![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 19 of 19. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by gardenergirl on February 18, 2006, at 6:41:51
I feel terrible. I thought I was just developing the sniffles, but now I have the mother of all sore throats. I looked at it this a.m., and I was shocked at how red and swollen it is. No wonder it hurts like hell everytime I swallow at all.
And when I try to blow my nose, my throat sort of spasms closed. Even with 10 mg Ambien last night, I couldn't sleep.
I'm having a "oh I'm so sick" pity party. Sorry.
And of course my doc does not have Saturday hours. And I suppose it's probably viral anyway. But yuck. It HURTS SO BAD I was actually crying this a.m. That certainly didn't help.
Dang. I hate hate hate being sick.
I want my mommy.
gg
Posted by Larry Hoover on February 18, 2006, at 9:26:38
In reply to Fire engine red sore throat, posted by gardenergirl on February 18, 2006, at 6:41:51
> I feel terrible. I thought I was just developing the sniffles, but now I have the mother of all sore throats. I looked at it this a.m., and I was shocked at how red and swollen it is. No wonder it hurts like hell everytime I swallow at all.
>
> And when I try to blow my nose, my throat sort of spasms closed. Even with 10 mg Ambien last night, I couldn't sleep.
>
> I'm having a "oh I'm so sick" pity party. Sorry.
>
> And of course my doc does not have Saturday hours. And I suppose it's probably viral anyway. But yuck. It HURTS SO BAD I was actually crying this a.m. That certainly didn't help.
>
> Dang. I hate hate hate being sick.
>
> I want my mommy.
>
> ggGG, you have the symptoms of strep throat, a bacterial throat infection that responds wonderfully to antibiotics. There can be serious complications if it's not treated, and that's what you have. You should make an effort to get seen by a doctor.
Lar
Posted by gardenergirl on February 18, 2006, at 13:50:31
In reply to Re: Fire engine red sore throat » gardenergirl, posted by Larry Hoover on February 18, 2006, at 9:26:38
Hi Lar,
I will see a doc. The only darned Urgent Care that's in my health plan is out in the burbs, though. And it's a bit "brisk" outside. The brisk (in the low teens) I usually like but today just about knocks me over.Even without a fever, it could be strep? Although my glands do feel tender today, and I didn't notice that yesterday.
Bleah. Thanks for your reply, and I hope you're feeling better.
gg
Posted by Larry Hoover on February 18, 2006, at 20:42:38
In reply to Re: Fire engine red sore throat » Larry Hoover, posted by gardenergirl on February 18, 2006, at 13:50:31
> Even without a fever, it could be strep?
I admit to assuming the fever existed. Really early on, it could be strep throat without fever. But that can fairly quickly shift to strep throat with fever, indicating that the bacterium has gotten a foothold in your body.
There are other possible explanations, certainly, but you have to let a doctor do the differentials.
> Although my glands do feel tender today, and I didn't notice that yesterday.
>
> Bleah. Thanks for your reply, and I hope you're feeling better.
>
> ggI'm still not back to okay, but I am much better. Thanks.
If you do get a fever, you must go, suburbs or not.
A spoonful of honey, slowly dissolved in the mouth, can be soothing. Also, a spoonful of apple cider vinegar diluted in warm water makes a soothing gargle.
Take care, and I hope you're feeling better soon.
Lar
Posted by gardenergirl on February 18, 2006, at 23:07:17
In reply to Re: Fire engine red sore throat » gardenergirl, posted by Larry Hoover on February 18, 2006, at 20:42:38
Hi Larry,
I did go to the doc. Since our insurance changed for this year, I hadn't realized that there were many more Urgent Care options, and that it's the normal doctor's visit co-pay. Still, my throat hurt so bad, I would have gone to the ER if necessary.She didn't bother with a throat culture, since she went ahead and gave me Zithromax. I guess the treatment wouldn't change whether it is strep or some other bug, unless it's a virus, or course. And she recommended guafensin (sp?) to help. I think I forgot to mention the sinus symptoms before.
It was nice to have a doc who knew about MAOI's and the implications for someone with an upper respiratory infection. I have to remind my GP sometimes.
At any rate, I'm floating in tea with honey and lemon right now. But that seems to be the most help. That and keeping tylenol in me at regular intervals.
Take care and thanks!
gg
Posted by Dinah on February 19, 2006, at 11:58:47
In reply to Re: Fire engine red sore throat » Larry Hoover, posted by gardenergirl on February 18, 2006, at 23:07:17
I'm sorry you're feeling rotten, but glad you took care of yourself and saw a doctor.
If it's bacterial you should be feeling much better soon, if my recollections of my son's infections are any indication.
Posted by gardenergirl on February 19, 2006, at 18:44:03
In reply to Re: Fire engine red sore throat » gardenergirl, posted by Dinah on February 19, 2006, at 11:58:47
Thanks.
I started to feel a bit better today, but I'm back to feeling puny. I wouldn't be surprised if it is a combination of a virus that then progressed to a bacterial infection due to resistances being down and all the inflammation.
Although my brain is "off", so I don't know if that even makes sense.
Can you get drunk on tea with honey and lemon? ;)
Hope you're doing well.
gg
Posted by sleepygirl on February 19, 2006, at 19:34:43
In reply to Re: Fire engine red sore throat » Dinah, posted by gardenergirl on February 19, 2006, at 18:44:03
sometimes an infection will make me feel "drunk" - maybe it's a fever, maybe just the infection
Feel better
liquids, liquids, liquids! ;-)
Posted by Sabrina0805 on February 20, 2006, at 6:48:11
In reply to Re: Fire engine red sore throat » Dinah, posted by gardenergirl on February 19, 2006, at 18:44:03
Posted by Deneb on February 21, 2006, at 14:31:26
In reply to Re: Fire engine red sore throat » Dinah, posted by gardenergirl on February 19, 2006, at 18:44:03
Posted by ClearSkies on February 22, 2006, at 8:53:34
In reply to Fire engine red sore throat, posted by gardenergirl on February 18, 2006, at 6:41:51
Hope you are on the mend.
ClearSkie
Posted by gardenergirl on February 22, 2006, at 16:59:00
In reply to GG, how are you now?, posted by ClearSkies on February 22, 2006, at 8:53:34
Thanks everyone. Slowly but surely, I think.
But man oh man. This one's lasting forever and really kicked my behind!
gg
Posted by gardenergirl on February 28, 2006, at 17:42:06
In reply to Re: GG, how are you now?, posted by gardenergirl on February 22, 2006, at 16:59:00
Hi again,
I thought I'd post this in case anyone else gets prescribed a z-pack for a sinus infection. According to my GP, who I just saw for a followup since I'm not much better, zithromax is "useless" (actually he was a bit more colorful) for sinus infections. Which makes sense considering I never felt any of the usual "feeling better" from an antibiotic. And in fact, it feels like it's starting all over again in my head, after moving down to my chest for a quick getaway. :(So my GP gave me Ketek, which is related to erythromycins. I took one dose last night, and I feel world's better already!
I also used a sinus cleanser system (neti pot with saline/bicarbonate solution) last night, and maybe that helped, too. It definitely soothed my sore nose and nasal mucosa. Not as gross as I thought it might be, and it didn't sting like water up the nose in a swimming pool does.
So, if you get a sinus infection and you get an antibiotic, think twice if it's zithromax. Ketek is approved for respiratory infections, and apparently it works directly in the respiratory system.
This has been a Babble service announcement...
gg
Posted by JenStar on March 3, 2006, at 22:29:37
In reply to Sinus infections and zithromax, posted by gardenergirl on February 28, 2006, at 17:42:06
hi gg,
my doc gave me Ketek once for a sinus infection, and another time I got Augmentin. Both worked.Being the person I am, I immediately looked them both up on the internet to understand all the possible side efx and interactions, because (why not?) there isn't enough to worry about when one has a sinus infection.
I got a bit leery of the Ketek, because I found some news updates saying that some people have suffered serious liver toxicity from ketek. It's not enough people yet to force a black box warning, but it was enough to make me think twice.
I've decided I won't take Ketek again (even though it worked for my sinus!) because I am paranoid, and it's new, and I just don't trust the drug companies right now about being truthful about effects of drugs.
Just my 2 cents!
jenStar
Posted by Sarah T. on April 2, 2006, at 3:46:19
In reply to Sinus infections and zithromax, posted by gardenergirl on February 28, 2006, at 17:42:06
Hi GG,
My response to your post is long overdue. I've been having lots of computer problems, and I've been sick with a sinus infection, among other things. That 5-day Z-pack for Zithromax is so appealing at first. Taking a full course of antibiotics for only 5 days as opposed to two or three weeks seems too good to be true -- and for particularly deep sinus infections, it is. The sinuses are so difficult to penetrate. I'm allergic to Penicillin, so my options are limited. I'm now on my second course of antibiotics after the Z-pack failed to treat my horrid maxillary sinus infection, which ended up causing a a tooth infection in my maxilla as well.There might be some people who benefit from Zithromax for sinuses. There are many advantages to either Zithromax/azithromycin or Biaxin (clarithromycin, I think). Zithromax, as I said, is only five days (it has a long half life, so it stays in your body for another 5-7 days). Also, if you're allergic to Penicillin, drugs like Zithromax and Biaxin are good alternatives. Another benefit of Zithromax is that it is relatively safe. It's not as safe as the advertisements led us to believe when it was first marketed. It does interact with some classes of drugs, although early reports claimed it had no significant interactions. Still, if you have a sinus infection or other upper respiratory infection, and it isn't too bad, I think it's worth giving Zithromax a try. The first few times I took Zithromax several years ago, it did help, so it's possible my bacteria have developed a resistance to it.
It seems that the antibiotics that are best at treating stubborn sinus infections are also more dangerous. My otolaryngologist said that if you are prone to sinus infections, the best way to treat them is to have a culture taken so the doctor can see exactly what is causing the infection. Many sinus infections are caused by fungi or a combination of fungi and bacteria. Once the culprit is identified, the appropriate medicine can be chosen.
I hope you're fully recovered by now. Did you have any side effects, immediate or long-term, from the Ketek?
S.
Posted by gardenergirl on April 2, 2006, at 9:14:09
In reply to Re: Sinus infections and zithromax » gardenergirl, posted by JenStar on March 3, 2006, at 22:29:37
Hi, sorry for long delay in reply. I looked Ketek up, too. I look everything up since I'm on an MAOI. I've got a great program that lets me check for interactions and see drug info on my Palm.
The SE's worried me, too, especially since he had me on it for almost three weeks. I avoided alcholol for the most part while I was on it. And I sometimes take milk thistle for liver health, although I didn't have any. It's scary when meds that are helpful can also do such damage.
Hopefully, we'll stay healthy as best we can and limit our needs for antibiotics. Of course, allergy season is starting now. :(
Incidentally, although it's kinda gross, I really liked that sinus cleanser thingy. It didn't hurt like I worried it would, and it was very soothing. It also made it easier to breathe for a decent time after using it. Who'd a thunk it?
Take care,
gg
Posted by gardenergirl on April 2, 2006, at 9:20:57
In reply to Re: Sinus infections and zithromax » gardenergirl, posted by Sarah T. on April 2, 2006, at 3:46:19
Hi Sarah,
I'm sorry you've been sick. I think whatever bug was causing all the sinus infections around here was a very powerful one. Hope you're feeling better. It took me awhile to get my endurance back afterwards. I really felt like I was going to get pneumonia at one point before I started the Ketek.I'm allergic to Penicillin, too. It does make it more difficult to treat infections. I think your doc is spot on that taking a culture is a great way to get the most effective treatment. My mother had to have sinus surgery (ack!), and they found a significant amount of mold up there. She had worked in a basement office which had previously flooded and was never cleaned up according to EPA standards. I get nearly militant when I smell mildew now in workplaces.
I agree that zithromax is a good antibiotic for a lot of infections. It's too bad that we can't routinely and cheaply (pain-free, too!) cultures whenever there's an infection to allow choosing the most effective AB.
My PCP is a bit outspoken. He's also enthralled with drug reps, so his comment about zithromax likely orginially came from a rep of another AB.
Still, it didn't help me at all this time. :(
Maybe we need AB's we can spray up there?
Oh, and Biaxin XL helped the last really bad one I had. But it actually made me hypomanic! That must be some powerful AB. I hated that feeling, although a friend of mine said he liked how I was. Ugh. I won't take that one again unless there's no other option.
Take care and thanks for sharing the info.
gg
Posted by Sarah T. on April 2, 2006, at 14:25:01
In reply to Re: Sinus infections and zithromax » Sarah T., posted by gardenergirl on April 2, 2006, at 9:20:57
Hi GG,
Thanks so much for your reply. Which sinus cleanse product did you use? I bought the one made by Ayr. I think it's called Ayr Sinus Rinse Kit/Saline Sinus Wash. To a packet of sodium chloride (salt) and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), you add either 6 ounces of distilled water or 6 oz. cooled water that you have previously boiled. I bought the distilled water. I thought of just making the solution myself with salt and baking soda, but I wanted the salts to be in the correct proportions and sterile, or at least as clean as possible. A plastic spray bottle is provided in the package. You spray the solution into one nostril until it comes out of the other nostril. It seems to help a lot, but I still have an infection. I'm really exhausted and my head still feels as if my brain has been displaced by purulent mucous (sorry about that!).
Yes, the infection that's been making the rounds where I live is particularly nasty this year. So many people have been sick. Part of the problem for me is that I waited a week to start on the antibiotics. If I'd gone to the doctor and started them right away, I probably could have nipped the infection in the bud. The delay caused the infection to settle deep in my sinuses. I had some sinus surgery about 3.5 years ago, and my sinuses were MUCH better during these past 3.5 years -- until now. I used to get 5 or 6 really bad sinus infections per year. Since the surgery, I get one or two sinus infections per year. The one I have now is definitely the worst one I've had since the surgery, and I think it might be one of the worst I've ever had.
It sounds as if your Mom went through a terrible time! That's disgraceful that her employer didn't clean up that basement properly. Do you know exactly what her surgeon did during her surgery, aside from cleaning out the molds? Did your Mom have some of her bone structure changed? Did she have what they call "polypoid mucosal thickening"?
That's very interesting that Biaxin caused you to become hypomanic. I wonder why that happened. I'm extremely sensitive to most meds and med combinations, so I'm always interested to hear about reactions such as yours, especially when there is nothing in the literature about such reactions. When you were on Zithromax, did it do the opposite? I mean, did it make you kind of depressed? It made me very tired and depressed.
I like your idea of an antibiotic nasal spray, except that the spray might not penetrate very far if the bone structure is causing an obstruction or if there's a lot of swelling from polyps or scar tissue. Before I had my sinus surgery, when my doctor tried to insert one of the nasal probe-type instruments into my right nostril, the instrument would not get past the area around the bridge of my nose. And when I tried to spray nose drops in that nostril before the surgery, the drops would just dribble out of my nose, down my face. That's how bad the deviation or obstruction was!
Well, I think it's time for another sinus rinse.
Thanks for your help!!
Sarah
Posted by Joy123 on November 18, 2009, at 5:56:55
In reply to Re: Sinus infections and zithromax » gardenergirl, posted by Sarah T. on April 2, 2006, at 3:46:19
Yes Generic Zithromax worked for my Sinus infections. I got generics and it worked for me. I got it online. You need to be careful on the drugs that interact with zithromax which might make the side effects very intense. You can find info on the list of drugs that interact with zithromax at http://www.internationaldrugmart.com/zithromax.html
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Health | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.