Sinus infection - best home treatments?

[Terabith]

Anyone got any tried and true ways to knock them out?  Already doing saline spray, sudafed, antihistamine, and ibuprofen.  

[MEmama]

Flonase works for me.

A warm steamy compress might offer some relief in the meantime.

[PrincessMommy]

I know you're doing saline spray, but what about a Neti pot?  That will rinse out the gunk.  I've used it when I knew I was heading towards a sinus infection but not when I had one already, YMMV.  Hugs.  They are miserable.  

 

[Terabith]

Flonase is a good idea.  I probably should dig out the Neti pot.  Ugh.  I hate it.  

[Harriet Vane]

8 hours ago, PrincessMommy said:

I know you're doing saline spray, but what about a Neti pot?  That will rinse out the gunk.  I've used it when I knew I was heading towards a sinus infection but not when I had one already, YMMV.  Hugs.  They are miserable.  

 

Almost exactly the same, but we have had good experiences with the NeilMed sinus rinse bottle. It's easy to use and it comes with little packets of clean-you-out stuff.

If you decide to seek bigger drugs, my ds has had excellent results from dissolving Muriprocin antibiotic cream in the NeilMed water and shooting that through. His ENT prescribed this because ds' nose is crooked and has pockets that harbor infection. Shooting the antibiotic cream directly into the sinus cavities has been a game changer for him. I do this method as well as I am sensitive to systemic antibiotics and have to avoid them.

[Terabith]

I have only had one or two sinus infections before this, so it’s not common for me.  I’m so miserable and started running a fever, so since it’s Friday, I did a telemedicine visit.  Doctor agreed it was a sinus infection and prescribed augmentin.  Hoping that helps.  I have so much more sympathy for folks who get these all the time.  I’m truly miserable and exhausted.  

[HSmomof2]

10 hours ago, MEmama said:

Flonase works for me.

A warm steamy compress might offer some relief in the meantime.

Flonase has worked wonders for my sinus issues. Better than antibiotics for me. 

[Tap]

Skip the antihistamine, it can dry out the membranes and mucous. Then you have dried bits of mucous hanging around that harbor the bacteria. 

Add Mucinex (or Mucinex D it has Sudafed in it). Drink a full glass of water with each pill. It helps to draw water to the mucous so you can blow/rinse it out. 

Make sure you are using clean sinus rinse items. You don't want them to keep the infection going. 

[mmasc]

Flonase is good. Also, is your Sudafed the kind from behind the counter? That’s the kind that helps me...the pseudoephedrine 12-hour—One in the morning. I can’t take one at night or it will keep me awake. Also, boil a big pot of water, put a drop of peppermint oil in it if you have any (or not is fine too), put a bath towel over your head and the pot and breath the steam for about 10-15 minutes. This is only a temporary help, but it feels good. Also, sleep propped up on a couple of pillows so your sinuses aren’t as throbby when you wake up. 
hope you feel better soon!

[gardenmom5]

Nasal wash.

drink lots of water, and get rest.

allicin - it's a compound in garlic that has a short half-life.  you can eat a lot of fresh garlic, steam it then breath it in through your nose - or take the capsules (some brands are better at stabilizing them than others.)

[J-rap]

Mucinex, breathing in steam, and pineapple juice.

[Tap]

Another odd trick.….watch a sob worthy moving and cry it out. At first you will feel more stuffy, but once the tears start flowing down the back of the throat and your nose starts running, it can clear the sinuses out pretty quick. 

[Terabith]

How long do they usually last once you start antibiotics?  Wondering what the chances of feeling human tomorrow will be.  I couldn’t really function today.  

[katilac]

12 minutes ago, Terabith said:

How long do they usually last once you start antibiotics?  Wondering what the chances of feeling human tomorrow will be.  I couldn’t really function today.  

You'll still have the infection tomorrow, but there is also a really good chance you will feel human. I always feel noticeably better the day after I start antibiotics, even if I start them late afternoon or evening. And augmentin is strong. 

[Terabith]

Feel a little better but still pretty terrible.  Not sure I feel well enough to get up and do anything.  Still have a fever and mostly feel like laying still.  My brain is mush.  It’s like a migraine and a flu/ fever virus at the same time.  Feeling so sorry for people who have this chronically.  Wow.  

[Harriet Vane]

12 hours ago, Terabith said:

Feel a little better but still pretty terrible.  Not sure I feel well enough to get up and do anything.  Still have a fever and mostly feel like laying still.  My brain is mush.  It’s like a migraine and a flu/ fever virus at the same time.  Feeling so sorry for people who have this chronically.  Wow.  

Are you taking Augmentin?

Whether that or a different systemic med, I would strongly, strongly recommend also taking s boulardii (Florastor is a well-known brand) as well as a probiotic. Take them at different times. I have had two massive systemic reactions to Augmentin, the second of which literally nearly killed me. It's a strong medicine. The s boulardii combats any c diff that may arise and a probiotic like Align and acidophilus will help populate your system with healthy stuff after the antibiotic blasts through.

[Terabith]

Yes, taking augmentin (and it’s definitely helping!  Feel soooo much better!).  I bought flora store at the same time I picked up the prescription.  Huge believer in probiotics.  And taking them a few hours apart. 

[PeterPan]

26 minutes ago, Terabith said:

Yes, taking augmentin (and it’s definitely helping!  Feel soooo much better!).  I bought flora store at the same time I picked up the prescription.  Huge believer in probiotics.  And taking them a few hours apart. 

You can take florastor without spacing, all you want, because it is specially designed not to nibble the antibiotic.

I'm glad you're starting to bounce back! 

[Terabith]

So, wait, I need both florastor and another probiotic like culturelle?  That I wasn’t aware of and will need to go back for. 

[PrincessMommy]

13 hours ago, Terabith said:

Feel a little better but still pretty terrible.  Not sure I feel well enough to get up and do anything.  Still have a fever and mostly feel like laying still.  My brain is mush.  It’s like a migraine and a flu/ fever virus at the same time.  Feeling so sorry for people who have this chronically.  Wow.  

for me it took a good 2 days on antibiotics before I started to feel better.  But, I didn't know about the Neti pot or Flonase, so maybe you'll have better luck.

Hope you're feeling better this evening. 

[Terabith]

Just now, PrincessMommy said:

for me it took a good 2 days on antibiotics before I started to feel better.  But, I didn't know about the Neti pot or Flonase, so maybe you'll have better luck.

Hope you're feeling better this evening. 

Yes, definitely feeling better!  Not awesome yet and still running a fever but sooooo much better than yesterday, even with the gurgling antibiotic tummy.  Thanks!

[Carol in Cal.]

Coming on to say—glad this is working.

I’m surprised they went straight to Augmentin.  I think that a Z pack or just amoxicillin works pretty well, at least for me, and Augmentin is SO STRONG.  It’s good you are taking the proibiotic.  

My experience is that I can hold off a sinus infection with the OTC stuff mentioned upthread, but once it really takes hold, I feel like something the cat dragged in until I start taking antibiotics.  I’d love to think I could just throw this off by lying around, but it doesn’t seem to work that way for me.

Edited June 7, 2020 by Carol in Cal.

[Harriet Vane]

2 hours ago, Terabith said:

So, wait, I need both florastor and another probiotic like culturelle?  That I wasn’t aware of and will need to go back for. 

They do different things, so yes, I would do both. Personally, I think the wider the variety, the better, so consider multiple strains of probiotic (Culturelle, acidophilus, etc.) in addition to s boulardii.

[PeterPan]

2 hours ago, Terabith said:

So, wait, I need both florastor and another probiotic like culturelle?  That I wasn’t aware of and will need to go back for. 

I would take the Florastor while you're on the antibiotic and take other probiotics (the kind that can interfere with your antibiotic) when you finish the antibiotic. The florastor is formulated not to harm the antibiotic. I know some people will say to space a regular probiotic and the antibiotic, but I also know people who got them too close and ended up on another round. So me, I just do the Florastor during and other stuff afterward. If you take enough of the Florastor, it should keep things in check.

Edited June 7, 2020 by PeterPan

[Terabith]

I need my mojo back.  I got out of bed long enough to take a shower and I am exhausted.  I don’t have the migraine type sinus headache anymore but I still have the fever/ drained/ sick feeling.  Really hoping to be closer to normal tomorrow.  Had finally gotten into a good walking routine.  Stupid pollen.  

[PrincessMommy]

11 hours ago, Terabith said:

I need my mojo back.  I got out of bed long enough to take a shower and I am exhausted.  I don’t have the migraine type sinus headache anymore but I still have the fever/ drained/ sick feeling.  Really hoping to be closer to normal tomorrow.  Had finally gotten into a good walking routine.  Stupid pollen.  

I agree..  I have a love/hate relationship with this season.  I'm still coughing and don't have a voice.  All because I wanted the stupid windows open when it was in the 70s.   Ugh.

I hope you're feeling better today.

 

[Terabith]

4 hours ago, PrincessMommy said:

I agree..  I have a love/hate relationship with this season.  I'm still coughing and don't have a voice.  All because I wanted the stupid windows open when it was in the 70s.   Ugh.

I hope you're feeling better today.

 

Yeah, definitely feeling better.  Woke up feeling pretty darn good but a couple hours later started running a little low grade temp again and just kinda ran out of energy.  But I don’t really feel terrible anymore.  Just blah and tired.  I’ll live though.