Sinus infection misery

Blah! I had a sinus infection before Christmas that my allergy doctor must have caught very early, because I never had any symptoms, except maybe a sore throat. He put me on antibiotics then (10 day course of Bactrim DS) and I thought that would be it.

But last week, I had a terrible sore throat and headache. Happened to be at home over the weekend for a retreat, and my parents(pharmacist and a nurse) talked to one of their doctor friends and got me prescribed another course of antibiotics (Azithromycin this time). By Sunday, it had turned into pressure around my eyes, headache behind the eyes, under my eyes, and in the front above my eyes, and occasional bouts of dizziness/vertigo/unsteadiness on my feet. And that is pretty much where I stand now, four days later and almost at the end of my current round of antibiotics.

Tylenol and a decongestant seem to take care of the worst of the pressure and headaches, but nothing helps the dizziness. I can't stand on my feet for more than 10 or 15 minutes without feeling like I need to sit down because the room is about to spin around me. This also means I haven't been to work all week - at a point when we really need data, but what can I do?

I already have an appointment with the campus clinic for tomorrow, in case my final dose of antibiotics don't help, but does anyone have any suggestions for what I can do for the dizziness? I really don't want to keep missing work if I don't have to, but I can't work and I certainly can't drive feeling the way I do right now.

If nothing else, let me know that someone is sharing or has shared this kind of misery before! I'm so bored being stuck at home all week!

My daughter goes thru the same thing constantly! She has the dizziness when the infection or fluid moves from her sinuses to her ears. Hope you get to feeling better soon!

I think they just need to find the right mix of decongestants and antibiotics. I am sorry you are feeling so ill.

Please talk to someone about the dizziness because if the pressure continues to build in your ears, your eardrums can burst. That happened to me (both of my eardrums burst!) in 2002 and I was miserable. The worst part was that I didn't feel the sinus pressure building.

I would hazard a guess that the dizziness is really motion sickness caused by the pressure building in your ears (which I experienced along with the pain of ear infections in both ears from the drums bursting).

Not to freak you out... I just wanted you to know that it can happen.

Thanks for the vibes guys!

Originally Posted by emrldsky

Please talk to someone about the dizziness because if the pressure continues to build in your ears, your eardrums can burst. That happened to me (both of my eardrums burst!) in 2002 and I was miserable. The worst part was that I didn't feel the sinus pressure building.

I would hazard a guess that the dizziness is really motion sickness caused by the pressure building in your ears (which I experienced along with the pain of ear infections in both ears from the drums bursting).

Not to freak you out...

I just wanted you to know that it can happen.

Click to expand...

I have an appointment tomorrow already, so I'll definitely see if they can check my ears for me, or refer me to an off-campus doctor who can. Thanks for the suggestion, because you're right - I don't feel any pressure either, but the dizziness is certainly there.

My sinuses seem to be a weak spot in my body, and I get infections way too often. I use a sinus rinse/wash once or twice a day to get the goop out otherwise the infection spreads to my ears and lungs. The sinus rinses are a life saver!

I use a syringe bulb with one cup of warm water and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, do it in the shower. It's gross but better out than in! (You can also google sinus wash or rinse for more info.)

Sinus infections can be scary. A friend of mine lost all her teeth when the infection moved into her gums, and another friend lost her dad to lung cancer than went undiagnosed. He had a sinus infection for months, which was his only symptom, and was even told that he would "have to live with" the sinus infection. Take care of yourself and I hope you are better soon!

Yeah, I understand completely. My sinuses are a "chronic focus." Medical terminology for a constant problem/pain!

And when the sinuses are bothering me, so are the upper molar teeth... since the teeth roots go right into the sinus wall. That is referred pain.

Mine is in part driven by allergy... but when I get a respiratory infection, within 48 hours, my sinuses are affected. Ugh!

The dizziness/vertigo may also be an ear infection - either bacterial or viral. I get those, too. That's up to your doctor to determine.

Good luck!

Originally Posted by AddieBee

And when the sinuses are bothering me, so are the upper molar teeth... since the teeth roots go right into the sinus wall. That is referred pain.

The dizziness/vertigo may also be an ear infection - either bacterial or viral. I get those, too. That's up to your doctor to determine.

Good luck!

Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm getting a touch of that upper molar pain now too.

I really doubt that I'll be feeling better by tomorrow, so I'll most likely be making that doctor's appointment. Of course, I'm hoping they don't just write me off, the doctors are hit or miss at the campus clinic. I may end up making an appointment with my allergy specialist, just to get some real attention. We'll see what they tell me tomorrow, I guess.

Been there several times. In fact, 3 times in one year. (1987 - yep, remember the year ) and I recall it taking at least 3 weeks, and as many courses of antiobiotics, to recover.

Sinus vibes!

I had all those symptoms b/c I was allergic to dogs!! I started having wheezing so they ran an allergy test on me and found that out, among a few other things. My whole life I lived with constant sinus infections and impacted sinuses, but my mom was the type to "oh there's nothing really wrong" so I didn't find out until I was an adult. I had my tonsils out and stopped living with dogs and it finally went away. I'm sure that's not what you have, but I know how you feel. Antibiotics never helped.

Now if I get a sinus infection the only things that ever help are a z-pac (which is what you are taking) and/or Aleve Cold and Sinus, which is actually what I'm on right now for a horrible head cold. lol I hope you feel better soon!!

Usually my sinus infections stay around my eyes and forehead (yeah, I get them pretty often) but I did have one that spread to my ear, and it was miserable! I was dizzy, but my jaw also hurt so bad I couldn't open my mouth to eat or talk. I didn't think it was part of a sinus infection that I had recently gotten over and assumed one of my wisdom theeth that was coming in got infected. When I went to the doctor, they prescribed antibiotics but also put drops in my ear to help break up the fluid. It helped with the dizziness pretty fast. You may want to ask the doctor about that when you see him to see if that would help for you. I hope you feel better soon!

Originally Posted by calico2222

Usually my sinus infections stay around my eyes and forehead (yeah, I get them pretty often) but I did have one that spread to my ear, and it was miserable! I was dizzy, but my jaw also hurt so bad I couldn't open my mouth to eat or talk. I didn't think it was part of a sinus infection that I had recently gotten over and assumed one of my wisdom theeth that was coming in got infected. When I went to the doctor, they prescribed antibiotics but also put drops in my ear to help break up the fluid. It helped with the dizziness pretty fast. You may want to ask the doctor about that when you see him to see if that would help for you. I hope you feel better soon!

Click to expand...

Oh, something like that would be great. None of the other symptoms have been too bad, but the dizziness I just can't deal with. Here's hoping there's something like that that can help - at least then I could get a bit of work done and not feel like a lazy bum at home!

I think I picked up a sinus infection on vacation. I snorked up some water from my mask while I was snorkeling, and got some in my lungs, too. By that night I was feeling like I had a sinus infect. I thought maybe a cold...but no sore throat, none of the usual symptoms. Then my lungs got congested.

I went to the doctor this evening, and got the great news I have pneumonia. Never had that happen before!

Roatan, where we were snorkeling, is pretty primitive. I'm wondering if they have a pollution problem there.

Originally Posted by mrblanche

I think I picked up a sinus infection on vacation. I snorked up some water from my mask while I was snorkeling, and got some in my lungs, too. By that night I was feeling like I had a sinus infect. I thought maybe a cold...but no sore throat, none of the usual symptoms. Then my lungs got congested.

I went to the doctor this evening, and got the great news I have pneumonia. Never had that happen before!

Roatan, where we were snorkeling, is pretty primitive. I'm wondering if they have a pollution problem there.

Click to expand...

Ugh, hope you feel better soon!

Sending prayers and vibes that you get better soon
I agree with the suggestion for cleaning your sinuses out with a saline solution. That is what has been recommended for me - esp. when my commute involves an elevation change of 4,000 feet. Ginger is supposed to help with dizziness & nausea, too, but I think that yours is probably caused by the fluid pressure in your ears.

Hate sinus infections. It took me four weeks to fully get over the last one I had. The worst part of it was that I had to fight with the doctor to get a note for missing a few days of work when it was at its worst. His words, "Four days off for a sinus infection is ridiculous, I never gave you permission to be off for four days. One or even two days should have been the most." Last time I checked I don't need permission from anyone to take off when I'm sick. Second, if I wasn't feeling so awful with the infection I would have seriously thought about giving him the Jethro Gibbs (NCIS) slap upside his head for being a . I still won and got my note.

Hope you feel better.

Oh, honey... I've only had one sinus infection in my whole life, but it was a nightmare. For what it's worth, I really feel your pain.

Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

Oh, honey... I've only had one sinus infection in my whole life, but it was a nightmare. For what it's worth, I really feel your pain.

Click to expand...

They are nasty buggers aren't they. To be honest, I'd take the flu over a sinus infection any day of the week.

Originally Posted by mrblanche

Roatan, where we were snorkeling, is pretty primitive. I'm wondering if they have a pollution problem there.

Click to expand...

Eww, I'd be worried about picking up all sorts of nasty things. But then I've watched too many of those shows where the people have been traveling and pick up weird diseases or parasites - like bot flies or worms ingested in the wrong part of their life cycle so they end up traveling to weird places in the body like the eye or become cyst in the brain.
One of the few things that really really creeps me out but there's a bit of a morbid curiosity.


I've only ever had one sinus infection - last February and I caught it early. I had been sick, and woke up with that pressure pain on the left side of my face. When I blew my nose a lot of pinkish snot came out! I called the doctor as soon as the office opened. ..That cold turned out to cause one of the weirdest symptoms ever for me - a strange side effect from lack of oxygen that even a past case of pneumonia never caused. Point - I knew I needed to treat it.

If you feel actual spinning when you stand up that would be vertigo. It could be your ears or if you're keeping yourself drugged up on OTC cold meds, it can be a side effect. Either way, it's time to get in for proper treatment.

Judging from my luck on vacations, I may have to give them up!

The first time we visited Roatan, about 10 years ago, there was not an inch of paved road on the island, no shops to spend any money, and only the most primitive of resorts. Now it's booming, but I wonder if their sewage treatment is keeping up at all.