Kinda OT - Sinus infection gone, or not? | Arthritis Information

After 9 weeks of this sinus infection, including 3 courses of Biaxin and 1 course of Levaquin, I was still feeling congested and headachey, so last week I made another appt with my primary care dr (the 4th appt since this started). Since I tend to talk too much (could ya tell?) I started by telling her that I was really hoping it was gone and just allergies now so I could get my lumbar epidural done and potentially start Orencia. She examined me and told me the sinus infection was gone and it is just allergies.

I like my primary care dr, but I'm almost feeling like she's telling me what she thinks I want to hear, or maybe the infection was beaten back for a day or two when I saw her. Now my congestion is much worse and my sinuses burn when I blow my nose. I do not feel like this is allergies. BTW, I take Zyrtec every morning and Singulair every night, and for the past couple of days I have been taking Sudafed 1-2 times a day.

How can I tell if I still have the sinus infection? I don't want to make yet another appointment with my primary care dr or she's going to think I'm a total hypochondriac.

OMG If you find out - TELL ME!!!!

I head back to the doc on Tuesday the the same crap! Though I have NOT had it as long as you have, and I'm only taking OTC allergy meds. But STILL. Ya know? It's rediculous.

How are your ears and eyes?

This is about kids, but it works for bigger kids, too.

Colds, Allergies and Sinus Infections

Parents often ask me whether their children's constantly runny noses are the result of allergies, sinus infections, or of one cold after another.

Allergies:

Allergies typically feature a clear nasal discharge with sneezing.
There may be itchy, watery eyes and/or a dry cough.
Often parents notice a "rabbit nose" -- a child crinkling her nose to relieve the itchy sensation inside.
The "allergic salute" -- rubbing the nose with the hand, sometimes leaving a horizontal crease on the nose -- is another common sign.
"Allergic shiners" -- dark circles under the eyes -- have long been associated with allergies, but are less predictive than the other symptoms.

Colds:

Colds will often begin with a clear nasal discharge, but after several days it usually turns creamy, yellow, or green for a time.
Sneezes tend to be more productive, and coughs sound wetter than with allergies.
If the eyes are involved, one or both of them usually turn pink, with a discharge that matches that in the nose.
A fever may be present.

Sinus Infections:

A sinus infection in a child often begins like a cold but lasts for greater than 10 to 14 days with no period of improvement.
Sometimes a sinus infection begins with a high fever (>103 F), facial swelling, or facial pain.

from this website: http://www.drgreene.org/body.cfm?id=21&action=detail&ref=515

But it's a little bit of all of that. :|

My cheek bones hurt, but it's all clear, and only itches sometimes, and my ears are plugged (kinda sorta) I don't sneeze, and have no cough, but my glands are swollen in my neck too.

It's a giant WTF. LoL

Suzanne, how are YOU? Did you share your cooties with me??

Don't you have a cootie catcher?

My face does hurt and I seem to frequently have fevers regardless. My eyes are terrible, but I was crying last night (got depressed over something) so that doesn't mean anything.

I see my rheumy on Tuesday and I suppose I could ask him to take a look, but I get so little time and have so many other questions that I hate to add to the list.

InnerGlow2008-02-17 15:11:37Why am I the only one that talks about the gross stuff?

Is it green? Or dark yellow? My MD told me thats a bacterial infection. Anything else is a cold or allergies by Mrs. A's post.

And please, please, please tell me you're on probiotics with all those antibiotics!

Pip

Mine's white.

What's that mean? LOL

A few years ago I went to see my Dr for a sinus infection but she was way busy so I saw anouther doc who put me on an antibiotic for 10 days . It wasn't working so she put me on anouther one . Well that went on for 4 different antibiotics before I got to see my regular

Dr who checked me out and told me that I did not have an infection but allergies . She gave me Flonaze and the first day I used it I was all cleared up . I love it !!

Flonaze makes me vomit :( So does affrin or whatever its called. LOL TMI?I was going to ask if there was still green or yellow/green snot left. If it is clear it means allergies.

Oh and my last RD he was the one who kept telling me I had sinus infections, never went to GP for it, just him, but he was also internal medicine.

I heard the green/yellow versus white/clear thing was a myth. Anyway, I've got some of all of them...mostly white with some yellow and green.

And Pip, you will be semi-proud of me. The good news is that for about five years I have taken acidophillus daily. The bad news is that it is in a dried tablet, so it's probably not as effective as it could be, but at least it's convenient so I don't forget. After months of once-a-month yeast infections (yes, I'm on the pill), I haven't had one in all the time I've been taking the tablets. Well, ok, there was a teeny one when I did a straight 20 days of clarithromyacin, but it went away like that [tries to snap stiff fingers].

OK, enough TMI, what else ya got? My mother said her one doctor took a small flashlight and put the light down against her face next to her nose, and in a darkened room, looked in her mouth to see if he could see any light to determine if her sinuses were congested.
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