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Are there better antibiotics to take for sinus infection that won't cause UC flares?

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Posted 11/21/2007 3:49 PM (GMT 0)
I am going to the GP today b/c my scratchy throat turned sore this morning, with lots of other sinus infection type symptoms.

In August, I had sinus infection and the antibiotic I was put on POSSIBLY through me into the flare I've been taking pred for and I only have two more doses of pred and I'm done!

I don't want to flare b/c of an antibiotic and wanted to know what others took that helped the sinus infection, but didn't hurt their remission or UC, in general.

THANKS and Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Posted 11/21/2007 4:06 PM (GMT 0)
I get a lot of sinus infections. I take either a z-pac or a penicillin. Neither has ever caused a flare for me... I've always kept my remission.
Posted 11/21/2007 4:16 PM (GMT 0)
I have used the Zpack with no troubles but I find that if I take my antibiotics with yogurt that it helps keeping me from having symptoms from the antibiotics. Not sure if you have to wait in between taking the antibiotics and yogurt though but I know that there is a waiting period between taking an antibitoic and a probiotic. So it stands to reason the same should be true for yogurt.
Posted 11/21/2007 4:21 PM (GMT 0)
I avoid antibiotics as much as possible, and I usually get 3 to 4 sinus infections per year. Last time I was on antibiotics I got C diff, and you don't want that!!!
So here's my recipe for stopping a sinus infection from developing:
Go to the dr. and get prescription strength sudafed and some samples or a prescription for nasonex.
Take the sudafed and use the nasonex.
Get a "neti pot" (as seen on Oprah) they seem to be usually at Walgreen's
Use the neti pot a few times per day, even if it seems like it's not working.
Take tylenol if necessary.
I've avoided 3 sinus infections this year, haven't had one since January :)
James
Posted 11/21/2007 7:20 PM (GMT 0)
I'd try the nasonex first, I don't use it often because it's a steroid and 2 times when I was a kid I became addicted to nasal spray so I'm very careful about using nasal sprays anymore, with the exeption of Salenex which is basically a salt water nasal spray to help with stuffy noses...

But probiotics are an excellent idea daily even if you're not on antibiotics.

:)
Posted 11/21/2007 10:17 PM (GMT 0)
As far as I know, it varies from person to person what, if any, antibiotics they can take. I've not had any problems with Cipro. If oral antibiotics aren't a possibility, talk to your doctor about antibiotic injections. Those shouldn't affect the intestinal bacteria.
Posted 11/21/2007 10:32 PM (GMT 0)
I'd avoid Biaxin like the plague. Possible side effects include: diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stomach upset, changes in taste and headache. This stuff is actually what I believe triggered my UC. It was prescribed by my GP. When I talked to my gastro's nurse about how sick it made me, she said it was "one of the worst" antibiotics to prescribe for anyone with gut troubles.
Posted 11/21/2007 11:10 PM (GMT 0)
The only antibiotic i could ever take was flagyl. In fact a z-pack was what started all my trouble in the first place! and then a dose of cipro sent me into another flare, and a dose of something else did the same. A shot or IV is really the best way to go, if you can get your dr to go for that
Posted 11/21/2007 11:19 PM (GMT 0)
I was on a z-pack last week and it didn't cause me any issues. I've also taken amoxicillin a couple times since being diagnosed and it didn't cause me any problems. I was also on Augmentin and some IV antibiotics (not sure what)...also had a shot of some antibiotic ...all of these since being diagnosed in March. None seemed to affect my UC. I actually usually feel better UC-wise when I'm on antibiotics. I took Flagyl when first diagnosed and it caused pretty awful side effects for me...but I don't think the doctors would prescribe that for a sinus infection anyway. Hope you feel better soon!
Posted 11/22/2007 1:09 AM (GMT 0)

You are probably sick of me repeating myself, but the MAYO clinic has found fungus, not bacteria to be a cause of sinusitis.  I would try antifungals as the articles below mention.....

http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/node/2513

http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/mayo_clinic_receives_patent_for_new_treatment_of_chronic_sinus_infection

Just my two cents, of course. Why take a gamble by introducing antibiotics into your body, if you don't need to? I'd give the antifungal/spray thing a try first, if it were me.

 

Posted 11/22/2007 4:55 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for all the great responses and helpful hints! I found out that I have bronchitis, not sinus infection. The NP gave me an inhaler and decongestant. If I don't get better by Saturday, I can fill an antibiotic script. If I could just get the congestion to come out, I'd be much better. I think I've had this for awhile, but didn't realize it until I started tapering to 5mg of pred every three days, now. I have read that pred can "mask" other symptoms. I am so glad she didn't put me on more pred, but I really shared my feelings on both pred and antibiotics and how I didn't want anything that would send me back into a flare and/or back onto pred. She listened better than the GP and the GI!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
Posted 11/23/2007 3:41 AM (GMT 0)
have you tried that musconex (sp?) stuff, my husband swears by it! and vicks is also really good to get the stuff out. My grandma swears by rocking rye (whiskey) and actually they all do seem to work!
feel better
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