Sinusitis

[lfran]

Hi all.

 

DS6 non Pandas is a strep carrier (as are DH and myself). He has chronic sniffles and dark under-eye circles, but whenever he blows his nose, it is always clear, not infected (not green or yellow). Elevated ASO and DNASE, but negative swabs, which were done a couple of times. Usually one side is stuffed way more than another. No nasal swabs, though. Just throat and perianal.

 

No OTC meds seem to help -- I've tried just about every antihistamine and decongestant there is. Saline and other washes help very temporarily. This has been going on a long time, but has recently gotten a lot worse.

 

I have been hearing so much about sinusitis and strep here. Does this sound like sinusitis? I was figuring allergies, but I'm willing to try a different path. We have been to soooo many MDS for DS9 (PANDAS) that I hate to start the rounds of med treatment for another child, but it looks like I may have to. So far, what everyone has offered is flonase, but the warnings on the insert sound pretty scary (may interfere with growth and also may make more susceptible to measles and chicken pox, which is just what we don't need in a PANDAS house).

 

Thanks.

[smartyjones]

there is a school of thought that many - perhaps more often than bacterial - sinus infections/problems may be caused by fungus. it is possible to harbor both strep and fungus, so - he could be a strep carrier but the sinus problem could be caused by fungus, not strep.

not sure that is your problem but just wanted to throw it out there as if you wanted to investigate.

 

good luck.

 

 

[Hierge]

I just received my first bottle of "Food Grade" hydrogen peroxide 8%. I have persistent sinusitis myself due to a chronic infection. The Neti pot has been great for me and I add a small amount of peroxide before I irrigate my nose using the Neti pot packets of salt and baking soda. There are some decent guides on the internet with folks who have completely cured sinusitis this way. Antibiotics don't do well at all on sinus infections according to what I have read. The first thing I noticed after using the weak peroxide in addition to the Neti pot packet is strong smells. I immediately picked up on a cat visiting the cat box across the house. I also smelled incense weakly coming from the basement which caused me to interrogate the teenagers. These are smells I would have missed. Food grade has no stabilizers so it is safer. I'm no expert here, but it works for me.

[thereishope]

Well, even if it is allergies, those can cause sinus infections as well as they have doen in my two sons. Have you gotten him checked out for a sinus infection? Some on here have only found the sinus infection through MRI's. Sinus infections can be very hard to clear and need more than a single 20 day script. My kids have gotten the script for antibiotics and an allergy spray to open up the pasages for draining. It's an allergy spray which has steroids in it, but I only use it for the first week...not continous for a month or more like the dr suggests.

Edited August 26, 2010 by Vickie

[philamom]

I just received my first bottle of "Food Grade" hydrogen peroxide 8%. I have persistent sinusitis myself due to a chronic infection. The Neti pot has been great for me and I add a small amount of peroxide before I irrigate my nose using the Neti pot packets of salt and baking soda. There are some decent guides on the internet with folks who have completely cured sinusitis this way. Antibiotics don't do well at all on sinus infections according to what I have read. The first thing I noticed after using the weak peroxide in addition to the Neti pot packet is strong smells. I immediately picked up on a cat visiting the cat box across the house. I also smelled incense weakly coming from the basement which caused me to interrogate the teenagers. These are smells I would have missed. Food grade has no stabilizers so it is safer. I'm no expert here, but it works for me.

Interesting abut the peroxide. My mother is always persuading me to use peroxide as a remedy for different things. I also fight sinusitis alot...I'll have to give it a try!

[kimballot]

lfran -

 

Has your son gone to an ENT for an evaluation? A good pediatric ENT work up may be what you need if he's not had one yet. It may be obvious to the ENT that he has a sinus infection, or the ENT may order a CT scan. Sinus infections are difficult to diagnose without a CT scan. No one wants to do a CT scan unless it is necessary... but you it may be worth while to have one done just to get a baseline if he has never had one. Sinus CTs can show current infection and can also show chronic inflammation that may be due to allergies. Also, there can be polyps or small bony abnormalities that make it difficult for mucus to clear out of the nasal passages and make sinus infections more likely.

 

Best of luck!

[P_Mom]

Sinusitis is inflammation of the sinus (can be chronic or acute).....it does not mean infection.(although, of course, it can lead to it)

[philamom]

My daughter had 4 cat scans of Sinusis:

first one: probable chronic sinusitis.

second one: PAN (all openings blocked) sinusitis. did month of Augmentin and a week of steroids.

third one: follow up to PAN= minimal improvement of sinusitis.

fourth one: after two IVIG's= no evidence of sinusitis.

This was over a period of 5 years.

 

My daughter hardly had any drainage coming from her nose (it was way up there), so doctors would say she was fine. When she blew her nose nothing would come out, but when she sneezed or really cried, green stuff (sorry) would.

 

Dr. B said because this was not addressed correctly, it went chronic.

Edited August 26, 2010 by philamom

[momto2pandas]

Another thing to consider since he tests positive for strep antibodies and is chronically sniffling - might he have impetigo (basically a strep rash) in his nose? My ds6 has had exactly the same thing you're describing a few times (including now) - lots of deep sniffing, nose bothering him (rubs it), dark circles -- but no discharge. We tried allergy medicines (all kinds - oral and inhaled), and nothing worked. It came back recently after months of being gone, and our new immunologist took one look up his nose and said that he had impetigo crusts up there, and that impetigo crusts can look like something from allergies, but you know that it's impetigo if the allergy medicines don't work and if they blood-test positive for strep.