Typing this is a huge chore as I am so exhausted that I can hardly focus. I am constantly fighting a Hib infection - I get given a two week course of antibiotics but the infection keeps on recurring. It has happened about 8 times in the past two years. A sputum sample is sent off which comes back positive for Hib and an antibiotic which is know to clear it is prescribed. I feel better for a while and then the whole scenario is reenacted. The usual antibiotic of choice is amoxicillian although I have had others. Does anyone know of any other a/biotic or that would be more effective? And/or any thing I could do or take that would help me feel less exhausted and depressed, please?
Am desperate.
swimmer
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swimmer
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Had an appointment with consultant on 16th May and am not due another one until 1st August, but perhaps I can ask her via her secretary if she thinks long term antibiotics would be suitable.
I assume you are talking about haemophilus influenzae. This too is my resident squatter and it is miserable isn't it. Had it now over 2 years. Same story as yours hun - oral abs HI is sensitive to, after which temp goes down and sputum becomes paler. A week or so later back.
Just wondered if you are taking a prophylactic antibiotic - may be worth a discussion with your GP or consultant. There are also nebulised abs. Many do well on nebbed colomycin. I ended up in 5* nebbing col but I am a funny b and don't tolerate much. I am shortly having an assessment for nebulised tobramycin. So yes there are other things to try - don't give up yet - I'm not, although I understand how you feel hun. There are also other oral treatment abs too to try.
Discuss with your consultant hun - they can come up with all sorts and have access to microbiologists too, who are very clever.
Thanks so much Cofdrop for your kind and detailed response. You often reply to my cries for help and I really appreciate them. I will take what you have suggested to my consultant when I see her on 1st August. She is away on holiday until next Monday and have just got off the phone to her secretary who is going to ask her if low dose continual antibiotics would be more appropriate for me.
Once again, many thanks for understanding my situation so well - I was beginning to feel very alone and lost and your empathy has really helped.
Are you doing everything possible to stop reinfecting yourself? That includes putting your volumiser, inhaler bodies and CAPS etc into boiling water each day. Are you and everyone in your home using hand sanitisation at every chance, changing your bedclothes more regularly and washing at a higher temperature. If you use tissues, do you drop them into a closed container and get them in the bin at short intervals? When the infections strike, it is quite often us or our family members that reinfect us. Every time you have a course of ab's, it reduces the effectiveness of the next course....just got to look at everything and dismiss nothing.
Thanks Cornishbrian. Sadly, I live alone so there is no-one to comfort or infect me...! I do use hand sanitisers and am very clean generally. I do not use inhalers (or anything similar) so there is nothing to disinfect. I wash my hands regularly and always after being out in public so I cannot think what else I can do. Your comment about antibiotics being less effective every time they are used is something I agree with and, therefore, I only use a/biotics when absolutely necessary.
Kind regards
swimmer
think the best for me is clarithromycine, seems you need this or what they call a second stage antibiotic which is stronger than the more usually prescribed ones. happened to me recently... doxy didnt work then the stronger one did. and steroids great help too. you will probably find you able to do little bit more each day once recovering . i been prescribed antidepressant beginning with c ... as any anxiety makes breathing harder . Do hope you feeling better soon x
I will take your and others suggestions to my GP when he comes back from holiday. How did you get on with the antidepressant? I have tried most varieties and they always make me feel ten times worse so I stop taking them after a few days...
I am sure there will be other drugs out there to help you. The usual route upwards for me was - oral abs, different oral abs, IV abs in hospital for 14 days to try and break the chain. Then when too many infections over a couple of years I moved onto nebulised abs, for life. 4 infections per year is quite high - I'm surprised your consultant hasn't suggested any of the above. Mind you, if I am being honest I rejected sugestions re nebulising for some time as I didn't think it would suit my busy lifestyle! Big mistake! I might have prevented a pseudamonas colonisation if I had stepped off the workmill and dealt with my health.
Hi swimmer, sorry to hear how bad u feel, i had the same problems and i felt so depressed, i told my consultant and he said there is a medical link with breathing conditions and depression go and c your gp and explain also ive just been told iam anemic no one as picked it up , i couldn't string a setence together i was so tired, got iron tablets and i feel much better, other antibiotics are doxicicline they are for lung infection hope u feel better soon xx
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