Fungal infection?

jskinner · Post by **jskinner** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 11:10 pm

After two months of suffering, 3 trips to the hospital, 1 sinus x-ray, 2 trips to the ENT, my doctor last week decided that I might have a fungus infection in my nose.

I'm now on my second week of antifugal meds and second around of antibiotics. On Friday my GP took a swab to send to the lab.

I have seen a tiny improvement and something is definitely been happening as I am now seeing small white patches inside my nose now. (which is why the GP decided to take the swaps)

Has anyone else ever experienced this? How long did it take to get better? Was it hard to treat? What causes this?

Linda3032 · Post by **Linda3032** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 11:39 pm

How horrid, James. I can't offer any advice, only sympathy. In the last two years, I've had a couple of bouts of thrushmouth - a yeast infection. And the doctor said it might be related to cpap and the warm humidifier. I wonder if that might be what it is. Nystatin is the medicine to cure it.

If nothing else fails, zap it with your Virus Blocker. (sorry, just trying to get a smile).

Lyza · Post by **Lyza** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 11:41 pm

Very Interesting!! The small white patches make me think of yeast, sorta like thrush of the mouth, but 2 weeks on antifungal and its not gone makes me very conccerned! Either the type of strain/antifungal meds aren't matched properly, the strain is very resistant, your immune system is very low, or the Dr. is way off base. The Drs should have been culturing your nose/sinuses weeks ago! Will be interesting to see what the culture you had friday grows out and what it its susceptable to.

At anyrate, CALL on monday to get the report back on that culture.. 2 weeks of antifungal meds/ anti biotics and you aren't better tells you that its not your common fungus/bacteria or its resistant to the meds you are on. Don't let them play phone tag with you either. It takes one day to grow preliminary results and the second day they have the culture results.. you were swabbed friday, monday the results will be final.. sensitivity to antibiotics/antifungal results may not be back but at least the DR will know what it is growing in there and can perhaps change treatment now.

(I work in a hospital lab)

jules · Post by **jules** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 11:45 pm

Fungus infections are a common side effect of broad spectrum antibiotics.

I would ask your doc why are you on both antibiotic and antifungal meds right now.

You might want to look at candida diets online to find suggestions on foods to eliminate while treating this (no booze, no simple carbs for example).

Lyza · Post by **Lyza** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 11:45 pm

Oh yeah, Linda reminded me of something in her post... Not sure what your Dr. said of your papping treatment, but I'd be hesitant to have any heat running on your humidifier, until its figured out whats growing in there. Think of your nose with the heated moisture as an 'incubator' to induce the growing and spreading of it.

And I'd probably disenfect your mask and tubings everynight before use, since you can't simply dispose and get a new one each night. You don't want to keep re-infecting yourself if somehow the buggers got in there somewhere.

cflame1 · Post by **cflame1** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 1:25 pm

Mine's actually on the end of my nose. One glance from the NP at the Derm's and she figured it out. Got some anti-bioitic/anti-fungal cream and it seems to have gone away.

Bones · Post by **Bones** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 2:08 pm

James:

Don't have any answers, but I hope you get better quickly!

Brian

JeffH · Post by **JeffH** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 2:19 pm

Yes James, I too hope you get over your fungus real quick! Wishing you a speedy recovery.

JeffH

jskinner · Post by **jskinner** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 5:39 pm

Lyza wrote:Either the type of strain/antifungal meds aren't matched properly, the strain is very resistant, your immune system is very low, or the Dr. is way off base.

Honestly I don't think the Dr. knows what the problem is and is just guessing at this point. (hopefully the culture with correct this situation)

Lyza wrote:The Drs should have been culturing your nose/sinuses weeks ago!

I completely agree. I in fact had suggested it before but he didn't do it. I've had a hard time getting _anyone_ to take it seriously even though the resulting breathing difficulty has been so bad that I went to emergency once myself, once while at home in Nova Scotia, and my sister took me once. Its caused to much congestion that its has been hard to get enough air and eventually I was starting to worry about real damage since I would wake up white in the morning (presumably from lack of air) It was pretty much leaving me non functional most of the time. Thats when I switched to the mouth only mask.

Lyza wrote: 2 weeks of antifungal meds/ anti biotics and you aren't better tells you that its not your common fungus/bacteria or its resistant to the meds you are on.

Actually Friday was just the start of the second week. Before starting the meds there was little sign of the white spots just lots of inflammation. Now after a week the imflamation is slightly better and the emergence of lost more white stuff. Not sure if thats a good sign that the meds are doing something?

jules wrote: I would ask your doc why are you on both antibiotic and antifungal meds right now.

I think its because he doesn't really have any idea what's causing the problem.

Lyza wrote:Not sure what your Dr. said of your papping treatment, but I'd be hesitant to have any heat running on your humidifier, until its figured out whats growing in there. Think of your nose with the heated moisture as an 'incubator' to induce the growing and spreading of it.

Thats a really good point. Up until this point doctors kept telling me to turn up the humidifier as they thought dryness might be causing the irritation. I think I will turn if off for a few nights and see what happens.

The whole thing has been pretty terrible. Not being able to breath though the nose when you depend on it for apnea treatment is really bad. The CPAP use really seems to irritate it much worse too. Often after a few hours the nostrils close right up. Full face masks don't work as I can't seem to make myself breath solely though my mouth without something like the Oracle that forces the mouth open. Otherwise I seem to continue breathing though my nose even if there is hardly any air flow.

fungusamungus · Post by **fungusamungus** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 9:59 pm

hopefully you have had a CT or MRI scan of your sinuses to see what is going on.

if there is a fungus, you could always go down to the Y and swim some laps underwater, that may kill some of it. Chlorine kills fungus in a hurry.

hey your nose doesn't smell like athletes foot or jock itch does it?

Yoga · Post by **Yoga** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 10:18 pm

James,

If you are taking antibiotics and especially if you are experiencing "tummy" distress, adding probiotics would be a good idea but check with doc first.

Sorry to hear of your problem.

Are you irrigating your nostrils with a non-iodized salt water solution?

jskinner · Post by **jskinner** » Sun Feb 04, 2007 10:59 pm

fungusamungus wrote:hopefully you have had a CT or MRI scan of your sinuses to see what is going on

I've a sinus X-ray but thats it.

Yoga wrote:If you are taking antibiotics and especially if you are experiencing "tummy" distress, adding probiotics would be a good idea but check with doc first.

Nope, no tummy distress yet.

Yoga wrote:Are you irrigating your nostrils with a non-iodized salt water solution?

Yep been doing for about 4 months. However now the solution don't make it up into the sinus like it easily used to.

Lyza · Post by **Lyza** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 3:50 pm

James, what did the cultures grow?

Did your Dr. change your treatment based on the culture results?

I know its none of my business, but I want to see you get well and back to feeling better and able to pap well again.

jskinner · Post by **jskinner** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 3:56 pm

Lyza wrote:Did your Dr. change your treatment based on the culture results?

I was at the Dr. this morning and he didn't have the results back yet... The secretary said if they didn't show in todays mail she would call the lab and get back to me. Never got a call. I plan to go back down tomorrow (I live in the same building as my doctors office which is convenient)

Surely I'll get the results tomorrow. I will post here as soon as I know the results. I'm very anxious to know as well. Thanks for thinking of me. This group is such a great support both informationly and emotionally.

Lyza · Post by **Lyza** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 4:00 pm

Yes push the DR to call them.. otherwise call the lab yourself and go pick up the results yourself.. You will have to fill out a form probably to release the results to you, but hell if you can get them faster then walk the results to your dr.... I know Dr.'s are busy but hell, to continue suffering... geesh...

Mask

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