Chest infections, how many infections is too many!!!

Hello,

I was diagnosed with adult asthma around 2 years ago now after a bad chest infection which I believe triggered it. In the past year I have had 4 chest infections, the first was my first infection since diagnosis and, not realising and not seeing the build up, i left it quite late and needed 3 weeks off work, i had chest x rays etc and stronger and stronger antibiotics.

Anyway, I now spot the signs and go straight to the docs for antibiotics (Amoxycillin) before it progresses. I feel that my asthma isn't always well controlled and i'm concerned that the doc just keep sending me away with antibiotics, im also on Seretide 250 which I've built up to from Qvar50. I did ask him whether it was normal to keep getting infections and after he rambled on a bit he seemed to be saying that it depends on the person?? Who knows what that means!

So, I was wondering if anyone has the same issues, the same frequency of infections or more maybe?

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hi morello

Im afraid your doc is right it very much depends on you as a person. I used to find i had an average of 4 maybe 5 chest infections a year but over the last 18months to two years i have found that i have been only having one or two weeks of relative normality between the start of the next chest infection and unfortunatly have had a few severe pneumonias! Id say most asthmatics get more infections than the norm or at least it appears that way but i think its prob average to get a few each year hopefully someone else a more doctor type person will be able to give a better medical opinion but do remember that you can always question antibiotic use if you dont feel its necessary etc and if your dvds in doubt as to whether your asthma is under control or not it is always safer to check and see a doc-better that than getting into problems and ending up really poorly.

Good luck and keep us posted on how you get on. Lotsa lv kk Xx

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like you I was diagnosed with asthma as an adult. Before I had asthma, I would not get so much as cold, even when everyone else around me had them, then last year, with asthma, the 3 or 4 months leading upto christmas was basically constant colds and chest infections. I've been fine since christmas, decided to take an extra 1000mg of vitamin c a day, and still am, not sure if thats whats working, but i'm going to stick with it. Also a bought a warm mist humidifier, as the cold winter air tends to be dryer and thats means the throat is dryer and so you are more likely to catch cold etc, so i'll see if that works next year. I had 2 courses of prednisolone and anti-biotics, and have a course here at home for emergency use.

You don't want to have the same antibiotic every time, that may be some of the trouble, you body gets use to it. Amoxycillin is an old fashioned antiB, and not used much, but thats what i have here now.

I hope things have now settled down and you are getting back to normal?

chris

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Hello Morello, sorry you have had lots of chest infections. Woodysom i didn't know Amoxiciilin was an 'old fashioned' antibiotic, it is still used as first choice in the surgery where i work for chest infections unless patient is allergic to it. Its always given to me too by Chest consultant at every admission (as a precaution he says). What would you say is not an old fashioned anti-biotic? I wonder if there are modern ones that have not reached the far flung reaches of the North, an interested Lois x

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Nah, Amoxicillin may be an old faithful, but it certainly isn't old fashioned and is used an awful lot.

Round our way doxycycline is now first line for LRTIs, but amox is still first line for ear infections, chest infections in kids (who can't have doxy because it can discolour growing teeth), etc.

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Hi morrello ...

Im far from ordinary when it comes to chest infections mine started as chest infections every few months but over the past year or so i get an infection every 2 weeks and permanatly have a wet cough ...most of the time (at least once a month ) i have a pneumonia on xray!!! my chest infections are treated normally with ivs through a port i have but gps do prescribe as cathbear says doxy whick i have as thats what my bugs in sputum are normally sensative to i dont normally fin a course as i more often then not end up admitted on ivs ...

As i said im abnormal lol so dont go worrying yourself that this is what u will end up like hopefully soon you will start picking up and at the moment you are just having a rarther rough time of it ....i do hope u pick up soon and the infections start to settle ...chest physio clearence techniques are good alot of deep breathing and huffing are good normally for keeping your chest well between infections speak to your doctor about getting referd to a physiotherapsit for some advice ..take care love roxy

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Thankyou so much for your responses, it seems sometimes with adult asthma that you are just left to get on with it because you're over a certain age! I was beginning to worry that I had a more serious problem as I only know a couple of people who had asthma as a child and rarely use their inhalers rather than being on regular steroid inhalers as I am. From your responses I feel much better and I'll just have to grin and bear it, or cough and bear it hahah