Amoxicillin for Acute Sinusitis? It is better to wait.
A randomized controlled trial published in JAMA (Journal Of The American Medical Association, February 15, 2012) looked at amoxicillin in 166 adults with acute sinusitis. Antibiotics are commonly prescribed for acute rhino-sinusitis despite limited evidence to support their effectiveness. The authors found no significant difference in symptom scores on day 3 or day 10 among patients who received amoxicillin compared with patients who received placebo.
An important take home message: if you have an acute sinus infection, don’t jump to antibiotics. At my clinic, a patient is prescribed various immune boosting and symptomatic remedies, including an intravenous Vitamin-C drip. If after 48 hours of natural remedies the patient is still symptomatic, then only is the antibiotic prescription given. As you can imagine, for most patients, there is no need to use antibiotics.
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