GPs Antibiotic dosage did not work.

[horseblister]

I suppose it had to happen to me at sometime with all the problems I have had in the past, but this year I had my flu jab on 24th October and then on 3rd November started with a cold, so following previous hospital instructions tried to see a GP at my practice but could only get in to see a Medical Practioner ( I thought a what?) I was prescribed an antibiotic but by the 7th my bad chest had got worse, so phoned the surgery again to see a GP and could only get a telephone consultation, ok the GP put me on a stronger antibiotic and it seemed to work ok and the chestyness dissappeared for a while but came back as soon as I had finished the course. I went down to the surgery to pick up a repeat prescription and while waiting in the queue passed out, well an ECG and a few more tests ended in my husband driving me to A&E with a letter from the GP, and an "overnight" stay that they promised was all that was needed turned into a longer stay, Xrays and blood tests proved it to be what they termed "I had failed GPs antibiotics" So I was put on a cocktail of antibiotics that put me in la la land, and with the high steroids and antics of a busy E.A.U, I didnt sleep for a couple of days, not good I know. For a few hours I wondered what was happening as I was put on the Respiratory Support Unit next to a patient with a trachaeostomy. Later I was put in a room on my own where I had the luxury of sleep. It was a chest infection in the end but with having AF and the rest , four times pneumonia and other problems, I didnt have much chance of avoiding it. I am no longer surprised by hospital staff saying whats that when I say I have Atrial Fibrilation, patients dont usually have any knowledge of how the heart works so it floors them and they dont like that. Asthma, Chronic Obrstructive Airways Disease that they call COPD, and I say no COAD you try getting an airway down it wont work. So eventually I got home late last night and today I was left ringing round the hospital and putting right the wrong doseages they sent my out with for my Asthma, then I had to ring the GP and let him know, just in case I had a repeat of the last time I was in and the discharge letter arrived a month later. Sorry for the long rant. Lynn.

[CDreamer]

Hope you feel better for getting that off you chest.... sorry.... couldn't resist!

Hope you feel better soon, good example of why you need to keep on your toes and check everything and you don't really feel like doing that when you feel ill do you?

Get plenty of rest now you are home.

Best wishes CD,

[horseblister in reply to CDreamer]

Thank you for that CD, I had my annual Asthma and Type2 Diabetes check this morning plus my INR, so no rest for the wicked, now I,m hoping the anticoag clinic doesnt ring asking a load of daft questions.

[Chadders]

Well...that's a catalogue of errors isn't it? Hope you're feeling better now.Think I'd pass on the flu jab in future!! Have to say that antibiotics are bad news these days..a necessary evil but one which is fraught with problems.Look after yourselfx

[horseblister in reply to Chadders]

Thank you Chadders, yes to have two intravenous antibiotics at a time plus oral antibiotics it does mess with the old system. I think its the price we have to pay because they thought it a good idea to add antibiotics to animal feed in 1972.

[starry-eyes]

It is a sad fact that antibiotics are losing their effectiveness as bacteria become resistant. As a fellow asthmatic, I keep handy a nasal spray which is basically salt water and keep spraying if I feel something coming on. Sterimar is good if combined with rest. There are no longer easy answers to infected chests and we need to nip infections like colds in the bud, if possible.

[Goldfish_ in reply to starry-eyes]

unfortunately there isn't any cure that can "nip a cold in the bud". As you mentioned infections are becoming more antibiotic resistant especially if you use antibiotics from time to time

[CDreamer in reply to Goldfish_]

I use a salt nasal spray as a proprolactic as I am immune suppressed and used to pick up everything going, especially when travelling. No longer so I think it works for me - may be delusional of course......

[starry-eyes]

I mentioned Sterimar and First Defence is another such product which have indeed been shown to prevent the development of colds.

[Goldfish_ in reply to starry-eyes]

They may relieve symptoms, but "shown to prevent development of colds". This is the stuff for pseudoscientific marketing, which they use in marketing their product

This claim is I believe based on an unpublished study of the theoretical effect on a virus in the laboratory. No evidence it actually does so in living humans that I could find