posted
I ued to get them all the time in the years running up to my lyme diagnosis to the point that they were almost monthly. They went away with treatment with cipro and amox but when i switched to doxy alone I started to slip backwards and began to get them again even whilst on doxy.
I found if I switched to a cell wall drug like penicillin the infection would respond.
I have not gotten so much as a sniffle since I started treating aggressively with multiple antibiotics. Its been almost a year since I got any kind of cold or infection. First time ever.
Could mean you are not fully addressing the infection with the regemine you are on. What are you on??
-------------------- Pos BB and Bart(Q & H IGG pos) Began treat 1 year after start of illness. Diagnosed Feb 2007. Posts: 648 | From Ireland | Registered: Jan 2007
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posted
I have given this information quiet a few times and I guess no one believes me.
You can have sinus fungal infections. Just like yeast overgrowth, a doctor is not going to say it is fungal, they will say it is bacterial.
I have done several things to help, because I used to get them all the time.
1. 4 oz. of warm water with one half of a lemon squeezed in it before anything else in the morning, no sugar or nothing. (I had to quit when I got on thyroid medicine because it made the medicine not effective.)
2. I had 3-4 months of diflucan.
3. Anti yeast diet.
4. A huge help to me was a compounded medicine called Sinusitus spray from ITC compounding pharmacy. If you can't afford that because it is $100, on Teitlebaum's site there is a Sinus Silver Spray.
Thanks, Shalome
Posts: 893 | From Florida | Registered: Dec 2008
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Antibiotics turn short term sinus infections into chronic ones. To get to the root of sinus infections, and eliminate them, treat the underlying fungal/candida infections. In addition, as sinus infections likely exist in what are called "Biofilms," oral antibiotics don't work, but special sprays can be very effective.
Although we have discussed some unusual viral and bacterial infections associated with the immune dysfunction of CFS/FMS, these illnesses are also associated with more of the day-to-day variety of infections. These include chronic sinusitis. In today's article we will talk about how to treat chronic sinusitis--whether or not you have CFS/FMS.
We have known for years that chronic sinusitis responds poorly to antibiotics, and now experts are recommending against antibiotics even for acute sinusitis (see Antibiotics Useless for Sinus Infections). Nonetheless, this is all that many doctors give--in part because they are not aware of alternatives. Sinusitis can't be ignored though, and 2 new studies this week (see Sinus Surgery in Fibromyalgia (FMS) and Chronic Fatigue) showed that sinus surgery helps recovery from CFS. The good news is that we can get the same benefits without surgery--and the improvements will be more persistent!
As chronic sinusitis is predominantly caused by underlying yeast/fungal and biofilm infections, they are resistant to antibiotics by mouth, but can be effectively treated with antifungals and nose sprays.
How Do Fungal Infections Cause Sinusitis? These infections cause a stuffy nose, eventually causing the nasal passages to swell shut. In the body, any time something gets blocked (e.g., an appendix, gallbladder, etc.), it results in a secondary bacterial infection--and the sinuses are no exception. When this happens, your nasal mucus turns yellow-green, and you go to the doctor in pain. She or he then gives you an antibiotic, which knocks out the bacterial infection and sometimes leaves you feeling better. Unfortunately, the antibiotic worsens the underlying yeast infection in your nose, causing more swelling and blockages and therefore more attacks of bacterial infections. This is why sinusitis in the U.S. usually becomes chronic. An interesting study reported in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings supports this thought.1 The report in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings noted that previously "fungus allergy was thought to be involved in less than 10 percent of cases... our studies indicate, in fact, fungus is likely the cause of nearly all of these problems and that it is not an allergic reaction but an immune reaction."1 In the study, researchers found that most people with chronic sinus infections had fungal growth in their sinuses. This research is interesting because more and more studies are showing that treating chronic sinusitis with antibiotics doesn't really do much and that shorter courses of treatment work just as well as the long courses. I find that conservative treatments (e.g., nasal rinses) are more effective than antibiotics for chronic sinusitis--but of course not enough by themselves.
In my experience, sinusitis (even chronic) usually respond dramatically to yeast treatment with Diflucan and a compounded nose spray that my patients love. It contains Bactroban and Xylitol, which kill the bacterial infections (and clinically appear to even fight biofilm infections), low dose cortisol to shrink the swelling and an antifungal. I recommend patients use 1 to 2 sprays in each nostril twice a day for 6-12 weeks while on the Diflucan. That is usually enough to knock out the sinusitis, although some patients like to stay on it long term or use it intermittently for recurrent infections. The spray is available by prescription and can be mailed from ITC Compounding Pharmacy (888-349-5453). Simply have your physician ask for the "Sinusitis Nose Spray." Another very helpful over the counter treatment for sinusitis is Argentyn 23 silver nose spray. In low doses, this mineral is an anti-infectious agent against both viral and bacterial infections, and liquid silver can even be used orally for many types of difficult-to-treat chronic infections. Silver also works well in combination with the prescription sinusitis nose spray, and I find the 2 of them to be a wonderful combination.
Besides the annoyance of your nose constantly running, sinusitis causes other problems. Work by Dr. Alexander Chester has shown that chronic nasal congestion can actually trigger chronic fatigue, and 2 new studies actually treat CFS/FMS with sinus surgery (see Sinus Surgery in Fibromyalgia (FMS) and Chronic Fatigue). In addition, having a chronic infection in your nose can also drag your energy down. A fringe benefit of treating yeast overgrowth with Diflucan is that, especially when combined with the nose spray above, it frequently eliminates chronic sinusitis! As one more fringe benefit, it also often eliminates spastic colon/irritable bowel syndrome as well.
For those few patients with persistent chronic sinusitis despite treatment, I recommend the book Sinus Survival by Robert S. Ivker, a physician whose heart embodies what it means to be a healer. Dr. Ivker's website also has many helpful tools and resources.
So How Do I Treat My Sinusitis? As any physician is taught in medical school, the key to eliminating a localized infection is not antibiotics, but rather to drain it or wash it away. The billions of bacteria you wash down the sink save your immune system a lot of work.
1. If you have a sinus infection, start with nasal rinses. Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a cup of lukewarm water. If you like, you can add a pinch of baking soda to the solution if it is irritating to make it gentler. Some folks simply use lukewarm tap water alone to keep it simpler and quicker. Inhale some of the solution (about 1-3 inches up into your nose), one nostril at a time. Do this either by using a baby nose bulb or an eyedropper while lying down, or by sniffing the solution out of the palm of your hand while standing by a sink. Then gently blow your nose, being careful not to hurt your ears. Repeat the same process with the other nostril. Continue to repeat with each nostril until the nose is clear. Rinse your nasal passages at least twice a day until the infection improves. Each rinsing will wash away about 90% of the infection and make it much easier for your body to heal. Gargling with salt water, mixed as described above for the nasal rinse, also helps a sore throat. For an acute infection, the rinses may be all you need. I also add Vitamin C (in the vitamin powder) and the natural immune stimulant ProBoost, (1 packet dissolved under your tongue 3 times a day till the infection is gone--should be in every one's medicine cabinet) to speed healing from most infections.
2. Remember that the sinusitis may simply be a reflection of an underlying body wide yeast overgrowth--especially if you also have spastic colon/irritable bowel. Encourage your physician to prescribe the medication Diflucan 200 mg a day for 6 weeks. Unfortunately, because of yeast infections being considered "Holistic," many physicians refuse to prescribe Diflucan, citing fears of liver inflammation. Experience has shown that you are more likely to get liver inflammation from Tylenol, and Diflucan in this way has been used safely in tens of thousands of patients. (As an aside, if you have a toenail fungal infection, then the doctor would be happy to prescribe Lamisil, an antifungal with similar liver issues--but unfortunately not effective against yeast in the sinuses or bowels--welcome to medical politics!) Most holistic physicians (see the American Board of Holistic Medicine) are familiar with using antifungals, as are physicians at the Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers.
3. In addition to Diflucan and avoiding sweets (which feed yeast), add the natural antifungals Anti-Yeast and Probiotic Pearls each at a dose of 2 capsules/pearls twice a day for 3-5 months to restore the healthy bacterial balance in your body.
4. Use the Silver nasal spray 5-10 sprays in each nostril three times a day for 7-14 days until the sinusitis resolves, and then 2 sprays in each nostril 2x day till the bottle is used up to help suppress the underlying infection even further. Even better if combined with #5 below.
5. Sinusitis Nose Spray (Rx)--by prescription from ITC Pharmacy (888-349-5453). The prescription spray contains Sporanox, Xylitol, Bactroban and Beclamethasone to eliminate both bacterial and fungal infections. It is excellent! Use 1-2 sprays of the prescription spray in each nostril twice a day for 6-12 weeks and then as needed.
Posts: 893 | From Florida | Registered: Dec 2008
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posted
Thanks for the post , right now i am on 1750 mg amox. until i can see a LLMD in July
Posts: 36 | From south carolina | Registered: Mar 2009
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posted
I've posted this before but I see it is needed again,
ROCHESTER, MINN. -- Mayo Clinic researchers say they have found the cause of most chronic sinus infections -- an immune system response to fungus. They say this discovery opens the door to the first effective treatment for this problem, the most common chronic disease in the United States.
An estimated 37 million people in the United States suffer from chronic sinusitis, an inflammation of the membranes of the nose and sinus cavity. Its incidence has been increasing steadily over the last decade. Common symptoms are runny nose, nasal congestion, loss of smell and headaches. Frequently the chronic inflammation leads to polyps, small growths in the nasal passages which hinder breathing. "Up to now, the cause of chronic sinusitis has not been known," say the Mayo researchers: Drs. David Sherris, Eugene Kern and Jens Ponikau , Mayo Clinic ear, nose and throat specialists. Their report appears in the September issue of the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings. "Fungus allergy was thought to be involved in less than ten percent of cases," says Dr. Sherris. "Our studies indicate that, in fact, fungus is likely the cause of nearly all of these problems. And it is not an allergic reaction, but an immune reaction."
The researchers studied 210 patients with chronic sinusitis. Using new methods of collecting and testing mucus from the nose, they discovered fungus in 96 percent of the patients' mucus. They identified a total of 40 different kinds of fungi in these patients, with an average of 2.7 kinds per patient. In a subset of 101 patients who had surgery to remove nasal polyps, the researchers found eosinophils (a type of white blood cell activated by the body's immune system) in the nasal tissue and mucus of 96 percent of the patients.
The results, the researchers say, clearly portray a disease process in which, in sensitive individuals, the body's immune system sends eosinophils to attack fungi and the eosinophils irritate the membranes in the nose. As long as fungi remain, so will the irritation.
"This a potential breakthrough that offers great hope for the millions of people who suffer from this problem," says Dr. Kern. "We can now begin to treat the cause of the problem instead of the symptoms."
More research is underway at Mayo Clinic to confirm that the immune response to the fungus is the cause of the sinus inflammation. The researchers are also working with pharmaceutical companies to set up trials to test medications to control the fungus. They estimate that it will be at least two years before a treatment will be widely available.
The researchers distinguish chronic sinusitis -- sinusitis that lasts three months or longer -- from acute sinusitis, which lasts a month or less. They say that the cause of the acute condition is usually a bacterial infection. Antibiotics and over-the-counter decongestants are widely used to treat chronic sinusitis. In most cases, antibiotics are not effective for chronic sinusitis because they target bacteria, not fungi. The over-the-counter drugs may offer some relief of symptoms, but they have no effect on the inflammation.
"Medications haven't worked for chronic sinusitis because we didn't know what the cause of the problem was," says Dr. Ponikau. "Finally we are on the trail of a treatment that may actually work."
Thousands of kinds of single-cell fungi (molds and yeasts) are found everywhere in the world. Fungal spores (the reproductive part of the organism) become airborne like pollen. Some people develop allergies to fungi. The new evidence from the Mayo study suggests that many people also develop a different kind of immune system response.
[ 03-26-2009, 08:57 PM: Message edited by: Al ]
Posts: 789 | From CT, | Registered: Jun 2006
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posted
Yes - I was going to mention the fungal thing too - that's what I've heard
-------------------- "We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us" - e.m. forster Posts: 921 | From PA | Registered: Jan 2004
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lymeinhell
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4622
posted
Former Sinus Infection Queen Here - think 'FUNGAL'....
It took 2 mos of Diflucan to fix the mess my ENT and Allergist caused by putting me on antibiotics for months and months. Neither one ever considered it - my LLMD sure did though, thank goodness!
-------------------- Julie _ _ ___ _ _ lymeinhell
Blessed are those who expect nothing, for they shall not be disappointed. Posts: 2258 | From a better place than I was 11 yrs ago | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
Thanks, I am on 1750mg of amox a day and my dr also perscribed diflucan and i have been taken that for 1 month now
Posts: 36 | From south carolina | Registered: Mar 2009
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Our son just saw an ENT about a suspected chronic sinus problem. He also mentioned that son's problem is likely aggravated by allergies -- particularly the darn pine pollen here in SC.
Posts: 41 | From SC | Registered: Jan 2009
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posted
I agree that fungal infection should be looked at too, but in my case the cause of the infections was bacterial and the right antibiotics resolved it.
I would assume that anyone on antibiotics for any amount of time would be on a yeast free diet and plenty of probiotics.
Take care
-------------------- Pos BB and Bart(Q & H IGG pos) Began treat 1 year after start of illness. Diagnosed Feb 2007. Posts: 648 | From Ireland | Registered: Jan 2007
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posted
Allergies wouldn't cause problems if we didn't have problems already.
Our bodies are already bombarded with invaders (Bb) and so the body begins to think that pollen or ragweed, or the red tide in florida is a "foreign body" and it goes haywire.
The allergies and the antiboitics add to the fungal infection. Sugars feed fungus. I know it is disgusting, but it is important to get the fungus in check.
Try to get the LLMD to keep you on the diflucan for a couple of months.
It will help. Plus read all you can on candida.
Regards, Shalome
Posts: 893 | From Florida | Registered: Dec 2008
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