Haemophilus Influenzae Bacteria

[Teach66]

Does anyone else have experience of having Haemophilus Influenzae bacteria in their lungs please? I would be interested to hear how you have been treated. Thanks

[Pipsqueak77]

Hi

I get it regularly…. It’s just a regular course of antibiotics.

👍

[Teach66 in reply to Pipsqueak77]

I'm on my 4th course of doxycycline again this year. And usually prescribed for a two week stretch. It doesn't seem to be kicking it into touch. Within two weeks of completing the antibiotics, the bacteria raises its ugly head again, and I'm back to feeling awful again. 😔

[Pipsqueak77 in reply to Teach66]

Hi

Do they isolate the bacteria or just guess and give you another course of doxy?

I used to alternate between septrin and doxy when really bad… maybe you just need a different antibiotic?

👍😊

[Teach66 in reply to Pipsqueak77]

Hi Pipsqueak77,

Yes, I usually provide a sputum sample. When I'm coughing up lots of green phlegm, it has shown up as HI. I've also provided other phlegm samples (generally after I've finished a course of antibiotics and steroids) which have been normal. But I feel the bacteria sits quiet waiting for some germs to come along, and then bang, the HI rears up again.

I'm at my wits end with it all. I feel so ill when the bacteria comes back.

I'm also guessing that with the amount of steroids and antibiotics I have had, it's probably not helping my immune system or damaging it even! Hence the vicious circle. 😔

My consultant suggested a different course of action - a low, long-term antibiotic. But he wouldn't do that until I've had another 2 sputum samples that show the HI bacteria. I've had one positive since seeing him last. I need another positive one. And I think I can provide that today. 😔 I'm speaking with a GP later over the telephone and I'm going to ask to do this.

The problem is, my consultant is being very illusive. I have emailed him via his secretary but he is not responding to any of my messages 😒.

[Pipsqueak77 in reply to Teach66]

Hi

Yes I take Azith and have done constantly for many years. Every day apart from Sun… however this is mainly to control my asthma as at these levels it acts more as an anti- inflammatory rather than an antibiotic. Even if prescribed you may find it doesn’t always help with HI and you still need other antibiotics on top…

Good Luck😊

[May47 in reply to Teach66]

Hello Teach66. I have had haemophilus Influenza for a long time. I keep giving sputum samples and then start a two week course of doxycyclin which keeps it quiet for about two weeks and then it starts again. I have had multiple courses of doxycycline this year.

My consultant has given me Azythromycin to be taken three times a week for 12 weeks. It seems to be working at the moment but I am only on week 2. I hardly dare hope.

The GP said it is a very hard bug to treat. I am so fed up with feeling so ill and sleeping all the time when it flares up.

Try to persevere with your consultant especially as he has suggested azythromycin.

[Teach66 in reply to May47]

Hi May47,

We sound identical.

I intend to keep 'fighting' to get the right treatment.

Fingers crossed that the azithromycin works for you. I have heard some good things about it.

Please keep me posted with how you get on long term. Take care.

Thanks.

[May47 in reply to Teach66]

Hello Teach66.

I think long term azythromycin is not easily given. I was told at the hospital that there are strict guidelines for long term azythromycin. It can only be prescribed by a respiratory consultant. GPs can't prescribe it. It is obviously quite strong stuff!

This would probably explain your consultant's apparent reluctance.

Could you get the two sputum samples in as soon as possible? I know I would find that to be not too hard!

I do hope you can feel better soon and can get the long term azythromycin . The consultant seems to want you to have it. I am definitely feeling better but I don't want to speak too soon.

Take care.

[Teach66 in reply to May47]

Hi May47,

Thank you again for your reply.

I will keep you posted with regards to the outcome of my next consultation which is on 16th January. 🙂

[May47 in reply to May47]

I really hope all goes well on 16th January. Take care.

[Teach66 in reply to May47]

Thank you 😊

[Shogi in reply to Teach66]

Sadly, once again, we tend to be at the mercy of others opinions!

Had my 3 Respiratory Failure within 6 months a few years ago, as, in spite of liaising with 3 sets of health professionals, telling them how much I was (obviously!) going downhill, prescribed the usual steroid regimes, and being started on my 7th consecutive course of Doxycycline, having tested positive for HI all throughout that treatment, I had to beg for, and wait another another week, to be admitted to hospital for IV antibiotics!

Was a ridiculous situation which caused more long term lung damage, and was touch and go from the pneumonia I ended up with, and the pretty brutal IV drug regimes were awful.

Any already compromised immune system does become further “impaired”, the longer you expose it to antibiotics, steroids for bacterial (or fungal) infections which do not resolve long term. HI is hard to control, as so easily Community Acquired, and by its very nature, is hard to totally eliminate from the lungs.

3 positive tests, and you should be requesting IV Antibiotic treatment. Nowadays, many hospitals, offer this as an Outpatient service, and many antibiotics can be administered by Bolus. But what response you get, is going to depend on the opinions of your GP and consultant.

You know your own body, and how recent/ current treatments of Prednisolone and Doxycycline are failing you, so please, please, please don’t be fobbed off again, as it’s only by using effective treatment to properly eradicate the HI bacteria, that you are going to start getting better, and sort out whether something like a 3 times weekly course of Azithromycin, either over winter months or all year round, might be beneficial in your case, to try to stop the HI from returning. Azithromycin has its own side effects, but your GP/ consultant would have to weigh up pros and cons for you, re your age, state of health, other medications, etc, etc. That, along with all the good hygiene practises that most of us were following long before Covid came along anyway!

Also, using a simple saline nasal spray, really does help with nasal passage hygiene, as that is one of the main entrances for HI bacteria into the body. I use Sterimar, which is just 100% pure, sterile sea water.

There are several links to websites on HI that I would have included, but find I’m unable to copy and paste them onto a reply!

I do hope you get some joy out of your GP today, and to be fair, so many respiratory consultants have had more than enough to cope with in recent years, but I find that it’s attitudes that can be the hardest thing to work through!

Good Luck, and hope you manage to get well and enjoy Christmas with family 👍

[Teach66 in reply to Shogi]

Hi Shogi,

I'm sorry to hear about your respiratory failures that you had a few years ago.

Thank you for your words of advice.

[Patk1]

I get v ill with it.last Yr took 12wks of doxycycline 100mg x2 a day + steroids+ additional nebulisers+ inhalers.if its coming back so quickly,you probably didn't get it cleared x

[Teach66 in reply to Patk1]

Hi Patk1,

What do you suggest I do to get the bacteria cleared please?

[Patk1 in reply to Teach66]

Talk to yr dr.put specimen in, which will show which antibiotics are effective 4u.id ask dr for an extended course

[Teach66 in reply to Patk1]

Thanks

[peege]

Hi there you could try putting the same question on the AsthmalungUK forum, I know several members on there have it treated. Kind regards, Peege

[Teach66 in reply to peege]

I will. Thanks

[Teach66 in reply to peege]

Hi Peege,Would you be able to provide the link please? I've been on the website and I can't find the forum.

Thanks

[Teach66 in reply to Teach66]

Isn't this the forum?

[peege in reply to Teach66]

This is Asthmauk or Asthma Community..

"Lung Conditions Community Forum" = healthunlocked.com/asthmalu...

[peege in reply to peege]

PS when you open it put Haemophilus Influenzae in the search bar ××

Edit: you can also put Haemophilus Influenzae in this search bar and posts from AsthmalungUK will come up too

[Teach66 in reply to peege]

Thank you. Will do.

[Mum81]

my two year old caught it 4 times in 2 months earlier this year. Each time he was given antibiotics and oral steroids. I’d second other responses that it does seem to be quite resistant to most antibiotics and, if the wrong one, it just passifies it and then it returns. He’s now received an extra pneumonia vaccine to try to support his system further and, so far, that seems to have helped

[Teach66 in reply to Mum81]

I'm sorry so to hear your son has been ill with it too. I will put this to my GP.

[Patk1 in reply to Mum81]

Was he immunised against hib?

[Patk1]

How'd u get on ayers Teach66 x

[Teach66 in reply to Patk1]

Hi Patk1,My GP has prescribed another 2 week course of doxy and 1 weeks course of pred again 🙄

[Patk1 in reply to Teach66]

Gd.if still not cleared 2-3 days b4 they finish,speak to Dr x

[Teach66]

They generally do clear it but then after a few weeks, it comes back again. I think I need a low, long-term antibiotic like azithromycin 😒