Fungal infection?

WHOA! He swabbed your nostril? #$%#@%Q#%

Those swabs are on long ass wires for a reason... TO GET UP PAST THE NOSTRIL AN INTO THE NASAL/SINUS CAVITY. GOOD LORD!

Now i'm really fuming...

Lots of guessing and second guessing.
Lots of advice, some good and some not so good.

In any event, nothing can help until you get a firm and definitive diagnosis.
Then again sometimes things like this just go away and remain a mystery.
Do a google search- white patches nose- and you will find lots of things that this can be.
The big question and concern to me is why it is not self resolving.

May just be something trivial and you are hyperfocused on it. Maybe not.
tomjax

I can vouch for that long a** wire swab for obtaining a culture of the sinus cavity!

I am taking part in a COPD clinical trial at a local univeristy. Each visit they take a culture. UGH!

Its not painful but it is HIGHLY uncomfortable. You know that feeling when chalks squeaks on a chalkboard, that zinging up your spine?? Yeah, well that's what that sinus culture taking feels like.

I think from now on I am at least going to ask them to take the culture from the left nostril instead of the right. I have a slightly deviated septum and if I'm gonna have sinus problems, its the right nostril that will be sure to be involved. If I have some problems w/the CPAP pressure, it will be the right sinus that objects, plugs, drips, whatever. (Of course, knowing that, they would probably PREFER to take cultures from the right since that would be the one most likely to develope infection should one occur. *sigh*)

tomjax wrote: May just be something trivial and you are hyperfocused on it. Maybe not.

Hmmm, my nasal passages are about 50% and 75% swollen shut all of the time and when I use a CPAP mask with put air into the nose (including FF) the passages practicality swell shut. Pretty sure anyone would hyperfuocus on that if it started happening to them

jskinner wrote:

tomjax wrote: May just be something trivial and you are hyperfocused on it. Maybe not.

Hmmm, my nasal passages are about 50% and 75% swollen shut all of the time and when I use a CPAP mask with put air into the nose (including FF) the passages practicality swell shut. Pretty sure anyone would hyperfuocus on that if it started happening to them

Sounds to me like this is something you SHOULD be hyperfocused on! Keep us up to date. Hope you get some answers soon!

Sleepless_in_LM wrote:

jskinner wrote:

tomjax wrote: May just be something trivial and you are hyperfocused on it. Maybe not.

Hmmm, my nasal passages are about 50% and 75% swollen shut all of the time and when I use a CPAP mask which put air into the nose (including FF) the passages practicality swell shut. Pretty sure anyone would hyperfuocus on that if it started happening to them

Sounds to me like this is something you SHOULD be hyperfocused on! Keep us up to date. Hope you get some answers soon!

James-
I have pretty bad allergies (to everything) and have often had trouble with swollen sinuses.
One thing that helps me is flonase spray which I use once a day. It's a corticosteroid. It takes a few days to take effect but then it keeps the swelling down. Flonase plus antihistamines plus saline rinses every night is what works for me. I also have a hepa air purifier running in my bedroom 24/7.

Yikes I hope you get better soon--what you are going through sounds yucky.

Maryb

Maryb wrote:One thing that helps me is flonase spray which I use once a day. It's a corticosteroid.

Thanks Mary. Yes i have been using a corticosteroid spray for about 3 years now. While not perfect it used to keep thinks under control until this problem in mid Nov started.

-James

jskinner.
glad you claridied the rest of the problem. I was just thinking about the white spots. I am sure you cannot unfocus on this.

I had a bit of a heart scare that resulted in a stent and then a pacemaker.
I can assure you that anytime I have any kind of any sensation there, I immediately am hyperfocused on it.
In earlier years this would not even register on my radar screen,

Another example is that some people will be alarmed about ringing in their ears and it drives them up a wall, Some even start going to every doc in search of a solution and indeed panic.
A very high percentage of people have this, but most learn to ignore it.

Your situation is different. Still do a google on it though-
If it is not numb, then I think you can rule out leprosy.

jskinner wrote:Yes i have been using a corticosteroid spray for about 3 years now. While not perfect it used to keep thinks under control until this problem in mid Nov started.

-James

In my youth, I once had a fungus in an embarrassing place. To help with the itching I went to the cabinet and applied a steriod cream to the fungus. Wow did it really flare up and turn a deep itchy red.

The doc told me that fungi will feast off steriods and directed me to discontinue the cream and start using a prescription anti-fungal.

You might want your doctor to know that you are using a nasal corticosteroid spray.

Auricula wrote:............................... Today I got some capsules my internist recommended for an infection for which I am awaiting diagnosis pending a culture -- Culturelle with Lactobacillus GG. I paid $14.99 at Target for 30 capsules, a one-month supply. ...................................

Thanks for the tip. Others that were recommended to me were over $35 for a month's supply. I will check it out.

James, this is the first I realized that you are using a corticosteroid nasal spray.

The minute I saw that my immediate thought was basically the same as Rooster's.

Corticosteroids tend to LOWER the immune system. They help w/inflammation IF the inflammation is due to an overenthusiastic immune response BUT if the immune response is low allowing the infection then steroids interfere w/any healing.

You might want to discuss this w/your doctor, or the new ENT.

Astelin was a script nasal spray that worked well for me that had no steroid in it.

rooster wrote:The doc told me that fungi will feast off steriods and directed me to discontinue the cream and start using a prescription anti-fungal.

Slinky wrote:James, this is the first I realized that you are using a corticosteroid nasal spray.The minute I saw that my immediate thought was basically the same as Rooster's. Corticosteroids tend to LOWER the immune system. They help w/inflammation IF the inflammation is due to an overenthusiastic immune response BUT if the immune response is low allowing the infection then steroids interfere w/any healing.

Hmm, interesting. I read something similar online a couple of days ago that corticosteroids can make you more prone to fungal infections.

rooster wrote:Astelin was a script nasal spray that worked well for me that had no steroid in it.

I asked my GP about Astelin a week or so ago but he said it was not avaliable in Canada.

Good luck with this, I hope you get on top of it soon. Yeast is no joke, ahem, as a girl I have to say it is one of my least favorite. And my kids and I got thrush when I was nursing them. I can't speak highly enough of probiotics, and you might want to think about some vitamin supplements. I have had no fungel issues since I started taking probiotics and saw a nutritionist about balancing my nutrient intake.

I suppose you could always spray tea tree oil up your nose. (Joking! That would hurt like heck I bet.)

I also use Culturelle. I take it prophylactically every time I go on antibiotics. It will prevent diarrhea and yeast infections. My daughter's gastro MD recommended it for her and now I take it as well.

Good Luck James. Have you seen an ENT?