When go to GP with chest infection?

[Ladypig8]

when do you go to the GP with a chest infection?

I’ve got fairly bad asthma (fostair 100 mart x 8 puffs daily, montelukast, spiriva respimat, dymista nasal spray, fexofenadine, 4 short courses prednisolone this year) but have never had a bacterial chest infection before apart from earlier this year - which took 3 different antibiotics and weeks of prednisolone to shift - now I seem to be starting again with a chest infection (coughing up green stuff). So far asthma ok and no temperature.

Is having a 2nd bacterial chest infection within a year a sign that my lungs are more of a mess than ever before?

I’m going to ask for the pneumococcal vaccine.

Thanks for any advice : )

[Patk1]

I'd put a specimen in for testing.if u feel ok+ no other symptoms,I'd keep yr eye on it.sometimes it's inflammation.do u have a rescue pack in case u need them

[Ladypig8 in reply to Patk1]

Thanks very much - yes I do have one.

[ellamental]

I would make an appointment and you can always cancel it. If you start wheezing or worse crackling don’t hesitate. I think with your past chest infection having antibiotics for green phlem is what you may need. Being a bit over cautious is so much better than leaving it until you feel awful. I have made this mistake!

[Ladypig8 in reply to ellamental]

Yes me too! Got an appointment tomorrow so that was lucky. Thanks very much.

[Homely2 Administrator]

It depends how your GP system works.

For me, I get an appointment in ten days or so, if I ask to see my asthma nurse. So I have to book in advance, guessing where my asthma attacks are going. I can then cancel.

[Ladypig8 in reply to Homely2]

You’re right - it’s all about when you can get an appointment. Thanks very much.

[Thomas45]

A year ago a bout of common cold turned into coughing up green phlegm. My inhalers (DuoResp Spiromax 320/9, and Salamol reliever) were making no impression. I don't wheeze, but felt my lungs clogging up. In the past it always seemed to happen at a weekend, and so it was that time.

I filled in an online form for the doctors on a Sunday and on Monday had to have a taxi to take me 200 yards to the medical centre. I saw a nurse practitioner who prescribed 7 days of 40mg prednisolone, and 7 days of amoxicillin 500mg x 3 a day. After a fortnight I was still coughing up green phlegm with small specks of blood, but was able to walk to the medical centre. I saw a GP and had another week's course of amoxicillin which cleared up the lower respiratory infection.

So I go as soon as I am coughing up green or yellow phlegm. It may if course just be a coincidence but since having the first Astra Zeneca jabs against COVID, my common colds have reduced from about four a year to 0 or 1 a year. I have had flu jabs for many years and every COVID jab offered, about 10 or 11.

[Ladypig8 in reply to Thomas45]

Sounds like it was really bad, thanks very much for the advice.

[AsthmaandLung]

Hello Ladypig8,

I'm sorry to hear that you have a chest infection and feeling poorly.

It’s important to see your GP if you think you have a chest infection and asthma because you could get more serious symptoms. Asthma causes inflammation in your airways. Chest infections can trigger your asthma because they make your airways even more inflamed.

If you can't get an appointment with your GP, please call 111 who should be able to help you.

You can also call us at the helpline and speak to one of our friendly nurses who can advise you on the management of your condition.

Please call us on 0300 222 5800, (Mon - Fri, 9:15 - 5pm) and we will be happy to help.

Thank you and take care,

Helpline Team

[Ladypig8 in reply to AsthmaandLung]

Thanks very much for your advice - managed to get an appointment with an advanced nurse practitioner tomorrow, I’ll see if I can get the type of antibiotics that finally got rid of the infection last time if they give me antibiotics.

[peege]

On suspected infections I used to call the gp practice and ask for same day appt, I'd say I just need my lungs listened to (there are different lung sounds for different ailments), I'd get a call back from a doctor who'd prescibe abs over the phone or an appointment. Nowadays it's impossible to get an appointment even if the phone is answered, on line appts are released at 10am & are gone in minutes. In future I'll be calling 111 as AsthmaandLung advise. Good luck with your appointment

[janedivney in reply to peege]

I recently got chatting to a guy who works for 111. He told me the service has hugely improved now and is well staffed. Gone are the days of waiting 24hrs for a call back. If you have a real problem you’ll definitely get fast treatment (according to him). If necessary they send an on-call gp out to you, who’ll have access to all your records & can call a priority ambulance, and you’ll be looked after by them in A&E whilst waiting. What puts me off going to A&E is, sometimes I feel too ill to be sitting in a chair waiting for treatment. And I wouldn’t phone 999 other than for a real emergency. After chatting to this chap I’ll be calling 111 first in future

[peege in reply to janedivney]

That's really good to know jd thank you 🤗

[Ladypig8 in reply to janedivney]

This is really good to hear thanks for letting us know : )

[Ladypig8 in reply to peege]

Yes I know what you mean - appointments for the day usually gone first thing 😬. Thanks for your advice.

[Chip_y2kuk]

Now...."green stuff is not necessarily a sign of a bacterial chest infection but as we are high risk from the inhaled steroids and asthma ..... "green stuff" usually means my lung (and mine is always my left) has another bacterial infection and a doctor can hear crackles...quicker I get it treated the quicker I get better

The pneumonia vaccine only stops you from getting the specific types of bacteria that cause pneumonia.... so won't stop you from getting chest infections (ive had 2 pneumonia vaccines and still get chest infections)

Chip

[peege in reply to Chip_y2kuk]

Me too however since having the pneumonia vaccination I've not had pneumonia - when previously I'd had it 5 times in less than two years. Like the flu jab it covers the most likely strains. P

[Chip_y2kuk in reply to peege]

Something like 24 they told me the second time I had it... I had immunity to like 2 of them,which the consultant said was unacceptable and I would agree.

[Patk1]

How'd u get on with nurse Ladypig8

[Ladypig8]

hi, thanks very much for asking - she was nice, started on antibiotics but seems the coughing up grim green stuff has ramped up and can’t not cough after taking inhaler, hopefully they will start to take effect soon - I asked for doxycycline but they wanted to try amoxicillin first, sounds like that’s their policy.

[MoyB in reply to Ladypig8]

Have a look on you tube for chest clearance techniques. There are some very helpful physio videos that will show you how to shift the plegm. XxMoy