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Suggest Treatment For Recurrent Sinus Infections

Posted on Thu, 7 Jul 2016

Question: I'm a 66 yr old male in general good health that suffers from recurring sinus / nasal infections. I have one now that just won't improve. I'm having constant congestion with mucus, headaches, mild ear ache, a lot of pressure, ringing in the ears and just feel awful. Is Clindamycin HCL 300mg an appropriate antibiotic for this condition. It was prescribed in Feb. for a 'felon' staff/strep infection in my finger that became cellulitus, with streaks up to my arm pits. The Clindamycin didn't help fast enough and I was switched to Bactrim that worked. It's a huge hassle to get an appt as my Primary Care Dr is out recovering from an operation.

Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
can be used but not recommended

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

although clindamycin may help in some cases, it is not recommended because of its inadequate efficacy against certain pathogens (like Haemophilus or Moraxella which are common pathogens in sinusitis) and its side effects. The most common first option is amoxicillin/clavulanate 875/125 twice daily. If there's any history of penicillin allergy or you've used this antibiotic very recently (or any other contraindication) then you can also use levofloxacin 500mg once daily or doxycycline 100mg twice daily.

Irrigation of the nostrils with normal saline and perhaps intranasal corticosteroids may help in recurrent or chronic cases.

I hope you find my comments helpful!
You can contact me again, if you'd like any clarification or further information.

Kind Regards!

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar