Sinus infection and ear blockage -- a surprising remedy

[allen]

Psyche posted about nystatin usage in fighting candida at http://www.cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php?topic=9796.msg89268#msg89268. The post includes a section about sniffing nystatin right up your nose. Sounds a bit nuts, but I've been suffering from a sinus infection and almost completely blocked ear on my right side for days now. It didn't respond to antibiotic therapy (applied topically inside the ear), though it should have if the infection were bacterial. So, it was time to go a bit nuts and try nystatin directly into the nasal passage.

It works! The sinus infection is clearing up and my ear is beginning to unblock. Apparently, the sinus infection is not bacterial, it is fungal. Actually, I had a dream about that, in which I'd gone to the doctor to have the ear wax removed from my ear and, behind the plug of wax he found a sort of fuzzy mold-like growth...which we a truly disgusting thing to dream. But my body was trying to tell me.

The really good news is, sniffing nystatin is not uncomfortable at all. The worst part about it, which ain't that bad, is a slight bitter taste on the back of the tongue. That's far less bad than the disgusting taste of taking the stuff orally. Also, I found that if I do too much of it, I get a slightly upset stomach. Nothing terrible, but probably a sign that I'd dosed high enough for the time.

Something to keep in mind as the nasty bug season approaches.

 

[Rich]

It works! The sinus infection is clearing up and my ear is beginning to unblock. Apparently, the sinus infection is not bacterial, it is fungal. Actually, I had a dream about that, in which I'd gone to the doctor to have the ear wax removed from my ear and, behind the plug of wax he found a sort of fuzzy mold-like growth...which we a truly disgusting thing to dream. But my body was trying to tell me.

The really good news is, sniffing nystatin is not uncomfortable at all. The worst part about it, which ain't that bad, is a slight bitter taste on the back of the tongue. That's far less bad than the disgusting taste of taking the stuff orally. Also, I found that if I do too much of it, I get a slightly upset stomach. Nothing terrible, but probably a sign that I'd dosed high enough for the time.

Something to keep in mind as the nasty bug season approaches.

Thanks for the tip Burma Jones, when I get a cold it usually migrates to my sinuses, in the past I've only managed to get relief from over-the-counter drugs like sinutab, but next time I'll try this.

I read that the act of blowing ones nose increase the chances of sinus infection, but find it very difficult to refrain from doing so when ones nose is all bunged up. So I try to minimise blowing as much as possible, have found that it does have an effect.