Integrative Health Blog

Chas  Gant MD

QUESTION: My wife has been suffering from recurring sinus
infections and it seems the cause is yeast. Can you suggest a remedy? The only thing we get from the doctors is another round of steroids and antibiotics which hasn't worked.
ANSWER: I love answering this question. Helping my patients cure chronic sinusitis is one of the most gratifying clinical experiences, because the treatment is so effective.
See the article in Science Daily entitled: Mayo Clinic Study Implicates Fungus As Cause Of Chronic Sinusitis . Ever since the reports emerged in the 90's that chronic sinusitis is caused by fungus, I have enjoyed seeing hundreds of patients get completely well via antifungal antibiotic treatment. The chronic fungal fluid is a perfect growth medium for an occasional bacterial infection, which is potentially much more serious and requires antibacterial antibiotics. Bacteria can move around freely and invade rapidly, whereas fungi are like little plants and attach their roots into tissues, so they are relatively stationary. But they are more difficult to eradicate once they are dug in.
At first we accomplished these stellar clinical results with typical oral antifungals used to treat fungal toenails and other chronic yeast infections, like Sporonox and Nizoral. But early in the last decade, the topical nasal lavage equipment (see: http://www.hydromedonline.com/ ) emerged, which allowed us to avoid completely the systemic potential problems of oral antifungals. So basically, patients need to buy this water-pic like device online, and then I prescribe amphotericin and nizoral from a compounder, who mails it to you as a liquid solution, which you then pulse a dose in each nostril (one at a time) - sounds gross, but who wants to live with infections and mycotoxins forever! - using it once a day at bedtime, when gravity helps distribute the antifungals as you lie down, and use it for 6 to 8 weeks.
Relapsing symptoms are rare, but if that happens just do another round, and that's it. The solution does not get appreciably absorbed when the antifungals are delivered this way, so the "first do no harm" edict is satisfied! Antifungals can be hard on the liver, so we have satisfied the three criteria for a great treatment.
Safety, efficacy and relatively inexpensive.

Chas Gant MD, PhD is an author, lecturer, and integrative doctor at National Integrated Health Associates, NIHA, an integrative medicine and dental clinic serving Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. His specialties include natural options for ADHD, substance abuse disorders (drug, alcohol, nicotine addiction), and mood disorders (depression, anxiety).