Sinusitis & Antifungals

Hello,
I have a very long story, but not a lot of time at the moment.
The long and short of it is that I *think* that I may have this. Although the specialists I have seen give me the eye roll when I mention it.
ANyhoo, was wondering if anyone else here has been diagnosed and how it happened, what they have done etc.
Thanks,
Mar
You aren't going to get diagnosed with this by a conventional doctor unless you have AIDS, cancer or diabetes. That is the politics of today.

Some of the more progressive gastroenterologists believe that the bacteria in the intestines have a lot to do with health. However, yeast alter the intestinal environment such that different bacteria grow. So, you would think that at some point in time, doctors would acknowledge the role yeast have in the intestines and health. Don't hold your breath waiting for the change though.

To get diagnosed, you need to go to an alternative doctor. Besides helping you to lower the yeast population in the intestines, this doctor should help you improve the health of your liver and get your hormones in order.

As you start out on your journey of discovery and return to health, please take one pointer from me. I believe a big factor in my former yeast overgrowth was the ingestion of too many polyunsaturated oils. Avoid these, except in small quantities. Use olive oil, coconut oil, or organic butter instead.

Thanks for the reply. I have been contemplating a Naturopath.
In a nutshell, here is my story.
In February I took an antibiotic for a sinus infection. I was allergic to it, it was Amoxicillin. I was never allergic to it in the past but haven't had it in years and apparently am now. I have never been right since. I have ongoing (severe) sinus issues, I have had surgery to remove some lymph nodes (ruled out Hodgkin's and Leukemia) I have ongoing respiratory problems (although three chest x-rays have been fine and all my bloodwork has been fine) and end up in the ER once a month or so with tightness, and/or coughing until I am sick to my stomach. I no longer have ANY sense of smell, and have lost over fifty pounds. I was 151 and am 5'2" so can't afford to lose THAT much. I don't have much of an appetite, and when I do eat, it usually comes back out after coughing so hard.
In the nine months that this has been going on I have been given Zithromax twice, Biaxin three times, Ceftin once, and the Amoxicillin that I was allergic to, and Levaquin that I was also allergic to.
Gosh, I re-read this and I think I must sound like a nut! People keep asking me if I have anorexia because I look terrible and am so thin. My face and hands get SO itchy at times, and my lips are cracked, sore and swollen as of the past few days. Under my eys and my eyelids gets puffy and swollen also.
Anyway, I am taking up too much space, sorry! I am sure I am leaving out lots of important info, so if you have any questions, just ask away!
I guess what I was wondering is this.....I don't know if it is the same everywhere, but where I am (Ontario) you have to pay for a Naturopath, so I was wondering if anywone knew exactly what it is that one does to diagnose this, so I can go to my doctor, tell him, and get him to do it so it is covered.
Anyway, thanks for reading!
Mar

Mar

One possibility to explore is lyme disease. A number of us here (dpd, pace, the b) have it and candida is just part of the complex of problems that are lyme and other tick related infections at its base.

You sound a lot like I was when I first started getting sick with lyme... So do some searches and reach everything that dpd has posted here. He is the real expert and knows a ton.

I am sorry this is so short but I have to run. It seems like you want to inquire about lyme though.

b
I have had good results with some alternative nonprescription treatments.

Regular medicine can be very disappointing in seeking help about candida/fungus/ parasites. All can have very similar symptoms.

My health food store told me their customers have had excellent results with a high cellaluse enzyme therapy for candida:
http://www.vitacost.com/RenewLifeCandiZyme

They also have had customers who liked oil of oregano as a very strong antibiotic/antifungal. Follow product directions to test for sensitivity.:
http://www.p-73.com/research.htm


The dry lips are most often associated with a vitamin B2 deficiency. However, the problem is also known to occur with inadequate B6, A, C, niacin or iron. Infections, especially fungal, are also associated with this condition.

Since you have inflamed sinuses that did not respond to antibiotics, there is a very good chance that you have a fungal infection in your sinuses. To diagnose this, an ear / nose / throat doctor can take a biopsy of the lower sinuses. (He can�t easily get to the upper sinuses.) Or, if you have a runny nose, he can look at the mucus to see if there is fungus present. Or, given your symptoms, he can just order some anti-fungal spray. You will want a Sporanox or Diflucan spray. These antifungals are most likely to kill the type of fungus usually found in the sinuses.

The fungus could be elsewhere in your body too. However, your liver might not be ready for an oral dose of these antifungals. Better to start on the anti-candida (anti-fungal) diet and something akin to the Attogram program.

Look around your house for fungus / mold on the walls, especially where there are a lot of water pipes. Underneath toilets and showers are often bad. You don�t want to be breathing in mold and fungus spores.

Your biggest hurdle is going to be finding a doctor willing to test you and give you a prescription for a fungal sinus infection. Fungal infections of the sinuses aren�t fully appreciated / accepted by mainstream doctors. This sad situation improved somewhat a few years ago, when the Mayo Clinic published an article stating that fungus is cause of chronic sinusitis. (At least according to some of their doctors. Not everyone at the Mayo is signed up to this one.) Doctors at the Mayo Clinic found fungus present in almost all cases of chronic sinusitis. (Fungus was present in 96% of 210 patients. Forty different fungus varieties were identified with an average of 2.7 varieties per patient.) The doctors feel that the sinus inflammation is the body�s reaction to the presence of fungus; it is an immune reaction, not an allergic reaction. These results were only for chronic sinusitis (lasting over three months). For acute sinusitis (lasting less than one month), the cause is usually bacteria.

A study published by Dr. Jens Ponikau�s Mayo team showed that a common, generic antifungal drug, amphotericin B, reduced nasal obstruction in 38 of 51 patients, removing it completely in 25 cases. (Daily doses of the drug are needed to prevent recurrence.) Dr. Ponikau is now working on the possibility that an immune response to fungus will cause chronic asthma.

References

http://www.mssm.edu/msjournal/65/07_tougher.pdf

Angular Stomatitis and Cheilosis
Angular stomatitis (painful fissures at the corners of the mouth) and cheilosis (dry scaling of the lips and corners of the mouth) are common findings in riboflavin deficiency. Similar findings may be noted with niacin and B6 deficiency states. The similarity of these findings may be due to riboflavin�s role in B6 and tryptophan (which is converted to niacin) metabolism. Angular stomatitis, however, may be associated with iron deficiency anemia (15). Angular cheilitis, however, is often associated with fungal infections, lip-sucking, and dehydration (16). Treatment must focus on correcting the deficiency state and providing adequate energy, protein, fluids and nutrients to promote healing. When angular cheilitis is due to opportunistic infections brought on by decreased resistance secondary to nutrient deficiencies, treatment should focus on antifungal therapy, correction of the nutrient deficiency, and diet modification to make eating a more comfortable experience. Temperate, non-spicy foods and fluids should be used to avoid further irritation to the lips and mouth. At least 6�8 cups of fluid per day should be encouraged.

From

Oral Manifestations of Nutrient Deficiencies
RIVA TOUGER-DECKER, M.S., PH.D.
MS Journal, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 1998 NUMBER 5 & 6 VOLUME 65:355�361

Article about fungus and asthma and sinus:

Peter Landers, staff reporter of the Wall street Journal, �With New Patent, Mayo Clinic Owns a Cure for the Sniffles -- Center's Sweeping Rights for Treatment That Isn't Yet Proven Angers Others� http://www.candidafree.net/pages/3/index.htm Referring to The Mayo Clinic Update (WSJ 4/30/03 edition) PS -- The Mayo Clinic has patented their finding. Now no one else can market an antifungal as a sinusitis treatment without their permission.

that thing at the end about the mayo clinic patenting its "findings" really bugs me. the funny thing about it, yes its true there will be fungus in the sinus cavity for sinusitis sufferers, but if you follow the most recent updates, you see that the mayo clinic has very little success in "curing" sinusitis with antifungals. the antifunagal treatment will only provide temporary relief, it will not cure the underlying disease... I know, I had chronic sinusitis and antifungals brought only temporary relief. so in the end, the mayo clinic's precious patent, which they probably hope will bring them ungodly amounts of money, is not a long term solution. the drugs are very hard on the body, and the relief is temporary.

John g
John g,

This bugs me too! Apparently they are more interested in $$$$ than a cure!

Will they do the same thing if they find a "cure" for diabetes, cancer, etc...

Pace
I agree Pace. unfortuneatly for the mayo clinic, it won't work that way for these chronic diseases. as the mayo clinic has by now discovered, you can kill fungus in the sinus all you want with drugs, but it will come back, sooner or later, and come back stronger. even if they could somehow find a pill to completely suppress the sinus issue, the result would be a more serious "deeper" illness somewhere else in the body. of course, the sinus treatment/suppression wouldn't be proven as the cause of the new disease, the the mayo clinic probably would make its money despite causing more serious harm. that's the way the system works.

John g
Sorry that the antifungal spray seemed to make your sinus problem worse. For me, it helped very significantly, and I've not slid back. I've retained the improvement that the antifungal spray afforded me. It didn't get rid of the whole problem though. I'm still working on that with herbs and vitamins, and I seem to be gradually getting better.