies with superfood supplements. Last year I got 7 sinus infections, this year I've had 2.

 

A humidifier should help, but it HAS to be kept clean or the mold will make things worse. A hot steamy bath or shower, a couple of times a day works wonders!

 

I always need a decongestant made especially for the sinuses and I also always need antibiotics. I am incapable of ridding myself of the infection - I need the drugs. My doctor prescribes the Z pack - Zithromycin. I've taken it over and over and have very few side effects.

 

I agree with cutting out dairy. It's known for making mucus.

 

Hope your dad feels much better very soon!!!

[Ottakee]

Certainly have him ask for a culture so they can match the antibiotic to the infection. Also, it is very common to need 3 weeks or more on the antibiotic to kill it if he has a history of sinus infections.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I get chronic sinus infections, at least I did until I started drinking some green smoothies with superfood supplements. Last year I got 7 sinus infections, this year I've had 2.

 

A humidifier should help, but it HAS to be kept clean or the mold will make things worse. A hot steamy bath or shower, a couple of times a day works wonders!

 

I always need a decongestant made especially for the sinuses and I also always need antibiotics. I am incapable of ridding myself of the infection - I need the drugs. My doctor prescribes the Z pack - Zithromycin. I've taken it over and over and have very few side effects.

 

I agree with cutting out dairy. It's known for making mucus.

 

Hope your dad feels much better very soon!!!

 

 

 

I used to get sinus infections, too. Haven't had one in several years. I attribute it to all the changes I've made in my diet, including green smoothies.

[Tiramisu]

You can make your own rice bags. Sew some rice up in cotton fabric. Or, throw some rice into a cotton pillow case and tie shut if you're pressed for time. Microwave. Test temperature before putting on face. ;)

[redheadmom]

In addition to Vit D, I also take about 2000mg of Vit C when I am fighting a sinus infection. Another thing that may help is humming. Something about the airflow and vibration eases sinus infections and congestion. I hope he feels better soon.

[TranquilMind]

My dad is very sick. It seems like every year he gets a flu-like illness, and then a sinus infection which lasts for weeks. Last year he had sinus surgery, but here he is sick again.

 

Any ideas for supplements? Would a humidifier help? Any other ideas? I feel so bad for the guy. We live 2000 miles away, so I can't even bring him chicken soup.

 

Colloidal silver helped me tremendously. I have never taken an antibiotic again for sinus since I began using it (couple drops in the morning, a couple at night) whenever sinus symptoms kick up. Always gone within 24 hours.

[joannqn]

My dad is very sick. It seems like every year he gets a flu-like illness, and then a sinus infection which lasts for weeks. Last year he had sinus surgery, but here he is sick again.

 

Any ideas for supplements? Would a humidifier help? Any other ideas? I feel so bad for the guy. We live 2000 miles away, so I can't even bring him chicken soup.

 

 

I used to get sinus infections constantly and was on antibiotics several times a year. One year, I had six ear infections, as well. It turned out that I had a deviated septum blocking one side of my nose, a polyp blocking the other side of my nose, and enlarged turbinates. The mucus had no where to go! I had sinus surgery, which helped some, but didn't get rid of them completely. I still got at least one infection every winter, which required between 1 to 3 rounds of antibiotics to cure. Then I discovered Mucinex-D (it's the one with sudafed in it so you have to sign for it). I haven't seen a doctor for a sinus infection in about five years. When I get them, I take it around the clock per the directions until it is gone. It usually takes about 3-4 days. But it has worked for me every time.

[kitten18]

You can make your own rice bags. Sew some rice up in cotton fabric. Or, throw some rice into a cotton pillow case and tie shut if you're pressed for time. Microwave. Test temperature before putting on face. ;)

You can also just put the rice in a tube sock and tie a knot in the end.