Hey guys anyone got any advise please?...I've just finished my 4th lot of steroids and antibiotics and my chest is still bad and bad cough?

[Scooby311]

[rick1]

Try and see your G.P.

[Scooby311 in reply to rick1]

Problem is every time I go they just give me antibiotics and steroids I'm still waiting for x ray results x

[pollyjj in reply to Scooby311]

Are you taking a sputum test each time you go to the docs this will tell them the best antis for that particular bug. Hope you get it sorted soon.

polly xx

[helingmic in reply to pollyjj]

Best idea of all, polly. Scooby, can you ask to be referred to a chest specialist. He would run the proper test or ask the surgery to do this.

[happyfeet59]

I have been amazed over the years about how few gp's ask for sputum samples. When someone is returning again and again with a chest infection they should send offf a sample. I once had 4 antibiotics in a row over 3 months and the next gp I saw - I had to suggest a sample was sent to the lab. It took a week to return the analysis, during which time I was on yet another ab, and it turned out the big was a biggie and resistant to all the abs I had had! No surprise there. There was only one ab which worked otherwise I'd have been in hospital.

Now I take a sample with me every time I have an infection.

[Scooby311 in reply to happyfeet59]

Hi,thanks for all the replies..I don't even know what a sputum test is?just spoke drs she said come down will listen to chest and maybe more steroids and abs but I said no I don't want more as it's no good for me and my immune system?x

[cofdrop-UK in reply to Scooby311]

If it were me Scooby I would take up the docs offer and ask if the ab needs to be changed and if she would send a sample off too.

A sputum sample: You huff or cough out sputum into a sterile pot given to you by the surgery. Best to try get a few up (from different areas if poss) and with as little saliva as poss. The pot is sealed and placed in a Microbiology bag which has your details on. This is sent to a laboratory and placed in a petri dish in a sugary solution. It is then left for a few days to culture (grow out any bugs). So now they know what bug you are growing. The sample is smeared with different antibiotics and from that they can see which abs are more effective at killing off the bugs (which abs the bugs are most sensitive to). They can also tell which abs the bugs are resistant to. The test is commonly referred to as MC&S (microbiology culture and sensitivity.

So you can see Scooby you are more likely to get the most effective ab if your doc sends a sample off, but as it takes time and it's the hols your doc might want you to take a different ab to the ones you have already been prescribed, in the meantime.

Good luck.

love cx

[happyfeet59 in reply to Scooby311]

If you need abs you need abs. Your immune system will recover - faster than you will if you refuse necessary abs. You don't want to be in hospital over Xmas. Antibiotics are the only meds drs can give for a chest infection and there are many, many of them at different strengths and which work on different bugs. Thats why we give sputum samples.

Some if us have been taking abs longterm over years and know we would be foolish to reject them. Your problem is that the dr is having difficulty finding the righht ab for your bug.

[kaz67]

If you haven't already I would either go to your GP and ask about getting seen by a specialist in lung disease or go to your nearest hospital or one of your choice & tell them how ill your feeling with your condition & what do they suggest & if they cant help then can they refer you to a specialist because you can't just put up with your symptoms & have nothing done about it. I do hope you get the help you really need,it cant just be ignored it could turn out very serious, I wish you well, you can let me know if you wish so,as to how & if you get any help,good luck & merry xmas if u celebrate xmas & to everyone else on this site,Better luck to u for 2014 & everyone else!xx