Sinusitis FAQ

Prednisone/Worried…

Question:

Whatever you do, DON’T get the surgery done… It’s been HELL since I’ve had it done.  It’s worse than it was. Just my two cents!  :-) Kendall F. Stratton III Fort Fairfield, Maine http://www.mfx.net/~k3 www.ilscenter.com for Microsoft Netmeeting "The Mind, once stretched by an empowering idea, can never fully shrink back to it’s original dimensions."

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Friends, I have been off mtx for 6 weeks because of a sinus infection and have had to be only on 23-25 mg of prednisone.  I had been in a flare up before and it is ongoing….however, because of the inf my RD will not give me anything else. Am going to see an internist who will decide wheather to do a sinus surgery or do an outpatient antibiotic treatment intravenously.  I see him on the 18th. My RD wants to put me on enbrel if this can get cleared up.  Which do you recommend….the surgery or outpatient treatment?  My ENT says if surgery is not done it could come back because there are pockets where infections hide…..I really dont want surgery….but…. Also am real concerned about being on 23-25mg of Prednisone daily…..I have never been up this much for this long. Scared, Polly Miracles happen every day!

Response:

Polly I haven’t been on any DMARDS for 3 months.  This is gave the MTX a chance to get out of my system and this round of viral infections to clear up.  I’ve been taking Plaquenil, Ibuprofen and Celebrex  for the past  7 weeks.  It seems to be working but not as well as the MTX, but too soon to tell fore sure. Bob A. —

Hi Bob,  Plaquenil is a dmard.  A mild one but a dmard and I hope it works for you. Harv Houston,Tx

Response:

Polly I haven’t been on any DMARDS for 3 months.  This is gave the MTX a chance to get out of my system and this round of viral infections to clear up.  I’ve been taking Plaquenil, Ibuprofen and Celebrex  for the past  7 weeks.  It seems to be working but not as well as the MTX, but too soon to tell fore sure. Bob A. —

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Bob, Now that you are not on mtx, what are you taking? Good point you made about the inf clearing up in time….altho, that still leaves me using quite a high dosage of pred.  I feel like I need to be on something else if I do the waiting, yet my RD says ‘no’ if there is still infection. It gets really tiring trying to juggle everything. Polly Miracles happen every day!

Response:

Polly, I have lots of experience with sinus infections and sinus surgery. I’ve had three surgeries on my sinuses; one in 1976, 1980 and 1982. In the 1976 surgery they cut through the tissue between my upper teeth and cheek to access the sinus passage.  Then cleaned it out.  As you can see from the dates, it helped for four years.  The second surgery was through my nose (which I think they do all surgeries this way now).  I had to have it done again in 1982 by a different ENT surgeon because the one in 1980 wasn’t done correctly.  (In my surgery, they had to cut a hole from the sinus passage into the nose for the sinuses to drain instead of getting plugged and infected.) I haven’t had to have the surgery again and even though I still have infections occasionally, I’m told I don’t need the surgery again.  Matter of fact, I hadn’t had but a few infections until I went on Enbrel.  Since Enbrel, I’ve already had 2 in 3 months. I don’t know about your internist, but you really need to see an ENT specialist to decide if you need the surgery.  Sometimes they can drain the sinus passage without full blown surgery.  X-rays can also determine if surgery is needed.  The surgery isn’t pleasant because they have to pack your nostrils for 24 hours, but it does work.  I’m proof of that.  So I guess what I’m trying to say is that I would probably go for the surgery to get it all cleaned out and then start the Enbrel.  JMO. Donna F. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Friends, I have been off mtx for 6 weeks because of a sinus infection and have had to be only on 23-25 mg of prednisone.  I had been in a flare up before and it is ongoing….however, because of the inf my RD will not give me anything else. Am going to see an internist who will decide wheather to do a sinus surgery or do an outpatient antibiotic treatment intravenously.  I see him on the 18th. My RD wants to put me on enbrel if this can get cleared up.  Which do you recommend….the surgery or outpatient treatment?  My ENT says if surgery is not done it could come back because there are pockets where infections hide…..I really dont want surgery….but…. Also am real concerned about being on 23-25mg of Prednisone daily…..I have never been up this much for this long. Scared, Polly Miracles happen every day!

Response:

Hi Friends, I have been off mtx for 6 weeks because of a sinus infection and have had to be only on 23-25 mg of prednisone.  I had been in a flare up before and it is ongoing….however, because of the inf my RD will not give me anything else. Am going to see an internist who will decide wheather to do a sinus surgery or do an outpatient antibiotic treatment intravenously.  I see him on the 18th. My RD wants to put me on enbrel if this can get cleared up.  Which do you recommend….the surgery or outpatient treatment?  My ENT says if surgery is not done it could come back because there are pockets where infections hide…..I really dont want surgery….but…. Also am real concerned about being on 23-25mg of Prednisone daily…..I have never been up this much for this long. Scared, Polly Miracles happen every day!

Response:

I also have sinusitis and allergic rhinitis.  Have had this and RA for 30 years.  I know what your going through!   I have been on MTX for the last 10 years.   Had to quite it because it went toxic on me.  It wasn’t until 3 months after I stopped taking MTX that I stopped having flu-like symptoms and other infections including Sinusitis.   MTX like most other DMARDS work on the immune system thus making you susceptible to all kinds of infections. It may take 3 months or so for the MTX to work out of your system and your immune system to get back to normal.  You will may have major flares during this time as I did.   Maybe your sinus infection will clear up after the drug is out of your system. Good Luck Bob Abel — Robert IF. Abel

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Friends, I have been off mtx for 6 weeks because of a sinus infection and have had to be only on 23-25 mg of prednisone.  I had been in a flare up before and it is ongoing….however, because of the inf my RD will not give me anything else. Am going to see an internist who will decide wheather to do a sinus surgery or do an outpatient antibiotic treatment intravenously.  I see him on the 18th. My RD wants to put me on enbrel if this can get cleared up.  Which do you recommend….the surgery or outpatient treatment?  My ENT says if surgery is not done it could come back because there are pockets where infections hide…..I really dont want surgery….but…. Also am real concerned about being on 23-25mg of Prednisone daily…..I have never been up this much for this long. Scared, Polly Miracles happen every day!

Response:

Bob, Now that you are not on mtx, what are you taking? Good point you made about the inf clearing up in time….altho, that still leaves me using quite a high dosage of pred.  I feel like I need to be on something else if I do the waiting, yet my RD says ‘no’ if there is still infection. It gets really tiring trying to juggle everything. Polly Miracles happen every day!

Response:

Polly, That is kind of high for Prednisone but if you stay there for only a week or two and taper down you are ok.  I have been as high as 60 mg. and tapered down.  I have no insight into the surgery, outpatient or enbrel thing though, sorry.  Good Luck. Jeannette Olson – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Friends, I have been off mtx for 6 weeks because of a sinus infection and have had to be only on 23-25 mg of prednisone.  I had been in a flare up before and it is ongoing….however, because of the inf my RD will not give me anything else. Am going to see an internist who will decide wheather to do a sinus surgery or do an outpatient antibiotic treatment intravenously.  I see him on the 18th. My RD wants to put me on enbrel if this can get cleared up.  Which do you recommend….the surgery or outpatient treatment?  My ENT says if surgery is not done it could come back because there are pockets where infections hide…..I really dont want surgery….but…. Also am real concerned about being on 23-25mg of Prednisone daily…..I have never been up this much for this long. Scared, Polly Miracles happen every day!

Response:

Filed under: Sinusitis Symptoms

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