How long before the antibiotics should be working? I started them (amoxil) on Monday and my sinuses are still killing me. If I move my head to fast, bend over, bump my head or even take a step too hard (Heaven forbid I try to stomp my foot) it hurts. Should I call the doctor back today or wait until tomorrow? Randy seems to feel better, the way he was running around and playing yesterday. The doc did say if the amoxil didn't work they'd try augmenten. You'd think with all the sinus infections I've had I'd know this. Usually the antibiotics work well enough to at least get rid of the pain. If they're not going to work for me I don't normally know until I finish taking them and the infection comes back. I'll be skipping karate again tonight (haven't trained since last Monday--we have a demo in 3 weeks and Thursdays are the only days we practice it so I'm really missing a lot). Ugh. I hate being sick.

We have a 2 hour delay today. Probably because of the cold and how many kids our district have that walk (it's -1 right now--record low). So I'm letting the boys sleep in. They'll like that.

By Kate on Thursday, November 30, 2006 - 08:46 am:

I started Zithromax on Monday for the same reason and the pain was 80% gone the very next day. My doctor said it might take a few days though, before I was better. However, while I am vastly improved I did notice that yesterday and today I didn't feel as well as I thought I did on Tuesday. I think that the improvement was so huge and the pain so relieved that I THOUGHT I was mostly all better the next day because I was just so accustomed to feeling so horrendous. In reality I AM still congested and there are still sparks of pain. Zithromax is a five day antibiotic that stays in your system for ten days and the doctor also said to not despair if I'm not better in the five days since the antibiotic will still be working an additional five days. That tells me sinus infections don't clear immediately and more than five days is 'normal' for healing.

So that's my story, anyway. Take from it what you will! I am allergic to Amoxicillin...I don't know if he would have put me on that if I wasn't or if Zithromax is always his first choice of treatment anyway. My pharmacist friend said Zithromax is a good one for sinus infections. I hope you feel better soon!! I spent soooo many days in such agony! I feel for you!

By Trina~moderator on Thursday, November 30, 2006 - 08:56 am:

You should be feeling much better by now. Amoxil has never been strong enough to nip my sinus infections. Zithromax does the job. I would call the doctor. {{{HUGS}}}

By Vicki on Thursday, November 30, 2006 - 10:22 am:

I would say in about 24 hours you should notice a BIG improvement. I would be calling the Dr again, you should be feeling pretty much 100% by now if you started it Monday.

By Debbie on Thursday, November 30, 2006 - 10:27 am:

I have always heard within 48 hours you should feel better. I know Amoxil never does anything for my sinus infections. I would call the doctor and see if they can call you in a stronger prescription.

By Kittycat_26 on Thursday, November 30, 2006 - 10:48 am:

Though usually you should feel some relief sooner, when I worked at the doctor's office we always told people that they should wait 3 days before calling to tell us it wasn't working.

Not 100% correct all the time. You've been pretty patient. I'd call.

By Dawnk777 on Thursday, November 30, 2006 - 03:05 pm:

We tell people 48-72 hours, to feel better. Call the doctor.

By Cat on Thursday, November 30, 2006 - 06:07 pm:

I called this morning at about 11am. The nurse called me back about 1/2 hour ago and now I'm waiting for her to talk to the doctor and call me back again to let me know if he's going to just call in a new rx or if he wants to see me again. The clinic closes at 4:30. Wonder if this will get done today.

By Cat on Thursday, November 30, 2006 - 09:24 pm:

Ugh. He won't change the rx. He said to wait 5 days, which would be Sat/Sun which means Monday. What a jerk.

By Colette on Thursday, November 30, 2006 - 10:02 pm:

Call tomorrow and lie. Tell them you feel worse than before. Tell them you feel like some took a shovel and smacked you in the face with it. It's completely ridiculous to make you wait until Monday to get a new Rx.

By Dawnk777 on Thursday, November 30, 2006 - 10:10 pm:

That sucks. I'm sorry about that.

By Tripletmom on Friday, December 1, 2006 - 09:03 am:

Ditto Colette-It's obviously not getting better,Amox is a broad spectrum antibiotic but not usually prescribed for sinus infections.Maybe adding a fever with the shovel feeling might get it changed quicker.((HUGS)) I hope your feeling better soon.

By Kym on Friday, December 1, 2006 - 07:17 pm:

As a chronic sinsus sufferer I'll give you another/additional remedy.
A NetiPot it "irrigates" the sinus passage, this in conjuction with an antibiotic will bring relief quick. (I use coloidal silver not antibiotic which also gets rid of the infection.)

By Cat on Monday, December 4, 2006 - 10:53 am:

Okay, I was good. I waited until today and I called back. There's still a lot of pain and pressure, especially on the left side and I've had a low grade fever since Wednesday (stays right around 100). So now I'm waiting for the nurse to call me back again. I probably won't hear anything until this afternoon. That means no karate again tonight. I haven't trained now for two weeks. When I do start training again I'm going to be SORE!!! The doc better change the meds now or I'm going to flip.

Kym I'll have to look into the NetiPot. Walgreens should have it. Thanx.

By Colette on Monday, December 4, 2006 - 11:04 am:

You are way more patient than me. I hope you are feeling better soon.

By Cat on Monday, December 4, 2006 - 10:11 pm:

They called in a rx for augmenten for me. We'll see how it works. I did go to karate tonight (both classes--kids wanted to) and did alright. We sparred and I had to make sure the kids all knew not to hit me in the head. One did graze my chin and BOY did the whole left side of my head throb for a few minutes! lol I think karate actually helped loosen some of the stuff up. We'll see. I'm SO tired and I'm going to be sore tomorrow...

By Dawnk777 on Tuesday, December 5, 2006 - 12:08 am:

I hope Augmentin works better for you! Sorry about the sore muscles, in advance.

By Karen~admin on Saturday, December 9, 2006 - 01:09 pm:

Hope you are better. I took a Z-pack for one before our vacation. We were leaving the Saturday after Thanksgiving for vacation, and I finished the Z-pack on Tuesday (?). On Thanksgiving, I felt worse, and on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, I was so sick I spent the afternoon in the ER, and was given 2 shots and 10 days of Levaquin. I felt sick for the first few days of vacation, and it took about a week to really feel good. Sometimes, you need a stronger antibiotic to kick it. How are you today?

By Dawnk777 on Saturday, December 9, 2006 - 03:41 pm:

I think I'm on the verge of going to the doctor, myself, too! LOL! It's just going around. There are two of us at work that have stuffy noses and "sexy" voices.

By Cat on Sunday, December 10, 2006 - 08:42 am:

Today is day 6 (and 1/2) of the Augmenten and it's still not gone. A lot of the symptoms are gone or better, but there's still pressure and tenderness on the left side of my face and I can still feel that sinus is "full". I haven't checked my temp lately but I did have a low grade fever for well over a week. My teeth still hurt if I move my head to fast and I get dizzy very easily (no, not normal for me! lol). I've been in a med fog all week which is SO frustrating!!! (stupid things like not being able to remember the name of a certain type of cereal that I'm looking at or karate techniques that I know) I'm going to finish the meds (will finish Thursday morning) and see how I am. If it's still not better I'll head back to the doctor (not call--I'm going in) next week. Thanx for asking. I hope everyone else that's under the weather is doing better.

By Dawnk777 on Sunday, December 10, 2006 - 09:41 am:

Cat, I'm sorry you aren't feeling any better, yet. {{{HGS}}}

By Vicki on Sunday, December 10, 2006 - 02:05 pm:

I hate to say this, but why is your doctor giving you such mild, generic antibiotics? Does he/she always do that? I love my doctor and he doesn't mess around. I do realize that some doctors are on this bandwagon with over use of antibiotics, but I honestly only feel that comes into play for people that take a lot of them. I get sick maybe once a year at best and he gives me a nice strong thing that knocks it out in about 24 hours. There is NO reason you should still be feeling this bad.

By Nicki on Monday, December 11, 2006 - 08:37 pm:

I hope you are feeling better, soon, Cat. I can't imagine how you are able to function feeling as you do for so long.

Hugs to you!