A little medical condition called "chronic sinusitis" runs in my family. Both sides, no matter which way the Punnett square rolled, my genetic disposition toward chronic sinusitis was somewhere between "exorbitant" and "off the charts." I get sinus infections approximately four times a year, or once a season. Really. December 2004, February 2005, April 2005, August 2005, November 2005, and now February/March 2006. My dad once remarked that he could set the clock to exactly 11 am in nursing homes based on what time The Price is Right came on; you can set the season by my getting a sinus infection.
I have two antibiotics of choice for these infections: Biaxin and Azithromicin. I think it depends on whose drug reps are giving the more extravagant dinners to whichever doctor I happen to be seeing at the time. I'd have to say, though, that the Z-pack (Azithromicin) is by far preferable. Biaxin: 2 pills a day for ten days, and a nasty metallic aftertaste that can only be prevented if you remember to take the pill with a flood of orange juice. Z-pack: two pills the first day, and one a day the next five. That's all.
So I'm on the Z-pack now, as per usual. Health Services, apparently notorious for overprescribing, also loaded me with the following army of medication: an antihistamine, a sudafed generic, some cough syrup, some throat lozenges, and (my personal favorite) Prednosone. Yep, I'm on steroids.
One last interesting bit about sinusitis. While I was Googling the answer to every question for my last Health test (a very good method, should anyone reading this ever get Surrency for HPS 1040 at Tech), I came across a page about the causes of chronic sinusitis. I thought to myself "Hey! I have that!", an eerie premonition that I'd be getting an episode a few weeks later. Or maybe I just looked at the calendar. Evidently, a root cause of the disease may have to do with a fungus living inside your sinus cavity. This was a bit disconcerting to me.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
matt, seriously. become a cyborg. it's really easy!!!
p.s. if you haven't been checking what i list my webpages as , you are missing out.
How do you REMEMBER all the dates of your sinus infections? I have trouble remembering what I did four hours ago.
EsterC
Chronic Sinusitis sounds pretty rough, Matt. It doesn't seem like anything to sneeze at.
And will the alleged sinus cavity fungus be available for comment given he exists and has a mouth and lungs and all the other bits needed to make comments?
My name is Debra Breyan and i would like to show you my personal experience with Biaxin.
I have taken for 4 days. I am 54 years old. This is a horrible drug! Don't take it! I'm sick of these new "wonder" drugs (like Levaquin, even worse than Bioxin) that just make you worse than your illness, and I'm sick of doctors who prescribe them and then don't believe you when you have unbearable side effects. It should be taken off the market.
I have experienced some of these side effects-
Abdonimal pain, gas, bloating, depression (really severe), dizziness, "spaced out," disconnected feeling, fatigue, unable to concentrate. This drug has really messed up my week--I can't get anything done, just walk around in a daze. And my sinuses & cough aren't all that much better.
I hope this information will be useful to others,
Debra Breyan
Post a Comment