URGENT HELP needed! ? re:sinusitis and antibiotic resistance

[Polpessa]

Hello,
A month ago I got a cold which turned into a sinus infection.

When the infection didn't go away, I started taking Amoxicillin + Clavulanic acid (Augmentin 500) 3 times a day for 7 days. This worked really quickly and I noticed a huge improvement after just 24 hours. I kept taking it for the full 7 days though, and thought the infection was gone.

I stopped taking the antibiotics 6 days ago.

To my dismay, today on a dive I had the pain again, so I realise the infection is not gone after all.
My question is:
Should I resume the Augmentin and take it for a longer period (e.g. 2 weeks?) or do you think the bacteria causing the infection will now be resistant to Augmentin because some of it obviously survived the 7 day course of antibiotics without my knowing? In which case I would have to take a different antibiotic...if this is the case, what would be a good choice?

Before you tell me not to dive, I realise this already but I work in the business and have no choice.
Before you tell me to go to a doctor, I live in a very remote area and do not have access to a doctor.

I would really appreciate any help as soon as possible regarding the antibiotic resistance issue in particular, and whether I should go back on the Augmentin and if so for how long.
Thank you so much!!

 

[doctormike]

Hi, Polpessa... thanks for writing..!

Hello,
A month ago I got a cold which turned into a sinus infection.

When the infection didn't go away, I started taking Amoxicillin + Clavulanic acid (Augmentin 500) 3 times a day for 7 days. This worked really quickly and I noticed a huge improvement after just 24 hours. I kept taking it for the full 7 days though, and thought the infection was gone.

Augmentin is a good sinus drug, but sinusitis should always be treated for at least 2 weeks. A short course of antibiotics often leads to recurrent infections, and the partial treatment may promote the development of resistant organisms.

I stopped taking the antibiotics 6 days ago.

To my dismay, today on a dive I had the pain again, so I realise the infection is not gone after all.
My question is:
Should I resume the Augmentin and take it for a longer period (e.g. 2 weeks?) or do you think the bacteria causing the infection will now be resistant to Augmentin because some of it obviously survived the 7 day course of antibiotics without my knowing? In which case I would have to take a different antibiotic...if this is the case, what would be a good choice?

Before you tell me not to dive, I realise this already but I work in the business and have no choice.
Before you tell me to go to a doctor, I live in a very remote area and do not have access to a doctor.

I would really appreciate any help as soon as possible regarding the antibiotic resistance issue in particular, and whether I should go back on the Augmentin and if so for how long.
Thank you so much!!

Unfortunately, there are limits to what we can tell you over the Internet. While we are always happy to discuss background information, and make general comments, there would be no way for us to know what the sensitivities would be for any infection that you might still have. Also, I'm not sure how you would get a different antibiotic if you have no access to a doctor in any case...

If you have a significant problem with equalizing, you shouldn't dive. I know that you said that you have to, and I am not familiar enough with your situation to comment on that, but your medical situation is your medical situation.

Three days of Afrin (ONLY three days, it is addicitive) helps to promote drainage of a sinus infection, as does nasal irrigation with something like a neti-pot. But with a true bacterial sinusitis, antibiotics are usually necessary.

Best,

Mike