Treating sinus infections.

[drz]

My cold evolved into infected sinuses. I am using frequent sinus rinses, inhaling warm moist air, and taking generic guafenesin to thin the mucous. A lot of junk comes out in the rinses and nose blows. My coughs are now often productive. But my head, eyes and teeth hurt from the pressure so I figure I need to get an antibiotic soon before i get bronchitis or ear infections too.

Has anyone ever got through a sinus infection without antibiotics?

I am allergic to several but have got relief in the past from some. Due to holidays I might try wait till Friday but have to see how it goes. Many pharmacies an stores are closed tomorrow but ER will be open if necessary Sort takes the edge off the Holiday feeling though, but so far it is not as bad as last time it happened when I had to use the ER.

[pberggren1]

Usually sinus infections require antibiotics unless you have a really healthy immune system and can boost it all to hell. So in our case we pretty much need antibiotics. Make sure you keep rinsing your nose more often.

[me2]

I just got a big talk by a non WG friend last night who swears he suffered for years from sinus infections until he discovered colloidal silver to spray into his sinus. Someone else got him started on it who swore by it.

I used to have terrible infections and was always on the latest antibiotics. I became religious about using the Neil-med bottle to rinse my sinus twice a day with salt and soda water. To this I also added a squirt of Alkalol- a mucous solvent and mild disinfectant that also smells and feels good. I have not had infection for years. It may be do to my 'treatments' or it might be due to structural changes in my sinus's- or a little of both.

I plan on trying the silver. It seems to have a wide following.
I don't know what might work for somebody else but these are some things to try. Best of luck, I know how miserable it is.

[me2]

Usually sinus infections require antibiotics unless you have a really healthy immune system and can boost it all to hell. So in our case we pretty much need antibiotics. Make sure you keep rinsing your nose more often.

I'm curious, is Swift Current just down the hill from Slow Current?

[pberggren1]

ur funny Kirk........no, Swift Current is uphill from Slow Current....lol.

[pberggren1]

I would be tempted to try colloidal silver as well. I know many that use it along with hydrogen peroxide. And I also know a few that use that Alkalol stuff too.

[annekat]

I was using Alkalol for awhile.... this was pre-WG-dx. I had to special order it from my pharmacy. I found that using it straight, per the directions, it was very harsh! But adding a squirt of it to a sinus rinse was fine and did feel good. Other people I know did not find it harsh in straight form, so I don't know what the deal was there.

[pberggren1]

We can't get that in Canada for some reason.

[annekat]

If anyone tries colloidial silver, I'd like to hear about it.

[pberggren1]

I tried it reluctantly for a few weeks back in 2004 to humor a friend of mine. I took it internally. I don't think it helped me any but not sure though.

[drz]

All our pharmacies were close today for Holiday but many stores were open for Christmas shopping at rather weird hours, examples some starting at 10 pm others at 5 am Friday morning.

Our Walkin clinic was open so I went in to get an antibiotic which I could get through a vending machine at Emergency Room so I started Zitromax today and think I already feel a little better. I also got another cool air humidifier to supplement the warm moist air humidifier and have used them both a lot today along with sinsus rinses. Will have to look for the Alkohol additive. Is that the brand name or ingredient?

How did the Americans here celebrate? Watching Macy's parade, foot ballgames, family activities etc?

[annekat]

drz, it's the brand name, spelled Alkalol. I don't remember what all is in it, some interesting stuff. I think it's good for gargling, too. You can search it online and read about it on their website. I got the feeling most pharmacies don't carry it but can special order it. At Rite Aid, they could get it in a day or two.

[annekat]

Here's Wikipedia on Alkalol:

Alkalol is a nasal wash and oral rinse. It is an alkaline saline solution that includes a mix of menthol (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menthol), camphor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camphor), eucalyptol (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucalyptol), thymol (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thymol), benzoin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzoin), and oils ofwintergreen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wintergreen), spearmint (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spearmint), pine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine), and cinnamon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamon), as well as potassium and sodium salts. First formulated by James P. Whitters in 1896 in a small laboratory above the A.J. Barker pharmacy in Taunton, Massachusetts, Alkalol is one of the oldest over-the-counter pharmaceutical products sold in the United States.
Alkalol is essentially alcohol-free, containing 2/100 of 1% alcohol by volume. The product is intended for use as a nasal wash to relieve symptoms of sinus infections, allergies, colds, nasal congestion, post-nasal drip, rhinitis, and respiratory problems caused by dust (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust), pollen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollen), mold (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mold), pollution, and other irritants. Alkalol is also indicated for regular use as an oral rinse and throat gargle to break up mucus and treat sore and dry throats, laryngitis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laryngitis), tonsillitis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonsillitis),tonsilloliths (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonsillolith)[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkalol#cite_note-1), mouth sores, and throat irritation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Throat_irritation) caused by allergies and post-nasal drip.

[drz]

Here's Wikipedia on Alkalol:

Alkalol is a nasal wash and oral rinse. It is an alkaline saline solution that includes a mix of menthol (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menthol), camphor (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camphor), eucalyptol (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucalyptol), thymol (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thymol), benzoin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzoin), and oils ofwintergreen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wintergreen), spearmint (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spearmint), pine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine), and cinnamon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamon), as well as potassium and sodium salts. First formulated by James P. Whitters in 1896 in a small laboratory above the A.J. Barker pharmacy in Taunton, Massachusetts, Alkalol is one of the oldest over-the-counter pharmaceutical products sold in the United States.
Alkalol is essentially alcohol-free, containing 2/100 of 1% alcohol by volume. The product is intended for use as a nasal wash to relieve symptoms of sinus infections, allergies, colds, nasal congestion, post-nasal drip, rhinitis, and respiratory problems caused by dust (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust), pollen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollen), mold (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mold), pollution, and other irritants. Alkalol is also indicated for regular use as an oral rinse and throat gargle to break up mucus and treat sore and dry throats, laryngitis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laryngitis), tonsillitis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonsillitis),tonsilloliths (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonsillolith)[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkalol#cite_note-1), mouth sores, and throat irritation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Throat_irritation) caused by allergies and post-nasal drip.

Their web site listed several pharmacies that carry this product. The first one Walgreens is my local pharmacy and the pharmacist found it for me in less than a minute. I tried adding two teaspoons to my regular sinus rinse for a very mild strength. Even at the that very mild strength I can feel the menthol or cooling effect after the rinse. Will keep increasing the strength till i find the dosage that feels too strong.

The pain in my sinuses seems to be going down after two days on Zithromax and lots of sinus rinses and frequent inhalation of steam and use of humidifier at other times. I am happy there is no big pain in ear or signs of congestion in the lungs so far. Thanks for the suggestion and info.

[annekat]

You're welcome! We have Walgreen's here, too, so I can see if they carry it regularly. It was a long time ago I last used it, and I'd actually sort of forgotten about it..... maybe it is easier to get now than it was before. It would be interesting to see what it does for me now that I'm a diagnosed Weggie.

[drz]

I was using Alkalol for awhile.... this was pre-WG-dx. I had to special order it from my pharmacy. I found that using it straight, per the directions, it was very harsh! But adding a squirt of it to a sinus rinse was fine and did feel good. Other people I know did not find it harsh in straight form, so I don't know what the deal was there.

The directions that came with my bottle suggest using it from a 20% or mild solution to 80% or extra strong. i find just adding a a tablespoon to a sinus rinse squirt bottle which yields a very extra mild solution seems to work OK for me. It is a little pricey at $12 a bottle here and i have used over half of it in less than a week at the the very mild dosage level.

My sinuses seem a little better, lower pain level in teeth, but still a long way from being cleared up even after five days of azithromycin. I still get extra blood and nasal crusting from rinses. My SED and CRP rates are also elevated from last month but no other alarms going off yet. So far it looks like a mild flare from sinus infection and I hope it gets better without any extra major treatment apart from treating the sinus infection. (nasal rinses, extra humidity, steroid nasals spray, Muccinex, and antibiotic). I am a lot more tired and am napping a lot more but other people with colds seem to be doing the same.

[annekat]

drz, that sounds a lot like how I've been feeling since having a cold about a month ago. I'm attributing some of the fatigue to MTX. I don't remember how much I paid for Alkalol but it sounds like it's gone up. I must not have read the directions right, or they've changed them, since I did try it full strength and it was too strong. I have tried adding other things to my nasal rinse, such as tinctures of goldenseal or other herbs said to have antibiotic properties. But this was mainly before my dx. I think they may have helped some, though.