I,m actually glad to report,I have an infection!Went for Copd review and flu jab today,been feeling horrible all week.Last week told every body how I hardly ever get infections so thought it was my emphysema getting worse.The nurse said not much point doing review if your that sick,she got a doctor to see me who confirmed infection.Apart from being really annoyed having to up the blasted steroids again I,m quite pleased.Even got told off for not starting antis.Every time in the past I,ve started
Them it,s turned out not to be an infection and oddly having had a bit of a druggy past I hate taking unnecessary drugs.The doc explained ,we are one of the few groups of patients who should err on the side of taking abs.In other news,ran out of Scottish honey been trying the Manuka my wife got from Tesco.Manuka not nearly as good as the Scottish for sleeping and calmness and it was twice the price(not that I,m a tight jock och aye lol).So roll on me feeling better so I can have my jab and start exercising again,hope you are all doing well be happy friends.D.
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FarmerD
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Thanks Suzy,I,m just glad it,s not worsening of my condition which is what it was last time I felt like this,cheers take care! D.
Hi farmerD, that's sounds like me yesterday went for my flu jab told my copd nurse that I'm feeling crappy, she listened to my chest told me had an infection in my right lung but didn't have temp so still had flu jab, also going for oxygen therapy test due to headaches on walking, I'm on the doxy but no wheezing so don't need steroids at the mo. Hope u feel better soon. Take care x Sonia x
hi farmer at boots thay sell lifeplan manuka honey and in capsules as well I think that's for those who don't like honey, 30 capsules ,200mg, active 16+,,I got them at boots for someone who wont take the honey, so if it does the job that's fine,, xx 30 caps was £5, 99p,thay do it in honey as well ,
Thanks Twice,I actually like honey and am just waiting for my next delivery of Scottish Heather.Once I find something that works for me I,m very loyal.That,s why I,m still badgering everybody on this magic site lol.Cheers! D.
i take the honey farmer but a relative wont take it tho, so i got the capsule version ,, and thay have taken them, so if it does the job that's fine, xx
It seems you and me made the same mistake FarmerD, my last infection came on slowly and I thought it could be my fibrosis getting worse but after going to see GP he confirmed it was an infection and to up the steroids and start my antibiotics. Things were turned around in a couple of days, and my breathing soon returned to normal for me.
Not sure why I waited to see doc before taking my emergency pack but this infection crept up on me and I made the wrong call. I've since lowered my prednisolone back to 12mg and I'm still ok so I'll learn from my mistake like you will and just take the pills next time.
Hi Tony,I,m feeling better already only 5 hours after taking the extra 19 mg of pred and 100 of doxy.Problem with me I seem to have spent this whole year trying to get away from the pesky steroids.So my rescue pack is just the doxycycline but now have to come down from 30 mg steroid all over again.I was down to 11 mg and that was hard work.We get one doctor telling us to stop the darn things and the next doctor bumping up the dose.My next appointment for the Brompton came today ,it,s in March so I,ve got long enough to get rid for my surgery.I just worked out the only place I could have got the infection and even remember the woman coughing and sneezing,AT THE BROMPTON.Ironic or what lol.Any way rant over,you take good care of yourself Tony and we,ll chat again soon I,m sure,all the best! D.
It's a bu**er when you have to feel glad you've got an infection farmer but, if your happy - we're happy too, Lol. So get well soon. x
You know where you are with an in infection and they're easier to cope with then the non-infective exacerbations. But it's not always easy to know where one ends and the other begins. Doctors rely on certain clinical indications to define an infection but sometimes infection is present wihout raised temp, high white cell count or increased sputum. Sometimes all they can do is just prescribe abs and steroids and if the symptoms improve, then obviously there was an infection there in the first place. I also find myself longing for the 'good old days' when infections were obvious, rather then my current permanent state of not knowing what the hell is going on but constantly having symptoms and needing treatment. It's all relative isn't it ? Hope you get over this one quickly Farmer D and back to your exercise asap.
I get this problem of not knowing whether it is an infection or not.
Symptoms change from one day to the next. I do wish I could do my own sputum testing! if you want to submit a sample at the docs they put you on. Antibiotics anyway because the results take about a week and if it is an infection it will be getting worse. the. There's the problem of the course prescribed not being long enough and a few days after finishing a course you are unwell again.
Argana, i didn't realise that there was such a thing as an exacerbation without all the usual symptoms. That seems to be what i have now. I haven't had a bad exacerbation since last february. At the moment I have a tightness in my chest and have difficulty breathing especially on exertion. no temperature or anything. My doctor suggested a higher dose of Pred for a week. like everyone else I am reluctant to increase my dose but suppose I had better.
That sounds like a fairly typical non-infective exacerbation Daisy and it's always difficult to decide what to do for the best. It's so much easier when it's an infection and your body responds to the antibiotics. Hope your breathing improves soon !
Thanks, Argana. In my ten years of COPD I have never had one of these before. Just the ones which have flu like symptoms. My doctor was puzzled, as was I, thinking it might have been the sarcoidosis back, but an x-ray showed nothing. It just feels like I have a brick in my chest :). Yesterday, she put me on 20 mg of Pred for a week. My normal dose is 7.5 mg. I have tried several times to reduce it but just can't.
I am very grateful for your post. Thank you very much.
Hi Argana,I actually bought myself a stethoscope.However can,t figure out how to listen to my lungs at the back and even if I could would,nt know what to listen for.They were surprisingly cheap though lol.Take care. D.
Hi Offcut,this one was £14 from Tesco same distributor as the Scottish but just does,nt do it for me.My family go all the way back to the Picts so It could be an area thing with me. D.
They do say that it is better to have local honey as it may have the things in there that you need for your area. So makes sense.
My husband was always told to take the antibiotics rather than not! It is so difficult to work out thought sometimes. Glad you are back on the drugs! Wishing you a very speedy recovery and will be trying the scottish honey. Take good care, TADxxx
Hi Tad,I suppose I,m of the generation told by every medic in the land "don,t take antibiotics unless you really have to".But as the doctor explained we ,with our particular problems ,are the exception to the rule.It,s lucky I had my review due as I would have struggled on and just gone downhill.It,s this fight I have with getting off steroids that cloud my judgement.That,s my excuse lol.Hope you and hubby are well,do try the honey it,s great. D.
My husband is exactly the same and I believe that some of the damage to his lungs could have been prevented if he had taken antibiotics rather than leaving it! He stills hates to take them and it is always a bit of a fight! Take good care, TAD xx
Hi farmer D know how you feel still trying to get over this last bout of flu does this honey really work I have read the posts and think I might get on better with the tablet form hope your feeling on top soon
Hi Ona,I,m not really sure how much the honey does for me apart from giving me a better sleep or relaxing me if I don,t sleep much but that in it,s self is enough for me.The Manuka did ,nt seem to have any effect although I do like the taste of(not fourteen quids worth of like tho lol)My Scottish Heather honey just came in the post so I,ll have a good sleep tonight .whoopdeedoo! I,m already feeling better thank you,hope you feel better soon too.Take care. D.
Farmer, I'm glad you take it on teh bright side. I suppose the infection might help you in immunising against a possible other one. Still, I hope you get better soon
Hi Helingmic,the reason I,m so upbeat is I thought I was near the end,I was so sick but don,t trust myself to know when I have an infection having got it wrong so many times.The last time I felt this bad my consultant told me it was the condition getting worse,the good thing about that was it spurred him on to refer me to the Brompton.So it,s all up and down we just have to keep the faith I suppose.I,m feeling better already having started the meds thanks,take care. D.
Hi, I do hope you are on the mend very oon, I have been using Manuka Honey from Aldi £4.45 per tin 10+ strength. Think I will try the Scottish version. Get well soon and stay safe. David
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