welcome to the chronic sinusitis club. I've been suffering for 9 months, and I've also had surgery.

Some things you may not be aware of

1. Antibiotics are almost useless against sinus infections, because there is very little blood flow in the sinus cavities. People feel better because of the anti-inflammatory effect of the antibiotic.

2. Once you have had a bad infection that didn't respond to treatment, you are looking at surgery. There is simply no way around it. The soft tissue in the sinuses becomes so damaged and infammed, the only way to get the bacteria out of there is through surgery.

3. Allergies almost always play a role. Immunotherapy is the only thing that really works to contain the allergies. OTC meds are a joke.

4. Levaquin is EXTREMELY dangerous. People have died, ended up with permanent tendon and nerve damage, and have been disabled for years after taking this drug. I have a CD that lists 4000 cases of severe adverse reactions to this class of drugs. And I'm not talking about an upset stomach.

Your best bet is irrigation twice a day. You may want to try hydrogen peroxide for the first couple days just to combat the infection. After that, only kosher salt, baking soda, and room-temperature water.

Do NOT use things like ocean saline spray. These contain preservatives that can aggravate your sinuses. Make your own saline solution.

Prednisone (Medrol) does work, but it has many side-effects, especially if taken for a long time. In your case, I would recommend a dose pack to get the swelling under control. But in all honesty, I would get the nose fixed first.

I've been through everything, and here is my recommendation:

1. Surgery: Nasal Airway Reconstruction (NAR) and a BFESS (Bifrontal Endoscopic Nasal Surgery). Your doctor will decide if you also need a turbinate reduction.
2. Medications: 1 Medrol Dose Pack following surgery (6 days). Augmentin 875MG x2 a day for 20 days after surgery.
3. Irrigation: 4-5 days after surgery, start irrigating, using a machine and the ingredients listed above.
4. Immunotherapy: you might need allergy shots.

The important things here are to make sure the infection doesn't get worse. To stay away from quinolone drugs (Avelox, Levaquin, ****o), and to start irrigating.

The surgery is NOTHING to worry about. I was back to work 3 days afterwards, and I had the most major sinus surgery you can have. I wasn't in any pain at all. The misery you are going through now is 10 times worse than the surgery.

Avelox, Levaquin and Cipro are not really antibiotics. They are a form of chemotherapy, very strong, and potentially very dangerous. You can go through one course, not have any problems, start a second course, and end up in the hospital.

These drugs can cause things like peripheral neuropathy, tendinopathy (like bilateral Achilles tendon ruptures), liver damage, heart attacks, Stevens Johnson Syndrome (where your immune system attacks your skin and burns you from the inside out), etc. The average adverse reaction lasts for 6 months+.

After taking Avelox, I ended up with bilateral ulnar neuritis, tendon damage in my wrists, nerve damage in my feet, allergic vasculitis in my hands, muscle twitching, runaway anxiety, and insomnia so bad I got 3 hours of sleep for 3 months. After 4 months, I'm about 85% better, but I would never take one of these drugs again.

The reason why they are heavily prescribed, is that Bayer, and other pharmacutical firms, basically bribe doctors into dolling this stuff out, when a less dangerous drug (Augmentin for instance) would be far more appropriate. My sister-in-law is a drug rep, so I know how it all works.

The Mayo Clinic study is still inconclusive. When I had surgery, they cultured the junk that was pulled out of my sinuses. It was NOT fungus -it was bacteria. Yes, it is possible to get a sinus infection without an allergy, especially if you have a structural defect, like a deviated septum. But 80% of the time, allergies are involved.

I am willing to bet te facial pain is related to the sinuses. I have chronic pressure and dizziness as a result of tissue inflammation in my sinuses, even though there is no infection. Not much I can do.

For more info, go to www.fqvictims.org, and then see if you want to mess around with quinolones. Crack off the street is safer.