I have just completed 20 days of antibiotics, 10 days of antibiotics that the doctor says they reserve for the “big gun” infections, and guess what? I’m still sick. I don’t feel as bad as I did, but I am still not well and I still have a lot of pressure in my head, my ears are still full of fluid, my head feels like it is going to explode, I’m still not sleeping and my ears hurt like crazy. Now my neck is hurting like mad also. Just turning my eyes to the side to look at something is causing excruciating pain in my head – that is how much pressure I have in my sinuses and in my head.
I have been using a Netti Pot, which is so gross. I can’t stand that feeling but I have been faithfully using it several times a day but I am having trouble with it because my sinuses are clogged. When I pour the saline solution into my right nostril, it goes directly into my throat instead of out my other nostril and I’m doing it the exact same way as the left side so I am assuming it is because that side is clogged. So I am hacking and gagging like crazy because that stuff is going down the back of my throat.
I talked to my manager the other day and told him not to schedule me for next week because I’m not getting well and I need some time off so that I could get my body built back up. When someone already has chronic health issues like those of us with CFS, something as minor as even a cold can take a major toll on our bodies.
I guess I’m going to call my ENT tomorrow since I still feel so bad. I do not want to take anymore antibiotics because apparently they aren’t going to help regardless of what I take. I need to take another course of treatment.
It seems this happens to me every year or so where I will get a sinus infection and then I can’t recover from it. Why is it with CFS patients we have sinus problems? I am so tired of dealing with all of this crap all of the time.
In 2007 I had Sinusitis and my family practice physician gave me 2 10 day antibiotic therapies. When they did not solve the sinus infection and I also had a fever I called my rheumatologist (RA) and he put me on a 21 day course of antibiotic therapy and gave me a steroid shot. Finally after 31 days of sinus infection and fever I was better. My rheumatologist explained that patients with CFS, FMS, etc. have compromised immune systems frequently, so they do not respond to treatment like a “normal” person (my words, not his).
A neti pot or sinus bottle with saline from the drug store is a great help. So is a warm wash cloth (wet) placed over the nose, cheeks, and eyes.
Life does get better! Eat well, play often, and love always. This to shall pass!
That kind of illness is strange and it must be really hard for you to have that. I have a friend who suffers the same ailment as you and got the same explanation from his physician. Steroids really help with that and a stronger type of antibiotic. My friend has been taking food supplements and so far he’s getting better and has not experienced sinusitis since then. The principle here is to make your immune system stronger so instead of relying to the medicines, let your immunity protect even before illnesses target you.
I once had to take loads of antibiotics and after a while they just didn’t work. After a while the body gets use to it and they just don’t do their job. Here in the UK doctors are reluctant to give antibiotics for colds and I agree with that. It should be used as a last resort.
Have you considered what is causing these issues? – you need to treat the cause and not the symptoms. Words I live by.