Advice for recurrent sinus infections

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone,

Shaelin is back on antibiotics again for a sinus infection. This is

the third consecutive month. He was on Zithromax in July, on

Augmentin for 20 days in August following an ENT evaluation and has

been sick again for 1 1/2 weeks, only 1 week after the Augmentin was

finished. ENT did not see any polyps or mucocele growth, only the

purulent drainage. He has now been started on Ceftin.

I started taking him to an accupuncturist last week but it is too

soon to see if that will help. I have also been trying tea tree oil

aromatherapy to see if that makes any difference. Over the past week

since he developed a cold we have been doing saline irrigations twice

daily, I recently put him back on Afrin for 3 days, increased his

Flovent and vest treatments and started him on albuterol. He has had

only upper airway congestion until 2 days ago when he developed a

raspy cough.

Shaelin is only 2 1/2 and therefore not in school. I cannot imagine

what I am going to do when he starts school!

If anyone has any suggestions for preventative measures I would

greatly appreciate it.

Jeanne (foster Mom to Shaelin, 2 1/2wcf)

[Guest guest]

Well I know exactly how you feel. Thus far all 's problems have been

his sinuses. In his short four years he has had six sinus surgeries, four in

the past two years. Fiannly we decided to go another route and tested him

for allergies. Well he has allergies and we have concluded that maybe they

go hand-in-hand. Now this winter we will see what happens. Have they

cultured the mucus in his nose to see what grows? And have they tried a ct

scan for possible surgery to remove all the gunk up there?

mom to 4wcf and Brenna 8wocf

>

>Reply-To: cfparents

>To: cfparents

>Subject: Advice for recurrent sinus infections

>Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2003 18:32:14 -0000

>

>Hi Everyone,

>

>Shaelin is back on antibiotics again for a sinus infection. This is

>the third consecutive month. He was on Zithromax in July, on

>Augmentin for 20 days in August following an ENT evaluation and has

>been sick again for 1 1/2 weeks, only 1 week after the Augmentin was

>finished. ENT did not see any polyps or mucocele growth, only the

>purulent drainage. He has now been started on Ceftin.

>

>I started taking him to an accupuncturist last week but it is too

>soon to see if that will help. I have also been trying tea tree oil

>aromatherapy to see if that makes any difference. Over the past week

>since he developed a cold we have been doing saline irrigations twice

>daily, I recently put him back on Afrin for 3 days, increased his

>Flovent and vest treatments and started him on albuterol. He has had

>only upper airway congestion until 2 days ago when he developed a

>raspy cough.

>

>Shaelin is only 2 1/2 and therefore not in school. I cannot imagine

>what I am going to do when he starts school!

>

>If anyone has any suggestions for preventative measures I would

>greatly appreciate it.

>Jeanne (foster Mom to Shaelin, 2 1/2wcf)

>

>

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[Guest guest]

Hi Jeanne,

I feel for him with those sinus infections. I know how they make me

feel. You mentioned you're trying the tea tree oil. A couple years

ago, a woman (in her 30's with CF) told me when she feels a sinus

infection coming on she puts a drop of tea tree oil on cotton balls

and puts the cotton balls in her ears (the oil side facing inside the

ear). I've tried this and you can really smell the vapors. The last

time I did this was during the middle of the night. It helped so

much, especially since I was having a lot of facial swelling and

pain. I was asleep within minutes, and the next day my sinuses felt

so much better.

So maybe you'd like to try this to see if it helps?

Kim

[Guest guest]

ENT did not see any polyps or mucocele growth, only the

> purulent drainage. He has now been started on Ceftin.

>

>

I have no advice only a soft shoulder. Ceftin works the best for my

son but he still has to take it for 30 days. My son has a constant

sinus infection from when he starts school to when school ends. His

mucus was clear up to two weeks ago when he started clases and now he

has yellow gunk again. Makes you want to scream.

jan

[Guest guest]

Hi,

My daughter has also been suffering recurrent sinus infections since June.

Sounds very similar to what your going through. She has been on pulmozyme

since diagnosis (almost two years). Sometime in May I stopped using the mask

and

began using the mouthpiece to nebulize the pulmozyme. We never considered

that this was helping her sinuses because they were never an issue for her prior

to the switch. Well it hit me one day mid August that this may be why she was

suffering so often, the pulmozyme was thinning the mucous in sinuses when we

used the mask. When I brought this to the attention of our pulmonologist and

the doctor at our CF clinic, they agreed that she should use the mask despite

the recommendation to only use the mouthpiece. This might be something to

consider.

Pattie

[Guest guest]

Thanks grandmomBev, I was so frustrated that it took so long to realize. But

just glad it's working. Recently I read that treating staph with antibiotics

aggresively can influence a cozy home for psuedomonas to grow. Well just

last week she cultured her first psuedmonas. At first this angered me, but all

we can do is learn from this. It could have been picked up anywhere, its just

a strange coincidence. Like you said I hope the doc's start listening to the

families and start taking our advice so others can benefit from our " lessons

learned " .

Pattie

[Guest guest]

Dear Patti,

I have been told this same thing by sooooooo many folks I cant even guess

at how many. It seemed so logical too. I wish they would get together on it

.. It sure saves the health also & less sinus surgeries if done all the

time.-----keeping it clear. Bless you. thank's for there info 7 suggestion.

I hope many folks will go ask their docs too.

Have a great weekend

LOVE & HUGS, grandmomBEV

Re: Advice for recurrent sinus infections

Hi,

My daughter has also been suffering recurrent sinus infections since June.

Sounds very similar to what your going through. She has been on pulmozyme

since diagnosis (almost two years). Sometime in May I stopped using the

mask and

began using the mouthpiece to nebulize the pulmozyme. We never considered

that this was helping her sinuses because they were never an issue for her

prior

to the switch. Well it hit me one day mid August that this may be why she

was

suffering so often, the pulmozyme was thinning the mucous in sinuses when we

used the mask. When I brought this to the attention of our pulmonologist

and

the doctor at our CF clinic, they agreed that she should use the mask

despite

the recommendation to only use the mouthpiece. This might be something to

consider.

Pattie